Beyond Redemption Read Free Page B

you.”
     
    MITCH STOOD IN the shadows and listened to Angelique’s testimony, watched the slide show that slowly moved across a screen displaying the grisly sights Angelique had documented during her time in Darfur. His heart hurt when he thought about what she’d endured for the past five years. It was no wonder she was damaged. Her refusal to deal with the trauma worried him. She dulled her emotions with alcohol and sex, fiercely trying to shut out the horror she’d witnessed, but it all came back to her in dreams and a coldness she hadn’t possessed when first they’d met.
    She was no less lovely than she had been when he and Seth had first met her dancing down Bourbon Street during that wild, unfettered Mardi Gras. But the vivacious, idealistic, young med student was gone, replaced by this emotionless doctor who could testify about horrors so vile they made hardened soldiers flinch. There were times when he’d felt he could almost see waves of anger rolling off her. It was there in the way she held herself aloof from anyone who lived in the world beyond the humanitarian arena. She was scornful of those who did not know or care about the suffering experienced by people in faraway countries with exotic names. One day, he was sure, that anger would boil over with consequences he dared not contemplate.
    Would she ever heal? Could she ever regain that lust for life that had so captivated him? The idealism was lost to the realities of war, but maybe he could help her to feel again. He watched as she gathered her papers and stood, nodded, and took her leave. He hurried outside to wait for her, talk her into having dinner with him, letting him spend the night.
    “Hello, Angel.” He chuckled softly as her lips formed a surprised O.
    “Acosta?” She slung her tattered messenger bag over her shoulder and flung herself at him. “Oh my God! When did you…how? Did you testify?”
    He lifted her off her feet, swung her around, before setting her back down. Damn but she felt good against him. “This morning, and when I saw your name on the witness list, I knew I had to stay.”
    She gave him the full force of her smile, and Mitch thought his knees might give out. “I’m so glad you did.” She looked around. “Is Boudreaux here?”
    Mitch nodded. “He is. Testified before me, then left with a little Scandinavian beauty. You know Seth. His life is a smorgasbord of beautiful women.”
    Angelique laughed, and he knew she wasn’t overly disappointed that Seth wasn’t with him. “Well, there are certainly enough of them here. Honestly, I’ve never seen so many gorgeous women. It’s disheartening.”
    Mitch snorted. “They’ve got their share, I’ll give them that, but I only have eyes for you, Angel.”
    “More the fool you.” She laughed and tucked her arm underneath his. Of course, she thought he was bullshitting her, but her smile told him she was pleased nonetheless. “It’s sweet of you to say so, but I look like a concentration-camp refugee. Speaking of which, care to join me for dinner? I have reservations at Bassal. Maybe after dinner we can go back to my room, rent a couple of pay-per-view movies, and gorge ourselves on popcorn and beer.”
    He led the way. “How long before you head stateside?”
    “I have one glorious week; then I’m New Orleans-bound for a week with my family. I have to put on the feed bag before I get home so my poor mother doesn’t pass out. Bitsy is one of those women who think you can never be too thin or have too much money, but even she would agree that Africa has taken its toll. Then I’m off for a summer program on tropical health at Johns Hopkins.”
    “Well, that sounds—”
    “Fascinating? Hideous?” She laughed when he grimaced. “I can’t tell you how I’m looking forward to the module on intestinal infections.”
    He cracked up. “Yeah, I can see why. But tell me, where are you spending this one glorious week of downtime before heading back to the States?”