| The Hitman By Ladybug |
| Chapter 6 After seeing her mom and Abigail safely on the plane at the airport the next morning, Rachel headed over to check in at the gate where her flight would be leaving an hour later. With some time to kill before her flight left, she located a bar and ordered a martini. She needed it. She was going to confront Martin with the evidence, and then she was going to go to the police. Why she felt she needed to confront Martin on this, she wasn’t sure, but she needed to see his face when she gave him a copy of the cassette and told him she knew. She needed to know for certain that her husband had really wanted her dead. It was why she’d made all the precautions beforehand – just in case Martin tried something – she was covered. Rachel gulped the martini down and sat back in the chair and let the alcohol do its thing. After a moment, her body began to relax. She closed her eyes and wondered where Gabriel was and what he was doing. Had he already left town? Had he really cared for her and Abigail as he’d indicated? Oh, why did she have to go and fall in love with him? She still couldn’t believe this was happening to her. Opening her eyes, she jumped, gasping softly. Gabriel was standing before her, leaning against the bar, studying her intently. Her heart stuttered, then began to beat rapidly. Oh, he was truly a magnificent example of the male species. Especially when he had that dark thunderous look on his face, indicating that he was angry. “What are you doing here, Rachel?” he asked softly. He sounded casual, but Rachel did not miss the underlying bite to his words or the tension in his shoulders that told her he was probably holding himself back from shaking her. “I’m having a drink,” she answered a bit sarcastically. “And you?” “Don’t be cute, Rachel,” he snapped – a bit of his temper jumping forth. Taking a deep, calming breath, he reined it in. He leaned forward a bit, crowding her, his eyes flashing hotly. “Why are you here?” “That’s none of your business.” She turned away from him, unable to look at him. Her heart thundered as she squeezed her eyes shut. Her heart once again warring against her brain. She jumped when she felt his hand curl roughly around her upper arm and jerk her back to face him. “Voi idiot piccola (you little idiot)! You are going to confront him, aren’t you?” he hissed furiously. Rachel’s eyes grew wide with surprise and a tinge of fear, but her own anger pushed to the front and made itself known. “Take your hand off me!” she hissed back. She waited until his hand dropped from her arm before she continued. “This is none of your business, Gabriel. It ceased being so the moment you gave me that cassette and walked out that door.” “You confront him, Rachel and he will kill you.” He worked at keeping his voice even, his breathing calm. It was in direct contradiction with what he felt inside. Inside, he was a nervous wreck and near panic. When he’d entered the small lounge to grab a drink before catching his flight down to Cancun, he’d frozen when he saw Rachel sitting at the bar. He’d known instantly why she was there and every protective male instinct in him screamed out for him to do something, anything, to stop her. “You think you know who your husband is, but I’m telling you, dolcezza, that he is not the man you married anymore.” “And why should I trust anything you say? You are nothing but a hired assassin. My God, Gabriel, he hired you to kill me!” Gabriel blanched at her words. They hit him hard because he knew they were true, but it still didn’t change the facts. And the facts were that if she confronted her husband, he would certainly kill her and Gabriel knew he could not allow that to happen. “Li elemosino fidarseli di, Rachel,” he whispered softly. She frowned, frustrated that she couldn’t understand him. His hand came up to gently cup her jaw as he leaned closer. “What did you say?” Her breath caught at the pleading look in his eyes. “I said, ‘I beg you to trust me, Rachel,’” he repeated softly. “Please do not do this.” Their eyes met and held. She could hardly breathe and when she was able to draw in a breath all she could smell was him. He was so close, all he had to do was lean forward a bit more and . . . His lips brushed feather-light across hers. Rachel heard herself moan as her heart leapt with joy and her mind screamed at her to run away. “Gabriel, please-” But she wasn’t sure if she was begging him to kiss her again or begging him to just leave her alone. There must have been something in the tone of her voice that caused him to back off. For a brief moment his lips hovered feather light over hers, then suddenly he took a step back, his hands coming up to scrub roughly across his face. “Perdóneme, bella. I had not meant to do that.” Rachel knew that she should be disgusted with herself, but she wasn’t. She wanted him, desperately, but it could never be. She stood and grabbed her purse. “Stay away from me, Gabriel, please.” She turned and walked away. Her legs shook so bad, she wondered that she hadn’t fallen flat on her face. Gabriel stayed where he was for ten seconds before he went after her. She wanted him to stay away, but he just couldn’t do it. Not until he knew she was safe. Catching up with her, he grabbed her arm and turned her around. “This is not a good idea, Rachel. Do you want to leave Abigail an orphan?” “You leave Abigail out of this. You have no right!” It tore at his heart to see the tears that sprang up in her eyes. He started to pull her closer, but she jerked her arm back. “Don’t touch me!” she hissed. “Just leave me alone!” Gabriel watched her go, forcing himself to remain where he was. Struggling with his need to protect her and his desire to just get the hell out of Dodge. Turning away, he walked towards the gate that would take him away from all of this, but when he stopped before the desk to get his boarding pass, he found himself standing before the ticket counter. “Can I help you, sir?” the woman asked. Gabriel blinked and sighed. “Yeah, are there any seats left on flight 1237 to Atlanta?” “Just a moment, sir.” Her fingers flew across the keyboard. “Yes, sir, there are seats available.” She looked up at him and smiled. Gabriel returned the smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Good, I need a ticket for that flight, please.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The flight to Atlanta was short and uneventful. Rachel stared blindly out the window, her mind replaying the scene at the airport between her and Gabriel over and over. It had hurt to see him again. To be faced once again with who he was and why he was there and the fact that she’d fallen in love with a killer . . . a murderer. Technically, Gabriel was no better than Martin – except Gabriel had a heart. He had tried to warn her. Told her she shouldn’t confront Martin. What if he’s right and I’m setting myself up? She leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the small airplane window. No, it doesn’t matter, she told herself. I must do this. I must see his face when I tell him I know he tried to have me killed. With her mind set firmly on her plans, she never noticed Gabriel sitting three rows behind her, keeping watch. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Once in Atlanta, Rachel rented a car. She wasn’t planning to be there long, but she didn’t want to take a taxi and besides, her return flight wasn’t until that afternoon. It had been a while since she’d been to Atlanta. She was due some shopping. Abigail needed some new clothes and her mother’s birthday was coming up soon. Driving across town to Stone Enterprises, she parked in the underground parking lot and took the elevator up to the twenty-third floor where Martin’s offices were. “Mrs. Stone!” Martin’s secretary, Tina scrambled to her feet. “I didn’t know you were in town.” “Oh how inconsiderate of me not to have informed you,” she quipped a bit sarcastically. “I assume he’s in?” she asked as she passed Tina, heading towards Martin’s closed door. “He’s on a conference call, Mrs. Stone, you can’t go in there.” Tina tried to stop her. “I can go wherever I want,” Rachel answered as she opened Martin’s office door and walked in. Martin sat leaning back comfortably in a black leather office chair with his feet propped on his desk, talking on the phone. When he saw Rachel, his face paled and he nearly fell out of his chair trying to straighten up. “I’ll have to call you back, Richard,” he said quickly and hung up. “Rachel, what a surprise!” He stood as she approached his large mahogany desk. “Is it? What’s the matter, Martin, did you think I was dead?” She smiled coolly. “Well, of course not,” he sputtered, clearly confused. “Why are you in Atlanta, dear?” “I want a divorce, Martin and I want it now.” Martin’s handsome face hardened. “I told you before, Rachel, that I would not allow that.” Rachel reached inside her purse and withdrew the audiocassette. Leaning across the big desk, she slapped it down in front of Martin. “Oh, but I beg to differ.” “What the hell is this?” he asked picking up the cassette and turning it over casually between his well-manicured fingers. “I believe it’s an audio recording of you hiring a hitman to kill me, my dear sweet husband,” she answered in an overly syrupy tone. Martin blinked, his face turning red with anger. He grabbed at his Dictaphone and crammed the cassette in and stabbed at the play button. His face paled again as he heard his voice coming over the player quite clearly as he made plans to have Rachel killed. He growled as he reached over, grabbed the Dictaphone and threw it across the room. It slammed into the wall and shattered into a hundred pieces. The sudden explosive sound caused Rachel to jump, but she kept her cool. “Oh don’t worry, I have several more copies, including the one that is on it’s way to the police as we speak.” The last bit was a small lie, but what he didn’t know would probably save her life. “Where the hell did you get that?” He turned on her, his hands clenched in tight fists at his sides. Realizing that she’d made her point, it was now time to leave. Afraid to turn her back on him, she backed up until she reached the door. “Oh, let’s just say my guardian angel was working overtime.” She smiled. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest and the palms of her hands were sweaty as she turned the knob. “Goodbye, Martin. See you in prison.” “You bitch,” he screamed at her. “I’ll get you for this! You have no idea who you’re screwing with!” Rachel breezed past Tina and because she suspected that it was Tina that Martin had been having the affair with, she left with a parting shot. “I don’t think he’ll be needing you anymore, Tina,” she laughed as she sailed towards the elevator doors, her mission complete. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Furious, Martin grabbed his phone and dialed the number he’d received to get in touch with the Hawk. He cursed loudly, picking up the phone and threw it against the wall when he heard the recording come on saying that the number was no longer in service. “Tina!” Martin screamed furiously. Someone was going to pay! Tina ran into his office, clearly shaken. “What happened, Martin?” she asked, wringing her hands together. “Get me on the next flight home. I’ve got some unfinished business to attend to,” he barked at her ignoring her question. Tina nodded and turned and quickly left Martin’s office, closing the door behind her. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Feeling exhilarated, Rachel headed to her rental car. She wasn’t sure if what she’d done had been smart, but there was no denying the joy she felt and knowing that she had Martin between a rock and a hard place. She wished that she could be a fly in his office right now, watching him squirm. Unlocking the car door, she slid inside. She still had a couple of hours to kill before her flight back, so she would get the shopping she had planned to do before heading home. As she left the parking structure, she never noticed Gabriel watching her from the shadows of his own rental car, nor did she pay attention when he pulled out behind her and began to follow. And had Gabriel waited fifteen more minutes, he would have seen Martin leaving the building, getting into his own car and heading for the airport. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The Hitman - Chapter 7 |