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Sarah lived in a sketchy apartment complex, but entering her actual apartment was a whole different experience. I smelled sandalwood and patchouli incense the moment Gabriel unlocked and opened the door. Instead of couches, she had benches carved from black wood. Her windows were draped with sheer sequined scarves the color of fire. A stone elephant stood sentry beside the door. I slipped off my shoes and left them at its feet.
“Pro tip: sleep on the floor,” Gabriel said as he dropped my backpack onto a bench. “Trust me.”
The living room had no television. I wandered toward a weathered old bookcase, its shelves straining under the weight of her many books. “Have you stayed here often?”
“A few times,” Gabriel said casually. “I’m always coming and going, so I don’t have a place of my own here. Sarah’s the coolest about letting people crash in her living room, but the no couch thing...” He gestured around the living room and laughed. “Yeah, I try to save this as a last resort.”
I lowered myself onto a bench. “So, what now?”
“Hm.” Gabriel sat down next to me.
I tried to position myself in a way that was comfortable and natural. My hands hung between my knees, still trembling from the night’s excitement. I couldn’t hide how jittery I was from Gabriel. His keen eyes picked up on that right away.
He shrugged deeply. “Well, I guess now we drink.”
“What?” I said.
“Stay here.”
Gabriel stood up and went around the corner into the kitchen, disappearing from view. He turned on the light and rummaged loudly through the cabinets. A minute later, he was back holding a bottle of whiskey.
“Won’t Sarah mind?”
“She won’t notice a nip or two gone out of the bottle.” He took a deep swig. “Wouldn’t want to leave dirty glasses around as evidence, would we?”
I stared warily at the bottle. I liked to have a beer or some fruity cocktail every now and then, but whiskey straight out of the bottle was just not me. But there was something about seeing Gabriel standing there, extending that bottle toward me like an open hand. Maybe it was the strange night I’d just had. My wad of cash from Tim Hawks was still in my pocket. Had that really been just a mere few hours ago? This didn’t feel like real life anymore.
“You’re right, I could really use a drink,” I said. “Give me that.”
Gabriel sat back down beside me, laughing, as I took my first swig. Whiskey pooled on the back of my tongue, delivering a full mouthful of heat. I coughed, and tears sprang to my eyes.
“It burns,” I croaked.
Gabriel laughed again, and in spite of myself, it felt good to hear him enjoying my company.
“You’re not trying to shoot cheap tequila for a quick buzz. Really explore the complex notes of this whiskey,” he said.
I passed the bottle back, skeptical. “Are you serious right now?”
“Nah. You just have to learn how to drink like a man,” Gabriel said. He took another deep swig and handed the bottle back to me, looking like it wasn’t any stronger than lemonade.
I smirked. “Girls can drink, too. Watch.”
After passing the bottle back and forth a few times, we’d put a noticeable dent in the whiskey reservoir. I had a good little buzz going and could tell Gabriel was, too. He broke away to check his phone, and that was when I realized that Sarah hadn’t come home yet.
“Was that her?” I asked hopefully.
“Yeah,” he said as he typed out a quick text. “She says the cops just left. She also got a chance to watch the footage and has an idea, or so she says. She’s on her way now.”
The little hairs on my arms rose. I suddenly remembered. “That girl in the video...the one who was talking to Gloria before that guy came to shoot her...”
“Yeah?”
I started playing with the hem of my shirt. I felt foolish for even thinking it, and I was afraid to admit my hunch, but...
“She looked a lot like Anna.”
Gabriel’s eyes focused on an area just over my right shoulder. “I mean, are you sure? The quality of the video wasn’t that great, and it was dark—”
“I know. But there was a second where she walked under the lamp. It could’ve been anyone, but I’m just saying that she looked like Anna.” I chewed on my lip.
“You’re really freaked out about all of this, aren’t you?” Gabriel asked softly.
I nodded. “Kind of.” Then, I laughed. “It’s just...it’s just bananas! I just got here two days ago, thinking I’d bum it around town for a few days before taking off again. Then, I meet you, and Larry shows up at the motel, and some drug dealer I’ve never met who recognizes me in a random bar gets shot, and somehow Anna is involved—”
“Breathe,” Gabriel reminded me, taking my hands. “Here.”
Before I knew it, he’d wrapped his arms around my body and pulled me in for a hug. I sat stiffly against him before breaking down and hugging him back. The scent of his leather was comforting, reminding me of home. I closed my eyes and imagined the faces I’d left behind: Liam, Carmen, Aspen, and the rest of the brothers in the club. I tried to remember what had made me leave.
“You okay?” Gabriel asked softly. His hand pressed against the back of my head.
I rested my cheek against his shoulder, turning my face toward his neck, breathing slowly. “I’m fine.” My voice came out quieter than I’d intended.
Gabriel pulled away to see my face. He blinked lazily, probably from the whiskey. But there was a clarity within his eyes that I couldn’t explain, but I could’ve sworn I could feel his gaze on my skin. I felt vulnerable all of a sudden. I wanted to look away but found that I simply couldn’t.
What’s happening to me? My heart was beating so hard that I was afraid Gabriel could feel my pulse pounding in my skin against his hands. My limbs were frozen in place. My body was waiting for him to make the next move.
Then, we heard it. A key scraped in the lock of the front door and turned. We jumped apart as if we’d been electrified. I watched as the door opened and Sarah entered the living room. Her soft face looked confused as she passed her attention between the two of us sitting on the bench.
“Goddamn it, Gabriel,” she said, dropping her keys on the coffee table. “You raided my liquor cabinet again, didn’t you?”
* * *
Gabriel and I sat at Sarah’s kitchen table while we waited for her to change. Caught between the bright fluorescent light and beige linoleum floor, I felt like I’d just woken up from a dream. Gabriel had his chin propped in his left hand, while his right tapped a steady rhythm on the surface of the table barely inches from my own.
Maybe it was a dream, I thought, studying his face. His eyes shifted over to mine, catching me off guard. I blinked away just as Sarah strutted into the room, wearing loose shorts and a cotton cami without a bra.
I tried not to notice Gabriel’s eyes lingering on her form.
“Okay,” Sarah said, clapping her hands. She retrieved three beers from the refrigerator and sat down at the table. Her next words were punctuated by three pops as she pulled the caps off of the bottles. “I saw the tape, and I got an idea of what your next step should be.”
Gabriel placed his hands on the table, opening his palms to the ceiling. “Aren’t the police opening an investigation? Maybe we should let them take care of it.”
“You think the police care about some small-time lesbian drug dealer?”
Gabriel and I exchanged a look.
“You barely gave two shits about Gloria, and all of a sudden you walk in on your night off towing this little thing looking for her? I’m not sure the police can even help you,” Sarah continued. “But I can.”
I got a prickly feeling. Irritated, I spoke up. “How?”
Sarah looked at me in surprise. “I saw something in the video. A clue, if you will.”
“Which is?” Gabriel said.
A playful smile formed on Sarah’s lips. “I’ll share if you tell me what’s going on.”
“Well...”
Gabriel trailed off, looking at me. I tried to keep my expression loose and neutral, but I knew there was visible tension in the set of my jaw. I tried to convey a message by blinking extra slowly. Can she be trusted? But Gabriel’s eyes seemed to communicate an entirely different plea: It’s all up to you.
I sighed. “Someone came after me, and he told us it was Gloria who set him on my trail. We needed to talk to her to see if she’s been reporting back to someone higher up in the chain.”
Sarah touched her lips and narrowed her eyes. “Interesting. Tell me more.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened. I shook my head at him. I didn’t even know Sarah; I wasn’t going to let her play me like a fiddle.
“That’s it,” I said firmly.
Sarah rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. I wasn’t sure if it was just a meaningless gesture, or if it was directed at someone, like me. “Fine, Mystery Girl. I’m sure it’s not all that exciting, anyway. I did notice that the girl in the video had some unique tattoos, and I know an artist who has a similar style. But he’s very straight-edge, so there’s a good chance it’s a dead end.”
“Hey, we’ll take whatever we can get,” Gabriel said.
“I’ll drive you guys over there in the morning,” Sarah said, pushing herself away from the table. She took her beer and walked into her bedroom. I hoped she wouldn’t come back out.
Gabriel blew out his cheeks, releasing a long breath. “Man.”
I gave him a serious look. “What the hell was up with her? She wanted to know everything.”
Gabriel shrugged. “I have no idea. She’s normally cool.” He sat in silence for a few seconds. “Maybe she was just really, really interested.”
I snorted. “Yeah. Right.” I glanced around the room, wanting to change the subject to something else. My attention landed on the clock. “Shit, it’s late. What are the sleeping arrangements going to be?”
Color rose high in my cheeks when I realized what I’d just said. Gabriel averted his eyes, but his lips were pulled up in a smile.
“I happen to know a spot on the floor that’s extra-soft.”
We turned off all the lights and settled in the middle of the living room floor, our feet pointing toward the bookcase. Gabriel collected a woven blanket draping on the back of a bench and covered both of us with it. Then, he turned toward me and stretched an arm over my stomach.
I tried not to breathe too hard.
“Comfortable?” Gabriel asked.
“Yeah.”
He was quiet, but I could practically hear the thoughts rolling around his head. “You don’t have to go tomorrow,” he finally said.
“Huh?”
“The tattoo place. It really does seem like a long shot, doesn’t it? And this whole thing with that guy and the gang looking for you—”
“I want to,” I said automatically. I was afraid if he kept talking, he’d convince me to leave town. Half of me still wanted to, afraid. I didn’t want to be scared, but that’s what I felt. My only choice was to ignore it. “It’s what I want to do.”
“Okay, then. As long as you’re okay with it, so am I.”
His stubble scraped against my shoulder. I waited for him to make a move, any move, but he didn’t. His breaths grew slower and slower until I finally accepted that he was asleep.
What is up with this guy? I wondered. I turned my face away from him and filled my lungs with cool air. At least I was safe tonight, and it was all thanks to Gabriel once again. I slipped off to sleep with that thought planted in my mind.