Gabriel (Guardian Defenders Book 1)

by Kris Michaels

  “Oh, don't worry about that. Avoiding technicalities is my specialty.” Delacroix picked up his file and strode out of the interview room.

  “That is some seriously thin evidence. Any judge in their right mind would throw that case out.”

  Gabriel nodded. Unfortunately, this thin layer of circumstantial evidence was more than they'd ever had. His mind turned to Harvey and Olsen's theory. They'd be digging hot and heavy into this guy's background. His eyes flicked to the door as Delacroix and another officer strode into the small room.

  “About fucking time,” Henderson snarled at Delacroix.

  Delacroix lifted his hands in mock surrender. “Color me impressed with your adjectives.” He spun and straddled the chair across from Henderson and dropped the file.

  “I want to make a phone call.”

  Delacroix nodded. “Which is completely your right, and we'll let you do that after we talk.”

  “I didn't mean to hurt her. I just wanted her to stop so I could talk to her. It was an accident.”

  Delacroix chuckled. “I get it, man. I do. Women can be so fucking frustrating.”

  The man drew back and examined Delacroix before he slowly nodded. “Yeah, yeah, they can be.”

  “Seriously, I'm not too worried about that incident, but see, I need your help to clear up a few things before I can get you out of here.”

  Henderson lifted his hands. The handcuffs rattled. “I'm not dangerous.”

  Delacroix chuckled. “I don’t doubt it, but policy, you know? I promise, just give me ten minutes and answer my questions, and I'll do my best to get you out of here.”

  “Cool. Okay.” Henderson nodded and licked his lips.

  Delacroix picked up the file and pulled it toward him, preventing Henderson from seeing the contents. “So, tell me, Gary, how long did you have a CDL?”

  The man blinked in surprise. “Shit, I had it until it expired. For about four years, I guess.”

  “And what did you do while you had a CDL?”

  “I drove a delivery truck. Overland Deliveries.”

  “Did you have a set schedule?”

  “Yeah, Monday through Friday. Why?”

  “Just clearing up some things. What do you do for a living now?” Delacroix took his pen out of his jacket pocket and scratched something onto the file. Gabriel was impressed with the detective. He knew how to work the man across from him.

  The man sighed. “I'm in between jobs.”

  “Yeah? Why's that?”

  “I got laid off from the company I was with.”

  “What did you do for them?”

  “I was a CPA.”

  “And why were you laid off?”

  “Does it matter?” Henderson ground out.

  “Yeah, it kinda does.” Delacroix looked up from his paper. “Dude, I can't arrest you for getting laid off. Just tell me why so we can move on, okay?”

  “I got into it with the boss.”

  “Over what?”

  “There was this woman. She said I was inappropriate.”

  “How so?”

  “She said she didn't want me touching her, but man, you got to understand, the clothes she wore and shit, she was asking for it. She was always coming on to me.” Henderson shook his head, his jaw clenched tightly.

  “That right? Well, okay, then. What did you do between this job and the time you were a driver?”

  “I went to school.”

  “Did you work then?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Where?”

  “The movie megaplex.”

  “Yeah? Monday through Friday?”

  “The schedule was fluid. The weekends were busy times.”

  McNair leaned over and asked, “Why is he asking about schedules?”

  “Harvey and Olsen have a theory about the serial killer. Evidently, Harvey filled Delacroix in. I'm hoping they have a good reason for disregarding our arrangement. It would appear the good detective is building a platform to show that this guy had opportunity.”

  “Well, he's a serial dickhead as far as women are concerned.” McNair crossed his arms over his chest.

  That was the truth, but then again, so was Craig. He didn’t point that out, although it was a close thing. Instead, he focused his attention back on the interview room.

  “Says here your dad was a detective in Houston and then a sheriff here in Louisiana. Is that correct?”

  “Deputy sheriff. Why? What does my old man have to do with this shit?”

  “Nothing. Just acknowledging your law enforcement connections. You know the shield takes care of family, too. Your dad liked being a cop?”

  Henderson relaxed. “Loved it. He still tells war stories about it.”

  “He's retired?”

  “Yeah. We almost done here?” Henderson shifted in his seat.

  “Yeah, almost. I just need to know where you were Monday night.”

  “Why? Did that bitch say I did something? I didn't. I was home all fucking night.”

  “Alone?” Delacroix scratched something into the folder.

  “Yeah, alone. You think I'd be in this mess if I had someone at home?”

  Delacroix blinked at the guy and then laughed. “Probably not.” He tapped the folder after he shut it.

  “So, when do I get out of here?”

  “Well, right now, I'll go out on a limb and say not anytime soon. It appears, Mr. Henderson, that you are a suspect in other crimes.”

  “What?” Henderson tried to stand, but the cuffs kept him in a bent stoop.

  “Sit down.” Delacroix's happy go lucky demeanor faded instantly.

  “What crimes? I didn't do anything!”

  “Yeah, you said that.” Delacroix stood and nodded to the officer who stood in the corner. The man walked forward. “I'll get these answers to the DA, and we'll go from there.”

  Henderson's face turned a deep red. “You said I'd be out of here.”

  “No, I said I'd do my best to get you out of here. I am. Garrison, take him back to his cell. The FBI will assume custody tomorrow.”

  “FBI? What the hell? What are you charging me with?” The other officer released the lock keeping Henderson's cuffs linked to the table.

  He shoved the man out the door as Delacroix followed. “Assault right now, asshole. That lets me keep you in custody until you're arraigned or transferred to federal custody.”

  “Transferred for what?”

  “Murder.”

  The color drained from Henderson. His eyes flared wide, and his mouth gaped in shock. “What? I didn't kill anyone. What are you talking about? You got the wrong guy. I wouldn't kill anyone.”

  “Yeah, well tell that to the Feds when they come...” The door to the interview room shut as the trio exited the small cubical.

  Gabriel crossed his arms. Henderson's reaction to the murder charge sat heavy on his gut. Shock. Disbelief. It was genuine. He narrowed his eyes and stared down at the top of his shoe. Was it because the man was innocent or because he didn't think he'd be caught? They'd need to find out.

  Delacroix opened the door and stepped in. “Well, I think Harvey and Olsen have their work cut out for them.”

  “I'll call them in the morning and sort through the next steps.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. Just a few more hours until sunrise.

  Delacroix opened the observation room door, and they filed out into the now vacant hallway. “When I talked to Harvey, he said they were going to do some digging and they'd contact you when they were set up. He figured it would be early afternoon before they had anything.”

  Gabriel glanced at the clock again. “All right. Damn good work tonight. I don't know if this is our guy, but...”

  “He could be, and that is more than we had yesterday,” Delacroix finished for him.

  “Ain't that the truth. Let me tell you, I'll be happy to wrap this case up and be gone from this place.” McNair glanced at Delacroix and added, “No offense to your grand city.”

  Delac
roix chuckled and opened the locked door allowing them access to the holding area. “No offense taken. I'll see you gentlemen out.”

  Chapter 24

  Anna’s eyes fluttered open. She wasn’t sure what caused her to wake. She slowly rolled from her back to her side. The sore muscles and aches made the move almost impossible. Her arm throbbed with the beat of her heart. Another noise in the hall drew her attention to the doorway. Her heart slammed in her chest until Gabriel's familiar frame entered her bedroom.

  “Were you trying to keep me out?” His gravelly voice made her smile.

  “No, not you.” Anna groaned when she shifted to make room for him in the bed. “What time is it, and how did you get in?”

  Gabriel shrugged out of his shirt. “It is almost time to get up. I have a master key. Why did you lock the door?”

  His clothes dropped onto the chair in the corner of the room. If she’d been fully awake, she probably wouldn’t have answered, but she wasn’t awake, so her mouth activated. “Well, before tonight went to hell in a handbasket, I was looking for a bottle of wine.”

  He stopped momentarily and cocked his head in her direction. “Am I supposed to understand what that means?” Gabriel slid into the bed. His warm skin brushed against her. “The more important question is, are you okay? I wasn’t told until 2:30 a.m. that you’d been attacked.” His hand reached out and pushed her hair back from her face. The pad of his thumb traced her cheek. “Had I known, I would have come sooner. You must know that.”

  Anna allowed herself to snuggle closer to him and placed her head carefully on his shoulder. The movement caused a small amount of achiness, but it was a discomfort she was willing to allow. “It was a really bad night. I mean, I can list it off it was so bad. First, I ran out of wine. Second, I had a run-in with your friend, McNair. That was something I never want to do again. Third, I decided to go out to dinner and ran into Gary the CPA. Oh, by the way, I met somebody else who likes cold red wine.”

  Gabriel chuckled as his hand stroked through her hair. The woman's mind could give a normal person whiplash. She’d been assaulted and been questioned by a homicide detective, but her mind flipped to an interesting person she'd met. “What… You mean there are two of you in the world?”

  Anna rolled her eyes, narrowing them slightly as she tried to glare at him in the dim light coming from the open curtains. “I think there are more than two, but I’m not quite sure. Anyway, as I was saying, Gary, the CPA, showed up at the little Italian restaurant just down the block.”

  “McNair said you were attacked across the street. Did Henderson do anything at the restaurant?”

  “I don’t know how to explain it. I was there eating dinner, having a nice conversation with the bartender, and he showed up. He said he was there with friends, but I didn’t see any. Then he accused me of being overly friendly with the bartender. I think that was the straw that broke the camel's back tonight.”

  He pulled away a small distance and looked down at her. “How about we start at the beginning. Tell me what happened between you and McNair.”

  She blew out a long stream of air and shook her head against his shoulder. “Probably something that should have happened a long time ago. Well, not between McNair and me but rather, between you and me.”

  Gabriel narrowed his eyes and looked down at her. She read confusion in his gaze. He opened his mouth to speak and then closed it. She took pity on him and explained, “See, McNair only asked questions I should’ve been asking all along, but when he asked the questions, and I didn’t have answers, well, I got upset.”

  “I am lost. What questions did McNair ask that you should have been asking me?” Gabriel’s voice rumbled under her ear.

  She rolled carefully so she was on her back and looking at the ceiling. Gabriel shifted, allowing her to become more comfortable on his shoulder. His hand found hers, and he clasped it. His thumb stroked methodically over the back. The gentle caress was soothing.

  She took a deep breath before she responded. “The questions he asked were reasonable. He asked me if I knew your real name. I’m assuming you have another name besides Gabriel, but I don’t know what it is. Then he asked if I knew what you did. Again, I assumed it was the security thing, but by his reaction, you know, going by context, I don’t think it’s all you do. Then he asked me where I thought our relationship could possibly go. I couldn’t tell him, not that I would, but I couldn't, because I don’t know.”

  Gabriel’s muscles tensed under and around her. “First and foremost, Craig McNair has absolutely no right to ask any of those questions.”

  “No, you're right. He doesn’t, but I do.” She really did. She had the right to ask those questions and so many more. She hadn’t, and that was her fault. After the events of last night, she needed to find out where she was in this relationship. If indeed it was a relationship.

  “Yes, you do. As far as my name, I do have another. For security reasons, a total of three people know it. One of them is dead, one has dementia, and the other is McNair. Guardian is one of my many businesses, but it is always the center of my concern.” The resolve in his eyes when he spoke left no room for doubt.

  “Why?”

  “My other business concerns were left to me by my family. Those businesses are my legacy from men who worked damn hard to be successful. Guardian will be my legacy to my family if I'm lucky enough to have one.

  Anna shifted and turned her head so she could see him. “You said security concerns. Are you in danger?”

  “At this point in my life, releasing my identity could have major repercussions at a global level. Look, I want this relationship to go forward. There are things that I cannot tell you. Things that would place you in danger if you knew. If what we have continues to strengthen, I will tell you everything you need to know, but you’ll have to trust me until that time.” Gabriel drew a deep breath causing her head to rise and then fall slowly.

  “So, you want this relationship to go forward?” She closed her eyes and held her breath; it was a question she needed an answer to, and either possible answer terrified her.

  “Didn't I just say that? I thought we already established we were going to try to make this last beyond the time we have here.”

  She turned toward him, opening her eyes. “We tried that once before, remember? It didn’t work.”

  “It didn’t work because we were both in different places in our lives.” Gabriel shifted beside her and settled his head on the pillow, looking at her. She rolled gently, wincing at the discomfort. He helped her adjust on his arm. His finger reached out and traced her lips as he spoke, “I didn’t know you as well back then. I knew there was something between us; the connection here, between the two of us, is strong. But six years ago, I was building my business, my identity, my legacy. A long term relationship wasn’t in the cards.”

  “And you think a relationship is in the cards now?” She held her breath and waited for an answer.

  “I’m willing to finish the game to find out if it is. Are you?” His intense gaze held hers.

  “Is this a game?” She hoped it wasn’t. What they were doing wasn’t a game to her, and tonight had brought that fact firmly into focus.

  “No, it isn’t. I don’t play games with people I care about.” He used his finger to tip her head so she looked at him.

  “So, you do care about me?” Was she fishing for…? A commitment? Maybe. Maybe more. It seemed like what she had with him could be much, much more, but only if he felt the same.

  “Of course, I do. Do you think I would come to you every night, spend every morning with you if I didn’t?” He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her upturned lips. Anna sighed into the tender embrace.

  Gently, he pulled her into his arms. Their warm skin touched, and a shiver ran down her spine. She needed him. She needed to be grounded. His arms around her provided walls of safety, security, love. The thought raced through her mind as his lips lowered to hers. She closed her eyes. Her sudden gas
p wasn’t because of his kiss this time.

  Throughout the night, before he’d come to her apartment, her mind had run countless scenarios. What would he say? What would she say? How would she react to what he would say? Those thoughts swirled within the miasma of invading concerns. Anger at McNair, coupled with anger at herself for allowing him to affect her in such a manner, tainted most of her ruminations. She’d hoped Gabriel would want something past this time. She’d hoped he’d want more. She’d prayed for a reaction such as this. But in all that consideration, she never allowed herself to think this man could love her.

  Gabriel’s hands traveled slowly. His fingertips awakened sensual nerve endings. She moaned into the kiss. He was so gentle as he moved over her. His lips traveled slowly across her skin. “You are so beautiful. Beautiful on the inside and on the outside.”

  “I’m not. There’s nothing special about me. You could have anyone you choose.”

  Her words froze his movement. He lifted his head and stared directly at her. “The world has many ways to measure what is beautiful. I have only two. First, beauty must be good. Second, beauty must be honest.” He leaned down and dropped a kiss on her collarbone. “I’ve seen the goodness in you with Jackie and with Deacon and the way you take care of my men. You are a giving soul. You are the most honest person I have ever met. Most of the women I meet have a hidden agenda. I’m a means to an end. What I can do for them weighed against what they’re willing to do for me.”

  She lifted her hand and pushed her fingers through his thick dark hair. “My mom taught me that people are important. Life has taught me that people are essential, and most of them are hurt, damaged, or broken in some shape or form. It only takes a small amount of kindness to mend so many hurts.” She believed that. Goodness, kindness, and treating people the way you want to be treated, it was the way she lived. She was just one person. Small things were all she could do, but small changes could make a huge difference in a big world.

  A slow smile spread across his face. “See? Absolutely beautiful.”