Gabriel (Guardian Defenders Book 1)

by Kris Michaels

  Chapter 29

  “Are you coming tonight?” Kathy, one of the two ER docs that worked Anna's trauma unit, called to her as she entered the female locker room.

  “Of course.” It was tradition. Even if they didn't stay long, the team went out to Shooter's and blew off steam every Friday evening.

  “Hey, you're not going to take that job, are you?” Kathy pulled off her scrub top and threw it into her locker as she spoke. The words came out muffled, but Anna understood her.

  “Nah. I was looking forward to the change from working on the ward when they first offered me the job.” Anna pulled her sock on. The home healthcare position she'd accepted couldn't keep the job open while she was taking care of Jackie and Gabriel, so she'd let it go. The position on the trauma unit came open about a week after she'd come back from New Orleans and, having made friends throughout the hospital, she was hired immediately.

  “But not now?” Kathy asked as she tugged a pair of skin-tight jeans up.

  “Nope. I love it here.” Which was true. The shifts were always busy, and the team had accepted her as one of their own. She was content. For the most part.

  “I'm heading home first. I want to shower and change. I'll see you there.” Anna shoved her foot into her sneaker and stomped down on it, freeing the heel.

  “Wear your dancing boots, girl!” Kathy shouted after her. Anna chuckled and waved at her. The reason she was going home was twofold. She wanted to change and shower, true, but the news had been plastered with detailed coverage of horrible things in the Middle East. She had no idea where Gabriel was, and that freed her imagination to run wild. She'd started recording the five o'clock evening news on VHS so she could watch all the foreign correspondents’ reports. Why? Hell, she wasn't really sure, maybe in the hopes of seeing him or hearing a sound bite about any teams that were working in the area. Which was stupid, but she couldn't stop herself from recording the television show or from watching it. She’d caught a glimpse of him once. It was enough to fuel her obsession.

  The drive to her little house was effortless and almost mindless after four months. She'd let the nurse who was subletting her apartment take over the lease. The little house located in the just-the-wrong-side-of-the-good-side of town was a rental that Don, the other ER doc who worked with her, had available. It meant Anna could putter around at all hours of the night without waking the day shift nurse who still needed a place to stay.

  She glanced at her rearview mirror. The same SUV that she usually saw on her drive home fell in behind her. Anna had made up stories about the driver. They lived in her neighborhood and worked at the hospital, or so her imagination told her. It kept her from worrying that maybe someone was following her. She snorted at the thought. All the drama that swirled around Jackie had made her paranoid. One thing she continuously told herself was that it wasn't Craig McNair. Craig was with Gabriel. Craig couldn't hurt her. Right. That's why she'd signed up for another self-defense class two months ago. She felt a shiver run down her spine. A quick glance at the rearview, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The vehicle turned on the same street it always turned on. She continued two streets farther and turned right before she pulled into a tiny ranchette. It wasn't big, but it was home.

  Anna unlocked the front door, turned on the lights, and bolted the door behind her. She pulled her t-shirt off on the way to the bathroom and showered quickly. While she was brushing her teeth, she rewound the VHS tape to where the newscast started, turned up the volume and pushed play. While the events of the nation were discussed, she got dressed. Tight blue jeans, her dancing boots, a leather belt that she'd hand-tooled and a vest that she used as a shirt. She'd let her hair grow out, and it curled around her ears and down the nape of her neck. Still short, but a softer style than the asymmetric cut she’d made the mistake of getting earlier in the year. She reached for her felt hat, black to match her vest, and stopped as the anchorman said, “And in international news...”

  Butt planted in front of the television, she watched, engrossed in the coverage. It ended, and she rewound the tape, pushing play again, watching everything a second time. There was nothing. “Okay. Okay.” She spoke out loud as she forced herself to turn off the television. She tugged at the vest and squared her shoulders. She should eat something, but the thought of food made her stomach roil. She couldn't eat when she was nervous. Never could. It was a horrible way to lose weight, but it was effective. She'd bought new jeans, two sizes smaller. She spun and looked at her ass in the mirror. She snorted and plopped her hat on her head on the way out the door. Nobody was going to be looking at her ass.

  If the packed parking lot was any indication, the dance hall bar was extremely busy. Trucks and SUVs parked not only on the blacktop that surrounded the establishment, but on the compacted dirt surrounding the lot. The deafening bass of a country song reverberated deeply as Gabriel walked to the door.

  He'd had his men meet him at the airport with clothes for tonight. The filthy, camouflage, tactical pants, sweat-stained t-shirt, and broke-down combat boots weren't what he wanted to wear to meet Anna. He’d used the small shower on his private jet and changed clothes before he disembarked. Now, his dress and appearance would lead anyone to believe he was a regular at the rowdy cowboy joint. His faded jeans, cowboy boots, white shirt with mother of pearl snaps and faded blue jean jacket blended perfectly with the normal crowd. The women at the entrance to the bar openly stared at his arrival. The invitation was obvious, but he wasn’t interested in them. He paid his cover charge and entered the warehouse-sized dance hall. His eyes never stopped scanning the crowd as he walked through the mass of humanity with an ingrained confidence and natural authority. He lucked into an open stool and ordered a double whiskey before he started his search of the crowded bar.

  He turned, taking a sip of his drink as he took in the press of bodies on the dance floor. The team assigned to Anna had sent him weekly reports. He knew exactly where she would be tonight. Every Friday night, she came here with the rest of the day shift from the trauma unit. He had background on all of them. Their names, occupations, how much debt they had accrued, their arrest records, anything that could cause Anna any hardships. Other than a couple speeding tickets, her coworkers were harmless.

  Knowing she was safe allowed him to focus on his assignment. Maybe he should have told her she was being watched, but the oversight wasn't malicious. The team watched from afar. Her privacy wasn't violated, and he could go about his business knowing she was safe.

  She’d lost her home healthcare position because she stayed in New Orleans too long. He found out about that after she'd already secured another position. He hated the delay in information but sometimes finding a way to communicate with the outside world was impossible.

  Tony, the team lead for the men he'd assigned to watch her, had made consistent and thorough reports. He'd also indicated that he'd started a relationship with one of the nurses. The man had offered his resignation. He’d refused and had become accustomed to first-hand knowledge of how Anna was doing rather than observation from afar.

  So he knew the usual crowd for the Friday night adventure was four nurses, two doctors and an administrative assistant, or a mix thereof, depending on life. According to Tony's reports, the group usually tried to grab a table near the rear of the massive dance hall. It was closer to the second, smaller bar. Gabriel’s eyes probed the darkened warehouse-size building, searching for her familiar face. He sipped his whiskey as he watched.

  He took another long draw of the whiskey and forced the tenseness in his shoulders to loosen. He and Craig had completed the mission almost four days ago. He’d left Craig in-country to tie up loose ends and remove Guardian's assets from an area that was a volcano waiting to explode. The mission they'd just completed did nothing to stop the fissures of lava boiling just under the surface. Shit was going to get worse there before it got better.

  Regardless, Gabriel caught the first thing flying out of the country and orchestrated a pick
-up in Germany. He had chartered aircraft positioned all over the world, so arranging transport to Denver, Colorado from Ramstein Air Base in Germany wasn't too difficult. He'd traveled over forty hours straight to get back to her. His hand scrubbed his exhausted face in an attempt to wake himself up. He blinked to put the crowd back in focus. Jet lagged and exhausted beyond human comprehension, he was sitting in a dark warehouse searching for the woman he dreamed about. Nothing mattered except being with her.

  The song changed, causing a wild scream from some random drunken cowboy. Gabriel casually watched as the dance floor filled. Lines formed as damn near everyone in the building started dancing. Searching the moving lines of boots and hats, he found her. She'd lost weight, a lot of weight, and that realization disturbed him. Her tall, lithe body moved in perfect time with the music. He watched as she smiled that megawatt smile of hers at the man next to her in line.

  Gabriel's focus shifted to that cowboy. He saw the man drink in her black vest that she wore as a shirt. It was sexy as fuck. The black leather hugged her curves and showed her breasts, and now tiny waist, to perfection. The jeans she wore were skintight. The thick leather belt and huge belt buckle sat on her hips and accentuated her tight ass.

  Jealousy coursed through his veins as he watched her dancing and laughing with the man beside her. He knew she’d been faithful. His men and their reports would have indicated if she hadn’t been. He followed her moves. Anna was having a good time. He smiled. Both of their nights were about to get better. He slid off his barstool and moved closer.

  A new song started to pulse through the bar, and the blonde cowboy swept her into his arms and started to dance. Gabriel quickened his pace when he saw her stiffen in the man's arms.

  “Let me go. I don’t want to dance with you.”

  He couldn't hear the words, but he read her lips without any problem.

  The cowboy flashed a toothy grin and pulled on Anna, disregarding her objection.

  Blocked from reaching her by several twirling couples and at least thirty yards, Gabriel watched as Anna grabbed the cowboy's arm from her back and twisted his little finger viciously as she spun out of his reach. The man damn near fell to his knees, but Anna didn't give him a second look. She walked directly back to her table. Gabriel slowed and smiled. Yeah, that was his firecracker.

  The cowboy she had left standing on the dance floor jolted forward, following Anna. Before Gabriel could reach him, he saw a member of his team, dressed as a bar patron, intercept the young man and assist him off the dance floor. Gabriel shifted and searched for the rest of the team. He nodded his thanks to them when he found them.

  Anna was oblivious to the events behind her, and that was exactly the way he wanted it.

  Anna reached the table and noticed her coworkers were doing shots of tequila. She laughed and leaned over the table to grab her plastic cup of cheap, cold red wine.

  “Shit, girl, I wish I had as many opportunities as you do! Why don’t you just dance? It’s not like you’re going to screw them!”

  Anna gaped at her friend, Kathy. The woman's face was flushed, either from dancing or drinking, Anna wasn’t sure which. “You have the opportunities, Kath. I think this is the first dance you’ve sat out all night. Where did Don go?”

  “Too many beers. The last time I saw him, he was standing in line for the little cowboy's room. He’ll be back soon. But seriously, dance with someone, would you? All three of you girls act like you’re nuns.” Anna smiled at the other two nurses at the table with her. They’d heard this lecture from Kathy many times before. Especially when Kathy drank more than she should.

  “I told you, I have a man.” Anna lifted her finger, displaying her ring. “I don’t need these boys.” It was a bravado she pulled out whenever anyone tried to push a date on her.

  “Yeah right, the mysterious man you met in New Orleans. Girl, I think he’s a myth or porn-induced dream. I mean, get real, if he isn’t fiction, then why hasn’t he shown up? And I don't buy that secret agent stuff. Wait! He’s married, and you’re a convenient diversion.” Kathy laughed and threw back another shot of tequila. “Seriously, that ring will not keep you warm at night. You’re ruining a great chance to have just a little bit of fun.”

  Ouch. Anna’s eyes darted to the table. Kathy’s alcohol-fueled words cut deep. Gabriel had been gone for over four months. Yet, his words echoed through her thoughts every hour of every day. Shrugging her shoulders back, she flashed Kathy a smile. It was fake, but she wouldn’t let her friends see her worry. “Believe what you will, I’m still not interested in these guys.”

  Don Marks, the other day shift ER doctor, sauntered to the table. He grabbed a shot glass and slammed the drink before he grabbed Kathy by the waist and headed to the dance floor. The woman laughed and waved to the crowd at the table. Anna chuckled, sooner or later those two doctors would figure out they loved each other. It amazed her how really smart people could be so blind.

  She turned her attention to Amy and Rachel, the other two nurses who made Friday night at Shooters’ a tradition. The three of them were all in some semblance of relationships, so they watched out for each other. Saline, the records clerk who came out with them sometimes, had just started a serious relationship, so she'd stopped coming to Friday nights. Their pack mentality had saved each of them from several rabid attacks by drunken cowboys. They had the defensive tactics down to a science. When one of them noticed a pending attempt by a country cousin who’d had too much liquor, they banded together. It worked well and suited each of them. Strength in numbers and all that.

  Rachel was facing the bar, people watching. Her black hair was pulled back in a ponytail and fell halfway down her back. She'd started dating a guy she met here at the bar, but his schedule was varied, and he couldn’t always come on Friday night. Rachel had confided in her that her boyfriend Tony worked for a security organization. Anna felt an immediate kinship with Rachel, especially when she struggled to find time to be alone with her man.

  Rachel’s mouth dropped open. She sent a flailing arm out and slapped at Anna, hitting nothing but air. Anna laughed at her friend, but Rachel didn't take her eyes off whatever held her attention. She patted around with her hand until she found Anna's arm. “Oh shit, would you look at that gorgeous hunk of man.”

  Anna laughed and swirled her wine at the bottom of her plastic cup. “Nope, not even window shopping, and you shouldn’t be either!”

  “You know I would never cheat on Tony, but girl, I am not kidding. You would not believe the piece of deliciousness that is leaning against the post staring holes into you.” Rachel’s face turned red, and she unlatched from her visual target long enough to make sure Anna knew she was serious before she zeroed in on the man again.

  Anna shrugged. “Yeah, not interested, no matter what he looks like, he couldn’t compare to what I have.”

  “Anna, this one is scary, dangerous looking, and he’s staring at you.” Amy glanced around nervously. “I really wish Tony was here tonight. Where is Don? We might need backup.”

  Anna cast a glance at the dance floor and saw the dancing doctors close by. “Calm down, ladies. We’re good. Don and Kathy are right there. Who in the hell is scaring you?” Anna followed Amy and Rachel’s gaze.

  She froze where she stood. It took all of five seconds to realize she wasn't seeing things. Anna threw back her head, gave a wild yell of delight, and ran across the dance floor, dodging everyone who got in her way. Gabriel smiled as she launched and wrapped herself around him. She showered kisses over his face as they laughed. Somehow, her legs slid down his body, and she found herself held in his strong arms. Their first kiss was long, intimate, and possessive.

  He pulled his mouth away and led her into a two-step across the dance floor.

  “You're home!” She almost vibrated across the floor but managed to move her feet in some semblance of a two-step. His dancing was flawless, like everything else he did.

  “I am. Did you miss me?”

 
She gazed into Gabriel’s smoldering eyes and leaned in to kiss him. When they had to separate to breathe, she laid her head on his shoulder and pressed herself into him, trying to get as close as she could as they danced.

  “God, yes.” She wanted to ask him if he was back for good. Wanted to know what his coming back meant for them. There were literally hundreds of questions she wanted to ask, but none of them made it past the swirling of her mind. Gabriel was here. He was here in her arms. She smiled as she held him tighter. He was better than any porn-induced dream. She may have thought that in her snarky voice, but for once, she'd allow it.

  Her hands wandered up and down his back. The plated muscles that moved under her hands reminded her of his strength. God, it was heaven to be in his arms again. She felt his automatic hanging from a shoulder holster under his Jacket. A reminder of the dangerous job he had and the reason he'd been gone for so long. She tilted her head back and lifted her eyes to him. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  She had a million things to tell him. A thousand conversations she’d held with his absent image.

  “How about we finish this dance, go say goodbye to your friends, and then find some alone time?”

  She nodded vigorously and he pulled her closer, kissed her temple, and guided her across the floor. Their steps held in perfect unison. In the last five minutes, the surrounding world had dimmed, and only Gabriel was illuminated. Happy tears welled and fell unabated down her cheeks.

  He arched back to see her face. “Hey, I didn’t travel over forty hours to see you cry.” He tilted her chin up and kissed her tenderly. The slow sensual music ended, and a faster beat started to pulse around them. He led her off the floor toward her table.