AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Anyhow, message me when you get this.
Hey by the way, talked to Gabe today. He sounds good. Did you get a chance to call him? And do you think I’ll ever get through a conversation with him without breaking down like a girl?
Gotta go, Gabi. You take care.
Alex”26StefanThe study door opens, slams against the wall and bounces off of it.
Gabriela stands in the doorway, her face puffy from crying, eyes alternately filled with rage then utter defeat.
“You liar. You fucking liar! You killed him! You went there and you killed him!”
I hang up the phone, shake my head at the guard who appears just outside the study.
“You killed him,” her voice breaks and her shoulders slump.
I go to her but when I do, she’s raging again. “Don’t come near me!”
I close the door. “Calm down, Gabriela.”
When I put my hands on her arms, she slaps them away, moving farther from me.
“How could you? Why would you? He told you the truth. Why did you do it?”
“I didn’t.”
“You’re a liar. I knew you were a liar. A monster. Why did you give me that phone? What was it? Do you get some sick pleasure from manipulating me? Playing me for the fool I am?”
“Sit down, Gabriela.”
“Did you have a good laugh afterwards?”
“Sit down. We’ll talk about it. I’ll tell you what I know.”
“Let me tell you what I know, Stefan. You’re a murderer. A cold-blooded killer.”
It’s like she remembers her friend in that instant because her shoulders slump inward and she’s sobbing.
“Did you kill his aunt too?”
“The house burnt down. They were both inside asleep.”
She whirls on me. “Asleep? You’re that much of a coward?”
I get the bottle of whiskey from the cabinet, pour a glass and hold it out to her. “Here. Drink this.”
She slaps my hand away and I’m not expecting it. The glass goes flying, shattering against the far wall, liquid spilling across the room, on my desk.
I take her arms more forcefully, make her sit down and hold her there.
“I went to see him, yes. And he told me what happened with Gabe. Told me about their relationship. About your father finding out.”
Her face crumples. I don’t know how she has tears left.
“You knew he wasn’t a threat. You knew.”
“I didn’t do this, Gabriela. I wouldn’t.”
She pushes out of my grasp and I let her go, let her stand.
I stand too. Go to her.
She backs away. “I’d thought you’d gone to see her you know that?”
“Who?”
“When Rafa told me, I thought you’d gone to see Clara.”
“Rafa? When did he tell you anything?”
“I’d thought,” she stops, sobs wracking her body as she struggles for a shuddering breath. “I’d thought you were out fucking her. I’d thought you had left me here to go fuck her. I stupidly cared about that.”
“You’re upset, Gabriela. I’ll take you to bed. We’ll have this conversation when you’re not so upset.”
She shakes her head and I’m not sure she can hear me.
“I thought you were fucking your cousin. You should have been out fucking your cousin! But instead you were murdering my best friend.”
She looks down at the desk, and I see what her eyes zero in on immediately and the instant she puts her hand on the letter opener, I put mine over hers, grabbing her wrist before she can pick it up, whirling her around and tugging her into me so her back is to me. I hold her tight, two arms across her chest.
“Stop this,” I tell her.
“Let me go!”
She squirms but I hold tight.
“I did not hurt Alex Romano. Why would I? What would be my reason? Think for fuck’s sake.”
“Get off me! Don’t touch me!”
“I’m going to have Millie get you something to help you sleep. We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” I say, walking her toward the door.
She claws her fingernails into the bare skin of my forearms, scratching out skin, drawing blood.
“That’s enough,” I say, squeezing my arms tighter around her. “I’m warning you.”
“You’re hurting me. Let me go!”
I loosen my hold and the moment I do, the moment she’s able to, she spins around and knees me hard in the balls.
“Fuck!”
I grab hold of her, doubling over in agony, but she slips away, grabs the letter opener and comes at me.
I manage to get hold of her wrist, squeeze until she screams. I spin her around so her back is to me again.
“That was a fucking mistake!”
“I’m going to kill you!” she cries out. “I’m going to fucking kill you!”
“You need to calm the fuck down! Are you going to calm down or do I need to make you?”
“Fuck you!”
“I guess I’ll make you then,” I say as she fights hard, harder than I thought she could, and I hug her closer, moving my arm up to her neck, shifting her a little to squeeze on the pressure point there and the result is instantaneous.
