Angel's Hero

Chapter 4

Michelle's ex husband, Owen Scarlett, became abusive only once they'd said the 'I do's'.
He'd swept Michelle off her feet, then married her as soon as they'd found out she was pregnant, a short five months after meeting at a bar near her college in her last year of studies. At twenty-two, Michelle thought him her soul mate, and had married him against everyone's advice.
Angel hadn't liked him one bit, not trusting the way his eyes seemed to take everything in, and how calculating he was before any answer, but had put up with his bullshit for her sake.
Sienna and Jack Winters loved their daughter, and believed she should make her own decisions, so they'd kept their noses out of it once Michelle had told them she didn't care what anyone said.
She knew Owen.
She loved Owen, and he loved her.

Or so she'd thought. When she was eight months pregnant, Owen had progressed from verbal and psychological abuse, to physical abuse, and had smacked her across their living room, and then fled into the night, leaving Michelle alone in their small home in Portland.
Michelle, terrified, had called Angel in New York. Angel had just transferred to the States to complete an intensive fourteen-week patisserie course, while Michelle was living near her parents in Portland.
She'd only been there a week when Michelle had called her, weeping, and she hadn't hesitated. She'd jumped into her hired Toyota Yaris, and driven the three hundred odd miles in less than five hours at eight p.m.
Once she'd arrived a little after one in the morning, she'd told Michelle to pack up what she could, and that she was taking her to her parents right then and there. Angel's temper had been simmering when she'd first climbed out of the car in front of Owen and Michelle's small town house.
It turned into a raging inferno at the sight of her friend's bruised face, and bloodied lip.
Michelle had protested because she hadn't wanted to put her parents in the middle of her marriage, but Angel had stood firm.
"He hit you! You need to protect your baby."
Michelle's hands on her belly had clenched into fists, the knuckles turning white. Then she'd released them to rub over the swollen mound protectively.
"Okay, yes. Get us out of here."
As they were shoving clothes into black bags, Owen had come back, and had walked straight into the bedroom, not expecting company, judging from the way he stopped suddenly at the sight of Angel, bag in hand.
"What's she doing here?" He'd angrily gestured towards her, while keeping his heated eyes on his wife.
In them, Angel saw the monster.
And then she'd seen only red. The bruise on her friends face needed avenging.
Screaming at the bastard, Angel had flown across the bedroom at him, and because she matched his height, she'd been able to go nose-to-nose with him and glared into his face while she shouted, poking his chest hard, until he'd stumbled away from her. There had been a spark of fear in his gaze.
She'd turned her back on him towards Michelle, feeling triumphant in scaring him off, and that's when he'd jumped her. He'd knocked Angel to the ground with a hard shove, and stepped over her to get to Michelle.
"We're leaving, and you'll never see this bitch, or those annoying parents, again. You belong to me, and you will do what I say!" Spit had gathered in the corners of his mouth, and his eyes had rolled wildly, while his skin had mottled an ugly red.
He'd tried to drag Michelle from the room, but she'd fought back half-heartedly, making weak protests, still too scared to outright defy him.
Then he'd backhanded her. Crying and holding her face, blood dripping from her mouth, he'd pulled her from the room. Gathering her strength at the sight of the red liquid splashed onto the floor, Angel had run after them and jumped on his back, hitting him with closed fists around his ears until he'd released Michelle.
Angel had yelled for Michelle to run, to get to the neighbors, but before she'd reached the door, he'd flipped Angel off his back and kicked her in the stomach, knocking the wind from her. "Angel!" Michelle had hesitated, warring with her need for escape and her instinct to help her friend. Then at Angel's wheezed, "Go!" had opened the door and run into the night yelling for help.
Owen had flipped open a knife he'd pulled from his back pocket, and took off after her. The vision of the blade reflecting light had turned Angel's insides to ice.
Not pausing, ignoring her own fear and pain, she had chased after them, her lungs burning, her stomach cramping from the kick Owen had delivered.
Once outside, she'd lengthened her strides until she'd reached the couple wrestling on the lawn near the road. She'd called out for help as she tried to pull the crazed man off her friend. Michelle was screaming, Owen was grunting, and Angel couldn't hold his knife-wielding arm back anymore.
At almost two am., lights had switched on all over the quiet neighborhood, and people had come running. A small group of teenagers, who'd been walking down the street, probably after sneaking out from their own homes, had been the first to arrive, the first to help.
One boy kicked out at Owen's face, and a girl had tried to help Angel get the knife.
They'd been thrown off.
The other kids were pulling at Michelle's feet, trying to separate her from the crazy man.
Then men and women in various stages of undress had arrived, and had pinned Owen to the ground, facedown. A woman was running down the street shouting, someone had called out "Someone call 911!" Children stood huddled in doorways.
Other people had their hands on their faces, or were shaking their heads. Someone was crying uncontrollably. Witnessing the worst of humanity tends to bring out big emotions.
Angel had crawled to her friend by then, sniveling and out of breath, and rolled her over. The knife protruding from the swollen belly was an image she would never forget.
Her screams echoed in her ears to this day.
And it was the memory of those screams that woke her now.
Drenched in sweat, she ripped the covers off her face.
Disorientated and more than a little confused, Angel looked for Michelle beside her. It took her a moment to calm the panic at not immediately finding her.
The smell of coffee told her that her friend was in the kitchen, and she smelled bacon.
Huffing in deep breaths, Angel steadied herself as she put her feet to the floor, her hands gripping the sides of the mattress. Looking at the clock on the wall opposite her bed, she saw the time as just a little after six.
"Jesus H. Christ, holy Mary Mother of God, son of a bitch!" she exhaled. She fully believed swearing righted any wrongs within.
Without thought, she ripped her pajamas off, tossed them towards the hamper in the corner, not caring if they went in or not, and went to the bathroom where she turned the water on in the shower immediately.
She was shaking badly, and couldn't seem to stop the revolt in her stomach, no matter how many breaths she took.
She only managed to meet her eyes in the mirror briefly before she had to turn to the toilet and heave.
Angel emptied her stomach, wiped her mouth, flushed, and then hopped into the shower. She let the water wash away the tears. It had been almost eight years since that night, and still the memory could flatten her.
She rinsed her mouth, grabbed her toothbrush, and multitasked washing her body and brushing her teeth while the water streamed over her. She was done in less than ten minutes.
When she reached the kitchen she smiled easily and felt remarkably great for someone who'd indulged slightly the night before, had had gut wrenching nightmares, and puked twice in the last half an hour.
The second purge had come on when she'd gotten out the shower and she'd met her eyes in the mirror, and seen her mother.
She'd had to brush her teeth again.
Hair wet, and fresh faced, Angel looked at her beautiful friend and sighed. Both Michelle and Jackson had both almost died that night. The knife had punctured the amniotic sac around the baby and had forced the doctors to deliver him via C-section immediately.
He'd spent a couple nights in the NICU, but otherwise he had been a fine, and perfectly healthy baby.
Owen had been arrested and sentenced ten years. Jack Winters, Michelle's father, had had to be restrained in court when Owen had been brought in for his trial.
Angel had testified, and enjoyed watching the vermin squirm, fearing prison.
"Stop it," Michelle said without turning around, snapping Angel back into the present, making her jump guiltily.
"What?" Angel said innocently.
"Stop thinking about that night. I know you are. You woke me up a few times with your nightmares last night. I eventually got up and went to sleep in the spare room."
Angel winced. "Sorry."
"It's okay, that night was bad for you too." The truth of it was Michelle didn't remember much after she'd run out the door. He'd hit her so hard when he tackled her, that he'd practically knocked her out. Her basic instinct had kicked in, and she had flashes of memories of wrapping her hands around his wrists trying to keep his hands away from her. She hadn't even known she'd been stabbed until after she'd awoken in the hospital, and had been told her baby was safe and sleeping under careful watch just down the hall, and that she would be able to see him in a few hours.
Angel was her savior. Her Guardian Angel. Her Avenging Angel. Those names always made Michelle smile.
She owed her life, and the life of her son, to the woman standing beside her.
"Right!" snapping them out of the dour mood by clapping her hands together, Michelle spun around, and laid out the crispy bacon and fluffy pancakes. "Wholesome food for a wholesome day."
They dug in, and chatted about this and that, not really committing to the conversation, but trying not to think about Owen.
At seven on the dot, Michelle grabbed her stuff and bolted out the door for the ten minute drive to her mother's place, so she could change her clothes, and kiss Jackson before heading out for the maternity shoot she had booked for that morning.
Angel, only due in at the bakery at ten, decided to head off to the mechanic a little after eight and get her lights fixed.
Hoping she didn't see the Sheriff, and also secretly hoping she might, she hopped into her Jeep. Mixed up, Angel drove into the town center.