Disclaimer: This story is of my own imagination, strange as it is. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Rating: PG-13
Chapter 1
The phone rang just as he finished his workout. Placing the dumbbells on the rack where they belonged, Gabriel Monteleone waited for the answering machine to pick up. He heard the automated message kick in and the beep. Next he heard the voice of his cousin, George.
"Hey man, you there? Pick up."
Gabriel walked over and picked up the receiver. "Yeah, what's up?"
"Got a job for you." George answered. Gabriel could hear a bunch of voices in the back ground, like his cousin was calling from a bar.
"Are we secure?" Gabriel asked.
"Gabe, would I call you if it wasn't?" His cousin asked.
"That's not what I asked, George." Gabriel replied slightly irritated.
"I'm on a payphone at Charlie's." George answered not wanting to put his cousin in a foul mood. Charlie's was a local bar that George loved to hang out at. They served stale bear and even staler chips, but George was fond of the place, not to mention that Charlie was his brother.
"Alright, so what you got?" Gabriel asked.
"Man wants his wife gone." George answered simply.
"George, I don't do women. Why are you wasting my time?" Gabriel snapped.
Gabe, my man, he's willing to pay and I do mean pay!" George tried to sooth his cousin's temper. "He will pay your standard fee up front, and then another 5 mil when the jobs done."
Gabriel raised an eyebrow at the amount, but answered, "I still don't do women."
"Awe, come on man, it's just a stupid housewife. It's 5.5 mil, Cousin, and with the money we already have in the Swiss account, we can finally retire. You know you've been wanting out. Just do this last job, and then we'll head down to Cancun like we always planned. The beach, beer and lot's and lot's of women." George replied trying to sway his cousin.
Gabriel didn't answer. He couldn't believe he was actually considering this. He did want out. He'd been doing this for too long and he wanted to retire. He'd been able to avoid the feds for 15 years and he was getting tired. They still had no clue as to who he was or what he looked like and Gabriel wanted to keep it that way.
"Come on Gabe. Just let me meet with the guy. Find out the particulars." George could tell his cousin was considering it.
"Alright. Meet with the guy. Make it clear to him I do this my way." Gabriel finally consented.
"Cool! Alright, I'll lay down the rules to him." George said excitedly. "I'll call you in a few days."
Gabriel hung up the phone. Turning he caught his reflection in the floor length mirrors of his work out area. Gabriel had come from a poor family in a small town in Italy. He had to flee when he was 15 years old and he came to America. He was thin and scrawny then, but now at 35, Gabriel was tall and lean. He worked out regularly and he was all muscle. His long, dark almost black hair was pulled back in a thick curly ponytail for his work out, he wore a neatly trimmed beard that framed full lips. His dark brown eyes showed little emotion anymore, he had stopped caring after his first hit. To his family, he was known as Gabriel or Gabe. To the fed's and the people who hired him, he was "The Hawk." He actually performed his first hit when he was 15 years old. That was why had to leave his home and come to America. A snot nosed rich kid from "uptown" had raped his sister, and so after the police said that it was the kids word against his sisters and that the kids parents were upstanding citizens, they said they could do nothing. The next day, Gabriel had gotten his dad's old 45 Colt and walked down to the kid's house and shot him in his front yard. He fled after that, leaving behind his family and friends. He stowed away on a ship and once he was discovered, they allowed him to do odd jobs around the ship until they reached the U.S. Then he was on his own. He tried odd jobs here and there, but because of his temper, he couldn't keep anything for long. Then one day his luck changed and he met up with a mob boss named Nickolas Giovanni. After discovering that Gabriel was good with a gun, he trained Gabriel as a hitman. Gabriel worked for Giovanni for about 7 years before Giovanni was finally busted and thrown in jail. He decided to go independent after that. He was good, really good and very expensive, but he never failed to get his target and he never ever left a trail. Everything was arranged through his cousin, George, who along with his brother, Charlie had joined Gabriel in America a few years after he had fled Italy. Gabriel never met the clients and until a few minutes ago, he had a rule that he didn't take hits on women and children.
Sighing Gabriel frowned, "Your sinking really low now, old man." Shaking his head, he thought about the money. "This has to be some bitch for a husband to pay that much to get rid of her."
Gabriel headed for the bathroom to take a shower.
A week later, Gabriel sat in a dark booth in the far corner of Charlie's, sipping on watered down bourbon. He sat facing the door so he could observe who came and went. George walked in holding an large yellow envelope. He went to the bar and got a beer and headed over to Gabriel.
Sliding in to the opposite seat of Gabriel, George smiled, "Hey cousin."
Gabriel not much on small talk, simple nodded and asked, "Is it set up?"
"Yeah. It's all right here." George slid the large, over stuffed envelope to Gabriel.
Opening the envelope, Gabriel pulled out the contents, leaving the money inside it. The top page was typed. It had the name and other information of the woman he was to kill. Gabriel glanced through it quickly. He would study it all closer later at home. Her name was Rachel Stone. She was 33 years old, with auburn hair and green eyes. She was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina and she was a first grade school teacher until she married Martin Stone. They had been married 10 years and had one daughter named Abigail, who was 5 years old. Rachel did volunteer work at the local hospital and volunteered at the library twice a week, reading books to the kids. Gabriel found a picture of Rachel amongst the papers. He frowned. He expected a classy woman with attitude and many plastic surgeries. Rachel was not what Gabriel would have considered beautiful, but she was not an ugly woman either. She was pretty in an old fashioned sort of way. Gabriel doubted he would have given her a second look had he passed her on the street. His tastes ran more in the exotic, European type women, not the old fashioned, homebody type.
Putting the papers back in the envelope, Gabriel shook his head, "I don't get it. Why does this Martin Stone want his wife dead?"
George leaned back and sipped his beer. "Stone is worth a fortune. He's CEO of Stone Enterprises in Atlanta. They actually live in Connecticut, and he commutes by private plane. To divorce her, he'd loose half his fortune, plus what he'd pay in alimony and child support. When they got married, he took out a 10 million dollar life insurance policy on his wife. She's worth more dead than alive. Anyways, he's hardly ever home anymore, spends most of his time in Atlanta screwing his secretary. So he shouldn't be in your way."
Gabriel shook his head disgusted, "So he figures he could kill two birds with one stone, huh? Why the hell does he want me to do his dirty work?"
George smiled, "Because you're the best, cousin. You're the best."
Gabriel sighed, "Hell, I ought to take him out afterwards just for the hell of it." He leaned back, "Guys like this Stone fellow make me sick."
George started to get up, "Well if you do, make sure you wait until after he pays us the 5 mil before you do it." Standing up, George turned back to Gabriel, "I gotta go. I've got a date at eight and I don't want to be late." George walked away laughing at his own rhyming joke.
Back at his penthouse, Gabriel packed for his trip to Connecticut. He would drive this one. He could be in Connecticut in two days. Gabriel walked over to his phone and dialed the security office for the building.
"Security, O'Hare." Gabriel smiled. He liked O'Hare. He was a 60 something Irishman who took no guff from anybody. Not even Gabriel. O'Hare had been working security for the building for 20 plus years, he knew everyone by name, which wasn't such a hard feat since there were only about 20 people who lived in the 10 story penthouse building. Gabriel's was on the top floor. It was set up so that you had to have a special code to go to the floor you wanted. The elevator door opened right into Gabriel's living room.
"Hey Irish." Gabriel said in greeting.
"Mr. Monteleone. How may I help you, my Italian friend?" Even after living in the U.S. for over 40 years, Andrew O'Hare still had an Irish accent.
"I'm going out of town for a while." Gabriel answered.
"Very good, sir. I will make sure your mail is collected and placed in your special box." Every tenant had a large box that mail was stored in when they were out of town for more than a few days.
"Thanks Irish. I'm not sure how long I will be gone. Probably a couple of weeks." Gabriel stated.
"Have a safe trip, Sir." O'Hare replied and they hung up.
Chapter 2
Rachel Stone looked out the bay window in the living room for the fifth time that afternoon. The stranger was still out there working on his vehicle. It was awfully hot for spring and she was beginning to feel sorry for the guy. She had just finished making some iced tea and it was still an hour before she had to pick up Abigail from school. Making her decision, she entered the kitchen and fixed up a large glass of iced tea.
As Rachel approached the black Chevy Suburban, she heard a loud clank, and then some, what she assumed was swearing, in what sounded like Italian. She smiled.
"Excuse me, Mr.?" Rachel called. Rachel heard another bang, which sounded suspiciously like the guys head banging against the hood of the suburban.
"Owe, son of a bi . . ." The stranger looked around and saw Rachel and bit off the last of his curse.
"I'm really sorry." Rachel began. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Gabriel looked surprised at the woman he had been hired to kill. She was in a light green calico sundress, which seemed to mold itself to every curve she had. The front dipped low revealing to tops of perfect creamy white breasts. Her long auburn hair was pulled up and piled on top of her head and held there with a large black clasp, her bangs fell across her forehead in short wisps. She had an oval shaped face and the greenest eyes Gabriel had ever seen. Gabriel suddenly realized that the picture that he had been given of Rachel Stone did a real injustice to the real thing. Rachel Stone was anything but old fashion.
"I'm Rachel Stone. I live across the street there." She pointed with her thumb. "I noticed you've been working out here on your truck for most of the afternoon and thought with it being so hot, that maybe you'd like some ice tea." She held up the glass.
My god, I'm babbling. Rachel thought to herself. Rachel hadn't expected the man to be so damn gorgeous. He was like something that had walked off a romance novel.
Gabriel smiled at her, "Thank you, that is very kind." He reached for the glass and took it from her. Bringing it to his lips he took a long drink.
"I have to go pick up my daughter in an hour, but if there is anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to come ask. My husband has tools in the garage that your welcome to borrow." Rachel offered, her heart skipping a beat when he smiled. It was times like this that Rachel wished she wasn't married.
Rachel turned to walk back to the house. "My name is Gabriel." She heard him say from behind her. Turning back, she smiled, "Nice to meet you, Gabriel." Then continued on to the house.
Gabriel watched her go. He liked the way her hips swayed, just enough to get a guys attention. He wasn't sure what had possessed him to give her his name it had just come out. She seemed like a nice lady. It really bothered him that he agreed to kill her. He sighed. It didn't make any difference now anyways the deal had been made. His Suburban wasn't really broke down. He came up with this idea to a close look at Rachel and her daily routine. He hadn't expected her to come out with an offering of ice tea and introduce herself. He looked back under the hood and smiled. Her generous offer had given him a reason to get into her house. He glanced down at his watch. He had about 45 minutes before she had to leave to pick up the girl.
Rachel chided herself for the way she was acting. She was married for goodness sakes, even though not happily. She knew Martin was not happy either. He spent more and more time in Atlanta. To the point that she knew that Martin was having an affair. She had asked for a divorce about a month ago and Martin had almost gone berserk. He said that if she ever tried to leave him, he'd kill her. She didn't think that he was serious, but it had scared her a bit. So Abigail was her world now, everything she did was centered on her daughter. Abigail had started Kindergarten this last year and seemed happy enough. She asked about her daddy some, but didn't seem to care one way or the other about his continued absence. Rachel went to the laundry room and pulled clothes out of the dryer into a laundry hamper. Afterwards, she put the wet clothes that were in the washing machine in the dryer and started it. Picking up the hamper, she headed for the bedroom. The house they lived in was big. They lived in a quiet, safe, upper class neighborhood that was perfect for raising a little 5-year-old girl.
As she began to fold her laundry, her thoughts went back to the gentleman outside. He had said his name was Gabriel. A shiver raced up her spine as she thought about how handsome he was. He was tall, over 6 feet she guessed. He was wearing tight blue jeans and a black tee shirt. Rachel guessed he worked out because she could see every rippling muscle molded by that tee shirt. His dark hair was long and brushed back away from his face falling to his shoulders in thick curls. Rachel knew many women who would kill for thick, naturally curly hair like that. She wondered what it would feel like to have her fingers buried in that hair. Then there were those lips. He had a nicely trimmed beard that framed the most sensuous lips she'd ever seen. Rachel shook her head to clear it. She was starting to get turned on.
"My god, where was he when I was single?" She spoke softly to herself.
Rachel jumped when she heard the doorbell ring. Walking to the door, she looked through the peephole first and saw the object of her thoughts.
Getting a hold of her overactive libido she opened the door and smiled, "Hello again."
Gabriel looked at Rachel, "I wanted to return your glass and see if your husband had a special kind of wrench I need."
Opening the door wider to allow him to come in, Rachel stepped back, "Of course, come in, please."
She took the empty glass from him and headed off towards the garage door placing the glass on the kitchen table as she went. "Martin keeps his tools in the garage. If you'll follow me, I'll show you."
Gabriel glanced around the house as he followed Rachel. They had a nice home, very comfortable looking with antiques and some toll painting decorations here and there. It was a large roomy house and he liked the fact that Rachel didn't have it cluttered with everything under the sun.
"Your husbands not home?" Gabriel asked looking around while he followed.
"No, Martin works in Atlanta and is rarely home. He's a work-a-holic." Now why had she told him that? She didn't know this guy; he could come back later and break in.
Gabriel was suddenly very angry. He wasn't sure why it angered him so much that she was so free with her information. She trusted too easily and that would make his job easier, but for some reason it bothered him. Gabriel reached out and grabbed Rachel by the arm and spun her around to face him, pushing her up against the wall. Rachel shrieked, but his hand cut it off quickly.
Gabriel leaned into her and brought his face close to hers. His dark eyes blazing, he whispered gruffly, "It can happen that quickly, Rachel. You're a beautiful woman and you should never, ever allow strangers into your home, and then tell him that your husband is rarely there. That is inviting bad things to happen to you and your daughter, do you understand me?" Rachel nodded her head quickly, her eyes pleading for him not to hurt her.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Rachel." He said as if reading her mind. "You may hate me for having done this, but I had to teach you that you cannot be so trusting. It's sweet, but it could get you killed, or worse." Gabriel's expression softened, "I'm going to release you now. If you want me to leave I will. I'm sorry that I scared you." Gabriel stepped back and released her at the same time.
Rachel stood there quietly for a moment looking at Gabriel. He had been right, she had been very foolish and he had called her on it. She had allowed his good looks to sway her into doing something she would have normally not done and it could have gotten her killed or like he said, worse.
"Thank you, Gabriel. You are right." Rachel's body still tingled where his body had been pressed against hers. She concentrated on her breathing. "I was very foolish and I think I would like for you to leave now."
Gabriel looked at her surprised. He'd expected her to have a royal hissy, not tell him he was right. "I am sorry I scared you, Rachel, but if I just saved your life, then it was worth it." He turned to leave.
"Why do you care?" Rachel called after him. "You don't know me."
Gabriel stopped and turned back to her. He smiled, "Because you're a nice lady." He held her gaze a moment longer then turned and left the house.
He was out there when she left to get Abigail, but he was gone when she had returned half an hour later. He was a strange man, but what was even stranger was the disappointment Rachel felt that he was gone. I guess he didn't need that special wrench after all, she thought to herself.
In the kitchen, Rachel began to get dinner ready. She was fixing chicken and she placed it in an oven bag, added all the necessary spices and placed it in the oven.
"I'm hungry, Mommy." Abigail complained as she walked into the kitchen.
"Alright, honey. It will be at least an hour before dinner is ready, so you can have a few cookies and mild, okay?"
Abigail smiled, "Okay." And she headed for the kitchen table.
Rachel brought the cookies out on a plate and a glass of milk and sat them in front of Abigail. Abigail grabbed one and began to devour it.
Rachel laughed, "Slow down, Tiger, you'll make your self sick." She ruffled Abigail's hair as she headed back to the kitchen.
An hour later Rachel heard the doorbell chime. She looked at her watch. It was almost 5:00 p.m. She frowned, "Who could that be?" She asked herself.
Rachel peeked through the peephole and saw a delivery guy standing there with flowers. She opened the door, "Yes, can I help you?"
The delivery guy smiled, "Yes ma'am. I have some flowers here for Rachel Stone."
"I'm Rachel Stone, but there must be some mistake."
"No ma'am. It says right here on the card, "Rachel Stone at 33516 Rosemary Lane." He read off the card envelope. "Could you sign this here receipt for me please, ma'am. The gentleman was very adamant about that."
Rachel frowned as she took the clipboard to sign the receipt, "Gentleman?"
She handed the clipboard back. "Yes ma'am. Tall guy, dark hair, very intense sort of fellow."
The guy handed her a crystal vase filled with red and white roses. "Have a nice day, Mrs. Stone." And he turned and left.
"Yes, thank you." Rachel closed the door and walked to the kitchen table. Sitting the heavy vase down, she plucked the card off the plastic holder. Opening the small envelope, she pulled the card out. It simply said, 'Thank you for the ice tea - Gabriel.' Rachel leaned over and smelled the beautiful roses. They were quite lovely and she was suddenly feeling like a schoolgirl again.
"Get over it, Rachel. You're a married woman and you'll most likely never see him again." She chided herself.
Chapter 3
It was a week later when she saw him again. It was at the grocery store of all places. Rachel stopped there after picking Abigail up from school. She saw him standing at the meat counter ordering some steaks. She debated whether she should turn around and leave or approach him. After a few seconds, her good manners won out and she pushed her cart up along side him.
"Good afternoon, Gabriel." Rachel greeted softly.
Gabriel turned surprised to hear his name called. She had caught him off guard and that was not good. He had been following her all week without her knowing it, learning her schedule, trying to find any irregularities. She was a very scheduled woman. It hadn't taken Gabriel long to figure that out. But he was at the grocery store on his own time. He had rented an apartment two blocks over from where Rachel lived and at the moment, he was taking care of personal business.
"Rachel." His eyes met hers for a brief moment before they traveled down to the soft pink sleeveless dress she was wearing. Her long hair hung down to about the middle of her back and she had little wisps from the front of each side of her face pulled back with a gold barrette. The dress came down to about the middle of her thighs showing long, long legs. Gabriel felt a sudden stirring in his groin. She looked good enough to eat, he thought to himself. Noticing her blushing at his perusal of her body, he turned his attention to her daughter who sat in the basket staring at him.
"Hello there. Who might you be?" Gabriel asked turning on his charm.
"My mommy told me never to talk to strangers." Abigail stated matter-of-factly.
"She did?" Gabriel replied. "Well you know what? She is absolutely right. So how about I introduce myself. My name is Gabriel Monteleone."
Abigail looked to her mother for permission and when Rachel nodded her okay, Abigail smiled at Gabriel and announced loudly, "My name is Abigail Lacy Stone."
Gabriel laughed and scooped up Abigail's hand and lightly kissed the back of it. "It is an honor and a privilege to meet you, Abigail Lacy Stone."
Rachel swallowed hard at seeing his laughing smile. Surely it must be a sin to be that gorgeous, she thought to herself. She could feel her body turning to mush at the sound of his husky laughter. While his attention was drawn to her daughter, she took a quick moment to check him out. He was dressed in all black. Tight black jeans that looked like they may have been painted on his skin, they hugged him so closely, black tee shirt, a black leather jacket and black boots. Rachel's eyes traveled back up his body and collided with his laughing eyes. Rachel blushed. She'd been caught checking him out and if there was a hole deep enough that she could crawl into right now she would. Shyly looking back up at him, her heart leapt up into her throat at the smoldering look of desire he had in the dark depths of his eyes.
Trying to think of something to say, she finally managed to squeak out, "Thank you for the beautiful flowers."
"Your welcome. It was the least I could do after what I did. I was a little rough with you, I hope I didn't hurt you." Rachel saw genuine concern in his eyes. She shook her head no.
"You did manage to scare some sense into me though. But next time you want to teach me a lesson, could you just tell me I'm an idiot without all the drama?" She smiled.
Gabriel smiled again, "It's a deal." He looked as if he might say more, but instead he turned his attention back to Abigail. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Abigail." He bowed to her. Abigail giggled.
Then before Rachel could react, Gabriel caught her hand in his and raised it to his lips. Their eyes met and held. "And it was a pleasure seeing you again, Rachel." Releasing her hand, he turned and left. It was another five minutes before Rachel could trust her legs to hold her up so she could finish her shopping.
Back at his rented apartment, Gabriel cursed himself thoroughly in Italian. He was allowing himself to get to close to her. Dammit, he knew there was a reason he didn't take contracts on women. He put the bag of groceries he'd purchased away. Taking his leather jacket off, he tossed it across a chair. Reaching behind him, he pulled from the waistband of his pants, his 9-millimeter pistol and placed it on the kitchen table. Then he began to pace around the small apartment. He felt like a caged tiger. He was going to have to take care of Rachel soon, before he lost his nerve.
The next day was Saturday. Rachel and Abigail had a standing date to go to the park on Saturday mornings and this particular Saturday was no different. Rachel watched Abigail play with some other kids on the big jungle gym, while she talked to one of the other mothers named Nancy. Her attention drawn back to the conversation, she didn't notice Abigail wander off after a stray dog.
"Uh, Rachel? Isn't that Abigail?" Nancy asked, pointing off toward an apartment complex across from the park.
Rachel looked in the direction that Nancy pointed and gasped loudly. "Oh my god." Rachel jumped up and began to run. "Abigail, no baby, don't go in the street."
Abigail followed the dog into the street. She thought she heard her mother calling, but she didn't want the dog to get away.
Rachel saw a large truck bearing down on her daughter. She screamed as tears began to flood her eyes as she realized that she would not reach her daughter in time.
Gabriel was coming out of the apartment complex when he heard a woman scream. He frowned when he saw Rachel running towards him, he dropped his gaze down to Abigail who stood in the middle of the street with a stray dog and then he spotted the large truck.
"Christ!" He muttered as he sprinted off the sidewalk into the street. He barely had scooped Abigail up into his arms and jumped out of the way, when the truck sped by, it's horn blaring.
Rachel ran up and grabbed a crying Abigail from Gabriel's arms. She collapsed to her knees rocking and holding Abigail tight. "Oh my baby." Rachel cried stroking Abigail's hair. Pushing Abigail back so she could see her face, she scolded lightly, "Don't you ever do that again do you understand me?"
"Yes mommy." Abigail answered through her tears.
It was only then that Rachel focused on the man who had rescued her daughter. "Gabriel." She said surprised. He was the last person she expected to see. "What are you doing here?"
Gabriel wanted to laugh at the comical look on her face, but kept his face serious. "I live over there in those apartments." He answered.
Then without hesitation, Rachel stood up and threw her arms around Gabriel's neck. Gabriel caught her and held her. He could feel her trembling so he tightened his arms around her. God, she felt good in his arms, too good as a matter of fact. After a moment, she stepped back, taking Abigail's hand.
"I can't thank you enough for what you did. If there is anyway I could repay you?" Rachel asked.
Gabriel shook his head, raising his hands. "I don't want anything from you, Rachel. I'm just glad Abigail is safe."
"Surely there is something I can do for you. I know," Rachel began, "I could fix you a nice dinner. You could come over tonight."
Again Gabriel shook his head, "Rachel, really you don't need. . ."
"Please, Gabriel." Rachel interrupted. "Please let me do this for you."
"Alright." Gabriel answered. Maybe this will give me my chance to get this finished and get out of here. He thought to himself. "I'll be over about 7."
"That would be perfect. See you then." Rachel started to turn away with Abigail, but Abigail pulled away from her mother and went to Gabriel. Gabriel squatted down to Abigail's level as she came up to him.
"Thank you." She said shyly and kissed him on the cheek.
Gabriel still stood there after they were long gone. Abigail's little kiss had put warmth back into his cold heart. He was beginning to care for Abigail and her mother. Tonight, he thought. He would have to do it tonight. If he didn't, he knew he never would. And then, he decided, he would kill Martin Stone himself. He didn't care if he got the money or not.
Chapter 4
The doorbell chimed at 7:00 sharp. Rachel opened the door and found Gabriel standing there with a bottle of wine and a single pink rose. He was wearing black slacks, a cream colored pull over shirt and a black jacket.
Gabriel handed Rachel the bottle of wine, "This is for you. And this," holding up the pink rose is for Abigail.
Rachel smiled taking the wine from him. "She will love it. Thank you."
As Rachel led him into the kitchen, Gabriel admired her from behind. She was wearing another one of those tight fitting dresses that hugged her curves. This one was a soft lavender. Her hair was pulled up into a chignon and Gabriel's hands itched to pull it down so he could run his fingers through its softness.
"Abigail." Rachel called. "Gabriel is here."
Abigail came running down the hall and ran to Gabriel. He scooped her up and gave her a hug.
"How is my favorite little lady?" Gabriel asked kissing her cheek.
"I am fine." She answered.
"Here, I brought this for you." Gabriel handed her the pink rose.
Abigail's face lit up. "Mommy, Mommy, look. Now I have a pretty flower too." Gabriel put Abigail down as she took the rose and bounded into the kitchen.
"Yes, it's beautiful. Did you thank Gabriel for it?" Rachel asked.
Abigail shook her head and turned and ran back into the dinning area. "Thank you for my pretty flower, Gabriel." She said sweetly.
"You are welcome, Princess." Gabriel said.
"Mommy, can I take my flower to my room." Abigail asked.
"Sure, baby. But do you want me to put it in a pretty vase with some water?" Rachel asked as she poked her head out of the kitchen.
"Oh yes, mommy." Abigail handed Rachel the rose and Rachel disappeared back into the kitchen. A few moments later, she reappeared with the flower in a small vase. Abigail followed Rachel back to her room.
Rachel reappeared a moment later and smiled at Gabriel. "That was very kind of you to do that. She really made over the flowers you had sent me."
The large vase of red and white roses that Gabriel had sent sat in the middle of the dinning room table. Even after several days, they still looked good.
"It smells wonderful." Gabriel commented about the aroma coming out of the kitchen.
"Well, I hope you like steak and lobster." She replied, turning to go back into the kitchen.
Gabriel's raised his eyebrows, "My, my, you have gone all out haven't you?"
Rachel stopped and turned back to him, "Do you not like it?" She asked concerned.
"I love it." He answered, but the way he was looking at her, she wasn't sure if he were talking about the food or something else.
Rachel went back into the kitchen and Gabriel followed. He leaned against the doorway and watched her move around the kitchen.
"I noticed only two place settings, will Abigail not be joining us?" Gabriel asked.
"She ate earlier. She is not big on lobster, I'm afraid. She will join us for desert though." Rachel replied as she checked on the rolls in the oven. "It's just about ready."
Much later, as Rachel was cleaning up the kitchen, Abigail managed to drag Gabriel back to her room and was showing him her collection of Beanie Babies. He had removed his jacket earlier and he now sat on the edge of Abigail's bed.
"I have 75 Beanie Babies now." Abigail told him proudly.
"Wow, that's a lot of Beanie Babies. Do you have all of them?" Gabriel asked her.
"No. There are still bunches I don't have. But some day I will have them all."
"It's time for bed, little one." Rachel said from the doorway.
"Ah, mommy do I have to?" Abigail asked sadly.
"Yes, pumpkin, you do." Rachel answered.
Abigail turned to Gabriel, "Will you tell me a bed time story?"
"Abigail, I don't think Gabriel," Rachel began.
"No, Rachel, it's alright, I'd love to tell Abigail a story." Gabriel interrupted.
After Abigail was dressed and in bed, Rachel kissed her goodnight and left Gabriel to tell Abigail a bedtime story. She poured herself a fresh glass of wine and turned on the stereo, putting some soft jazz on. About 10 minutes later, Gabriel appeared to find Rachel sitting on the couch. He walked over to her and took her wine glass away and sat it on the coffee table. Taking her by the hand, he pulled her up and led her to the middle of the living room where he slipped his left arm around her waist, pulling her close and began to slow dance. After dancing for a while he moved her right hand to his shoulder so that he could have both arms around her waist. Gabriel pulled her closer, until their bodies were flush against each other. Rachel swallowed hard and tried to remember to breath as she looked up into Gabriel's face.
"Gabriel." She whispered softly as his lips brushed softly against hers. Rachel tried to get her thoughts focused. She knew they shouldn't be doing this, but god, it felt so good. HE felt so good. It had been a long time since Rachel had felt desired by a man.
"Gabriel," She tried again as he continued to place feather light kisses on her mouth. "We shouldn't."
"Shhhhh." Gabriel hushed her. "Let me love you tonight, cara." He whispered, as he slipped his tongue into her mouth.
Rachel melted against him, slipping her arms around his neck as she opened her mouth to him. She moaned softly as he plundered her mouth, seeking, tasting of her sweet nectar. Gabriel's hands came up and they removed the pins holding her hair up and her hair fell down to her waist. He tangled his long fingers in her hair and gently pulled her head back so he could kiss her deeper. His other hand slid down her waist and curved over her buttocks pulling her into the bulge in his pants. Rachel clung to his shoulders, her knee's giving out. Gabriel suddenly swung her up into his arms and carried her back to her bedroom. Their lovemaking was wild, almost violent. Several times Gabriel had to force himself to slow down, but Rachel wouldn't allow it. And for a short time, Gabriel forgot his bloody past and felt human. For a short time he believed he could belong to this life, to her life, that she was his. And as they shouted their release, he knew right then that he loved her.
Later, after their breathing had returned to normal, Gabriel held her in his arms. "Your husband is a fool." He said softly as he stroked her back with his fingers. "To have a woman like you, yet he wastes his time at work."
Rachel sighed softly, "We drifted apart. I've suspected that he is having an affair of his own for quite a while now. I've asked for a divorce, but he won't hear of it. I think he is worried that I will take him to the cleaners and he'll loose everything." Rachel lifted her head to look at Gabriel. "I could care less about the money, Gabriel. I could go back to work as a school teacher and Abigail and me would be just fine."
"I know you would." Gabriel answered softly, as his thoughts shifted to what he was hired to do. He really hated himself at that moment. He was falling in love with the very woman he was contracted to kill. "Go to sleep, cara." He whispered as he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips. Rachel laid her head down on his chest and went to sleep.
Chapter 5
An hour or so later, Rachel woke with a start. She relaxed as she remembered that Gabriel was there, but then realized that he was no longer beside her. She sat up, holding the sheet to her chest; she reached over and turned the small lamp on.
"Gabriel?" She called out as she spotted him standing by the window. He had put his pants back on and he was gazing out the window with something that Rachel couldn't quite see hanging down by his leg in his hand. "Gabriel? Are you alright?" She asked, suddenly feeling a little scared.
He had been standing by the window for the past 45 minutes arguing with himself. He knew he couldn't kill her, but what was he going to do? For the first time in his life, Gabriel was in love and for the life of him, he couldn't think straight. It made him venerable and that made him angry. Gabriel turned to her slowly. He had a hard, cold look in his eyes. His face looked like it was made of stone. He began to slowly walk towards her and as he did, he raised his hand to reveal a gun that had a silencer on it. Rachel gasped, backing up until she hit the headboard. Gabriel stopped at the foot of the bed the gun aimed at her heart.
"Oh god, no, please Gabriel." Rachel pleaded. "Why are you doing this?"
"Do you know how much you are worth to your husband dead?" He asked coldly.
Rachel looked confused, "Martin?" She asked.
"Besides the insurance he'll collect on you, he is paying me 5.5 million dollars to kill you." Gabriel said matter of factly.
Rachel was shaking violently, "Martin hired you to kill me? You're a hitman?"
"Yes." He answered. Gabriel gritted his teeth as he started to pull the trigger. His cold emotionless eyes bore into her. "Son of a bitch!" He growled as he suddenly moved the gun to where he had earlier lay beside her and emptied the gun into the pillow.
Rachel cried out as Gabriel dropped the gun on the bed and moved to take her into his arms. She began to struggle, but he held her close until she finally relaxed against him.
"Damn you, Rachel. I was to kill you not fall in love with you." He stroked her hair as she clung to him and cried.
An hour later, they were both dressed and in the living room. Rachel sat on the far end of the couch from Gabriel, as he stood across the room looking out the window. Gabriel had spent the last hour explaining to Rachel everything. From how he fled his native Italy to how he had become a hitman and finally to how Martin had contacted his cousin and even though he didn't normally take contracts on women, he'd had decided to do this one because of the money and his desire to retire.
"I came here expecting to find a spoiled, money hungry bitch," Gabriel turned to face her, looking into her eye's and seeing the fear he had put there. He cursed himself silently, "Instead I found a warm, caring woman who caused me to feel things I thought were long dead and buried deep inside me. I found myself thinking that maybe I could have a normal life, a wife and kids. I even began to imagine you and Abigail at my side." Gabriel shook his head at his thoughts. "But I was a fool. I knew you would never accept what I was. You are everything that is pure and innocent and I am covered with the blood of the many I've killed."
Up until then Rachel hadn't said anything, she had just sat and listened. She had been too much in shock, but finally her thoughts were coming together.
"I wish you to leave now, Gabriel." She whispered. She had no clue as to what she was going to do now. But she knew she had to get this man out of her house. He affected her senses too much. When he was near, she was almost willing to forget that he had just tried to murder her not an hour before.
Gabriel nodded sadly. He reached for his jacket and took something out of the inside pocket. Walking to her he handed her an audiocassette.
Taking it from him, she asked, "What is this?"
"It is the proof you'll need to prove your husband tried to have you murdered. I always have my cousin record his meetings with clients. It helps to have a back up incase they attempt to not pay for the services."
Rachel laughed almost hysterically, "My god, Gabriel, you make it sound as if you are a cleaning service or something."
Gabriel reached down and drew her up into his arms. He couldn't help it he needed to hold her one last time. Rachel allowed it, knowing she couldn't fight him.
"I'm sorry, Rachel." He said, stroking her hair. "I'll get out of your life and you'll never see me again." He released her and stepped back, his hand caressing her cheek as he did so. "If you choose to tell the police about me, it's okay. I could never hurt you."
Turning, he walked to the front door. As he grabbed the doorknob, he turned back to her. "Take care of yourself and Abigail. You'll always have a place in my heart. Goodbye, cara." And then he was gone.
Rachel stood there a moment. "I love you, Gabriel." She whispered, and then she curled up on the couch and cried until she finally fell into a restless sleep.
The next morning, Rachel called her mother in South Carolina, telling her that she was divorcing Martin and that there were some problems she needed to settle first and asked if she could send Abigail to stay with her and Dad for a while. Her mom had answered, absolutely and that she would catch the next available flight to Connecticut to come get her. With that taken care of, Rachel set out to take care of some errands. She first took the audiocassette that Gabriel had given her and had several copies made. She had listened to it after he had left and was appalled and shocked at the hate in Martin's voice. She took the original and one copy and put them in a safety deposit box at the bank. The other two she took with her, one to give to the police and the other to confront Martin with. She also opened a Money Market account in her daughters name and transferred a hundred thousand dollars from her and Martins checking account. Just in case something happened to her, Abigail would be taken care of. When her mom arrived, she would bring her down and sign the signature card so she could access it for Abigail.
When it was time for Abigail to go to school, Rachel took her and dropped her off at her class. She then went to see Mr. Chaney, the school principle and told him that because of marital problems, she was going to have to pull Abigail out of school and that she would living in South Carolina with her mother for the rest of the school year and would finish out there. Mr. Chaney was very understanding and wished her the best of luck. Rachel then returned home and began packing Abigail's things. She hadn't told Abigail yet that she was going to Grandma's. She figured she would surprise her, since she was going to have to pick her mom up at the airport after picking Abigail up from school. While she packed she thought of Gabriel. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought about what he had been sent to do. She began to think crazy thoughts, like finding him after Martin was in jail and telling him she forgave him and that she wanted to be with him. Her and Abigail, they could be a family, a real family. She laughed at her thoughts. It was insane. How could she spend the rest of her life with a man who killed people for a living? But he did say he was retiring. That he was giving it all up. That would be okay, wouldn't it?
Rachel sighed. She saw the pink rose that Gabriel had brought for Abigail. He was so good with her. She just couldn't believe that Gabriel was a hitman. It would take someone very cold and heartless to be a hitman and Gabriel was warm and caring.
"No!" Rachel chided herself harshly. "Forget him Rachel. It would never work. Even if he quit, you would always know what he had done."
Rachel looked at her watch as she closed the suitcase with Abigail's clothes in it. It was time to go pick up her mom and the airport. She would then pick up Abigail at school and come back for her stuff. Her mom and Abigail would leave in the morning to fly back to North Carolina and Rachel would then begin her plans.
