by Lisa Eugene
Memories of binding another woman flashed through his mind. Although, that one had challenged him like a crazed hellion. She’d left bruises on his shins that had lasted for days. God! She was amazing. How could he walk away from a woman like that? She was singularly precious, unique, and gifted with smiles that lit up his world. Last night he’d made a decision to drop her off the only place he knew would be safe. He’d decided to walk away and deal with the fallout from Cane alone. But now he knew he was only fooling himself. He could never willingly leave her. In her arms the roar in his head was finally quiet. The problem was that he didn’t deserve her. She didn’t deserve him with his many demons. She might decide she didn’t want him if she found out about his past. He’d left Gabriel Hamilton Masters behind a long time ago. And there were many times he didn’t know who he’d become. He wondered if he could ever find the person Maggie saw lurking inside him.
Disarming the security system and lock to Cane’s private office took longer than he’d expected, but once inside, he quickly crossed to Cane’s desk and computer. Logging on and breaching the firewall was child’s play for him. He located the file he sought and downloaded the information. It was all there. Dates. Names. Bids. Counter-bids. He was shocked to see some of the high profile contenders. Normally he would erase the file after he’d downloaded it and plant software to disable the operating system, but in this case he decided to leave the evidence.
Finished and filled with a sense of satisfaction, he packed up and headed out of the office, slipping back into the hall. He wondered again how Maggie was doing and a sense of urgency pumped fuel into his blood, spurring him to jog the length of the hallway. She was probably chewing her bottom lip to shreds worrying about him. His lips tilted wickedly. He’d have to take care of that lip for her. He was so engrossed in contemplating his plan that he turned a corner and didn’t see the meaty fist flying towards his jaw. With a start he staggered backwards, then abruptly rallied and reached for his gun.
But it was too late. His arms were grabbed roughly and angled viciously behind him. With a jerk of his large body, he was able to shrug off the two security guards attempting to hold him. When another one attacked from behind he spun and landed a round kick to his midsection, sending him sprawling, but he could already see four or five more guards coming up at his rear. He tried to reach for his gun again, but felt the full weight of several bodies crash into him, sending him pitching into a wall and rendering him immobile. As several blows landed in his midsection, his only thought was for the angel he’d left in the car under the cover of green trees.
He was bound to a chair in Cane’s well-appointed office. It was a room with heavy wood molding, large oil paintings, and dark velvet curtains. It reminded Gabe of a room you’d find at an elite men’s social club. A colorful Persian rug ran the length of the room and large cheval glass windows lined one wall. He hadn’t noticed the décor the first time he’d been in the room, but then he’d had other things on his mind. His wrists were secured behind his back with pieces of thick twisted rope, and he worked them slowly, loosening the strangling hold with exacting tedium.
His cap had been removed, and his hair now hung in his face. There were several jagged rips in his tight brown shirt and more than a few buttons had flown away in the fray. Two guards, these burlier than the ones he’d seen in the lot, stood at the door, their unflappable gazes occasionally flicking over his restrained body. His jaw ached from a well-landed blow, but other than that, his body was primed and ready, revved with adrenalin from his prior battle and the worry that coursed through his veins. He just needed to wait for the right moment to strike. His thoughts kept circling. Was Maggie okay? Had they found her car? She must be worried sick.
The door opened and Cane Howard strolled in. He was meticulously clad in a pale grey suit and yellow tie. His hair was slicked back and shiny, his face clean-shaven, impassive. Without a glance towards his guest, he crossed the room to a sideboard and poured a small glass of amber colored liquid. He turned and leaned against the furniture, and taking a sip, allowed his gaze to travel over his prisoner.
“We meet again, Mr. Masters. How nice of you to stop by. I assume you’re here to give me what is mine.” His voice was honey-dripping pleasant.
Gabe kept his gaze on the carpet, but in his peripheral vision he saw Cane look towards his guards. One gave a barely perceptible shake of his head, and stark anger raged in Cane Howard’s beady eyes. Gabe jerked a final twist of his wrist, freeing his hands. He kept them behind him, clutching the rope. He’d left the flash drive containing the research data with Maggie. The other drive was in his shoe. Those idiots had only briefly patted him down and searched his pockets and back pack.
Cane took a step towards him, his brows furrowed. “Just why are you here, Mr. Masters?”
“To kill you,” Gabe growled.
Cane chuckled, but the sound floated out hollow. He was worried.
“Well, you’ll have to save that for another day, won’t you? Considering the fact that you’re a bit tied up at the moment.” A corner of his mouth went askew. “When will you realize I’m not your enemy, Mr. Masters?” Cane smiled slowly, diabolically.
“If this is how you treat your friends, I’ll pass. Why the hunt? The snipers?”
Cane’s brows rose marginally. “Snipers?”
Gabe issued a hoarse sarcastic chuckle, immediately dismissing the man’s feigned ignorance. Cane clasped his hands behind his back and rocked on the balls of his feet.
“Too bad about the plane.” He clucked. “Flying can be so hazardous these days.”
He took another step towards Gabe. Gabe let his gaze rise to follow his progress. Closer… Closer…
“But then, Victoria was always such a bitch. I wish I’d been there to watch her go up in flames. Paul might have been worth keeping around, but…oh well. He served his purpose.” He shrugged callously.
Gabe’s lids flickered. He didn’t know that Dr. Rollins was still alive! Reports of the crash were still sketchy. The investigation was still underway. As far as Gabe knew they hadn’t released the manifest as yet. It also seemed that Cane didn’t know that Gabe was aware of his plans to sell the research.
“Well, enough of the pleasantries. I need to have the data I paid you so handsomely for.”
Gabe smiled at him. “I donated that money to charity, anonymously by the way. I figured you’d have no objection considering your philanthropic pursuits. Did you get your award this morning?”
Cane’s lips hardened into a thin line, but he stood his ground. Damn! Come closer…
“Fortunately the event was rescheduled or I’d never be enjoying your company.”
“Lucky me.”
“Where is my data? Is it with the girl, Maggie?”
“It’s up your ass, Cane.”
Cane took two angry steps towards him, and Gabe’s gaze flickered towards the guards at the door that stood like sentries.
Almost…
“Tell me where it is or I’ll find her and kill her. Did she come with you? Is she waiting outside somewhere?”
Gabe felt the sliding grind of his teeth. He shrugged. “Fine, kill her. She means nothing to me.” He let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. At least he didn’t have Maggie. She was still safe.
“Fuck you,” Gabe spat out.
Now he came close, close enough to land a blow that sent Gabe’s head flinging to the side. Pain exploded in his skull, but it was nothing compared to the rage spiking through his chest.
“That was for your insolence. Let’s complete our transaction. I just need that data. But if you don’t cooperate, things will only get worse. It’s just a matter—”
In one smooth move Gabe flew from his seat. He grabbed the shorter man and coiled the length of rope around his neck, drawing the ends taut. He watched Cane sputter and make futile attempts to claw at his strong fingers. The guards rushed towards him, drawing their weapons, but shaking his head, Cane motioned them bac
k. His face was mottled red, bloated and clammy from oxygen deprivation. Gabe braced behind him, his muscles corded for action. He eased up on the rope. He couldn’t have him passing out. He needed him upright…for now.
“Okay, now call off your hounds. We’re going to take a leisurely walk out of here. Remember I can snap your neck with a twist of my wrist. And it would give me immeasurable pleasure.”
Maggie’s gaze flipped to the clock on the dashboard once again. Gabe was forty-five minutes overdue. Inside her gut was a hive of angry bees, buzzing wildly. She pressed a palm to her stomach and took a deep breath, trying to allay the anxiety that fed the swarm. Had Gabe run into problems? Was he hurt? Dead? She choked on a dry sob. She just needed to calm down. Deliberately she indulged her thoughts with memories of the night before.
Last night they’d made love. The experience had been as tender as that sweet kiss he’d given her. He’d paid homage to her body. He’d been obsequiously attentive to every square inch and coiled her passions to a tight frenzy. She’d shuddered with pleasure the instant he’d slid into her, then again as he’d set a deliberately unremitting pace. Their physical chemistry was amazing. But even then, she could feel him pulling away emotionally, shielding the heart he denied having.
Maggie peered out the window and sighed. Was this man capable of having real feelings for her, feelings beyond desire and lust? She could see slithers of the playground between the curtain of leaves and branches that shrouded the car. Half hour ago she’d moved over to the driver’s seat to get a better view in the direction he’d left in, assuming he return the same route.
Tapping her foot, she reached forward to turn on the radio. She wondered if there’d been any more news on the plane crash. They were scheduled to pick up Dr. Rollins late tonight at a private air strip. Not finding a news station, she started to flip randomly through the halting music and chatter coming from the speakers. She was about to jab the button for a different station when the mention of Washington Memorial Hospital caused her to pause with her finger poised in the air. She listened, her jaw dropping slack with horror as the reporters voice droned on.
…Police are still baffled as the manhunt continues for the gunman who slaughtered a nurse and the officer who guarded him a few weeks ago at Washington Memorial Hospital. The officer was found shot to death and bound in a closet with his clothes missing. The nurse was twenty years old and just starting her career. Police suspect that the gunman was dressed as an officer and therefore managed to evade detection as he escaped from the hospital. Dr. Nina Connolly reports that he’d been treated for a gunshot wound to the shoulder. The suspect is armed and considered extremely dangerous. He has a full beard and long dark hair, but police caution that by now he might have changed his appearance. He’s approximately six-foot three with a broad build and police guess about two hundred and fifty pounds. Sketches of the suspect are available on our website. If you have any information as to his whereabouts, you can contact our station or your local prescient….
A million bells clanged in Maggie’s head, the echo propelling a tremor of ringing alarm through her flesh. Her hands shook so violently that she had to fold them across her abdomen to still them. Gabe would never do such a thing! Gabe could never do such a thing! Kill a nurse and an officer in cold blood? …extremely dangerous…shot to death…bound in a closet. Oh, God..no…. He’d been disheveled and wounded when he’d broken into her apartment. He’d terrified her with his shaggy beard and wild villainous eyes. That wasn’t her Gabe. What had he said? He’d used the nurse’s hair pin to unlock his handcuffs. And, he’d taken care of the guard at the door? Oh, God… He wouldn’t have killed them, would he?
I’m a bad man, Maggie…
How many times had he tried to warn her? How many times had he pushed her away? She’d seen what she’d wanted to see. Was he truly evil? Did he truly not have a heart? Oh God…she’d been such a fool! She’d beguiled herself into thinking there was good in him. Somewhere amid the chaos of her thoughts, her brain registered activity in the distance. Suddenly she saw Gabe, his tall form clad in black, sprinting towards the entrance of the park.
Blinding panic swirled through her, horrible images of death and despair. A dead nurse. A dead man sprawled on her bedroom floor in the dark. A man’s head blown open right beside her, a plane crumbling into ashes and smoke… With jerky Tonic-Clonic movements she engaged the key in the ignition then floored the gas pedal. The responsive car bolted forward, screeching in protest and almost crashed into a tree. She somehow managed to regain control of the wheel, and with the urgency of an angel fleeing from the devil, she shifted gears and zoomed off into the quiet street and disappeared into the distance.
Gabe thought he heard the screech of tire wheels wailing in the distance. He glanced back, checking to make sure his stalkers hadn’t decided to pursue him by car. He’d lost them as he’d exited The Edge Corp. He’d left Cane Howard crumpled in a comatose sleep in a dark corner of the basement of the facility. He was sure to awake with a ferocious headache, and Gabe bristled angrily, wishing he could render him incapable of waking period. But, he’d leave Cane for the authorities. He didn’t deserve a quick death. He deserved to be exposed for the monster that he was.
Gabe looked around quickly as he spied the thicket of trees. Assured he wasn’t followed, he continued forward. He approached the bushy foliage and immediately knew something was wrong. He accelerated his pace, now frantically pushing past the overhanging branches that held him back like gangly appendages. He burst into the clearing where his car should have been parked and felt the immediate suspension of his heartbeat. Panting roughly, his shoulders pitched forward, his hands bracing on his knees. He struggled to take a breath as fat drops of sweat trickled down his brow. She’d run. She’d left him. Bloody hell, she’d left him! Liquid anguish swished through his veins and with a roar that came from his desolate soul he turned his face to the gray sky and bellowed, “Maaaggieee!”
“That’s a fucked up story, Mag. You sure you weren’t away in Aruba or something for the past few weeks?” David inquired from his perch on the paisley couch.
Maggie huffed in frustration and stared wide-eyed at her friend. “David, this is serious!”
He shrugged dramatically and leaned forward. “Oh, I know this is serious. I’ve been going out of my mind with worry. It’s not like you to just take off…but, that’s just crazy what you’ve just told me.”
Maggie’s shoulders slumped as she took a deep renewing breath. She was still quivering with anxiety and confusion. The reporter’s voice still emphatically droned in her head, reminding her of the violent sphere she’d existed in for the past few weeks. She thought of Gabe and the flow of tears threatened to burst forth again. She’d been so wrong about him. She just wished her head could convince her stubborn heart. She recalled him jogging back into the park and her chest squeezed tight. At least he’d made it out of The Edge Corp safely. Hopefully he’d gotten the information he’d been after. After she’d driven off she’d seriously considered going to the police, but scared and confused, she’d decided to come to David’s instead. She peered down at the flash drive clutched in her fingers. Perhaps David would go with her to the police.
“Okay.” Her voice wasn’t as resolute as she’d like, but she continued. “Will you come with me to the police station?”
David’s eyes almost flew from their sockets. “What? You crazy? We’re not going to any police! When I started to worry about you I went down to the station, and that stinky detective Sullivan interrogated me like I was the one who stole his bar of soap! I was there for hours. A day later they called and said that you were okay, that you’d called your job saying you were just taking some time off. I thought you and your hot hobo ran off to some island paradise for a sex fest or something. To tell the truth, I was a little pissed off at you cuz you missed my friend’s party.”
Maggie slid to the edge of the couch; she gulped and swallowed. “What’d you tell the police?”<
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David wagged his curly head then gave a telling smirk. “Don’t worry. I didn’t say anything about your hot hobo.”
“He’s not my anything, David. Stop calling him that. I told you what happened.”
He nodded and pierced her with his gaze. “Yes, I know what you told me, and I can see how tied in knots you are, Mag. You’re in love with him.”
She paused. She couldn’t deny it. When it came to David she was as transparent as clear glass. “Stupid, right?” she whispered softly and shamefully lowered her gaze to the floor. “It’s inconsequential. The question is: what do I do now?”
“Well, isn’t it obvious?” David regarded her as if she was daft.
Maggie issued a wry chuckle. Quit the shit. She knew David would call her to action. He’d tell her to stop longing for something she never had and to get on with her life. He’d remind her of how lucky she was to have escaped with her life intact.
She inhaled deeply, resolutely. “I know. I need to forget about him.”
“Forget about him?” David threw his hands in the air in blatant frustration. He frowned at her as though he was dealing with a recalcitrant child. “Mag, are you nuts? If what you tell me is true, that man protected you! He kept you by his side. He blew a man’s brains out for you. It doesn’t get more romantic than that! And damn, Mag, I don’t know what’s inside his pants, but from what I could see on the outside, he’s pretty damn hard to forget!”
Maggie’s forehead wrinkled in disbelief. She tucked her blonde curls behind her ears and gaped at her friend. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She was sure he’d be on her side. So much for supportive friend.
“David, the man is a murderer.” She enunciated each word clearly, trying to pound them into his brain. She sniffed back her tears. Gabe was an efficient killer. She’d seen him in action. “You just can’t see beyond his physical beauty.”
David issued an extravagant huff of indignation and pretzled his arms across his chest. “I resent that! I’m not that shallow…okay…I am, but, I think you’re making a mistake. There has to be some explanation for that news report. I think you need to get your ass back in that man’s car and go to him. Tell him you didn’t mean to leave him stranded. Tell him you didn’t know what you were doing, that you had a…a seizure…you know, the kind where you do weird things, or had to pee really bad and just went to look for a bathroom or something!”