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)
His heart raced at how easily Gabriel had touched him, the smile that had graced his lips. Was he actually becoming comfortable with Justin? If so, this could become dangerously addictive. No, Gabriel definitely wasn’t moving into a hotel. He was staying right here.
Chapter 20
Gabriel stood in the deep shadows of the woods surrounding the Iaso Health complex, staring at Justin’s tight ass as he shimmied up a tree. This job was turning out to have its perks. Not only was the sex amazing, but he was also enjoying the scenery. And the food was spectacular. When Justin had boasted that he knew how to make some rather difficult and vintage French dishes, Gabriel had been prepared to call the man out on his bullshit.
But he’d sat at the breakfast bar for the entire three hours it had taken Justin to prepare the meal, talking to him while he sipped his Bordeaux. Justin was proving to be an endless fountain of crazy stories. He wasn’t entirely sure which ones were true and which ones were utter fabrications, but they were all entertaining. And in each story, he was able to see a little glimmer of the real man beneath it all.
Justin tended to be thin on the details, which only teased and taunted Gabriel’s mind, begging him to figure the man out. The assassin had mentioned that he was former military. There was something in his bearing still that screamed to Gabriel that he was likely a Marine. And if he’d followed the traditional route of mercenaries and assassins from the Marines to CIA or FBI, then Justin had been in the special forces. Marine recon. Gabriel had a few encounters with their ilk over the years, and they were a group to be approached carefully.
Justin was more, though. More than the chameleon he presented himself as.
The Marines and CIA might have trained him to be an efficient killer, but he also had a quick brain and an unyielding moral compass. He might have found ways around the compass for a bit, but too many years in their business had worn him down.
Gabriel knew that soul-weary fatigue all too well. It was the reason he could no longer meet his own gaze in the mirror most mornings. He didn’t want to face the man he’d become. The blinding fury that had consumed him the first few years after Ivan’s murder had become a twisted, cold bitterness. Where Justin struggled with pulling the trigger and holding on to the goodness he still believed in, Gabriel struggled with the knowledge that pulling the trigger was too easy, and he didn’t want to be that person.
But for now, Justin’s ass in a pair of black jeans stretched tight as he climbed a tree was a perfect distraction from the bigger questions rattling around in his brain.
The storm that had passed through the region the night before had left behind even thicker, heavier air. The day’s heat refused to dissipate, and Gabriel could already feel his long-sleeved black shirt sticking to his arms and chest. He’d opted for black cargo pants so he could help carry things for Justin, but the man was prepared with a slim black sling bag that held a handful of cameras, a miniature drill, and a variety of other tools and wires for the job. He shouldn’t have been surprised. Justin was clearly a pro.
A short whistle drew Gabriel from his thoughts. He looked up to see Justin hold up one finger, then point toward the east. Gabriel carefully edged around the trunk of the tree Justin was currently in to see the steady bob and sweep of a bright white light. A security guard for Iaso actually conducting a physical sweep of the grounds? That was…surprising.
He had been confident that all of Iaso’s security measures outside the grounds would be electronic in the form of cameras and motion sensors. A guard walking rounds felt archaic.
But archaic or not, Gabriel couldn’t allow him to get too close to where Justin was working. They couldn’t risk tipping their hand to anyone that they were spying on Iaso.
They’d spent the past couple of hours setting up three other cameras. This was their last one, giving them a good view of the entrance and exit of the parking garage. With any luck, they’d be able to get license plate numbers and maybe target some of the employees directly.
Dipping low so that the majority of his body was masked by the thick undergrowth, Gabriel moved slowly and carefully toward the guard. He swept wide, aiming to come up behind him. It was tedious work, inching along.
The wooded area was heavy with old leaves and broken branches, making it nearly impossible to move without creating noise. His only hope was that the guard couldn’t hear him over the noise he was making as he tromped through the underbrush.