Naughty & Nice (Merry Elf-Mas 2)

Chapter 16

Rolly

“ A ll right, order is placed.” The pizza tracker icon popped onto my screen as I set my phone aside, feeling satisfied. Taking care of my boys gave me that good dopamine high. I was pleased that in a crisis, Damon had turned to me to help them out. We’d have a nice low key evening and see if we couldn’t help Angel open up about his feelings.

My kitten was a tough nut to crack, but I’d get to his heart somehow. It occurred to me that maybe I should give him his Christmas gift early. The shop could be the last piece to show him I was all in on the three of us.

I combed my fingers through Damon’s hair, and he gave a contented hum. He’d been lying with his head in my lap like the sweet pup he was. Damn, it was so nice to have boys of my own. If this was a dream, I never wanted to wake up.

I turned at the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the steps. I was surprised to see Angel wasn’t in his kitten gear and looked madder than a hornet. What the hell had happened in the short time since he’d been upstairs?

Damon sat up, looking confused as I rose to my feet. I moved around the couch to intercept Angel. “What’s wrong, Kitten?”

My arms had been open to receive him in a comforting embrace but were met with a bundle of papers being slapped against my chest. I caught them before they fell and at a glance realized they were the documents Jack’s project manager had sent me. Well, fuck. Looked like my surprise had been ruined, but that didn’t explain why Angel looked fit to commit murder.

I gave him a questioning look and received a venomous one in return. “What the fuck is all that?”

Damon came to my side, looking as lost as I felt. I still didn’t understand why Angel was so pissed, but there was no point in beating around the bush, either. “I was going to surprise you, but that’s been spoiled.” I held the papers out toward him. “These are some documents Jack had sent over to help me understand what you’d need to open your flower shop.”

His features grew darker as his body language conveyed he was itching for a fight. “And why the hell do you need to know any of that? Why does anyone other than me need to know anything about my shop?”

What was his problem? Why was he so mad? It made no sense for him to be this upset. I could see him being miffed, maybe, but he was livid. There was more going on here, but damned if I knew what. “I was working with Jack to secure the location you liked and see what I could pay for opening the shop.”

An enraged growl resonated in Angel’s throat, and I thought I heard his clenched hands crack. His eyes trailed off to the floor and his voice was just above a whisper. “So I was right. You think I’m useless and can’t do this myself.”

“Whoa. That’s…” Damon stepped in but was cut off by Angel rounding on him.

“You’re taking his side now?” Angel pointed an accusatory finger at Damon with his teeth bared in fury.

I needed to diffuse this situation fast. I wasn’t sure what was setting Angel off, but something wasn’t right. My hands lifted into a non-threatening gesture. “Let’s all take a breath and sort this out.”

That must have been the wrong thing to do. Angel’s eyes snapped back to me, shooting daggers. “Stop telling me what to do!”

“Angel! What is going on with you?” Damon grabbed the smaller man’s shoulders, looking a mix of concerned and angry. I understood where he was coming from. This situation was getting out of hand and Angel was getting more agitated.

Angel shook off Damon’s hold and stepped several paces back. His gaze had taken on a wild edge. Like a cornered cat. I was beyond concerned now. This wasn’t Angel. At least not the one I’d come to know. “Kitten talk to us. Please.”

“No!” His arm slashed through the air. “I’m done with talking. No one listens to me, anyway.” His hands curled into fists again, and he looked on the verge of tears. “Nothing ever goes right for me. Even when I was a kid.”

I took a step toward him, but he retreated again.

“My mother didn’t think I was worth taking along when she left my father. Heartless bitch.” The scoff he emitted was so full of bitterness and pain, it was like a knife in my heart.

Again, I tried to approach him, but he continued to back away.

“Then there’s that bastard I called a father. Ha. He was all too happy to tell me every chance he got about how I never met his standards.” His fists clenched, and he stared at them as if they held the answers to the universe.

“Kitten, let’s just…” I was cut off by his gaze snapping to me. His eyes swirled with emotion so fast I couldn’t decipher any of them.

An image of a scrawny, scrappy cat came to mind as he stared at me. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to be told every day that you were never good enough? How you weren’t a real man all because you were small? Do you know what that does to a kid?”

Did I ever? My dad had been a total asshole. He was always giving me hell about how I wasn’t like his friends’ boys. While they were out playing sports, I’d rather stay inside and draw. I’d lived with it until that day he caught me and Johnny Sullivan kissing. He’d beat me near to death that day. Then I’d dragged my battered body to Uncle Solly and Aunt Dolly. Yes, I understood him all too well.

“Angel, I was there. I know what that asshat did, but…” Damon tried to approach Angel, but the smaller man recoiled from his touch.

The hurt that crossed his face had anger rising in me. I was caught in a tough place. I didn’t appreciate Angel lashing out like this and hurting Damon. At the same time, I knew he was hurting with his mind all a mess. How did I reconcile the situation so everyone was okay?

Maybe putting a little Dom in my voice would get Angel’s attention. If his submissive side kicked in, we could calm things down. “Pineapple. It’s time to calm things down.”

“Don’t call me that!” That outburst had me stepping back in. “You aren’t my Master so you can’t call me that.”

Wow. That stung. After everything, we’d been through for him to say that. It didn’t gut me, but damn, did it leave a mark.

“Master?” Damon’s gentle voice reached me as his hand landed on my shoulder.

I looked into his big, concerned, puppy eyes and a small smile curled my lips. I gave his hand a reassuring pat. “I’m okay, Pup.”

Damon searched my face for a moment before his gentle features twisted into a mask of anger. He rounded on Angel, his eyes flashing with fury. “Apologize.”

That command took both Angel and me by surprise. Damon wasn’t quick to anger. He was a happy-go-lucky goof. For him to show any sign of anger meant his buttons had been good and pressed.

Shock painted Angel’s features, but they quickly morphed into a matching mask of rage. “And why should I do that?”

Well, fuck. It got worse. I moved to step between them, but Damon was too fast. He got right in Angel’s face. “After everything Rolly has done for us. How could you say he isn’t your Master? I get you’re upset about something, but that doesn’t give you the right to be cruel.”

Angel scoffed as he stood toe to toe with Damon. “That’s right. I’m cruel. I’m an asshole and I’m always the one in the wrong.” His hand came up to poke the other man in the chest. “Unlike you, Mr. Perfect. Even when you’re wrong, you’re right. Everyone loves you and hates me. Why would things be any other way?”

“That’s not true, and you know it.” Damon shook my hand off when I tried to pull him away.

Angel laughed as his hand dropped to his side, and his gaze dropped to the floor. “Isn’t it though? I’m just the mangy cat no one wants.” He lifted his eyes, and they had a hard glint to them I’d never seen before. “Not like a dog that rolls over and shows his belly to anyone who gives him an ounce of attention.”

Okay, that was uncalled for. I didn’t understand why he was out to hurt Damon and me, but I would not tolerate it anymore. I forced my way between the two and pinned Angel with a hard stare. “That’s enough, Angel.”

We stood locked in a battle of wills. Our eyes boring into each other, waiting to see who would flinch first. We stayed like that for I don’t know how long before Angel sighed. It was a soul deep weary sigh that someone emitted when they’d lost everything. “Yeah, it’s enough.”

In a flash, Angel turned and bolted for the front door. Damon and I shouted in unison for him to stop, but he didn’t. I gave chase, but my bad hip made it hard to run. I watched him grab both sets of keys from the rack and bolt out the door.

Damon was quick, but Angel was faster with a head start. By the time I reached the front door, they were both outside. It was freezing, and all I had on my feet was a thick pair of socks. I cursed as I forced my feet into my boots.

When I got outside, Damon had chased Angel to their driveway. He was banging on the roof of Angel’s little sedan, demanding he open the door. His words went unheeded as Angel started the car and backed out of the drive. Damon chased after him, but there was nothing he could do.

I stood helplessly on my front porch as I watched Angel drive away. Despair filled my heart, and I felt like such a failure. How had things gotten so out of hand and gone so wrong? We were supposed to have a nice evening, and I was supposed to ease my kitten’s worries away. How had I failed so badly?

The sound of cursing and crunching snow drew my attention. Damon was in the space between our houses, digging in the snow. Why, I had no clue. I stepped off the porch and approached him. “What are you doing, Pup?”

He glanced up at me but continued to rifle through the snow. “The little shit threw our keys in this mess. I’m trying to find them so I can chase him down and kick his ass.”

I couldn’t hold back the chuckle that escaped me. Hearing Damon threaten harm to Angel was laughable. No matter how angry my puppy got, I knew he’d never lay a finger on our kitten. Not that he could. Angel’s black belt made him a tough little fucker in a fight.

My hand landed on his shoulder, and he looked up at me in question. “Let’s go inside.”

“But we have to find the keys.” He moved to go back to searching, but I held fast.

“You’re out here without a coat or shoes. Your hands are getting frostbitten.” I tugged on him until he got to his feet. “Let’s go inside and warm you up. After that, we can find the keys using the tile tracker I have on my phone.” I dragged him into an embrace to share some warmth. “Then we’ll figure out where our naughty kitten has run off to.”