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 chuckled and settled back in his chair. He spun it around to stare out at the wide swath of trees that lined the rear of his property. The house was at the end of a cul-de-sac, and there were about five acres of woods behind his land that ended in a gully. When he’d been searching for a place, he’d initially been nervous about the woods. He’d returned after nightfall and spent several hours trekking through those woods, convincing himself he could use them as an escape more than someone else could use them as a way to sneak up on him. And then he’d put in a bid for the house only after he completed a thorough background check on all his neighbors.
Everyone on the street here just thought he was quirky, introverted Justin Mallory, software developer. He worked remotely out of his home but traveled frequently to meet clients. He wasn’t seen too often but made sure he attended every other street function or party so he could keep up with the local gossip. Cameras might cover every inch of his house inside and out, but nosy, friendly neighbors were also a good source of cheap surveillance.
A breeze stirred, rustling the trees. They could hear some kids shouting from a few houses away, and a dog was barking. The world of hunting targets and acquiring information by any means necessary seemed incredibly distant. Like a hazy dream.
Sliding his eyes over to Gabriel’s back, he smiled. Of course, if he left his world behind, he wouldn’t have interesting people like Gabriel standing on his deck, grilling some excellent steaks. He wouldn’t have the puzzle that was Gabriel to tease his brain. And who would want to give that up? Not him.
“How’s the hand?”
“Fine,” Gabriel replied, and Justin rolled his eyes. “How’s your side?”
“Hurts like hell,” he admitted.
Gabriel set the tongs down again and turned to face Justin. “Stand up and raise your shirt.”
“What about the grease?” Justin teased but still slid to his feet.
Gabriel reached out and lifted the side of his shirt that covered his bullet wound. A waterproof bandage covered the stitches, keeping them protected. “I need to remove the bandage.”
“Nooo!” Justin pulled his shirt free of Gabriel’s grip and took a step away. “You’re not going anywhere near that hole.”
“I’m not interested in your holes.”
“Oh, I bet I could interest you in a hole or two,” Justin replied in a playful, singsong tone.
Gabriel’s lips twitched slightly, but he soldiered on. “I want to make sure it’s not infected.”
“It’s not. I’m keeping it clean. It’s healing. It just hurts because there’s a fucking hole in my body that’s not supposed to be there.”
Gabriel stared at him for another second as if trying to decide whether he wanted to believe him or check for himself. Muscles tensed, Justin waited, ready to smack Gabriel’s hands away. Yes, the assassin was walking temptation. And yes, Justin very much wanted Gabriel touching him, but he wanted fun touches, not exploratory “does this look infected” touches. Gabriel finally nodded and turned to the steaks.
“Dinner is almost ready. Would you mind taking the rolls out of the oven? I’ll bring everything inside in just a minute, unless you’d rather have your steak medium well?”
“Nope, bloody works for me.” Justin grabbed up his beer and finished it before moseying into the kitchen. He pulled the rolls out of the oven, then set about grabbing plates, silverware, and other random bits for dinner. He was pulling out another beer for them both when Gabriel joined him in the kitchen with the food. They silently fixed their plates, but Justin’s brain couldn’t miss the fact that it was a comfortable silence. The kitchen floor plan was wide and open, but the way they moved around each other was like a dance and they’d done this all in the past.
“You want to eat out on the deck? It’s a nice night,” Justin suggested. Gabriel nodded and preceded him to the high-top table.
They settled into their food, and Justin softly moaned at the first taste of the steak as it seemed to melt on his tongue. It had a subtle tang to it that he’d never gotten with his steaks. “Damn, you’re a good cook.”
Gabriel smirked as he chewed. “I can make a good steak on the grill. That’s about it. What about you? What culinary masterpieces are you capable of?”
Justin straightened in his chair and smiled. “Coq au vin.”
“Bullshit,” Gabriel replied without hesitation.
“It’s true.”
“Why am I cooking if you can make coq au vin?”
“I’m guessing you cooked because you wanted to strut around the kitchen without a shirt on and massage some meat.”
Gabriel shook his head, stabbing a piece of asparagus a little harder than necessary. “How is it that you know how to make coq au vin? Do you like to cook?”