The Hitman

                                                                       Chapter 2

For the fifth time that afternoon, Rachel Stone looked out the bay window of her living room to see the stranger out front working on his vehicle. It sat in the street directly in front of her house facing in the opposite direction of traffic. The hood was up, and though she couldn’t see the man very well, she could tell he was standing on the front bumper and leaning into the engine compartment. He’d been out there since just before noon, and she was beginning to wonder if he was going to end up having it towed.

Normally a stranger in the neighborhood would make her nervous, but he seemed to genuinely have vehicle problems. With it being so hot outside for a spring afternoon, she was beginning to feel sorry for the guy. She had just finished making some iced tea and it was still an hour or so before she had to pick up Abigail from school. It wouldn’t hurt to be friendly, she thought. So making her decision, she entered the kitchen and fixed up a large glass of iced tea.

Crossing over her front lawn, Rachel quietly approached the black Chevy Suburban. As she drew closer, she heard a loud clank, and then an angry barrage of words in a foreign language she didn’t understand. It caused her smile.

“Excuse me-” Rachel heard another loud bang, which sounded suspiciously like the guy’s head banging against the hood of the suburban, then more cursing.

“Ow, son of a bi . . .” The stranger peered out from under the the hood, saw Rachel, and bit off the last of his curse. He was rubbing the back of his head and Rachel had to fight a giggle.

“I’m so sorry,” she apologized. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Is your head alright?”

“I’ll survive,” he answered, slightly annoyed. She’d snuck up on him and that didn’t sit well with Gabriel. His feet landed lightly on the street as he stepped off the bumper. Grabbing a rag, he began wiping the grease from his hands while studying the woman before him.

Without a doubt this was Rachel Stone, but she looked nothing like the picture he’d been given. She was in a light green calico sundress, which seemed to mold itself to every curve she had. The front dipped low, revealing the tops of perfect creamy white breasts. Her long dark auburn hair was pulled up and piled on top of her head and held in place with a large black clip, her bangs falling across her forehead in short wisps. She had an oval-shaped face and the greenest eyes he’d ever seen. She wore light makeup and other than a nice pair of gold hoop earrings and a gold chain around her neck, she wore little jewelry. She looked classy and sexy, yet Gabriel sensed a gentleness about her. The picture he’d been given was a disgrace to the beautiful woman who stood before him now. Somewhere along the way, Rachel Stone had blossomed.

“I’m Rachel Stone. I live here.” She jerked her thumb back over her shoulder at the large house behind her. “I noticed you’ve been working out here on your Suburban for most of the afternoon, and I thought with it being so hot that maybe you’d like some iced tea.” She held up the glass in offering.

My god, I’m babbling, she thought to herself. She hadn’t expected the man to be so damn gorgeous. He was like something that had walked off the cover of those romance novels by the register at the grocery store. Tall, dark and handsome described this man to a T.

. . . and dangerous. . . came the thought, unbidden to her mind and a shiver raced up her spine.

Suddenly he smiled and his whole appearance changed before her eyes. Good Lord, she thought as she felt her heart skip a beat, they should really outlaw men like this!

“Thank you, that is very kind.” His voice was deep, rich and slightly accented. He reached for the glass and took it from her. Bringing it to his lips he tilted his head back and took a long drink.

Rachel swallowed hard as she watched his Adam’s apple work convulsively up and down. Get a grip on yourself, woman, before you embarrass yourself! “I have to go pick up my daughter in an hour,” she began, proud of herself for not stuttering or sounding like some lovesick teenager. “But if there is anything I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to come ask. My husband has tools in the garage that you’re welcome to borrow.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Stone, I appreciate the offer.” His dark eyes swept boldly over her from top to bottom. A warm flush worked its way through her body and spread to her cheeks. A slow smile worked across his full lips, causing her heart to stutter in her chest. It was times like this that Rachel wished she wasn’t married anymore.

Damn Martin and his greediness! Rachel fumed silently. If it weren’t for him, she’d be divorced by now. He seemed to think that if they divorced, Rachel would hang him out to dry. All she wanted was her freedom. Freedom for her and Abigail to live their own lives. She turned and started back across the lawn toward her house.

“My name is Gabriel.” His deep voice worked like satin across her skin and made her shiver.

Turning back, she smiled. “Nice to meet you, Gabriel.” They stared at each other for a long moment, then Rachel forced herself to turn and continue on to the house.

Gabriel watched her go. He liked the way her hips swayed in an easy movement that was just enough to get a guy’s attention. He found himself attracted to her, and that wasn’t a good sign. She had caught him completely off guard and he’d blurted out his name to her like an idiot. That also wasn’t a good thing to have done, but no matter, she wouldn’t be alive long enough to tell it to anyone anyway. He sighed softly and returned to his Suburban. She seemed like a nice lady and he was regretting now that he’d agreed to kill her. But a deal was a deal and Gabriel didn’t get where he was today by reneging on deals.

Climbing back up onto the bumper, he went back to the task at hand. Pretending to fix a vehicle that wasn’t really broke. He had to have a reason for being in the neighborhood though and had come up with this idea to get a close look at Rachel and her daily routine. He certainly hadn’t expected her to come out with an offering of iced tea and introducing herself.

It would have been better if he hadn’t of met her at all, but since he had, he might as well take advantage. He looked back under the hood and smiled. Her generous offer of her husband’s tools would give him a reason to get into her house. He glanced down at his watch. He had about 45 minutes before she had to leave to pick up the girl. Might as well get it over with.

~*~*~*~*~

Rachel chided herself for the way she was acting. For the hundredth time she fought the urge to go look out the living room window and stare like a hormonal teenager at the handsome man outside. She was a grown married woman, for goodness sakes! Not happily married, but married none the less. She knew Martin was not happy either. He spent more and more time in Atlanta, to the point that she suspected that he was having an affair. Maybe even with that secretary of his.

She had asked for a divorce a few months back and Martin had gone berserk. He said that if she ever tried to leave him, he’d kill her. She tried to convince herself that he’d just said that in the heat of the moment, but deep inside she knew he’d been serious and it had scared her a lot. So Abigail was her world now, everything she did was centered around her daughter. Abigail had started Kindergarten this past year and seemed happy enough. Occasionally she would ask about her daddy, but otherwise did not seem to be affected by his absence.

Rachel went to the laundry room and pulled clothes out of the dryer into a laundry hamper. Afterwards, she put the wet clothes that were in the washing machine in the dryer and started it. Picking up the hamper, she headed for the bedroom. The house they lived in was a big Colonial-style home located in a quiet, safe, upper-class neighborhood that was perfect for raising a little five-year-old girl. As long as Martin left them alone, everything was perfect.

As she began to fold her laundry, her thoughts returned to the gentleman outside. Gabriel. A shiver raced up her spine as she remembered the look he’d given her before she’d returned to the house. His dark eyes had openly swept up and down her body. She wondered if he’d liked what he’d seen. Rachel shook her head. What did it matter what he thought?

She sighed softly, picking up one of Abigail’s shirts and folding it neatly. Well, she knew what she thought of him! Tall, long dark curly hair that hung past his shoulders and a beard that framed his full lips like a goatee and traced along his jaw line. His features were incredibly masculine and he had the most expressive, intense brown eyes she’d ever seen. It still amazed her how his face had transformed with just a smile.

Picking up another piece of Abigail’s clothing, she folded it out of habit. In her mind she didn’t see a child’s shirt, but Gabriel’s body. He had on old, well worn, faded pair of blue jeans that looked like he’d been poured into them from the way they fit his narrow hips and long legs. His black tee shirt molded and stretched across his muscular frame. He obviously worked out and it showed on every inch of him.

“My god, where was he when I was single?”

Rachel jumped when she heard the doorbell ring. Placing a hand to her chest as if she could still her galloping heartbeat, she walked through the house to the front door. Taking a quick look through the peephole first, she saw the object of her thoughts.

Getting a hold of her overactive libido, she opened the door and smiled. “Hello again.”

Returning the smile, Gabriel held up the empty tea glass. “I wanted to return your glass and see if your husband had a set of socket wrenches I could use.”

Opening the door wider to allow him to come in, Rachel stepped back. “Of course, come in, please.”

She took the empty glass from him and headed down the hall. “Martin keeps his tools in the garage. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you.”

She led him through the kitchen, placing the glass on the counter as she went. Gabriel glanced around the house as he followed Rachel. They had a nice home, very comfortable looking, with antiques and some toll painting decorations here and there. It was a large roomy house and he liked the fact that Rachel didn’t have it cluttered with everything under the sun.

The house exuded a certain warmth, just like Rachel did. For some reason, Gabriel had expected the house to be modern and cold, devoid of emotion, like a museum. He had guessed that a rich, powerful man who would want his wife dead wouldn’t concern himself with a real home, only a house where he could keep his belongings. Well, it was obvious Rachel’s husband didn’t do the collecting or decorating. While the house wasn’t excessively feminine in its décor, Gabriel could find hardly any stamp of the husband’s existence in the house.

Taking in his surroundings and already knowing the answer, the question still came unsolicited from Gabriel’s lips. “Your husband’s not home?” He asked looking around while he followed. His gun was tucked in the waistband of his jeans at the small of his back. He’d pulled his shirt out to cover it since it was too hot to wear a jacket.

“No, Martin works in Atlanta and is rarely home. He’s a work-a-holic, I’m afraid.” Rachel regretted saying that the moment it left her lips, but it was too late to do anything about it now. She just had to hope that this guy wasn’t a criminal casing the houses in the neighborhood.

Gabriel was suddenly very angry. What the hell was she thinking telling him, a total stranger, that her husband spent most of his time out of town? She trusted too easily and though that would make his job easier, for some reason it bothered him. Gabriel reached out and grabbed Rachel by the arm and spun her around to face him. Moving forward, he pushing her up against the wall. Rachel started to shriek, but his hand cut it off quickly.

Leaning into her, he brought his face close to hers. His dark eyes filled with the anger he felt, he whispered gruffly, “It can happen that quickly, Rachel. You’re a beautiful woman and you should never, ever allow a stranger into your home and then tell him that your husband is rarely home. That is inviting bad things to happen to you and your daughter, do you understand me?” Rachel nodded her head quickly, her eyes wide and frightened, pleading for him not to hurt her. His warm breath gusted against her cheek as he continued to hold his hand over her mouth.

“I’m not going to hurt you, piccola,” he whispered softly as if he’d read her mind. “You may hate me now for having frightened you like this, but I had to teach you that you cannot be so trusting. It’s sweet, but it could get you killed, or worse.” His expression softened as he eased the tight hold he had on her. “I’m going to release you now.”

Releasing her, he stepped back keeping his eyes on hers. Why hadn’t he just killed her? The opportunity had practically fallen into his lap! Why was he going all noble all of a sudden and getting protective? He didn’t understand, but for some reason he just couldn’t do it. Not yet anyway.

Rachel stood there quietly for a moment, looking at Gabriel. She was shaking like a leaf and she knew that she had been very lucky. He was right, she had been very foolish and he had called her on it. She had allowed his good looks to sway her into doing something she would have normally not done and it could have gotten her killed or like he said, worse.

“You’re right.” Her body still tingled where his had been pressed against her. She concentrated on her breathing, trying to keep it even and not to panic. “I was very foolish and now I think I would like for you to leave.”

Gabriel nodded his head once in acknowledgement. “My apologies for having frightened you, Rachel, but if I just saved your life, then it was worth it to me.” He turned to leave.

“Why do you care?” she called after him. “You don’t even know me.”

Gabriel stopped and turned back to her. He smiled a sexy smile that melted her toes. “Because I like you, dolcezza.” He held her gaze a moment longer then turned and left the house.

He was still out there when she left to get Abigail a few minutes later, but gone when she returned a half an hour later. I guess he didn’t need those socket wrenches after all, she thought to herself. She shivered at the memory of what could have happened had he truly wanted to hurt her. Rachel learned a very valuable lesson that afternoon. One she would never forget and she supposed that was what he had hoped to teach her.

~*~*~*~*~

In the kitchen, Rachel began to get dinner ready. Placing the chicken in an oven bag, she added all the necessary spices and placed it in the oven.

“I’m hungry, Mommy,” Abigail complained as she walked into the kitchen. Rachel turned to smile at her daughter who was a replica of herself at the same age.

“Alright, honey. It will be at least an hour or so before dinner is ready, so you can have a few cookies and milk, okay?”

“Okay,” she answered happily and headed for the kitchen table.

Rachel brought the cookies out on a plate and a glass of milk and sat them in front of the five year old. Abigail grabbed one up immediately and began to devour it.

Rachel laughed. “Slow down, Tiger, you’ll make yourself sick.” She ruffled Abigail’s hair then she headed back to the kitchen.

An hour later Rachel heard the doorbell chime. She looked at her watch to see that it was almost 5:00 p.m. She frowned, wondering who it could possibly be. She wasn’t expecting anyone.

Rachel peeked through the peephole and saw a delivery guy standing there with flowers. She opened the door and smiled. “Can I help you?”

The deliveryman returned the smile. “Yes ma’am. I have some flowers here for Rachel Stone.”

“I’m Rachel Stone, but there must be some mistake.”

“No ma’am. It says right here on the card, “Rachel Stone at 33516 Rosemary Lane,” he read off the card envelope. “Could you sign this here receipt for me please, ma’am? The gentleman was very adamant about that.”

Rachel frowned as she took the clipboard to sign the receipt. “Gentleman?”

She handed the clipboard back. “Yes ma’am. Tall guy, dark hair, very intense sort of fellow. Not someone I’d want to tangle with in a dark alley.”

Rachel had to smile at the man’s description of Gabriel. It had to be him, she knew of no other men who fit that description. The guy handed her a crystal vase filled with red and white roses. “Have a nice day, Mrs. Stone.”

“Yes, thank you.” Rachel closed the door and walked to the kitchen table. Sitting the heavy vase down, she plucked the card off the plastic holder. Opening the small envelope, she pulled the card out. It simply said, “Be safe - Gabriel.” Rachel leaned over and smelled the beautiful roses. They were quite lovely and she was suddenly feeling like a schoolgirl again.

“Get over it, Rachel. You’re a married woman and you’ll most likely never see him again,” she chided herself. But even so, did she really want to see him again? Especially after what had happened this afternoon? Yes, she did, to tell the truth. She did want to see him again, but was realistic to the fact that she most likely never would.

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                                                        The Hitman - Chapter 3