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)
The concern had only worked to push the unexpected joy at conversing with Justin in Russian aside. He’d been more embarrassed than anything. They’d been arguing about where to put the wound, Justin suggesting everything from a goddamn paper cut to stabbing him in the thigh. Gabriel had lost his temper, grabbed the knife, and slashed his hand. It was only after the deed was done that he realized he’d cut too deep.
Other than the stupid cut that now saddled him with stitches, the entire operation had gone off without a problem, which was a nice change after the debacle following the search of the doctor’s house.
As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he’d had fun working with Justin at the hospital. Listening to Justin respond in Russian, seeing his playful smile, their banter—all things Gabriel had been missing. No, all things he’d never really had with another person. Ivan had never made jokes or snarky comments, even when they weren’t working. And there had never been another person in his life for more than a few hours.
Not that any of it mattered. This was a job. He’d complete it, get paid, and never see Justin again. That was how it worked.
But right now, he just needed sleep.
Unlocking the door to his hotel room, Gabriel stepped inside and immediately stopped. The entire room was trashed. When he’d left, the place had been neat and tidy, as if no one were staying there.
Now the sheets were stripped from the bed and the mattress pulled off the frame. Two of the pillows had been torn open, the stuffing strewn everywhere. His clothes had been ripped out of the closet along with his suitcase.
Adrenaline spiked, chasing away the last of his fatigue and fuzziness. Pulling the gun from where it was tucked in a holster at his lower back, Gabriel closed the door behind him and slowly entered the room. He checked the bathroom and the small balcony to find that he was completely alone.
Someone had broken into his room, looking for something. His Chaumet and Patek Philippe chronographs were still there, if only on the floor. Those two watches alone made a quick smash and grab worthwhile.
Was this related to his current job? Or something from his past? There was always someone somewhere hunting him, but he couldn’t imagine how anyone could possibly know he was in Cincinnati. But if it was this case, how had they known where to find him?
Gabriel clenched his teeth while his fingers tightened around the gun until it trembled slightly. He was truly getting sick of this, but now wasn’t the time to worry about ghosts from an ugly past.
More than one person could have been watching the doctor’s house the night before. A smarter assassin could have followed, and they’d not known it because they were focused on the other car. And then after the shooting, Gabriel’s attention had been on getting Justin to the safety of his room rather than watching to see if they were still being followed.
Fuck. He had to call Justin. If this was related to the job, there was a chance that someone had also located Justin. The man needed to know so he could watch his back when Gabriel wasn’t around.
Gabriel put his gun on the desk, pulled his cell out of his pocket, and dialed the number Justin had given him.
“G, my friend,” Justin’s easy voice came through the line after one ring. “I’ve been gone less than five minutes. You can’t miss me already.”
“Someone searched my room.”
Almost like flipping a switch, Justin’s tone shifted from playful to deadly serious. “Not housekeeping?”
“Definitely not housekeeping.”
“Pack up. I’m turning around. I’ll be there in about ten minutes. You’re going to stay at my place.”
Gabriel’s heart skipped a beat at those final words. He was not sleeping under the same roof with Justin if he could help it. That road led to insanity. “No. Absolutely not. I’ll get a new hotel room. This city has plenty of options. I just wanted you to know that we’ve very likely been spotted.”
“G, we called a truce. Do you not trust me to stay out of your bed?”
Clenching his eyes shut against that image as it galloped through his brain, Gabriel sorted through a variety of answers, including his worry about not jumping straight into Justin’s bed, and settled on more important issues. “It’s one thing to call a truce and not kill one another while working together; it’s another matter to try to coexist under the same roof.”
“But we’re stitches brothers now!” Justin’s laughter bounced freely through the phone. That was a wonderful reminder. They’d known each other for twenty-four hours and had both been wounded enough to require stitches.
“I’m serious, Justin,” Gabriel gritted out between his teeth. “If we’re being watched, it would be better if we stayed in separate locations, making it harder for them to get us both.”