Beast

Summer

Two train rides and a bus later, we're in the Bronx at a diner.

Staring down at my French fries and chicken sandwich, my stomach turns over. My appetite is somewhere between Gregory's loft and the politician at the sex club. It also doesn't help that my body is craving something else.

However, it seems Gabriel does not have the same issues. One arm protectively wraps around his plate, his back is hunched over the table. He's shoveling mashed potatoes in his mouth with his fork as if someone will come and snatch his food away.

As focused as you would think he is on his food, his eyes have not stopped scanning the restaurant. Every sound draws his gaze. Every time the bell over the door dings, his focus shifts.

"Do you ever take a break?"

He stops stuffing food into his mouth, his attention landing on me. One dark blonde brow raises in confusion.

"We're in a diner in the Bronx, no one is going to attack you. Besides, I'm pretty sure you're the most dangerous person in this room."

I hate that I notice the minute smile that lifts his lips.

Gabriel leans up from his plate pushing it away. Using a napkin, he wipes his mouth before placing it back down on the table.

"No," he says.

It takes me a moment to figure out what he's replying to. When I do, I find it hard to believe. Clearly, he isn't scanning the room for intruders while he's getting his dick sucked.

"So even when you're…" I make a circle with one hand and use the pointer finger of the other to imitate the deed. "You don't stop being alert?"

He doesn't speak at first, just stares at me. I grow uncomfortable for a minute waiting for him to answer. Maybe that was too personal. I doubt most people ask their potential murderer about their sex life.

After the longest most uncomfortable second passes, I realize he's not going to answer my question. Rolling my eyes, I ask another one.

"What are you scanning for anyway? Threats? You think someone's going to pull a knife out and stab you over your smothered porkchop?"

He narrows his gaze slightly. "Beside us, the man in the tie. He's married, but the woman with him isn't his wife."

I look to my left to the dark-haired man with the goatee.

"How do you know that?" I ask, looking back at Gabriel.

His eyes close mid-way as if he's determining if he should give away his secrets to me.

"There is an indentation on his left ring finger that tells me he recently took his ring off. She has no ring or any signs of having a ring. Plus, he's found some way to touch her from the moment they walked in. As if he doesn't get to do it often."

I glance back at the couple sitting across from us. How the hell did he see all of that? I mean, I noticed how touchy they were, even going as far as sitting beside each other in the booth. They're acting like two drunk teens on prom night. Still, I wouldn't have guessed he was a cheater.

"How do you know she isn't his wife? Maybe they're madly in love." I ask turning back to him.

He smirks.

"Watch his cellphone," his head dips in the direction of the phone on the table.

It lights up and the picture of a smiling brunette holding a small child appears. The man looks to the phone and sighs before flipping it over, face down on the table. Asshole.

I look back to Gabriel and shake my head. "Wow, that's some talent you have there. If this serial killer thing doesn't work out for you, you could always get a job using your superpowers to catch cheaters."

He stares for a long moment. His head tilted to the side as he watches me. "Sarcasm." He finally says.

I laugh. "Now you've found my hidden talent. Although it's not as marketable as yours."

The laughter dies on my lips when I notice the way he's staring at me. It isn't sexual or anything. It's more like the way someone would stare at a difficult math problem.

"You should eat," he says, pointing at my untouched food.

I grimace as I glance down at my plate. "No, thank you." I push the plate aside and lean forward on my elbows. "I'd rather talk."

The confused look from earlier intensifies. I think I've caught him off guard.

"About what?" he grumbles.

"You. How did you get into a job like this? I'm pretty sure they didn't visit your local high school during career week."

He leans back in his seat. His chest expanding with a deep breath before letting it out.

"No, they came to my house," he answers and his gaze floats around the restaurant again.

That's believable. As gorgeous as Gabriel is, and he is stunning, he is also quite terrifying. He has to be close to seven feet tall and is as solid as a boulder. He screams danger when he walks into a room. If I were hiring an assassin, I'd definitely pick him.

"What did you do before this?"

His eyes snap back at me as if my question was connected to his pupils by a rubber band.

"Nothing," he answers.

I chuckle. "Oh, come on. You had to do something. I'm going to guess you had a desk job. Maybe something in customer service where people called and complained all day. That would probably make me want to be a killer too."

"I was seven," he cuts my rant off.

My eyes widen and my brain sputters. Maybe I didn't hear him correctly.

"Seven? As in seven-years-old?" I repeat for clarification.

He doesn't reply.

This poor man was basically raised to be a killer. I mean, I know all about a shitty childhood, but jeez. I couldn't imagine the damage this must have done to his mental state.

"I'm sorry."

He slams his hand down on the table causing me to nearly leap out of my skin and the plates and silverware to rattle.

"I don't require your pity nor your apology."

His outburst caught the attention of a few other people in the diner. The heavy-set cook with thick eyebrows glares at Gabriel. The two waitresses stop taking orders to stare at us. Even the cheating husband and his date turn in our direction. The question in all their eyes ask if I need help. If only they knew. However, for the first time, I do not attempt to ask for help.

"I didn't mean to offend you."

The fire in his green eyes simmers as he leans back in his seat and looks away from me. Slowly, everyone goes back to minding their business.

The diner isn't that packed tonight. Other than the couple beside us, only two other people are in here. An older man reading a paper and another younger guy that's wearing a trucker hat.

"It saved my life."

His words catch me off guard and I turn back to him. He isn't looking at me, but I don't doubt for a minute he isn't paying attention to me.

"How so?" I ask, truly interested in how becoming a killer at seven saved him.

This time he does look over to me.

"I was different from most kids my age. Troubled. I needed this." His gaze runs from me, finding something else to look at. "It feeds my darkness."

I understand that more than he thinks. I know what it's like to have a darkness inside you. One that calls out to you and beckons for your attention every time you let your guard down. I feed my darkness with pills, coke, weed, and even alcohol sometimes. My vices are less bloody than his, but at least he's not inflicting the damage on his own body.

"I can understand that."

Those sharp intelligent eyes flick back to me. His brows draw together, and his face tightens. He doesn't believe me. I laugh.

"Come on, Gabriel. The only reason we met tonight is because I walked into a man's house willing to sleep with him for money. Clearly, I have some shit going on too."

His smile spreads slowly but turns his already attractive face to downright stunning.

"The bad wig gave it away first," he says.

I burst into laughter covering my mouth. He watches me laugh; the smile still planted on his face. The door to the diner opens setting off the bell over the door. Gabriel focuses on the newcomers. From the way he watches them, I can guarantee he's taking in everything he can about them.

When his gaze falls back on me it narrows. "Is it my turn now?"

Not sure how I feel about this. However, I've been asking him questions and I guess it's only right I allow him to do the same.

Sitting back in my seat and folding my arms across my chest, I say, "Go ahead."

He doesn't speak right away, which makes me squirm a little.

"Who did you see die?"

My body stills so suddenly, chills run up my spine. The images of blood on the wall and on my favorite nightgown flash through my mind. I shut my eyes and try to catch my breath as I fight back the memories of that night. My lungs seem to shrink in size as I struggle to get enough air flowing through them. The old ache in my shoulder flares up.

The harder I attempt to push the images away, the faster they come back to me. The sound of my father's voice calling my name has me gripping the table.

I'm startled when a heavy hand lands on top of mine. When I open my eyes, green irises are staring back at me. He takes my hand off the table, leans forward in his seat, and places my hand over his heart, palm down. The steady beat pulls me out of my memories like a life buoy.

For what seems like forever, we are suspended in time. My hand to his chest, his gaze locked in on mine, and complete silence.

I don't know anything about this man other than he's a killer that is hellbent on killing me. However, as dark as it may seem, I have more of a connection with him than I've had with anyone in the last fourteen years. Maybe, it's because he's just as damaged as I am.

Our waitress comes back, breaking into our moment.

"Can I get you anything else?" She looks between the both of us as if we're the weirdest people she's ever come across.

Removing my hand from his chest, I place it in my lap.

"No thank you. I'm good," I say without looking up from the table.

"Bring her a coffee," he says.

Lifting my head, I look back at him. His gaze is back on the room. I wonder if that moment meant anything to him. Without a second thought he knew what I needed and provided it for me. Yet, now he looks as if he only offered a brief smile to a passing stranger.

"I don't really drink coffee," I say, forcing those thoughts out of my head.

"You will tonight," he says in a tone that brokers no argument.

His eyes rest on me momentarily before going back to the room.

"Black, two sugars and a cream," he says to the waitress.

She looks to me for approval. I nod my head. She shakes hers in pity and walks away. I'm starting to believe these people think I'm in an abusive relationship.

"We have a long night; you're going to need the caffeine boost."

I roll my eyes at him but don't argue. The waitress sits my coffee down on the table. I take a sip and frown. I've never been a fan of coffee. I go to spit the bitter drink back in the cup but stop when I find Gabriel watching me. His brow raises as if he knows what I was about to do. I swallow what's in my mouth and cringe.

The bell over the door goes off letting us know someone else has just come in.

"What the fuck are you talking about? I was hitting that shit before you," the voices of the newcomers are loud.

I turn in my seat to see who they belong to, but immediately turn back around. My skin prickles with fear. I'm not shocked when I look up and Gabriel is watching me.

"We should go," I say, gulping as much of the hot coffee down my throat as I can.

I go to stand, but crash into the waitress knocking her tray out of her hand. The commotion has everyone's attention swinging in my direction.

"Summer?"

If the ground could open and swallow me right now it would be great.

"Jay, hey." I wave lamely.

"Hey?" He says, frowning. "That's all you have to say to me?" He and the three guys with him head in my direction.

Holding my hands out in front of me in a posture of surrender, I back up. "Okay, I can explain."

"Explain?" Jay repeats. "Bitch, you almost got me fucking killed."

I can't really argue with that.

"That wasn't my intention. I had no idea Nic was going to blame you."

I did know Nic would blame him. Hell, I was hoping for it. However, I didn't think I would have to witness it.

Jay grabs my arm, hauling me toward him. "Oh yeah, well I know just how to get back in his good graces." He turns to Tony, one of his friends. "Call Nic."

True fear sets in. Before I could argue, I'm snatched away from Jay and a hulking Gabriel is between us. Jay steps back, looking Gabriel over. I can tell he's trying to size him up, see if he's a threat.

Jay and his crew start to laugh. "I see you got another victim," Jay says looking past Gabriel to where I'm standing. He turns back to Gabriel.

"If you know what's good for you, you'd leave that bitch where you…"

I don't know what else he was going to say. Faster than the strike of a cobra, Gabriel chops Jay in the throat, grabs his head and slams it on the edge of the table. I'm not sure if it was bones breaking or just the rattling of the dishes, but something was loud and prompted a scream from Jay.

Tony pulls a gun and aims it at Gabriel. Before the gun is fired, Gabriel snatches the gun out of his hands, and slams it across his face. Tony falls to the ground. Gabriel takes the clip out of the weapon, using only one hand and tosses it beside Tony.

The other two men with Jay both take hesitant steps back. I don't blame them. That shit was incredible. Everyone else in the diner is completely still staring at us. The cook has one hand on the phone on the wall and the other hand clutching a butcher knife.

Gabriel turns around and takes a hundred dollar bill out of his pocket and drops it on the table. He grabs his black duffle off the bench seat and then takes my arm.

"Let's go."

I don't argue. He walks me out of the building and down the street a little way before stepping into a dark alley. He releases my hand, dropping his duffle, and starts pacing.

"I know that," he mumbles as he pulls at his hair. "I know."

I stand helplessly watching him battle whatever demon he hears in his head. I look to the opening of the alley. The thought of running hits me again, but it's fleeting. I learned my lesson about running at Ace's. Besides, I owe him to at least help. He saved my ass back at that diner.

"Gabriel," I call his name. He stops pacing but doesn't turn to me. "Look at me."

His heavy breathing and the pounding of my heart in my ears are the only noises in our little bubble. Eventually, those extraordinary eyes I've grown used to, land on me.

"We're okay. I'm right here." I step up to him, not knowing if this move will end up with my head smashed against the brick wall or not.

Luckily, he doesn't make any sudden movements. Reaching for his hand, I move slowly until I wrap my fingers around his wrist. The entire time our eyes are linked together. I move his hand from his head and place it against my chest. My heart is nowhere near as steady as his is when he does this.

His gaze falls to where his hand is pressed against my chest. For a moment we remain that way. It isn't until we hear the sound of sirens passing by that the both of us turn toward the opening of the alley. Gabriel removes his hand and goes over to pick up the duffle.

"Come on," he says over his shoulder. "I need to make a quick stop at home." I step up beside him and he starts walking. This time he didn't grab my arm. We walk side by side down the street, an assassin, and his victim.