Gabriella
“What are you going to do all day without me?” I tease Javier. It’s eleven a.m. on Sunday, and we just stepped out of the shower.
He secures a towel around my body and kisses me. “I left Miami without finishing my paperwork. I should have done it Friday. I’ll take care of it while you work. When you finish your shift, I’ll pick you up and take you to dinner, if that sounds good?”
“You aren’t sick of me yet?”
“No. Are you tired of me?”
Like that would ever be possible. I trace the stars and swirls tattooed across his chest and down his arm. “Not yet.”
He pulls me close. “Does that mean you want to stay another night?”
“Do you want me to stay another night?”
“Is that a legitimate question?”
“Yes.”
He pushes some hair behind my ear. “I think you’re underestimating how crazy I am about you.”
My heart flutters. Over the last few days, I’ve asked myself too many times if this is real. I keep expecting to wake up and have it be a dream.
Besides the disagreements we had about him taking care of me and the gun, we’ve had a lot of fun together. We like the same outdoor activities, seem to be able to talk to each other about anything, and we can’t keep our hands off each other. “I’m crazy about you, too,” I quietly admit.
He grins. “Good. Then you’ll stay another night, and I’ll drop you off before work tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
He kisses me slowly, holding me firmly against his lips and body, creating a slow burn of desire and lust I never knew existed before him.
Our kisses become more intense, and he hardens then groans. “You’d better get ready for work, or I’m going to lock you in the house and tell you to call in sick.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
Javier squeezes my ass. “I’ll leave you to it.” He leaves the room.
I blow dry my hair enough so it doesn’t appear wet but isn’t completely dry then throw on a little bit of makeup. The sundress I packed is hot pink with spaghetti straps, and I pair it with pink-and-silver sandals, a pink oversized flower ring, a metal starfish necklace, and matching earrings.
Javier steps into the bedroom as I’m sliding my foot into my shoe. “Wow. You look incredible.”
I rise. “Thanks. What time is it?”
“Time to go.”
“All right. Let me get my purse.” I find my bag, and we leave.
Javier drops me off at my work after giving me another hot kiss, and I get out of the car buzzing with happiness.
“I’ll pick you up when your shift’s over.”
“Thanks.” I peck his lips and bounce out of the car, feeling like I’m on top of the world.
When I walk through the door, Aimee, one of my co-workers announces, “I’m so happy you’re here. It’s been dead all morning. I don’t even know why Kay had to put me on a three-hour shift. It’s so pointless.”
The thought crosses my mind to ask her if she wants to take my shift, but I can’t shirk my responsibilities just because Javier is now in my life.
“I guess it’s a good day to restock, then.” I cheerfully point at the boxes she could have opened but chose not to.
She smirks and slings her backpack purse over her shoulder. “Have fun with that. See you later.” Within seconds she is out the door, and I’m alone in the store.
Unlike Aimee, I don’t like standing around and doing nothing. I can’t handle the store not being in perfect order or the newest items not out on the floor. I put my bag behind the counter, take scissors, and open up the boxes.
For several hours, I unpack and put all the items on the shelves or hangers then on the racks. Then I break the cardboard down.
No one is in the store, and I suppose no one will be. The island has been dead this week, and on such a beautiful day I expect everyone to be on the beach.
I collect the boxes then open the back door and carry everything outside. After I throw it all in the dumpster, I turn to go back inside.
I’m almost through the door when I’m being yanked and shoved against the brick wall. It happens fast, and a large hand goes against my throat. The musky scent of him flares in my nostrils, and I know it’s Triker before he positions my head upward.
“Imagine the luck I’m having this weekend. First Friday night, now today.”
“Let me go,” I gasp as his body squeezes against mine, and his erection hardens against my stomach.
“Gabriella. I like that name.”
My insides quiver. I struggle to get out of his hold, but it’s pointless. Triker is too strong compared to my small frame.
He presses even closer. “You’re juicy plus a Brooks, so that makes you extra tasty. I’ve decided I’m going to claim you as mine.”
A chill runs down my spine. “Let me go,” I whisper just as I hear Ryland scream, “What the fuck. Get off my sister!” Triker’s hand comes off my throat, and Ryland and he wrestle on the ground when a gunshot is fired. They both freeze.
Chloe holds out her gun. “Put your hands on the ground where I can see them.”
Ryland rolls off him and pulls me into my arms. “You okay?”
I start to cry. I don’t want to, but I can’t stop it.
Triker lies flat on the ground as Chloe barks, “Don’t move.” She pulls out her phone and punches a button.
“What happened?” Ryland asks.
I shudder.
Why is he threatening me?
“Gabriella. Tell me what happened,” Ryland demands.
The scent of Triker still lingers in my nostrils. Thoughts of what could have happened if Ryland hadn’t been there to pull him off me scare me. I sob, and Ryland embraces me.
“I said don’t move,” Chloe yells as sirens wail through the air.
The police arrive, and I stay close to Ryland, trying to pull my emotions together, while they handcuff him and put him in the police car.
Javier’s car pulls in, and he jumps out of it as soon as he parks. “Gabriella! What happened?”
I run over to him and cry in his arms.
He puts his lips to my head. “Shh. It’s okay, I’ve got you. Tell me what happened.”
I try to catch my breath to tell him, but I can’t.
The cops leave with Triker, and Javier says, “Let me take you home.”
“I have to work,” I manage to get out.
“You’re done working today. Go get your stuff,” he instructs.
“No one else is here.”
“They have you working by yourself?” he snarls.
“It’s not tourist season.”
“Not acceptable,” he growls.
“Gabriella, we need to know what happened so I can tell the cops what to charge him with,” Chloe says.
Javier tilts my chin up. “Tell me what happened.”
I take a shaky breath. “I broke down the box from restocking some T-shirts and came to throw it out in the dumpster. I was walking back in, and...and he must have been behind me because he grabbed me and spun me into the wall.”
Javier cups my face. “What else?”
I shut my eyes.
“Tell me.” He strokes my cheek with his thumbs.
I open my eyes. “He said I’m juicy plus I’m a Brooks, so that makes me extra tasty and he’s claiming me as his.”
Javier’s face hardens. “Get your stuff, Gabriella. We’re leaving now.”
“I can’t leave the store empty,” I tell him.
“You’re done working here.”
“What? I can’t quit my job.”
His eyes blaze with anger. “You heard me. It’s not safe. Go get your stuff.”
“Javier, calm down,” Chloe insists.
He scowls. “Don’t tell me to calm down, Chloe.”
Ryland points to the door. “I agree with Javier. Get your stuff, Gabriella.”
And there goes my brother telling me what to do again.
“I’m not quitting my job.”
“Everyone stop. Gabriella, lock up. You can’t stay here today, but you don’t have to decide on your work right now. Javier, take Gabriella home, and Ryland, you come with me,” Chloe orders.
“Where are we going?” Ryland asks.
“We’re going to the station. Gabriella, you’re going to need to make a statement, but you can do that tomorrow if you want. Triker is out on parole, so this incident may be enough to throw him back in prison.”
“Fine,” Ryland gruffs.
I open the door and glare at Javier. “My boss is going to be pissed at me for closing the store.”
“Yeah, well, they can deal with me, then,” Javier gruffs and follows me inside.
“This isn’t right. Closing the store is a no-no.”
Javier spins me into him. “Gabriella, this isn’t up for debate. Triker is dangerous.”
“The police just took him away.”
“We don’t know if they will hold him or if other members of his gang saw what happened. You aren’t staying here.”
“Javier—”
“I’m not arguing about this. Get your stuff.”
“Javier’s right,” Ryland says.
I turn toward him. “Don’t tell me what to do, Ryland.”
Javier steps closer and cups my face. “Please. Don’t fight me on this.” The anger is no longer on his face, and all I see is worry.
I lose my energy to fight him. “Fine.” I get my purse from behind the counter. Ryland and Chloe leave. I send a message to my boss, lock up, and get into the car with Javier.
He turns toward me. “If I sounded angry, it’s not toward you. I’m so sorry I didn’t protect you.”
I cup his cheek. “You can’t watch me every second of the day. It’s not your fault.”
He stays silent.
“What were you doing here anyway?”
He points to the bag between us. “You forgot your lunch.”
I lean in and kiss him. “Aren’t you sweet.”
He strokes my hair. “I’m so sorry he touched you again.”
“It’s okay. I’m okay,” I blurt, even though my insides are still slightly quivering.
“It’s not okay.”
We say nothing for a moment. “Let’s try to forget about this tonight, okay? We can’t do anything about Triker right now.”
He scrubs his face.
I put my lips an inch from his. “I’m hungry. Take me to an early dinner then your place for dessert and make me forget about this.”
“If anything happened to you—”
“Shh.” I kiss him, trying to assure him and myself that nothing is going to happen. But I don’t do a good enough job.
“I want you to learn to shoot, Gabriella.”
I jerk away from him. “I’m not touching a gun.”
He blows out a big breath and firmly says, “You need to know how to protect yourself.”
“It wouldn’t have helped me today.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I’m not changing my mind, Javier.”
“If I can’t be with you all the time, then I need to know you can protect yourself.”
He’s right. You have no way to protect yourself.
You cannot touch a gun. That isn’t an option for you.
“I won’t do it.”
“Gabriella—”
“Stop. I’ve said no, and I’m not going to change my mind.”
“Please—”
“I’m not going to debate this. Just take me home.” My gut flips, and my insides quiver for an entirely new reason.
A hurt expression crosses his face. “You don’t want to stay with me?”
I start to cry. What Triker did and what could have happened, along with my longing to be with Javier but not fight with him about me learning how to shoot a gun, come crashing together.
He pulls me into him.
I sink into his arms, inhaling the scent of his skin and trying to replace the musky odor still in my airways from Triker. “All I want is to be with you. But why can’t you just hold me and tell me it will be okay?”
“Sweetheart, Triker is dangerous.”
“I know that! You don’t think I’ve been scared since Friday night?”
“You should talk to me about that.”
“Why? All it will do is upset you.”
“If you’re scared or upset, I need to know.”
More tears fall. “I’m petrified of him and this entire situation.”
He holds me tighter. “I’m sorry, baby. So sorry.”
“Triker and guns both scare me. I don’t want either in my life.”
He pulls back. “Are you saying you don’t want me in your life because I have a gun?”
He’s an FBI agent. He has to have a gun.
You need to establish boundaries. Javier has to respect them, or you can’t be with him.
Not be with him? Oh God, that’s not what I want.
“No. I’m telling you I don’t want to touch a gun. If you can’t drop this, then I can’t be with you.”
He closes his eyes briefly. When he opens them, they are shining. “Are you breaking up with me, Gabriella?”
“No. I don’t want to. But I need you to respect my boundary about not wanting to touch a gun. Tell me you can do that. Please,” I beg him.
He clenches his jaw and turns away.
“Please. You told me you’d give me what I need. This is what I need.”
He puts his hands over his face, releases a big breath then looks at me. “All right. I’ll stop. I don’t want to lose you.”
I place my hands around his head. “I don’t want to lose you, either. Being with you makes me feel so many new things. I’m beyond crazy about you. And I’ll not fight you about other things in our relationship, but I just can’t shoot a gun.”
He takes a deep breath and nods. “Okay. I’ll drop it.”
“Thank you.”
He kisses me, and the fear and frustration I have gets smaller. “Can I still take you to dinner?”
“Yes.”
“Stay with me tonight?”
“I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
“Good because I don’t want you anywhere but next to me.”