The Dividing Line: VENGEANCE (Book 2)

| 15 | (BWWM)

He paced around the room scratching his head.

"We need to talk." Cole looked at Angel with serious frustration written all over his face. He wasn't quite sure who Angel was anymore. The way she handled herself when Bruce and some of the gang members came after they made him feel somewhat uncomfortable because that behavior was nothing like the woman he fell in love with.

"What should we talk about?" Angel asked as she checked the weapons and loaded the ones he failed to load. Cole watched her actions. She was by no means an amateur at handling guns. They purchased several survival knives and she insisted they grab the machetes and their scabbards. The woman sitting on the floor was fixated on preparing herself for war.

What if she were law enforcement or someone undercover? All the paranoia in the world filled his head with thoughts of the strange woman who looked like his sweetheart. As distrust, frustration, and rage began to build themselves, memories of the time they shared flashed in his mind. His spirit became quiet, but he had an immediate need to know more about her.

"Angel, I feel like there is a huge part of your life we haven't discussed. I really need to know how you were able to handle a gun so well when they came after us." He stated what was bothering him.

Angel averted her eyes at first. She knew there were things in her life she hadn't fully disclosed to Cole. Never had the topic of her income come up, so she didn't say anything. Never did the topic of her fiancé come up, so they didn't discuss it. Lastly, never had the topic come up of how she was able to survive out in the country by herself, so she only told him just enough to keep the questions at bay.

"I grew up in the small country town of Coral Springs, Arkansas, before I moved to Dallas, Texas. When I was a kid, it was normal to go fishing and hunting to put extra meat on the table. One of my daily chores was working in our little garden when I came in from school. The 90ft x 60ft garden was hand-weeded daily. Each member of the family was responsible for two rows. We had a smaller garden, but it didn't require as much work." Angel paced back and forward from the kitchen to the living room as she explained her upbringing.

"As I grew up, I was taught how to fish and hunt. My uncle also taught me gun safety. I learned how to break them down and clean them. I was taught to appreciate and respect what a gun could do for the person who controlled it." Angel continued.

"There is nothing dangerous about a gun. The danger is when a disrespectful person is messing with it. It's not a damn toy. Respect the damn thing and it will be an asset to you. Disrespect a gun and your dumb ass will be in jail or dead." She remembered her uncle's words as she provided Cole with a breakdown of her life. Her uncle was a lively character who always told people the truth about life whether they liked it or not. Angel continued her walk down memory lane.

"My uncle took me hunting for boar, deer, duck, quail, squirrel, and rabbit. We were taught how to dress anything we killed. Dressing an animal is simply skinning, gutting, and preparing it for proper storage. We were taught how to properly cook and preserve wild game meat. Our lives were simple, but we didn't have to rely on anyone or the government for food. We were homesteaders. We lived off the grid. The only thing my grandmother insisted on was that I go to public school. She didn't want me to struggle to interact with people by being homeschooled." She paused briefly to sigh as she reminisced about her previous life and then she continued the story.

"When I graduated from high school, I ran to the city as quickly as possible. I had an all-expense full scholarship to attend the University of Texas in Arlington. My grandmother was worried about my safety. She insisted I take several self-defense courses and I visited a gun range to stay sharp. I had to send her proof of myself in action until she was satisfied I would be okay. After I sent her a video of me fighting off two guys, she no longer fussed at me about living in the city." Angel walked over to Cole and sat next to him at the table. She placed her hand on his hand and urged him to look in her direction.

"I was in Dallas for four years working at the same financial consultant firm when one of my clients asked me out on a date. I thought he was full of crap. He came from a multi-billion-dollar family and he himself was quite wealthy. I was always taught to fear people with that kind of money. My family believed the wealthy to be evil. After non-stop pleas for me to give him a chance, we went out on one date and I realized he was a very genuine person." She stopped for a moment as the vision of KB flashed before her eyes.

"Originally, I ducked and dodged his affections. I didn't want to lose my job or get caught in rich people's mess. Finally, I realized he was really interested in me. We dated for 10 months. One day out of the blue, he proposed to me. Before we were able to marry, we were headed to his parent's house for dinner and a vehicle struck us and flipped KB's car. We were in the most dangerous situation. Our car was upside down in rush-hour traffic on a very busy interstate highway." The words seemed to stop for a moment and then she continued.

"The police reached us and soon EMT showed up. Even though we didn't sustain any broken bones or other major damage, KB suffered damage to his heart as a result of the trauma. Because he was in such bad shape, I couldn't leave him alone in the hospital to go check on my grandmother who was also hospitalized. She died without us getting a chance to say our goodbyes. I loved her with every breath in my lungs, but I also loved my fiance with every beat of my heart." At this point, tears were streaming down her face. Angel was finding it difficult to relive the story, but she had to tell Cole everything once and for all.

"Kyle Blake Prichard died right in front of me. He kissed me and told me he would always love me. He closed his eyes and like that, he was gone. After his death, I tried to starve myself to death. I tried to drink myself to death. I even tried to get drunk enough to shoot myself. I bought this house, a shit load of gin and scotch, and two shotguns with the hopes of dying here. One day I was so close to killing myself, but I was too drunk to aim straight. My head dropped just as the shot took out my bedroom window. I think I nearly killed myself with alcohol poisoning. The only thing that stopped my suicidal mission was that I kept hearing my grandmother telling me to wake up and get up." Her eyes shone brightly as she relived the most tragic moments of her life.

"One day I saw them both. My grandma and my beloved visited me and pleaded with me to stop. I was in this house six months before I snapped out of it. After that, I focused on improving the house and the surroundings. I was determined to build my own homestead. I stopped drinking and I put the guns away. I didn't take another drink until the night you and I sat together and shared our first drink. You made me laugh and smile. I enjoyed and needed your presence so much. Even though I was afraid, I felt at peace with you." Angel gently pulled Cole closer to face her. She leaned over to him and placed a gentle reassuring kiss on his lips.

Of course, he would never settle for so little affection. The rough and rugged man that he was made Angel fill loved and safe next to him. Even though she could fend for herself, there was nothing wrong with the strong arms that held her so close and so tight. There was no doubt in her mind of his love. He couldn't hide it no matter how hard he tried.

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