by Daya Daniels
Gabriel held on to the gun and pumped it himself. I stepped away and covered my ears while he emptied the shotgun into the bench until only shards of it were left.
“The bench is destroyed!”
“That’s the point. You see, with this you don’t need exact aim, just point in the general direction and the pellets will do the rest of the work for you,” he said proudly. “This will be yours. A very sexy gift from me to you.”
“Awww shucks, thanks. A gun of my very own,” I said playfully.
Gabriel ruffled my long hair. “We can work on your aim with the smaller handguns while we’re up here. Come on, let’s go.”
He gave me a wink and slung a bigger rifle over his shoulder.
I followed him downhill until we came to a flat clearing covered in thick snow. I craned my neck back into the furry hood of my thick jacket and inhaled, looking at the clear blue sky above me. The high-pitched cries from two bald eagles flying overhead kept my attention. They were moving almost in a synchronized dance in the sky. They would swoop down with each other and then dip left and then right together in a circle. It was beautiful. I closed my eyes and inhaled again.
When I opened them, Gabriel’s face was inches from mine. I couldn’t read his expression. I wondered how long he’d stood in front of me, just looking at me.
“Lily,” he whispered. The vapor from his warm breath suspended in the air between us. “Come on.”
We walked a little further downhill until we passed some trees marking the perimeter. Rocco and Sable stayed to the side of Gabriel, jogging slowly, sniffing the air curiously.
“There’s a few old mine shafts around here, most of them are vertical drops. They were dug in the 1880s and 1870s back before they were regulated. They’re not marked on a land map since they weren’t required to do that back then.” Gabriel talked as we continued to trek. “Would have been nice if they had.”
The cabin was no longer in view from where we stood.
“How do you know about them?”
“Angus. His father was around during the time they were dug, so he mapped them himself.”
“That was smart of him,” I said, stepping around a rotten tree branch on the ground.
“You can’t tell if these shafts go down ten feet or a thousand feet. Best you know where they are since we are out here today. A lot of these shafts are big enough to swallow buildings, cars, you name it.”
Gabriel showed me three old shafts a few miles apart. When we got close enough to each of them, he’d spray painted the trees ahead of them yellow.
“Good luck to the guy not from ’round here who is out walking around in the dark,” he joked.
Two of the shaft openings on the ground were covered by old wooden boards that you could barely see since they were covered by snow. One was completely open. I could see the blackness of the hole from where I stood a few feet away which hinted at its depth.
“These are miles away from the house, Lily. So it’s nothing to worry about. Anyone that bumps into these things has no business being around here in the first place.”
I nodded slowly looking ahead of me. My face was cold and my nose was starting to drip. A fawn and its mother walked through the bare trees, scampering off when they noticed us.
He walked towards me. It was the first time I noticed how sexy his stride was. It was smooth and purposeful but slow. I shifted my eyes nervously to look around, weirded out by my own thoughts.
He spoke. “We are southwest right now, fifteen degrees. Remember, this is where the old mine shafts are. So stay away, especially when it’s dark.”
I nodded.
“Let’s go back. You’re freezing.”
“What was your grandfather like? The one that lived here.”
“He was tough as nails. His name was Angus. He had a thick Scottish accent. Most people could barely understand him. He had a long red beard to his chest. He probably would have scared most people with his disheveled look.” Gabriel laughed. “He lived out here alone for many years. He was a miner well into his sixties.”
“That’s cool.”
“The cabin then was one small room, no running water, no electricity. It wasn’t as fancy or comfortable as it is now.”
“And you still came up here?” I laughed.
“Yeah, I guess I did. I spent a lot of time with him. He was kind of my father, you know, since my dad died when I was young. He was my grandfather’s only child.”
“What happened to your dad?”
“Car accident. He was young.”
“I’m sorry.”
Gabriel shrugged. “Jacob spent some time up here as well but not as much as me. He’s familiar enough with the area. I spent a lot of time here during the summers and the winters with Angus. We would hunt, fish, repair the cabin. He taught me practically everything I know about living out here.
“When I was around thirteen, I watched him stitch a gaping hole in his side together with just a fishing hook, fishing line, and a bottle of Stolichnaya vodka. He took a pretty bad swipe from the paw of a mountain lion he eventually killed.”
I cringed and Gabriel laughed.
“He would tell me old stories about his days as a gold miner and the early days when he would go back to Scotland as a child with his father.
“He was a wealthy old man when he died. He left us this land that was his father’s and his life savings.”
Gabriel unsheathed the large, twelve-inch hunting knife he carried in his pocket holding it up. It had a curved sawback blade. The rays from the sun bounced off the shiny metal as he held it in his hand. “This used to be his.”
I struggled stepping over the mounds of snow. Rocco nudged me on by giving me a hard shove into the back of my thigh with the top of his head. Sable moved slowly behind me and barked each time I tripped.
I felt like the two dogs were both my keepers, watching every move I made. Their perceptiveness was almost human. Gabriel gave me a sideways glance and smiled. He stopped to lift me onto his back which I refused. I’d walk on my own, knowing I needed the exercise.
“It’s something about you, Lily. I’ve never seen the two of them so concerned about anyone else. They like you. Rocco and Sable used to only worry about me. I think I’m a little jealous.” Gabriel smirked.
I was enjoying the trek and listening to him talk so casually.
“Rocco and Sable are both really smart dogs, Gabriel. They are like little people.”
“I’ve had them for years. Sable is the oldest. Rocco is three. They’re both my best friends.”
“Really?”
Gabriel nodded. “It’s good to have dogs with you, if you’re living out here, just for your own safety. They’re very intuitive. Usually, they sense and see things before you do, no matter how aware you think you might be.”
“I never had animals growing up.”
Gabriel grimaced. “Shame.”
The route we took back to the cabin was longer. The snow was piled thick several inches high and the trees bunched together awkwardly in some areas. The moisture from the snow started to seep through my jeans.
“When did your grandfather die, if you don’t mind me asking?”
He looked up. “I was twenty-two when he died, I think. So he was eighty-eight. We found him a few miles from here actually. He was attacked by a grizzly bear when he was out hunting one day. It was an ugly scene.”
I gasped.
“He was a survivalist, Lily. I don’t think he would have wanted to go out any other way.”
“How do you know it was a grizzly?”
Gabriel gave me a handsome smile. “Because when we found him it was lying dead next to him.”
“Oh,” I said, imagining what it must’ve looked like.
“It was a big son of a bitch—nearly eight hundred pounds.” Gabriel laughed.
Meridian, Idaho
The Pritchard family owned a number of businesses in Meridian. Meridian was located in Ada County. It was a fast-gro
wing city and just behind Boise in terms of population. Pritchard Sundries were the local pharmacies, Pritchard Service Stations provided gasoline and Pritchard’s Market were four of the local grocery stores. The Pritchard family businesses employed nearly one fifth of Meridian, Idaho’s residents.
When Dawson finally took over the family-run businesses ten years ago, after his father became sick, their business dealings had already expanded into less legitimate areas—illegal gambling, prostitution, drug dealing, kidnapping, extortion, rape and murder. The legitimate businesses had been used as a front for years for money laundering.
“Did you find Nina?” Dawson asked one of his men.
“No. I think she might have skipped town.”
Dawson took a long drag on the cigarette hanging from his lips. “Well, you better put word out in Dakota, that’s likely where she’s headed, either north or south. She might stick around to look for her friend but I doubt it.
“Nina knows Lily is dead by now and she would likely consider Lily the repayment that would wipe her slate clean with me. At least that was the deal. I’m not sure if you can even call it a deal anymore.” Dawson chuckled to himself.
“I think we also promised Nina a kilo of cocaine.” Dawson stood from his chair and walked around his office to stare out the window ahead.
It overlooked an empty parking lot.
“So unfortunate with Lily. I really liked her, you know. I think I had a crush on her. I even tried picking her up once outside Birdie’s Café and she wouldn’t even give me a second glance. It pissed me off,” Dawson reminisced. “That beautiful long black hair, curvy little body with that plump ass and wide blue eyes. I could look at those eyes all day. I really could have made her like me, if she would’ve only given me a chance.”
“Well, she had a mean left hook is all I remember and a blood-curdling scream that could bust an eardrum!” one of Dawson’s men shouted.
They all broke out into laughter together.
Dawson continued, “Well, we don’t need to be speaking about her again—she’s gone. Lily should have thought twice about making friends with the likes of trash such as Nina Baldwin.”
I was disoriented. I woke up screaming, gasping for air, confused about where I was. The large room was dark with only a sliver of light across the wooden floor from the moon outside. A dog jumped into the bed, whimpering, snuggling next to me.
“Rocco, out,” a deep voice said softly and a shadow appeared in the door then stepped towards me.
The dog slinked away from me and out of the bed.
“Lily,” the large man said, pulling me to his chest.
He ran his warm hands over my back, holding me tight to him as I cried. “You’re here with me, Gabriel. You’re safe.” He placed a kiss to my forehead.
“I’m alone,” I mewled out, feeling my chest shudder. “I’m alone.”
I sobbed when he forced me to look into his face under the moonlight.
“Look at me,” he whispered.
Slowly, the realization of where I was sank in.
He palmed my face in his hands. “You’re not alone. Remember, I found you.”
I felt my breathing begin to steady and my heart rate begin to ease back to normal. He continued to rock me until I settled. He was so tender, so kind. It had been so long since I was treated with any sort of care.
“I’m sorry.” I wiped my tears.
Gabriel pulled me in his lap as I cried against his chest.
“I thought I was alone.”
“You’re not alone. I’m here, remember? We are here together with Rocco and Sable.” He smiled.
I dug my fingers into his arm, fearing he would let me go.
“Remember?”
“Yes,” I whimpered, feeling embarrassed.
This very thing had happened just the night before. I was losing my fucking mind!
“Everything will be okay, I promise, Lily,” he said.
“Please don’t let me go.”
“Never,” he whispered, pulling me to his chest and easing into the bed next to me.
I settled into the crook of his body and buried my wet face in Gabriel’s shirt to cry.
“Have you ever been ice fishing, Lily?” Gabriel asked that morning.
“No, never.” Ice fishing didn’t interest me in the least but I was bored. “I wouldn’t mind it though.”
The weather out was cold. Gabriel packed the fishing gear up and loaded it into a Ford F-150 Raptor that was kept underneath the house in a fully enclosed two-car garage that was accessible from stairs beneath the kitchen. We left and headed down to Little Bitterroot Lake. The drive down was quiet. He didn’t say much. After a few minutes on the road, the truck hit a big dip in the road halfway down the mountain. I gripped the door nervously.
“Don’t worry,” Gabriel said banging on the dashboard firmly with his hand in a fist. “Run-flat tires.” He then moved his hand to bang on the window next to him. “And bulletproof glass.” He laughed. “This truck weighs around twelve thousand pounds.”
I touched the cold glass with my fingers. He chuckled at my curiosity. I clicked on the radio and Lady Antebellum’s We Own the Night played. I sang along quietly, enjoying the music. I had to admit this was better than my normal life with Nina.
“You should sing more often.”
I laughed. “No way, my voice is horrible.”
“Naa. It sounds good! Really, you should sing more often.”
The scenery on the drive down was breathtaking. I sat back and relaxing taking in the view of the blue sky, snow-covered peaks and the green pine trees that were covered with snow. It all truly looked picturesque. Once we made it down in the valley and reached the lake, I jumped out of the truck to observe the shoreline. There were a few other people in the area and across the lake. I spotted a few cars and trucks. There were two RVs parked off with music blaring from them. A huge bonfire was lit.
“College kids,” he said.
“I wonder if they caught anything today?”
Gabriele glanced across the lake again and looked back at me in disbelief at what I’d just said. “I doubt they’re fishing. They usually just come here to do drugs and party.”
We found a spot out on the lake. Gabriel took a few minutes to drill a hole in the ice and then widened the hole with an ice chisel. He put two chairs around the ice hole and lit a small fire next to where we sat. He fixed two lines and dropped them both in the hole and we waited for the fish to bite.
“What do you catch here usually?”
“Trout, bass, pike, whitefish, all sorts of fish.”
He pulled out hot chocolate and two heavy blankets, one he rested over our legs and one for around our shoulders. Rocco and Sable smuggled together in a heavy quilted blanket that he laid out for them. Even though it was freezing out, I was surprised at how warm I was sitting out on a frozen lake.
“Gabriel, thank you…for everything.”
“It’s no problem. I enjoy your company. So, maybe I should be thanking you.”
We managed to get a few bites. After two hours we caught eight trout, five pike, and two huge largemouth bass. Gabriel put more wood on the fire and after cleaning all the fish he opened two beers and gave one of them to me.
“I don’t usually drink but I figured we could have just two and then head back. I’ve had a good time with you.”
I smiled. Across the lake, there was a man and a woman having sex in the back of an old silver Buick that was still running. The smoke billowed out from the tailpipe. They were completely naked. I froze mid-sip with my beer in my hand and lost focus of the conversation I was having with Gabriel.
The woman moved up and down on top of the man vigorously, holding the headrest behind him while he grabbed and squeezed and sucked on her breasts. They stilled and kissed passionately for a long time. Their bodies writhing in the back seat of the car. The man raked his hands through the woman’s long hair while she began her rise and fall on top of him again. I was t
ransfixed watching them. I don’t know exactly what I felt when I saw them enjoying each other but I think it was envy. Sex was supposed to mean pleasure. Instead for me it only reminded me of pain and humiliation.
Gabriel cleared his throat bringing my focus back, placing his hand on my arm. “Lily, we should get going,” he whispered.
“Yes, we should,” I agreed.
It began to snow lightly after a few minutes of driving back. The street lights disappeared and the only light guiding our way was from the headlights of the truck.
“Are you the voyeur type?” Gabriel asked while keeping his eyes on the road.
The question made me giggle. “What? No, not usually.”
“You were staring at that couple pretty intensely. If I wasn’t mistaken I’d say you were enjoying it, Lily. I think you like to watch,” he joked.
I was staring at the couple. I thought I’d hidden it better. “I don’t know. I just don’t think I can ever enjoy it anymore.”
Gabriel grunted and simply stared ahead. “Did you enjoy it before?”
“Yes.”
“Orgasm?”
“Yes.”
“Through penetration or by touching yourself?” Gabriel approached the question sounding almost clinical, like a doctor asking a patient when their last bowel movement was.
“Both.”
“That’s good.” He nodded.
“It might help, Lily, if you touch yourself, you know, to remind you that it’s supposed to feel good and that it does feel good, until you start to feel like yourself again.”
Again? I went silent for a few minutes staring out at the blackness around us.
“Do you ever want sex? I mean, living somewhere there’s no other people. Does it get hard?”
“Yes, it gets hard but I jerk off every now and again. That helps.”
I laughed, my sides nearly splitting it came out so loud. I hadn’t meant the question to come out that way.
“The desire for a woman doesn’t go away but I guess I’m used to it. I can control myself.”
“I don’t know if I’m comfortable touching myself anymore now,” I whispered.