Redeeming-Love-By-Francine-Rivers

F R A N C I N E R I V E R S
lengthened. She would pack a few things and be ready to leave.
Michael was shaking with anger. The idyll was over. The storm had hit.
As I have loved you, Michael. Seventy times seven.
Michael cried out and sank the ax deeply into the chopping block. He
stood breathing heavily for a long moment, then snatched up his shirt and
shrugged it on as he strode toward the cabin. He hit the door open and saw
her pulling things from the dresser he had made for her after the Altmans
left.
“Don’t leave it at that, Amanda. Tell me the rest of what you’ve done. Get
it off your chest. Dump it on me. Give me all the gory details.”
Michael, beloved.
No! I’m not listening to you right now! I’m going to have it out with her once
and for all!
When she didn’t stop what she was doing, he caught Angel’s arm and
swung her around. “There’s more, isn’t there, Angel?”
The name was a slap in her face. “Enough, wasn’t it?” she said in a tiny
voice. “Or do you really need more?”
He saw the emotions she was so desperate to hide, but even that didn’t
calm him. “Let’s get all the dirty laundry out in the open at once.”
She drew her arm away from his disturbing touch and took his challenge.
“All right. If that’s the way you want it! There was a short while when
I thought I was in love with Duke. Amazing, isn’t it? My whole life seemed
to depend on him. I told him everything. Everything that hurt. Everything
that mattered. I thought he’d fix it for me.”
“And he used what he knew against you instead.”
“You guessed it. I never gave a single thought to Duke’s life outside the
brownstone or what people he had for friends. Not until he came back with
one he wanted me to meet. ‘Be nice to him, Angel. He’s one of my oldest and
dearest friends.’ And in walks Alex Stafford. When I looked at Duke, I could
see him laughing at both of us. Rich, isn’t it? Duke knew how much I hated
Stafford for what he did to my mother. He just wanted to see what I’d do
about it.”
“Did your father know who you were?”
Angel gave a bleak, broken laugh. “My father just stood there staring at
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