Secrets to Hide 3: Just a Little More by Ella Sheridan Page A

I love you.”
    Now it was Angel whose tears slipped down her cheeks; she couldn’t hold them back any longer. “I’ve wanted to hear you say that for so long.”
    “I know.” He kissed her forehead. “And I’m sorry. I wanted you to have the freedom to choose, to go away and experience something else and decide for yourself if I was what would make you happy. That night at Thrice— You don’t know how many times I wish I could do that night over. Make it different. I would never have let you leave alone; I’d have gone home with you and taken you to bed and told you I loved you like I desperately wanted to. After… Well, I just didn’t want to spoil that experience for you by rushing it, by having it mix in your head with what happened to you. I thought waiting was better. Maybe that was stupid; I don’t know. What I do know is I won’t wait any longer. I love you, and nothing that’s happened to you, nothing that bastard did or that has happened since is going to change the way I feel.” He stroked her cheek with a rough thumb. “Even if I’d lost you tonight, it wouldn’t have changed. You’re mine.”
    Uncertainty flared in her chest. “You deserve a lot better than me.”
    “No, I deserve you.” He got that stubborn jut to his chin that meant he would get his way, come hell or high water. “Now let’s go inside. I’m getting you warm, and then we’re getting a few things straight.”

Chapter Four
    Brad’s cell buzzed in his back pocket as they reached the third-floor corridor. Angel hesitated. He settled a hand at the small of her back to urge her along the hall as he fished out his phone. “Yeah.”
    “Update?”
    It was the same demand Damien made when he was out of town and called to find out what was going on at Thrice. The concern lacing the word, though, told Brad that his boss was worried about him and Angel, not Brad’s work. He had to clear his throat before he could speak without his voice cracking. “Found her. We’re almost home.”
    “Where was she?”
    “Out.” The word grated across his vocal cords.
    Damien picked up everything Brad didn’t say aloud. “Shit. But she’s okay? Do you need one of us to come over there?”
    “No. No, we’re…fine.” Fine wasn’t the right word, but it was all he could come up with.
    He could practically hear Damien’s brain working through the phone. The man wouldn’t be fooled by his word choice any more than Brad was. “What can we help you with, then?”
    What could he say? Was there any help for the fact that he’d lost his mind somewhere out there in the snow watching Angel slowly freeze to death? Nothing anybody else could do would get him back on stable ground, nothing but what he intended to do as soon as they got back into their apartment. After he got Angel warm. And after he was absolutely certain it was what she needed from him, right now, tonight. Only then would he let go.
    Either way, he was certain he couldn’t handle anything but Angel at the moment. “I’ll have to let you know on that one, Boss.”
    “Whatever you need; you know that, even if it’s just to talk. Of course, Harley might be better at that, but she’d kick my ass if I didn’t at least offer.” Damien’s forced amusement faded to something serious as he said, “You’re not carrying this alone.”
    “I know.” He wished Angel did, but he planned to fix that as soon as he could.
    The apartment door loomed at the end of the hall. Brad separated his door key from the pile on his key ring. It only took two tries to get the door open. “I need to get us settled and get Angel warm. I’ll call you in the morning, okay?” He motioned Angel through the door and watched as she walked to the couch and settled in one corner, the blanket he’d given her in the car still locked around her.
    “All right. We won’t open tomorrow, so plan to take the next couple of days off.”
    “But—”
    “That’s an order. Don’t argue with me. God,