Dirty Angel-BarbaraElsborg by Barbara Elsborg Page A

do.”
    “Apart from defrost a steak and double cook the chips. I’d say triple but not sure I can wait that long.”
    Brody laughed and the sound surprised him. He led Aden to the shower, the guy still wearing his coat, and pulled a clean towel out of the airing cupboard.
    “You need me to take a look at your back? Did you injure it last night?”
    “No, it’s fine thanks.”
    “The blood on your face… You cut your head?”
    “I’m okay.”
    Brody thought he was lying, but he could hardly wrestle him to the ground to take a look. “There’s a pack of razors in the cabinet and a spare toothbrush. I’ll leave some clothes outside the door. Put yours out when you’re ready and I’ll see to them.”
    “Thank you.”
    Brody went back to the kitchen, hesitated, then pulled steak out of the freezer and set the microwave to defrost it. He had a couple of potatoes he’d been going to bake but he peeled them instead. He hadn’t made chips for a long time. Maybe this was the new start he needed.

Chapter Five
     
     
    Aden stared at the bathroom door after Brody left, then locked it. The bathroom was spotless—and warm. Polished tiles, a gleaming glass shower and a deep bath. Aden’s bathroom… Yeah, well he didn’t have one anymore, did he? He rented bedsits, moved when he couldn’t pay the rent—which happened a lot—and when he didn’t pay this month’s rent, his stuff would be thrown out and someone else would move in. They were welcome to the tiny bathroom and the lumpy bed.
    He hadn’t made a will. There was virtually nothing to leave: an acoustic guitar he’d stolen, a few books—also stolen, bedding, clothes and shoes, pieces of kitchen equipment. Nothing anyone would want even if there’d been someone to leave it to. He’d disappear from people’s lives and maybe a few friends would wonder where he’d gone before they eventually forgot him. Going to get out the violins?
    But Aden did feel disappointment he wouldn’t be missed. It made him think about what he’d done with his life—which was not a lot. Though it wasn’t as if he’d ever been going to leave his mark by doing something amazing like inventing a cold fusion reactor or an easy and cheap way to store electricity. Since he hadn’t done anything worthwhile so far, why would that change inside a month?
    Which raised the question of how Raphael and Dante would ensure his body wasn’t found for four weeks. Someone would miss him, though he’d gone to the concert alone and come to think of it, hadn’t told anyone he was going. Well, maybe that was the trick. He wasn’t linked to the concert so he could be found anywhere. Or maybe Raphael and Dante had taken a big risk in letting him come back. There were a lot of maybes.
    He opened the bathroom cabinet and took out the razor, shaving foam, toothbrush and paste—all new. No wonder the bathroom looked clean. Brody used a different one. Aden cleaned his teeth. Considering the crap he’d eaten for much of his life, he was lucky he had good teeth. Visits to a dentist were few and far between. He’d once fucked a guy in exchange for a scale and polish.
    For a long moment, Aden considered whether there might be a chance he could stay here forever, not necessarily on this farm with a kind-hearted guy, but just in the world, at least until he died properly—age ninety-nine—peacefully in his bed having had a stupendous fuck.
    Wishful thinking. All he had was a month. Thirty days—well twenty-nine now—where he had to be good and learn what love was all about. Or maybe he could be as bad as he wanted. His mind slid to the dark-haired guy with sad grey eyes who’d brought him into his home. Being bad with him sounded good.
    Aden had never had any interest in love. No real interest in being a nice guy. So why not be bad? It’s more fun. The argument restarted in his head and he tried to turn off the voices. He’d done a load of good things already, hadn’t he? Returned that