“Peachy,” he answered with a wink. As long as he was with her, he was fine. Her answering smile went straight to his heart.
“In here,” she told him as she turned into a vast room lined with dark wood paneling and more books than some libraries had. “Father!”
A distinguished man with gray hair stood up from behind an enormous desk. He circled the piece of furniture without haste and met his daughter in front of it. Angel’s father held her away for a long moment to scan her before pulling her close in a brief hug.
As he stepped back, Mr. Daniels announced, “You’re thinner, but you appear to be fine. I guess I didn’t have much to worry about. Thank goodness I didn’t pay their outrageous ransom.”
Vex didn’t hesitate as his hot temper flared to an inferno level. He stepped forward to steer Angel out of the way before he swung an angry fist to bust her father’s nose.
Chapter 9
Vex lounged on a leather couch with Angel pressed to his side as the staff scurried to call the doctor, clean the blood from the carpet, and bring ice for their employer. He didn’t regret a second of Mr. Daniels’s discomfort.
“Vex! You shouldn’t have….”
He interrupted his Little girl. “When he’s back on his feet, I’ll hit him again.”
“Vex!”
“I should call the cops, you… biker!” Mr. Daniels threatened.
“Go for it. They’ll take me away, and my club will come to collect Angel and keep her safe. You’re not going to fucking protect her,” Vex told him bluntly.
“Father, you really don’t know what happened. The Ravagers were…. That motorcycle club isn’t like Vex’s. They’re animals. No one should be abused like they treated me. Why didn’t you pay the ransom?”
“It’s important to never bend to the demands of criminals, Angel. Once I paid them, that would have endangered you again and again,” Mr. Daniels explained as if he were talking to a mentally slow child.
“So, you left your daughter with the dregs of society where they tortured her worse than a prisoner of war. Degradation, sensory deprivation, starvation, and physical violence. Does that sound like a spa trip to you?”
“Now, wait a minute. Angel doesn’t look like any of that happened,” her father blustered.
Vex stood, ready to break another body part of her unfeeling father. The bastard hadn’t learned his lesson. Angel grabbed his arm and darted in front of him to block his path.
“Father….” Angel protested, shaking her head. Turning, she met Vex’s gaze, unsure how to respond.
“You can’t rewrite history, old man, to make yourself feel better. Angel, do you have anything else to say to your father?” Vex snarled over her shoulder. He was done.
“No, Vex. I’m ready to go,” she told him in a voice that dripped with hurt.
Wrapping his arm around her thin waist, Vex hugged her to his side and studied her face to see if she was upset with him. Her small smile went straight to his heart. He needed to get her out of here. He turned and guided her toward the door as Mr. Daniels rose to his feet.
“Angel, I’m not done speaking to you.”
Vex opened his mouth to share his thoughts when she patted his chest. He allowed her to reply.
“Father, I’ve been held in horrendous circumstances for weeks when you could have secured my release long ago. I think it’s best if I leave before I have Vex teach me how to punch as well as he does.”
“Now, Angel, that’s not fair.”
“No, Father. Not fair is caring more about your wallet than about my survival. Perhaps when you reflect on the risk you exposed me to, you’ll understand that I’m not willing to thank you for leaving me there a second longer than necessary.”
“When you calm down….” Mr. Daniels started.
“Will be a cold day in hell.” Vex met the arrogant man’s gaze as he finished the ridiculous statement. Angel wouldn’t see her father again if Vex had anything to say about that choice. And he would have.
Reynolds opened the front door for them. “Miss Daniels, the staff hopes you recover quickly. Our thanks go to you, Mr. Vex, for rescuing her.”
“It’s Vex, Reynolds,” Vex growled.
