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’s rough hand came up and cupped the side of his face. “Don’t scare me like that anymore, G Love.”
Gabriel smirked. “Yes, dear.” He might have teased Justin, but he went willingly when Gabriel tugged him in for a quick, brutal kiss.
“Let’s get this cleaned up so we can go home and celebrate,” Justin murmured, his lips brushing against Gabriel’s.
Home sounded good, but they had more to settle than just a couple of dead bodies. Gabriel nodded and pulled away. It killed him, but he pressed his own gun into Elba’s right hand, resting it on the desk in Hamilton’s direction. At the same time, Justin attacked Elba’s computer, downloading all he could and sending it straight to a secret, encrypted cloud for them to sort through later. Gabriel had gotten a confession from the men, which should be enough for Gretchen to pay on the contract, but if they could get some physical evidence, that would be a bonus.
“Any coroner worth their salt is going to be able to tell the shooter was a shit-ton closer when Hamilton was shot than where their bodies ended up,” Justin criticized.
“Yes, and there’s evidence of a fucking break-in,” Gabriel snapped back over the clatter of keys. “The point is to get them investigating Hamilton and Elba and away from looking for us. We’ll just need to point them in the right direction toward that Peter bastard.”
Justin grunted and straightened, pocketing a few notes from Elba’s desk. “Should be easy enough. I’ll get it done.”
Gabriel groaned and shoved Justin toward the door as he approached him. “You’re such a pain in the ass.”
“You fucking love my ass, G.”
Gabriel shook his head. “If that’s true, then let’s get back to your place so I can show you exactly how much I love your ass.” It would at least keep him from thinking about having to say good-bye for a few more hours.
Chapter 25
Gabriel stepped out onto the deck at the back of Justin’s house. The sun was already sinking below the trees, and there were the first hints of the fireflies blinking on and off in the shadows. Justin was sitting in one chair with his feet propped up on another, an open beer in front of him on the table.
Walking over to the railing, Gabriel stared down at the woods, and for the first time, his initial thought wasn’t about who might be watching them, but the peacefulness of the neighborhood. There was a distant dog bark and the wind through the leaves of the trees, but nothing else. No people. No cars. The rest of the world just seemed so very far away.
“You packed?” Justin asked.
“Yes. I’ve got a flight out to New York tonight, and then another tomorrow morning.”
“Marilyn has contacted the client with the information we uncovered about Elba and Hamilton. The rest of the payment has been processed. Your half should be in your account now.”
Gabriel grunted. The money was nice, but it seemed a poor substitute for what he was losing when he walked out Justin’s door.
“You got time for a drink?”
Gabriel smiled and turned around to find Justin pushing a glass of whiskey toward him. “Sure.” He walked over to the table and sat in one of the open chairs before lifting the drink to his lips. The whiskey burned, and he had a feeling that it would be forever associated in his mind with the warmth that wrapped around his heart every time Justin smiled.
They sat in silence for several minutes, sipping their drinks and watching the sky turn from pale blue with hints of pink to a navy with wide swaths of orange as the sun burned in the wisps of clouds. If this was the last time he saw Justin, he wanted a quiet moment like this.
Not that Justin was ever known for being quiet.
“We worked well together,” Justin started again.
“For the most part,” Gabriel teased.
Justin groaned and placed his nearly empty bottle on the table. Sweat from the bottle ran down along his fingers and made a ring on the wood. “Well, you’re not exactly handy with a computer, but you’ve got a knack for guns.”
“Thanks.”
Justin shrugged. His eyes were on the bottle as he picked at the label. “If I had to work with someone again, you wouldn’t be the last person on my list.”
Gabriel chuckled. “You’re such an ass.”
Justin looked up and flashed him a mischievous grin. “All part of my special sauce, G Love.”
Lifting the glass to his lips, Gabriel took a long, deep drink before setting it on the table and looking over at Justin again. He was staring out at the woods, looking as lost as Gabriel felt. And he couldn’t leave like this. Not after everything that had happened between them. Not when going back to his old life felt so damn wrong.