Free Leather and Lace (Tempered Steel Book 2) by Maggie Adams Page B

isn’t she at the damn hospital?” he roared, tightening his arms around her as his eyes pinned Ben.
     “I’m fine. I wasn’t hit, just sliced a bit,” Angel hurried to reassure him. He turned even paler. Sliding his hand around her neck, he tilted her face to get a better look.
    “Sam’s gonna kill me,” he murmured as he checked out the bloody line running from early to help her mom.”
    “She wasn’t there?”
    Angel shook her head in the negative. Chance squeezed her tighter.
    The door burst open and Georgia Haines limped under her earlobe to her cheekbone. A horrible thought occurred. “Shit! Where’s Frankie?”
    “She’s fine. Her dad’s having a bad day with Alzheimer’s, so she left.”
    The door opened and Georgia limped through. Chance dropped his arms from Angel so fast she would have fallen if she hadn’t made a grab for Ben’s desk.
    “Angel, are you hurt?” Georgia inquired. “I heard about it on the police scanner.” She completely ignored Chance. He frowned at her rudeness until he noticed the blush covering her cheeks.
    “Oh, for the love of….” Ben mumbled as he came around to help Angel. “Georgia will you put this boy out of his misery and go out with him. And Chance, she knows you don’t care about Angel that way. It’s been Sam and Angel since Sam was old enough to know what to do with a woman.”
    It was Angel’s turn to gasp.
    “Sorry, Angel, but facts are facts. Speaking of the stubborn ass, have you contacted him?” he aimed his question at Chance.
    “I couldn’t reach him. That’s why I called Chance,” Angel answered.
    Ben reached for the phone.
    “Oh, please don’t. He’ll just find a way to keep me under lock and key,” Angel pleaded.
    Georgia glanced at Chance, who looked caught between a rock and a hard place. She couldn’t help but save him. “In this town, honey, he probably already knows.”
    “Yeah, I’m sure he’ll be along soon. He was in Alton all day with those friends from his Navy days. They are helping with the investigation,” Chance volunteered. He looked at Georgia but she was checking Angel’s wound.
    “It’s not bad. I don’t think she needs the hospital.” She glanced at him then blushed.
    “Fine. Now that we’ve all determined where Sam is, whether Angel needs stitches, and that Chance doesn’t want Angel, he wants Georgia, can you all please leave so I can get some damn work done and find the bastard that did this?” Ben looked at each blushing face in turn.
    “Angel, if you think of anything he said or did, which could help, let me know.” Ben retreated behind his desk, dismissing them.
    Chance stepped up to hold the door open for the women and Georgia breezed through with Angel in tow. Angel stopped in the doorway, a frown on her face. “Did I tell you that he said his boss wanted him to do something and that I was his, er, payment?” Angel shuddered as she flashed back to that moment.
    Ben sat up. “Did he say anything specific?”
    Angel gulped. “No. Just what he wanted me to do to him and then he was going to take the stuff in the safe.”
    “I’m going to need specifics, Angel.” Ben saw her pale. “It can wait until Sam gets back. Until then, I want someone with you at all times. I can’t spare someone here. You know we are limited. Can you stay with Frankie or Georgia until we catch this guy?”
    Georgia nodded, but Angel shook her head. “No! Absolutely not! And put them in danger? No way.”
    Chance rolled his eyes. “Now, Ben, do you really think Sam’s going to let her stay by herself with the bastard still at large? Especially since they are back together?”
    Ben turned a dull red. “Uh, sorry.” He shuffled some papers. “I was unaware of your reconciliation.”
    “Don’t know how you could have missed it, Ben. It was the talk of Kate’s Café this morning.” Chance winked at Georgia.
    “I was running late. I didn’t stop in for coffee this morning.” If anything, Ben got