Chapter Thirteen

 

Sunday was a blur of activity. After finally making it home from Gabriel’s house, Hannah didn’t stop moving. Laundry and dusting, vacuuming and packing, and yet through it all, she still felt his hands caressing her skin, his lips pressed against her throat, and all of him burrowed deep inside her. She spent the day, trying to squelch the burning desire to be cocooned in his embrace. No matter how hard she cleaned and prepared for her trip, he was ever-present in her thoughts.

Has he bewitched me somehow? Does he have some angel power he’s kept secret from me? Or have I done this to myself? She had no clue, but needed to get a grip before embarrassing herself, or worse yet, him. Maybe it was all those protective amulets and woven incantations at work. Maybe besides protecting her, they were heightening her need of him. And maybe she was just a woman in need of lots of sex with her man!

Sweaty and stinky from all the physical labor around the house, she ran a shower to clean up. As she stepped under the hot stream of water, she was reminded of his desire to share a shower with her. She’d make that a reality for him soon. Shampooing her hair, the amulet around her wrist got twisted up with a piece of long, dripping drenched hair. It had wrapped itself around the strands, and as hard as she tried, she couldn’t get it untangled.

Sopping wet, she stepped out of the shower, scurried over to one of the drawers under the sink, and retrieved a pair of scissors. As she wrangled with the unwieldy mess of sodden hair, the bracelet became more entwined. “Ohh! This is why I don’t wear jewelry, people!”

She snipped the bracelet in half and freed her hair. She placed the whole damn thing on the counter. Scuttling back under the warmth of the hot rain, she washed her hair. Closing her eyes, she massaged her scalp, finally relaxing as she worked the shampoo into a frothy lather. Images of her angel, standing naked before her, flashed across the movie screen of her mind, and her body ached for him.

“Hannah….” A voice whispered to her.

Her eyes flew open and she looked behind her and out the glass stall windows and doors. No one was there.

“Hannah…forgive me. I wasn’t myself. I’m lost without you. Come find me.”

The voice sounded familiar, and yet she saw no one to link it to anywhere. What if her hearing was on overdrive? She could be hearing someone speaking from far away. But who? It was a man’s voice, for certain.

“Look into your mind and you’ll find me there. I’ll be waiting.”

Star.

Soap stung her eyes, so she quickly rinsed her hair and toweled off. How had he gotten inside her mind again? Didn’t her Protector send him back to Hell? And wasn’t she supposed to be protected from this kind of thing? The amulets. She’d taken one off, and this was the consequence. Cursing her stupidity, she hurried over to the counter and tied it back around her wrist. Damn it! It’d only been a couple of minutes. Just to soap up and rinse off.

She prayed she wouldn’t hear his voice again. Why? Why should it have mattered at this point? Gabriel was all she ever wanted, all she ever needed. What possible difference could thinking about Star make? A lot. For as brief a period of time as she’d known him, he’d made a huge impact on her life. Recognizing her worth, cherishing her existence, expanding her horizons.

Hold on! He was possessed by Satan, you idiot! It was lies. All lies. Forget about him. Focus on yourself and the relationship that will carry you through eternity. Focus on Gabriel.

As she dressed, she decided this little hiccup wasn’t worth sharing with him. It would only give Star, give Satan, more power than either deserved. Star was gone. The Brethren had seen to it. These voices, these remembrances were merely manufactured by her crazy brain.

Her phone buzzed. “Hello?”

“Don’t pack too much. You’re Nordstrom outfit, a couple pairs of jeans and T-shirts should be plenty.”

“Don’t trust me to pack light, eh? Is it because I’m a woman? You think I’ll pack my entire closet, don’t you?”

Gabriel coughed and tried to back pedal over his inadvertent slight. “I’ve just never seen you pack. Ever. So, I thought I’d help you. I know how meticulous you are with everything. Sometimes that could lead to over-packing.”

“My need for order and precision means I’m very succinct in all things,” she responded with clipped words. “Meetings, notes, schedules, and yes, even packing. Are you sweating, sweetheart? Wishing you could pull that huge foot of yours out of that luscious mouth? You should know I’m totally busting your chops.”

She heard a rush of air in her earpiece and laughed. “Whew! I thought I’d dug myself a hole I’d never be able to get out of. Nice one, there, Ms. Livingston. Just you wait, though. You know what they say about paybacks?”

“Yes, I know all too well. I look forward to yours, though, with great anticipation. See you tonight?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll pick you up for dinner about seven.”

“Perfect. See you then.”

“Good-bye.”

“What?”

“I said good-bye.”

“I know you said good-bye. You never say good-bye. Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m feeling fantastic. I guess you bring out the best in me.”

Her phone went silent. Now that’s the Gabriel Seeker I know and love. She laughed lightly and continued her preparations for the trip.

 

****

 

His bag had been packed for hours, and now he worked on his strategy for bringing down one Teddy Hatchet. Thanks to Marty, he got a clear picture of his life and lifestyle. The ring leader lived in an upscale neighborhood, where lawns were manicured on a weekly basis, cars were driven into their garages, and the only time people said hello to one another, was on the odd chance they saw each other collecting their mail. Every Labor Day and Memorial Day, the neighborhood held a block party that was well-attended. From what Marty could gather, many households had house cleaners, landscapers, and personal chefs that were undocumented, all thanks to a “neighbor in the know.”

So Teddy has his neighbors hooked up with manual labor, but did he also supply them with sex slaves? His business front was typical enough to be suspect. He owned a large import/export company, Bloodlines, Inc. Given that he was an art gallery owner, that very fact could be his ticket in the door.

Once in, however, how did they get hooked up to the ring? No doubt Hatchet wouldn’t be anywhere near the actual storefront. Good old Margot and Tony Richter would factor in heavily for this part. They’d be his link to the inside. Yofi was babysitting them in one of Gabriel’s houses used for times such as these. His team had rescued all the kids from their sex trafficking ring in Phoenix, but those two depraved mortals needed to prove their worth before succumbing to Brethren justice. Here was the perfect opportunity.

He changed out of his casual jeans and dressed in one of his gray suits. Time for a Sunday brunch visit. Let’s see what they can do for me when they know their very existence is on the line. He sent a threaded communication to Yofi, letting him know he’d be visiting the pair within the hour. His Brethren Warrior teammate updated him with details of their detention.

The two weren’t happy and still in denial over the whole predicament they found themselves in. They promised retribution. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Margot took offense to the food he’d so meticulously carried in a bag from Burger Buddy and Donny’s. The eggs were of a powdered variety, the fries were soggy, and the hamburgers tasted like shoe leather. How she would know what shoe leather tasted like, he didn’t know and didn’t care.

He smirked. They’d know reality all too soon. He locked up the house and drove over to his other one in Phoenix. On the way, he called Marty and complimented his attention to detail on his reports, and requested he keep a sharp lookout for where the man did his business. He knew his compliments were offered few and far between to his people, but he also knew that they appreciated every word he said even more for it. He wasn’t stingy with them. He just had very high standards. This week, Marty had lived up to those standards and garnered valuable intelligence for his efforts.

Marty had been speechless, but when he found his voice, thanked him profusely for the feedback. Maybe he should do this more often. It actually felt good to give positive feedback. Damn, why didn’t he listen to his personal assistant all those years ago when she told him he’d get more out of his staff if he showed them how much he appreciated them on a regular basis? Well, apparently, it wasn’t too late to start now. He sent a message asking her to send everyone on the staff a Thank You card with a debit gift card. She called him back to see if he was kidding. When he said no, she actually cheered over the phone.

“I have to admit, H, you look damn good on me. When I think of all the wasted time…but now, we have all the time in the world to make me a better man.”

“Trust me, G, it won’t take that long. You’re pretty wonderful as you are. How long until we see each other again?”

He looked at his watch. Damn. “Not for another few hours. I have all the plans laid out, and I’m already packed. Going over to extract some information from Margot and Tony. After that, there’s nothing left to do but twiddle my thumbs.”

“Come over as soon as you’re done. You can twiddle anything of mine.”

He didn’t need to ponder that for even a millisecond. “I’m there.”

 

Yofi met him at his car and shook his hand as he exited. “Hey, brother. How are ya?”

“Doing fine. Just fine. You?”

“I’m feeling ornery as ever, especially with those two idiots inside. Looking forward to the “all systems go” from you to dispatch their sorry asses outta here.”

“Your wish is my command after I nab some key pieces of information from them. Let’s head on in.”

Yofi lead him into the house and down the stairs to his basement. Tony and Margot each sat on a chair at a bridge table, bound by Brethren shackles. As the two giants tromped down the stairs they looked up at him, expecting to be freed from their jail term, he imagined. When they saw it was only Brethren, their hopeful expressions melted into dejection.

“How was lunch, you two?” Gabriel began.

“If you want to know, it was terrible. First—”

“Nope, Margot. I really don’t want to know. But I do have a couple of questions that I need you to answer to the fullest extent of your knowledge.”

“Why should we help you with anything? You’re holding us against our will!” Tony fumed. “No one knows where we are. This can’t be legal. What about our due process?”

“You should know a thing or two about being held against your will.” He sneered. “You know how it works. Your due process will come after you answer me this. Where is Hatchet’s warehouse? Where does he house the kids until they are distributed?”

“I’m not telling you a fucking thing. Not until you release us from these handcuffs, and certainly not without my lawyer present.”

“Oh, Tony, Tony, Tony. You still don’t get it, do you? We work outside the law. There is no law here other than Brethren law. No lawyers, no police. Just Yofi and me.”

“And just who the hell are you, anyway?”

“Someone you don’t want to piss off. Now, answer my question.” Tony remained decidedly silent. “That’s okay, my man. I know it’s Margot who has all the answers anyway. And if she decides to be a fool like you, well, one little detail I forgot to mention is that we can get the information out of you with or without your approval. It’ll be a bit more painful than just telling us of your own free will, but I do believe you’ve annoyed this guy enough, he may just want to go ahead with his own brand of hellish interrogation.”

“Yeah, I’ve got a strong desire to inflict some well-deserved torture on you. So what do you say? Are you going to tell him what he needs to know now, or are ya gonna beg for mercy and tell him after?”

Pearls of sweat cascaded down his cheeks. “I…I’ll do it. I’ll tell you.” So Tony finally got the message. Smart man.

“You’ll do no such thing,” Margot hissed at him. “Shut your fucking mouth.”

Gabriel stalked around Margot’s chair, sizing her up. Oh yes, she’s definitely the Dom in this pair, and she likes it rough. Well, his partner could teach her a thing or two. “Yofi, shall we begin our Persuasion Phase One?”

“By all means.”

Gabriel unbuttoned his jacket and draped it on a chair. He took his sweet time unbuttoning and taking off his dress shirt while Yofi ripped off his own and tossed it to the ground. “Ready?”

He nodded back, and they both unfurled their wings before the bound couple. Tony peed his pants. Margot just sat in her seat, wide-eyed.

Yofi unsheathed his sword and waved it above his head in a grand show of muscular control and restraint. The Protector took out his sword with less flair, but made it clear that it could inflict the same damage, with or without the theatrics. He sliced through the bridge table like it was a piece of toast.

By the way the woman shifted in her seat, he thought she looked turned on by the two of them. Sick, sick fuck. Concern finally replaced intrigue on her face as the angels continued to reveal how very wrong it was to deny them the information he needed. “Still want to keep that precious information locked inside there, Margot? I’ll give you one last chance to offer it up without pain.”

“Aw, come on. You’re giving her too many chances. I wanna slice and dice the bitch.”

“Easy there. Remember, we’re angels, not demons.”

“True, but who cares if I enjoy my job a bit too much? I’m sending depraved people back to Hell where they belong. You know?”

“Hmm, I guess we should have told them that first, but I guess the cat…or the feathers are out of the bag.”

Margot refused to speak. Yofi, stepped up and flicked his sword so fast, the only thing that marked its passage were Margot’s cheeks, now soaked by her blood. As the first drips fell to her shirt, she cried out, then shut her mouth.

“Margot likes things rough. I’m afraid she’s enjoying your ministrations a bit too much. You need to know, my dear, you are going to die this night. You can either tell us where Hatchet keeps the kids or I’ll fry your mind to get that information. I’m done playing around.”

Again, silence. Damn, I’m so not a fan of this, but I’m not going to waste any more time with this one. He stepped behind her and placed his fingers on her temples. He would pull every meaningful memory that could help him, leaving her with a nice hole in her brain. It would hurt her like nothing she’d ever experienced before, but she chose this path, not him.

As he started his journey through her mind, she tensed up and groaned. He passed through a childhood of sexual molestation and physical abuse. He wandered through her years in prison for theft and breaking and entering. The deeper he went the closer he got to what he was looking for. He watched the first kidnapping and sale of a child all the way to her hooking up with one Teddy Hatchet.

Now he was getting somewhere. Her body convulsed, and as he dug deeper, her drool mixed with the blood now pouring from her wounds.

“Hey, you’re killing her!”

“No kidding, ya dumbass.” Yofi backhanded him with the hilt of his sword. “What do you think’s gonna happen to you when he’s done with her?”

Gabriel had no intention of stopping. He was so close to getting his answer. A few more minutes and he’d know everything they’d need to launch a successful takedown. And…bingo. There it is!

“Yofi, Hatchet keeps them in a warehouse in the industrial park on Iowa St. There’s a twenty-four hour turnaround for bringing kids in and distributing them. He gets shipments of kids every Tuesday and Thursday. Uh…early, early in the morning, before dawn. She’s seen it for herself. Kids wore duct-tape over their mouths and around their wrists. The youngest she saw Hatchet receiving was eleven years old. The oldest was sixteen. Another shipment comes in on Tuesday.”

Gabriel removed his hands from the sides of her head and breathed in deeply. Margot’s head lolled forward and slowly returned to upright. A glazed look washed over her face. He turned a raised brow to Tony, whose sweat had soaked through his shirt.

“I don’t know any more than she does! She even kept stuff from me, so whatever you got from her is more than you’d get from me.”

“It’s time, Warrior.”

He nodded and raised his sword in the air, speaking an ancient utterance. The inscription on his blade glowed a fiery red.

“Tony and Margot Richter, for the kidnapping and sexual exploitation of our children, you are hereby sentenced to Brethren justice. Yofi, you have the honors.”

With one swift move, he relieved both Tony and Margot of their heads. As they rolled down their bodies to the floor, remnants of their blood absorbed into his sword. Gabriel called the clean-up crew and redressed. “Nicely done. I call this a huge win today. We got the information I needed, and those two won’t be abusing children any longer.”

“Always feels good to tip the scales, even if it’s just a little bit. If we’re done here, I got another gig to go to, my brother.”

“We’re done. Thank you. You’ve helped tremendously with this case. I appreciate it. I could use you next week for a couple of days, starting Tuesday.”

“Sure, I can do that. Shoot me a text message with the details, ’cause I hate remembering everything in this brain of mine. I’ll be there.”

“Thanks again, brother.” He smiled and they trudged up the stairs together.

“Man, I’m starving. Think I’ll stop and pick up a Brethren Pie on the way.”

“That’s sounds great. Think I’ll pick up one or two of those myself.”

As he got in his car, he watched as a carpet cleaner truck pulled into his driveway. The clean-up crew had arrived. Instructions were always the same for them. Leave the place looking as though it had never been touched. Lock up on the way out.

He called in an order at his favorite pizza joint, Vito’s. Luckily it was on the way to Hannah’s house, or he would’ve ditched the damn thing. He was so much hungrier for her than anything else. He placed another call and got a voice mail. “Hey, it’s me. I’m on my way with a pie and a raging hunger. For you. You’ve been warned.”

He couldn’t help smirking after that remark. He hoped it sent shivers up and down her spine and made her tingle in all her female parts.

 

****

 

His recorded voice, so deep and raspy, sent waves of flutters and heat to every cell in her body. Instantly wet, she spent the next few minutes trying to regain some semblance of control. He’d a raging hunger for her. Dear Lord in heaven! With her raging desires for him, they could wind up setting the whole damn house on fire.

She took off her skirt and T-shirt, preferring something slinky and sexy just to ramp up the combustibility factor. She’d just bought it today and felt pretty crazy doing so. She’d never owned anything as racy as a royal blue, silky negligee. Not even with Rick. And that relationship was based mostly on sexual attraction to begin with.

Since Gabriel admired the finer things, and she hadn’t any of her own, she figured it was time. Sexy lingerie seemed a good place to start. She also bought bra and panty sets that were so freaking sexy, even she approved of the way she looked in them. Always loving a good tease, she thought she’d show him the sets and tell him she’d be wearing them all week. He could guess which one she was wearing each day, or he could find out when he undressed her. She checked the time on her phone.

He should’ve been here fifteen minutes ago. I wonder what’s taking him so long.

A horn beeped out front. She raced to the living room window and saw he’d ridden his Harley over. Where was the pizza? She chided herself. He’d probably eaten it before he made it back to his house. She’d love to go for a ride later. But much later. The man looked sexier than any Greek God, and she wondered if it was even legal to be that stunningly handsome. He stalked up the sidewalk in black boots, black leather pants, and a white T-shirt that hugged his chiseled chest and abs.

She caught his smoldering eyes through the window and cowered back, not wanting to ruin the seductive surprise she wore. Scampering to the front door, she hoped she’d make it before he did. Just as she reached out, the air around the knob glowed a neon blue, and the lock released. The door swung open, and he stood on her Welcome mat, looking very…welcoming.

He raised a brow and flashed a smile so wicked, it stole her breath and sent electric tingles around her nipples. “I do believe you said you were in need of some twiddling, ma’am.”

“Why, yes,” she croaked. “Yes, I am.”

“Then I’m your guy.”