“Angie,” Tallie cried as she rushed into the room carrying a shopping bag that she dropped as she came over and gave Angie a gentle hug.
“Hi, Tallie. Thanks for coming,” Angie said as she squeezed Tallie in return.
Angie huddled in a comfy chair, wrapped in a blanket, her legs curled beneath her, drinking hot tea with Maddy. Maddy and Tallie hugged, then Tallie picked up the bag again.
“I stopped and grabbed some clean things for you from Walmart on the way in. Underwear, socks, leggings, a sweater, and some flats.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” Angie said, feeling touched.
Tallie shrugged. “It was no problem. I figured you might be here for a while and you’d want to shower and change.”
Angie loved these two women. She’d loved Maddy for a long time, but Tallie was turning out to be wonderful in her own special way. Tallie had the most remarkable eyes. One was blue and one was hazel. She was tiny and absolutely adorable in every way. There was also Sharon, Tallie’s bestie who came up to visit sometimes. She wasn’t around much, but she was every bit as great as Tallie. It was like having a group of sisters, which is something she’d never had.
“I would love a shower,” Angie said. There was a bathroom attached to the suite they were sitting in, and it had everything she needed to take a shower. She’d already looked when she’d gone to pee earlier. She’d thought about it but she hadn’t wanted to sit around in nothing but a robe.
Colt had to go up to the fifth floor with the guys, and she knew that might take some time. He’d apologized to her for it, but she’d caressed his puffy cheek lightly, feeling overwhelmed that she got to do that now, and told him she understood.
She really did. She was safe, he was safe, and she loved him. Even better, he loved her. She still couldn’t believe it. It made shivers of happiness slide through her from head to toe. Amazing how life could change in a single instant.
She left Maddy and Tallie and went to clean up. The shower felt heavenly and soon she was dressed and feeling better than she would have expected considering what she’d been through since those men burst into Colt’s house and took her.
When she emerged from the bathroom, Colt was waiting for her. Maddy and Tallie were still there, but they were quiet. Waiting and watching her and Colt.
Colt took her hand. “How are you feeling, minette?”
Angie smiled. She could feel Maddy and Tallie’s eyes on her as they took in the pet name. Tallie lifted a brow. She spoke French, Angie remembered. She blushed in response, naturally.
“I’m much better now that I’m here at BDI.”
“Good.” His eyes searched hers. There was so much she wanted to say to him. So many things she still wanted to know. “If you’d like to come up to the fifth floor with me, Ian wants to tell you some things.”
Angie blinked. Maddy said, “Whoa. I have never been to the fifth floor. How about you, Tal?”
“Nope, not me.”
“Um, are you sure, Colt?” Angie asked, glancing at her friends.
He grinned that gorgeous white grin of his. “Oh yeah, absolutely sure. You ready?”
“Well, sure.” She looked at Maddy and Tallie again. “Is this an episode of The Twilight Zone?”
Maddy laughed. “Could be. If we’re eaten by aliens while you’re gone, then you’ll know.”
“Stop it, Mads,” Angie said with a laugh.
Colt laughed too. “You aren’t going to be eaten by aliens. But I hear Ian ordered some breakfast to be delivered, so hang tight.”
Maddy looked at Tallie. “It’s a trap. Don’t eat anything they bring,” she whispered loudly. “That’s how they get you.”
Colt shook his head as he took Angie’s hand firmly in his. “Come on, Ang. These two are off their meds.”
Angie walked out of the room with him and down the hall to the elevator. She glanced over her shoulder before they stepped inside—and there were Maddy and Tallie, peeking out of the suite, grinning like fools the whole time.
The elevator doors closed and Colt put his arms around her, pulling her close. He bent his forehead to hers. “There are so many things I want to say to you, so many things I want to do. Soon, I promise.”
Angie tipped her face up and kissed him gently. “I can’t wait.”
Colt escorted Angie through the security protocols, enjoying how her eyes widened at every new thing. He couldn’t quite believe Ian had decided to bring her behind the most secure doors of any facility Colt had ever been inside, anywhere in the world, but he had. “Clear her,” was what he’d said to Dax. And Dax had done it.
There was nothing in Angie’s background to prevent her access. She was a native born American, she had no questionable ties or affiliations, and no criminal record. Not a single arrest or speeding ticket. Besides, she’d already been investigated because of her closeness to Maddy, who was engaged to marry Jace. There’d been nothing in that investigation to raise any alarms.
When Ian wanted something done, it got done with amazing speed and efficiency. Far beyond what it would have taken in any other facility, that’s for sure.
“Whoa,” she said when they stepped through the last locked door. The operations center was state of the art, with all the latest in technology meant to impress. And not just impress, but do the best job possible.
“Come on,” Colt said as he led her to the war room where his team gathered. “I’ll give you the tour later.”
Everyone stood as she walked inside. Ian was grinning broadly.
“Welcome, Angie.”
“I… Thanks.” She tilted her head. “Why am I here?”
“Because there are things you need to know, and they can’t be said outside these walls. I told you
