Young Love Murder (64 page)

Liking Jackson’s shower idea, but not wanting to be separated from Annabelle, even by a wall, I sit down at the foot of the bed. The mattress bounces but still she sleeps. Reaching down, I tug off my boots and strip out of my cargo pants and t-shirt. Crawling up the bed, I pull her into my arms and fall asleep almost immediately. 

Annabelle

Holy crap, my head hurts. This is worse than the time I drank an entire bottle of Irish whiskey in Dublin. This is even worse than the time when Jackson kicked me in the head during training. Someone get me some drugs, please! Of course, that’s what has me feeling like shit in the first place.

Groaning, I blink open my eyes, only to look into a green pair not a foot away. Okay, what happened to me being kidnapped? Bad dream? Feeling ultra-dehydrated, I rasp out, “What happened?”

He chuckles softly. “I saved the day, with minimal help, and got the girl.”

“Did you now?” Glancing over his head, squinting, I see the pale morning light shining through the white curtains. “Damn, it’s a new day again isn’t it?”

He grabs both of my hands in his. “A new beginning.”

Raising my eyebrows, I give him my best skeptical look. “Is it now?”

His smile falters. “I love you, Annabelle.” His eyes plead with me to believe him.

Reaching out to cup his jaw, I whisper, “I know.”

Pulling me closer, until my body is flush with his, he attempts to kiss me but I avert my face. Uncertainly, he says my name, “Annabelle?”

“No offense, Gabriel, but I haven’t brushed my teeth or showered in two days, so your amorous attentions will have to wait.”

His laugh is louder this time, heartfelt, and I find myself being carried into the bathroom. He gently sets me down on the counter. “Wait right there, baby.” Leaning over the tub, he starts the shower and fiddles with the knobs until he’s satisfied with the temperature. 

Feeling awkward and grimy, I start pulling off my tank top. He’s only wearing a pair of boxer briefs and smirks at me as he strips them off. I roll my eyes and twist around to grab my toothbrush and apply some toothpaste to it. Then I get to work preventing cavities. Not that the assholes gave me any food while in their care. Food is definitely next on the agenda after a shower. Finishing up, I wipe my mouth with a hand towel. When I turn back around, Gabriel is there ready to assist me with the rest of my clothing. He’s so helpful. Stepping in, I'm pampered and washed in the shower, then watch as Gabriel soaps himself up. 

Once clean, I’m not surprised when I find myself against the shower wall with my legs wrapped around him, being made love to. But I
am
enjoying his amorous attentions. Gabriel muffles the sound of my enjoyment with his lips on mine. I return the favor when he groans into my mouth. Hugging his body to mine, I know that I’ll never let him go again. 

“I love you too, Gabriel,” I whisper into his neck. “Forever.”

In response, he kisses me like it’ll be our last. Wanting to reassure him that nothing will tear us apart again, I rub my hand up and down his wet back as he pulls his lips away from mine. Shutting off the water, he dries both of us off, quiet the entire time. Following me into the bedroom, he says from behind me, “I’ll go make you something to eat.”

Turning around, I wrap my arms around his waist. “Thanks. They didn’t feed me.”

A hand cups my chin, lifting my face to this. I’m startled by the intensity in his eyes, the pain. “I thought I’d lost you again, Annabelle.”

As he fights back the tears watering his eyes, I stroke his face in a soothing gesture. “Everything is going to be fine, Gabriel.”

“It’s my aunt,” he says hoarsely. Immediately, I know what he’s referring to.

That makes me start to cry too. After everything he’s been through, to add this on top of it? “I’ll kill her.”

He shakes his head and makes a noise that might be a laugh. “Simon says he’ll take care of it.”

“Simon? You talked to Simon?” Damn, a person misses a lot while involuntarily sedated.

His lips quirk into a small smile. “Yeah, and I think he sort of gave me his blessing.”

I pretend mock indignation. “Don’t go thinking that I’ll ever make it easy for you, Gabriel.”

“Oh, I know. But I wouldn’t want you any other way.” His salacious grin hints at how much he’s looking forward to it. His expression turns serious and I wonder if he’s thinking about his aunt again. “But why me, Annabelle? Why do you love me?”

I sigh at the question I’ve asked myself frequently over the years. With a quick peck to his lips, I tell him, “Because, in you, I found my heart.” I shake my head ruefully. “It may have taken awhile to get past the obstacles, but you’re my match, the other half of my soul. Someone who has what it takes to be my partner in life, but isn’t already disillusioned by this lifestyle.”

Grinning like my answer just made his day, eyes shining with happiness, Gabriel asks me, “Aren’t you going to ask me why I love you?”

Holding back a smile, I answer, “Nope, I already know why you love me.”

He raises his eyebrows at that. “Oh yeah? Why?”

“Because I’m awesome.” At my answer, he picks me up and tosses me on the bed. Laughing, he follows me down.

Before he can occupy my lips again, I need to tell him something. “Thank you for coming to save me, Gabriel.”

Those green eyes catch mine in their mesmerizing hold. “You saved me too, Annabelle. It’s you and me forever now.”

“Forever, Gabriel.”

Simon

Three days later

Getting into the building late in the evening was simple enough. The busted lock on the back stairway exit won’t be discovered until tomorrow. On the sixth floor, taking out the two guards posted outside the office door gives me open access to the room past them. Now I’m standing here, pointing a gun at the threat. She looks respectable and harmless in her designer business suit. A beautiful woman at the age of forty-three, Lucy Garcia sneers at me and the weapon in my hand. “You’ll die for this.”

“No, you will,” I calmly inform her before pulling the trigger. The first bullet enters her chest and the second enters her head with a spray of blood on the window behind her. Her body jerks back in the chair before slumping forward against the glossy black desk. Lucy Garcia, aunt of Gabriel Sanchez, is no longer a threat. 

The original contract on Xavier Sanchez was traced back to her as well. It seems she meant to slowly eliminate the Sanchez family until herself and her son inherited the fortune and businesses, both legal and illegal. It can be assumed that the death of Gabriel’s mother can also be blamed on Lucy. Having her killed and making it look like a suicide wouldn’t have been hard with Eva Sanchez’s mental state at the time. I’ve done something similar in the past.

Walking out of the building, into the warm Miami night, I pull off the ski mask and gloves. My family is safe once again. Or, at least as safe as we ever are. The choices I make are never easy, but I’ve never regretted raising Annabelle and Jackson myself. Since the day each of them was born, I’ve loved my godchildren.

The threat of Lucy Garcia was nothing compared to the enemies still out there. I’ve prepared them to the best of my ability for what’s to come. I’m counting on them to not only protect themselves, but others as well. The occurrences of the past three years have put us on the radar of enemies from long ago. Max Garcia unwittingly fed the secrets Gabriel had confided in him to one of those enemies, Lucy Garcia. That enemy in turn leaked the information to others.

We may not have complete anonymity anymore, but we’ll hide from anyone who means to harm or use us. And we’ll survive.

Epilogue

Toronto, Canada - February

Dancing with her, I run my hands down her back. At the feel of her trembling, a predatory smile forms on my lips. I have her now. When she gets up on her toes and begins to kiss my neck, I lean down and suggest that she meet me in the parking lot in five minutes. She eagerly agrees, her eyes expressing lust. But, she’s a predator too, and I also see that in her eyes. 

A quick phone call and a few minutes later, I discreetly follow her out of the club, slipping on a pair of leather gloves as I go. Winter in Toronto is brutal. I breathe in the cold air, missing warmer climates. When I reach her, standing under a streetlamp in her red wool coat, she gives me a knowing look. “How about we go to my place?”

Nonchalantly, I ask, “Where’s your car?”

She gestures to a white luxury sedan parked two spaces down. “I’ll drive.”

As she unlocks the car with the press of a button, instead of sliding into the passenger seat, I slide into the back. The syringe is at her neck before she can even shut her door. With the slightest pressure on the plunger, I push the drugs into her system. This isn’t a slow-acting poison, this is instantaneous and more merciful than someone like her deserves. She thought she’d get away with murder. She was wrong. 

Stepping out of the vehicle, I walk down the block to the waiting SUV. This time, I get in on the front passenger side. “It’s done.”

“You look good as a blonde, Gabriel,” Annabelle teases, reaching out to tug on a lock of my hair. 

I give her an amused smile. “So do you.”

She laughs playfully and leans over to kiss me. Taking advantage, I pull her closer. “Love you.” I like the thin material of her black dress. Both the blast from the car heater and her body warm me.

Wrapping her arms around my neck, with a satisfied look on her face she smiles. “I love you too. But Gabriel-”

“I know, I know,” I cut her off, faking exasperation. “You get to do the next job.”

Laughing again, she kisses my nose then straightens herself out in her seat. She grips the wheel, putting the car into drive. “That’s not what I was going to say.” Glancing at me sideways, she pulls slowly away from the curb. “I was just going to tell you that watching you dance with that woman has me feeling possessive. I don’t know if I can wait until we get to the cabin to reassert my claim on you.”

Holding out my hands in mock surrender, I say seriously, “Reassert away. I won’t even charge you this time.”

“Whatever.” She rolls her brown eyes, handing me her phone. “Check in with Simon.” She runs a hand up my thigh, her eyes are gleaming. “Tell him the contract is completed, but that we’re going to be on vacation for the next week or two.”

Raising one eyebrow, I throw her a skeptical look. “Only a week or two?”

She lets out a dramatic sigh. “You’re right. Better make it a month or two.”

“That’s my girl,” I murmur approvingly while dialing Simon. 

After getting off with Simon, as Annabelle drives us out of downtown Ontario, my thoughts roam back to what happened six months ago. Max took his mom’s murder hard, but he can never know the truth. Finding out that my dad was a monster was horrible and I wanted to shield him from that particular pain.   

I’ve learned that there are two kinds of monsters. The bad ones, like my father and Aunt Lucy, and the good ones, like us. Sometimes, the good ones succeed in taking out the bad ones. Sometimes the good ones get killed, like Annabelle’s parents. I’ve fallen into this life so easily, that it’s almost as if Annabelle and I were made for each other. I’ve sold off all of my dad’s businesses, so with our money combined, we’re set for life. What we do now is by choice, something to be proud of. Though, we do like our vacations.

Next month we’re spending spring break with Max in Mexico and I’m hoping he’ll be doing better by then. At least school and life in New York serve as a distraction for him. I know they kept me going when I thought Annabelle was dead. Hopefully he’ll meet some nice girl and settle down in the kind of life he wants.