Free Fallen Angel by K. S. Thomas Page A

watching him in that kind of pain, I would have gladly spent the night alone in my bed, cold and untouched if it had meant knowing he was contently sleeping in his.
    “Yeah, well. Fucking Moe-lester showing up here definitely did not help.” My entire body tightens up just thinking about him. “Think he’ll be back?”
    Ava nods. “Unfortunately, I think we should count on it. Moe’s having financial troubles. Lawyer told me this morning. Seems to think he’s found an opportunity to squeeze some money out of Angel.”
    “That’s disgusting.” I shudder.
    “That’s Moe.”
    ***
    “W hat can I do?” Blaise is sitting across from me looking about as damn helpless as I’m feeling.
    “I don’t know, man.” I lean my head back and wish I was sitting on Memomma’s sofa with my head against the quilt she always kept draped over the back. I close my eyes trying not to think about her and what she will say if she ever finds out about this. Denial. That shit’s a good drug.
    “I still feel like an asshole for not getting here sooner.” Derek’s next to me, and I can hear him rubbing his hands anxiously over his pants. He does that kinda stuff a lot these days. Fucking Sammy’s been causing him to have all kinds of nervous ticks from the stress she’s been putting him under. And considering he wasn’t here last night, I’m guessing he’s likely to pick up a few more. Being around her seems to do that.
    “Nah, man. Don’t even worry about it.” I chuckle, because I’m not about to break down again like I did last night. These guys are my brothers, but some things even they don’t need to see.
    “Besides, Addy seemed to be handling shit pretty well without us here.”
    I open my eyes again when Blaise mentions her name. He’s still shaking his head. “I wasn’t even surprised when we rolled up here and she was standing in the doorway all up in Moe’s face like that. Crazy ass Jennison women are all the same.”
    “Yeah. Bam Bam definitely still has a Mighty-Mouse complex, no denying that.”
    Derek’s phone vibrates and he hurries to shut it off. “Sorry.”
    “Don’t be sorry, dude. I know the rest of the world hasn’t stopped.” Not that I’m all that into the idea of Sammy calling him. Needless to say, she’s not my favorite person these days, and the fact that she’s now apparently playing a game of catch and release with Derek is only making me hate her more. 
    He runs his hands over his face. He looks like I feel. “It’s fine. Whatever it is can wait until later.”
    Blaise and I exchange a look, neither of us sure how to approach the situation. This mess with Derek and Sammy’s been going on forever and considering the way he looks and acts these days, I’m sure Blaise is putting shit together for himself right about now.
    Then, the front door opens and Royce and Hudson are back from the coffee run Ava sent them on. Hudson cuts straight through to the kitchen, but Royce turns off and comes in to join us, taking a seat in the recliner.
    “So, how are you enjoying your honeymoon?” I ask dryly because apologies are already running rampart around here for things people don’t need to be saying sorry for.
    “Oh, you know. It’s pretty much what I was expecting.” He even forces a smirk. Royce is solid like that. The calm in the shitstorm supplying a steady stream of sarcasm in his standard mellow tone. It’s no wonder Ava’s high-strung ass is so attached to him.
    Then, he gets serious and I get antsy as fuck. “By the way, Moe didn’t go all that far. Hudson and I saw him parked over at the gas station on the corner. Was talking on the phone with someone both times we passed by. Seemed intense.”
    “Fuck.” I hate that asshole. Father or not, if he ever dropped dead or wound up missing, I’d find it hard not to smile just knowing I was finally rid of the man. Probably sounds cold. And maybe that makes me a bad person on some level. But then again, I’m pretty sure,