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ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
𝕎𝕀𝕋ℍ that, everyone split up. Annabelle clutched the syringe and her gun as she ascended the stairs where the music had been playing earlier. The room was now empty, save for a trail of blood. She walked to the record player, turned it off, and spoke into the comms, "Check in."
Sammy's voice came through first, "All's clear on the east side."
Next was Frank's, "Nothing on two... yet."
Peter's voice followed, laced with irritation, "There's no vampire here. Not that I'm actually looking." He muttered, thinking his comm was off.
Frank's exasperated voice snapped back, "Channel's still open, dick face. Put that fucking bottle down and fucking do something." Annabelle chuckled, tracing her finger along the record player. Frank's voice broke in again, "Can he turn into a rat? 'Cause I might be looking right at him. Maybe he can join the pack."
Peter's chuckle followed, "Oh, now I get it. I get the... I get the name now. I get it. The Rat Pack, right? Yeah. That's funny."
Annabelle smiled and shook her head, enjoying the brief moment of levity. She turned around, only to be startled by Gabriel standing behind her. Before she could scream, he covered her mouth with his hand and plucked the communicator from her ear, switching the channel off. Annabelle's eyes widened in fear. She tried to inject him with the syringe, but Gabriel caught her wrist and disarmed her.
Annabelle twisted out of his grip but collided with the furniture behind her, falling and cutting her hand. She held her injured hand, backing against the wall, her breath quickening with fright. Expecting pain, she closed her eyes, but instead, she felt a tight yet gentle embrace.
Gabriel held her close and kissed her neck softly. Annabelle looked at him, confused, as he took her injured hand. "You're hurt, let me see." Gabriel examined the wound, then stood and tore a strip from the curtain. He returned to her and wrapped the cloth around her hand before kissing her palm. Annabelle's mind whirled with conflicting emotions. Gabriel's tenderness was disarming. She stared at him, trying to make sense of the situation, as he looked at her with an intensity that was both frightening and captivating.
"Why?" Annabelle asked, staring at him.
"Why what?" Gabriel smiled, his eyes filled with longing, his fangs retracted.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" Annabelle pressed.
Gabriel smiled and kissed her forehead. "Why shouldn't I be nice to you, to the woman I love?"
