Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 93984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Justin flashed him a crooked grin. “If someone put a hit out on me, you’d pass?”
Gabriel stopped his pacing at the foot of Justin’s bed and glared at him. The look alone would have shriveled lesser men into cowering balls of fear, but Justin just felt joy. He wasn’t really surprised, but it was still nice to hear that Gabriel at least felt enough for him not to kill him if the money was right.
“I’d kill every bastard who dared to accept that contract,” Gabriel said in a low, cold voice that left no room for argument about how protective the man felt of him.
Justin sat up in bed, letting his smile fall away. “You know you don’t have to stick with this life until it kills you.”
Gabriel resumed his pacing with a shake of his head.
“Are you really going to tell me that you don’t have an exit strategy already laid out in your mind?” Justin paused, watching the agitation growing in Gabriel. He wanted him to want more, wanted him to have something that didn’t involve a gun and risking his life every moment. He wanted Gabriel to have a life that included himself. “I’ve got mine laid out. Even got my new name. John Smith.”
Gabriel stopped and looked over his shoulder at Justin, a small smile pulling at one corner of his mouth. “You might want to keep thinking. You don’t look like a John to me.”
“Then think about staying. Help me pick out a name. And I’ll help you pick out yours,” Justin said. God, his heart was pounding so hard in his chest. It was like he was balanced out on a thin branch over damn Niagara Falls, and he was reaching out his hand for Gabriel to join him. It was insane and stupid, but if Gabriel would just take his hand, they’d figure it out.
Gabriel turned to face him, pain clear in his handsome features. An ugly frown was tugging down the corners of his mouth. The silence was broken by a strange chiming noise. It took Justin a second to realize that it was a cell phone ringing.
“That’s not my phone,” Justin murmured.
“It’s mine. It’s Marilyn.”
Pain slashed through Justin’s chest. Of course it was Marilyn. They were close to finishing up this job. She’d be looking to get Gabriel lined up with his next contract, sending him away from Justin.
“Don’t answer it,” he barked.
Gabriel stared at him for a second before starting for the phone that was likely still in his pants pocket. “It’s not what you think.”
He thought it was a job. That’s what Marilyn did. She was a handler. She linked mercenaries and assassins up with jobs. If she wasn’t notifying Gabriel of a job, then he couldn’t imagine what she’d be calling about. Swapping casserole recipes?
Justin flopped onto his bed, arms folded over his chest. He should have known better. What he had with Gabriel was good, but the key thing was that it was temporary. Just a little bit of fun.
As Gabriel walked to the bedroom door, Justin couldn’t help but overhear Gabriel’s half of the conversation. “Yes.…How much?…No, I can finish this.…It’s safe for now.…It’s time to take care of this.…”
The rest of the conversation was cut off by the sound of the other bedroom door closing behind Gabriel as he retreated to the guest room he’d been using. That was an odd conversation. Not the typical job talk. What did he need to take care of? And why?
Justin sighed loudly and rubbed his hands over his face. What the hell was he supposed to do? He’d played his hand, and Gabriel walked away. Gabriel had said no, but Justin’s heart wanted to say that it was more complicated than just a sound no.
Gabriel’s anger and frustration made Justin think that Gabriel at least cared for him, that maybe he was tempted by the idea of them trying to have something more than a little carefree fun. But Gabriel wasn’t the type to just change his entire life on a whim. He was a planner. He needed to think things through.
But no matter how logical it all seemed, Justin still hurt. He wanted to hear the words, wanted to know that Gabriel wanted to stay. He wanted Gabriel to believe they both could have something more than this life of blood and violence.
Fuck! Of course he would fall for a guy that would be complicated as hell.
For now, the ball was in Gabriel’s court, and that really sucked.
Chapter 23
Loud banging jerked Gabriel from a dead sleep, sending him gasping into an upright position with his gun aimed toward the sound before he could even open his eyes. His heart thudded painfully, and he tried to even out his breathing.
“Brianna’s on the phone. She’s got something,” Justin said through the bedroom door, and then there was only the sound of him thumping down the stairs to the first floor.