As we race away in the car, a storm of anger and fear swells inside me. How could she be so reckless? How could she risk everything like that?
When the empty road stretches before us, I slam on the brakes, my heart pounding in my chest. I throw the...
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The night air was crisp and cool as Gabriel and I decided to take a walk before heading back. The countryside was quiet, the only sounds were the rustling leaves and the distant chirping of crickets. The sky above was clear, revealing a blanket of stars that seemed to stretch on forever. It was breathtaking, and I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this at peace.
Gabriel walked beside me, his hand resting casually at the small of my back. I could feel the warmth of his presence, a comforting contrast to the coolness of the night.
“Look at the stars,” I said, tilting my head back to take in the view. “It’s like the sky is putting on a show just for us.”
Gabriel glanced up, his expression softening as he took in the sight. “They’re beautiful,” he agreed, his voice low and filled with a quiet reverence.
We walked in comfortable silence for a few more minutes, simply enjoying the moment. Then, unable to resist, I decided to tease him a little. “You know,” I said, nudging him playfully with my elbow, “I’m starting to think you’re secretly a romantic.”
He smirked, looking down at me with those piercing eyes. “Is that so?”
“Mhm,” I nodded, a grin spreading across my face. “You bring me to a beautiful place, under a sky full of stars... It’s all very... swoon-worthy.”
He chuckled, his hand slipping from my back to gently take mine. “Well, if it makes you swoon, then I must be doing something right.”
I laughed, enjoying this lighter side of him. “I never thought I’d see the day Gabriel—‘I run the world’—decides to play the role of a charming date.”
He stopped walking and turned to face me, his gaze intense but filled with something warm, something almost tender. “Maybe it’s because you bring out a side of me I didn’t know existed.”
I felt my heart skip a beat at his words, and I quickly masked the effect he was having on me with another tease. “Don’t let it go to your head,” I said, giving his hand a playful squeeze. “I’m still waiting to see if you’re any good at constellations.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And what will I get if I can name a few?”
“Bragging rights, I suppose,” I teased, leaning in a little closer. “But I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”
He laughed softly, the sound deep and rich in the stillness of the night. “I’ll take my chances.”
As we continued our walk, I found myself glancing at him from time to time, feeling a mixture of emotions I wasn’t quite ready to name. But one thing was certain—there was something about being here with Gabriel, under this starry sky, that felt right. And for now, that was enough.
The stars above seemed to dim as Gabriel suddenly pulled me close, his hands firmly on my waist. His lips met mine in a kiss that was as unexpected as it was intense, filling the quiet night with an electric charge. My heart raced, every thought wiped from my mind by the warmth of his touch, the heat of his breath mingling with mine.
But just as quickly as the moment had begun, it shattered. A sharp crack split the air, and something whizzed past us, too fast to register until I heard the sickening thud of a bullet embedding itself in the car parked behind us.
"Get down!" Gabriel ordered, pulling me with him as we dove behind a nearby wall for cover. My mind struggled to catch up with what had just happened. A bullet... someone had shot at us.
Before I could process it fully, I felt Gabriel jerk beside me. A muffled grunt escaped his lips, and I saw his hand press to his shoulder, dark blood already seeping through his fingers.
"Gabriel, you're hurt!" I exclaimed, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and concern.
"Don't worry about me," he growled, his tone firm even as pain etched across his face. He reached for his phone with his free hand, swiftly calling Matteo and Antonio. "We’re at the west end of the park. Shooter’s nearby. I’m hit but still moving. Need backup now."
He ended the call and pulled out his gun, scanning the area for any sign of the attacker. But the night remained eerily still, the silence only amplifying the danger lurking in the shadows.
My heart pounded in my chest as I watched him, every instinct screaming at me to get him to safety. "Gabriel, you need help. We have to get you to a doctor."
"I’m fine," he muttered, his eyes still searching the darkness. "Stay close to me. If anything happens—"
Before he could finish, Antonio appeared, his face set in a grim mask as he took in the situation. "We need to move," he said, his voice low and urgent. "There’s a florist a few blocks away."
I stared at him in disbelief. "A florist? Are you out of your mind? We need a hospital, not flowers!"
Gabriel winced as he shifted, but he gave me a reassuring look. "The florist is a retired doctor. She treats our kind, off the books. She can handle this."
His words sank in, and I realized what he meant. Of course, in Gabriel's world, nothing was ever simple. The florist was likely someone who patched up men like him without asking too many questions. It was a reminder of the life he led, one that was far removed from anything I’d ever known.
Reluctantly, I nodded, helping him to his feet. "Alright, let’s go."
Antonio led the way, keeping his gun ready as we moved through the shadows, every step bringing us closer to the "florist" who could hopefully save Gabriel. My mind was a whirlwind of fear and frustration, but above it all was a deep worry for him. The man who had just kissed me was now bleeding, possibly because of someone who wanted him dead.
And yet, despite everything, a part of me knew I wasn’t going anywhere. Not when Gabriel needed me. Not when I could help him fight the demons that hunted him.
