Young Love Murder (8 page)

As she pulls away from the kiss, I study her eyes, her face. I was right. She doesn’t feel as strongly for him. The heated look that was in her eyes when we kissed isn’t in them now. Then it hits me, I know why she turned away from me and turned towards Max. It’s such a guy thing to do, but it took a while for me to figure out, coming unexpectedly from a girl.

She’s trying to protect herself. She made it clear that she doesn’t do relationships and knows that one between us would be anything but casual. She’s the type of person that hides her true self from others, has secrets and doesn’t let anyone close enough to her to find them out. Maybe a guy hurt her in the past and now she shuts every other guy out that she has feelings for. She’s hiding from the feelings she has for me and using Max to do it. She thinks that if she dates my cousin, then she’s safe from me. That he’s safer to be with. Feeling much better about my own appeal, I start laughing to myself, getting weird looks from the people I’m sitting with.

Well she’s wrong there. From the first moment I saw her at the club, I knew that I had to have her. Fate is crashing down on us. Doesn’t she know that you can’t fight fate?

Annabelle

Max had asked for my cell number between third and fourth periods yesterday, but I didn’t think he’d call after I’d hung out with Gabriel. He must have known about it, Gabriel seems like the type to
make
it known. I thought I’d have to smooth things over with Max at school today. Instead, he called last night and asked if he could drive me to school.
Like putty in my capable hands.

After Max picked me up at the hotel, he told me he liked me and straight up asked if I’d like to be more than friends. I told him ‘yes’ and there you have it. We’re going
steady
. I had to laugh about that one. Jackson obnoxiously did when I called him about it while in the restroom during second period. Gabriel problem solved. However, when we held hands in front of Gabriel before school this morning I actually felt guilty. I’ve never felt guilty about anything while on a job! It’d be ridiculous to since I use people to get to the target. It’s nothing personal, at least not on my end. And if it gets personal on their end, well that’s their problem isn’t it?

Gabriel doesn’t sit with us at lunch, not that I’m not aware of his exact location a few tables away, and Max and I share our first kiss. It’s nice, but after we’re done with it, a part of me wishes that I could kiss Gabriel again.
Greedy and stupid, Annabelle
. I’m nervous as I walk to fifth period, both anticipating and dreading seeing Gabriel. Is this what normal teenage girls go through every day? If it is, it sucks. I’d take being an assassin over being a
normal
teenage girl any day. If I have a problem, I kill it or run away from it. If a regular teenager has a problem they have to work through it. Yep, it sucks.

Taking the same seat as yesterday, Gabriel walks in and sits down next to me. I refuse to acknowledge how handsome he is today in that plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

My phone vibrates and I check to see that there’s a new text from Max.

Missing you already

Wow, that’s kinda . . . cheesy. I laugh softly.

The phone is snatched out of my hand by Gabriel. “What’s so funny?” Before I can answer he’s reading the message, laughing. “Told you my cousin was gay.” 

Snatching back my phone, I ignore him and pretend to pay attention to the teacher. A few minutes later a note lands on my desk. I open it slowly as if I’m not eager to read it when, sadly, I am.

I know your secret. We’ll talk after class.

Crap! Does Gabriel mean that he knows that I’ve been sent to kill his father? That can’t be it! Everything is done anonymously through Simon. But, what else can he be talking about? I may have to call Simon and let him know that I’m pulling out. It’d be a first, but not the end of the world. I come to terms with the fact that I may have to subdue Gabriel before leaving, but why does the thought of never seeing him again make me feel . . .
uncomfortable
?

After class, I follow Gabriel out of the classroom, running through different options in my head. Knock him out . . . give him a nonfatal knife wound . . . push him down some stairs. I don’t want him at my back, that’s for sure, just in case he means to harm me. Joining him in the hallway, he grabs my hand and leads me to an exit out of the building. Good, I may need the privacy. The day is sunny and cloudless, with a temperature of around seventy-five degrees. We pass by the students heading for gym class, swerving off in a different direction.

His hand is warm and I like the feel of my small hand in his larger one. It makes me feel feminine, protected. Something must be wrong with me because I don’t need protection from anything. I can take care of myself and anyone who chooses to mess with me. More like he’s gonna need protection from me.

He leads me around to the back side of the gym. I scan the area and don’t see any witnesses in sight, just an empty soccer field. Well, at least it’s not an ambush. Dropping his backpack, he leans back against the wall and pulls my body up against his, hip to hip. The constant attraction I have while around him ignites further, very inconvenient.

“What did you want to talk about Gabriel?” I’m able to keep my voice controlled, despite the urge I’m suppressing to rub against him. I lower my own backpack to the ground, readying myself for a confrontation.

“You and me,” he says matter-of-factly. It doesn’t seem like he knows the truth about me, likely this is just some stupid ploy to get me alone.

“There is no you and me, there is a
Max
and me,” I tell him coolly, holding his heated gaze. 

“There shouldn’t be a you and Max,” he says and gently grasps the back of my head, making me fight the instinctive urge to hurt him to get out of his grip. At the same time, it makes me hotter than a smoking gun. “You’re using Max to hide from your feelings for me.”
Damn
, I knew being alone with him was a bad idea.

“What’s the matter Gabriel? Can’t come to terms with a girl not wanting you the most?” I tease in an attempt to hide what I’m really feeling.
Want
. Wants I must ignore.

He sees right through me too easily. “Liar, I know you want me.” He flips us around so that I’m against the tan brick building of the gym and his body is pressing against mine. For some reason I choose to ignore, I let him, making excuses in my head. He kisses me and I can’t help but return his desire. The same fire as yesterday is there, kissing him feels so right, so good. 

Weaving the fingers of one hand in my hair, with the other clutching my hip and pinning me firmly between him and the wall, Gabriel starts kissing my neck. As if he means to pick up where we left off yesterday. He kisses up to my ear and whispers, “Tell me that you only want me, Anna.” 

Instead of telling him what he wants to hear, I remain stubborn. “We just met. We barely know each other.” The instant connection and strong attraction doesn’t make any sense to me and I’m not sure it’s wise to admit to it, even to further my task. Why this male, after all the ones who have come before?

“Tell me!” He says again, more demandingly, kissing me roughly this time.

It’s a losing battle under his onslaught. “I only want you, Gabriel.” Somehow, I mean it and that scares the shit out of me.

He looks me in the eyes and says with intensity, “And I only want you, Anna.” Damn, I should not be enjoying that statement, enjoying him. The heart that's supposed to be caged flutters its wings and soars.

We start kissing again and he runs his hand up the outside of my thigh, with his torso still pressing me against the wall. I’m wearing a skirt again today, so he has easy access. When he gets to where I have several blades strapped high on my right thigh, he freezes and moves his body away from mine to look down at where his hand has raised the hem of my skirt. 

His eyes slowly journey up to my mine. His expression is one of shock. I peer at him innocently. “What? A girl has to be able to protect herself.”

He inhales sharply, letting his next words out on the outward breath, “God, you are so hot.” Then he leans down for another kiss. This time, I’m the one grabbing the back of
his
head in my enthusiasm.

Chapter 5

Gabriel

I’m aware that Anna has secrets, but I can’t blame her for not being forthcoming with information just yet since we just met. Perhaps there’s something from her past that haunts her. Whatever it is, I can see it in her eyes. Her knives, while sexy, also worry me. Did someone hurt her physically?

These feelings are new to me, more intense than anything I’ve ever felt before. Way beyond lust. Maybe even new to her also, so I trust that she’ll tell me more about herself when she’s ready. Right now, I have a more pressing matter to deal with, smoothing things over with Max. He’s not going to be happy that I stole Anna from him. But, did I really steal her? Did he really have her first? He may have spotted her at the club first, but I talked to her first. I also kissed her first, yesterday at the beach. Shouldn’t I also be upset by
his
actions?

Anna and I spend all of sixth period with lips locked and bodies rubbing rhythmically against each other and the side of the building. Finally hearing the bell ringing out its five minute warning to the start of seventh period, we break our final kiss. Retrieving our backpacks, we head towards our last class of the day. I still can’t believe she had three throwing knives strapped to her thigh. You would think that it’d freak me out, but it doesn’t. It actually made me even hotter for her. The thought crossed my mind to just take her against the building. But I figure, if I want more with her than I usually want with other girls, then I need to treat her with a little more respect and consideration than that. Seriously though, why would she be carrying knives? Does she need to protect herself on a regular basis? What in her past involves the need for it? My earlier thought about her being hurt physically makes me wonder if she was attacked at some point. The endless questions are frustrating.

While we’re walking to class hand in hand, she asks, “So in the note, what did you mean by the word ‘secret’?”

“What did you think I meant?” Looking at her, I want to drag her back to our make-out spot.

“I asked you first,” she counters with a pointed look.

“Well,” I begin hesitantly, new territory for me here, “I didn’t really mean anything in particular. I just get the feeling that you hide things from people, maybe to protect yourself from getting hurt. I want you to know that I’ll be here to listen when you’re ready to talk.” From the look on her face, she doesn’t seem particularly thrilled with my willing ears.

Annabelle

I don’t think so.
I knew being around him would be a problem. How is he able to read me so easily? I mean, he isn’t right, not exactly. I do hide things from people, all sorts of things. Like, who I am and what I do. He’s also right about me doing it to protect myself from getting hurt. But instead of protecting my emotions from getting hurt, like he thinks, I’m protecting my life and freedom. 

He sees through me better than anyone else, including Jackson. I’ve been trained to hide my emotions and project only those feelings and thoughts that I choose to. I should have more control over it. Two frightening thoughts occur to me, either he’s really good at reading people, or when I’m around him I unknowingly let down my guard. The first thought is bad, the second thought is dangerous. Perhaps I’m not doing as good of a job as I thought. He’s seeing things that I definitely don’t want him to see. I’ve always been able to control my facial expressions, body language and the emotion in my eyes, so that people perceive only what I want them to. That’s all going to hell around Gabriel. Again I think that Max would be the better route. I’m enjoying this thing with Gabriel way too much for my own good and he’s observing too much for his own good.

About him being there when I'm ready to talk?
Not gonna happen, buddy.
What am I going to tell him? That I’m an assassin hired to kill his father and that the only reason he ever met me in the first place was so that I can use him as a means to a deadly end? 

Am I insane? What am I doing, falling for a guy who would hate me if he knew the truth? Maybe I should ask Jackson to take over this job for me. If Max really
were
gay, that might be an option, not that Jackson would be thrilled at the prospect. Then I’d never see Gabriel again, which shouldn’t bother me at all but does. Since the moment I first looked at that black and white photo of Gabriel, I felt something towards him. At first, it was just curiosity, but now it’s turned into something more. When I met him at the club, there was an instant attraction, but I brushed it aside. Since then, the more time I spend with him, the deeper my feelings go. It feels like we’re being drawn together by forces of nature, animal attraction and more. If that’s the case, when this is over, will I be comparing the ending to a natural disaster? Because I can’t see how this ‘relationship’ can having a happy ending when it doesn’t even have a future.