L.L. Foster - The Awakening

"I'm talking about me being fed up. With you . With all your crazy bullshit and the impossible runaround you put me through."

"I don't put you through anything!"

He leaned close enough that she smelled the coffee on his breath. "Either you come with me now, right now, or we settle it here."

Gaby bristled. "I'd demolish you."

"We'll find out, won't we?"

Damn it, she didn't want to demolish him.

"What's the matter, little girl?" he taunted. "Got something against public displays?"

"Actually, yeah. Someone is watching, someone not nice. Someone—"

"Evil. I know. Your arch nemesis." He half laughed, saying, "A villain of monumental proportions."

Hurt squashed all other comments. He ridiculed her. Finally. Gaby knew it would come, but… she had hoped it wouldn't.

"No, Luther. There's no one." Gently, she pressed against his chest. "I'm ready to go if you are."

So frustrated that he shook with it, Luther leaned away.

Gaby stepped around him.

"Where are you going?"

She didn't look at Luther. She didn't dare. If she did, she seriously thought she might cry. "Back to my apartment." She waited for him a few feet away. "That's where you wanted me to go, right?"

"Gaby…"

"It's all right." She couldn't bear to hear his excuses. "You don't have to say anything."

"Goddamn it."

That got her frowning. "Don't blame God for your bad behavior."

He was so quiet that Gaby couldn't not look at him. She turned her head—and there stood Luther, his head down, his middle finger and thumb pressed into his eye sockets.

He looked to be in so much pain that Gaby softened. What did it matter if he thought her a joke? That just made him normal. Lucky him. "C'mon, Luther. It's all right."

"No, it's not." He strode up to her. "Here."

He held out the gift bag. How the hell had he hung on to that in the midst of everything else? "What is it?"

"Open it and see."

She looked around, and sure enough, they'd drawn the attention of a few people. Two men stood in front of a liquor store, watching them. The abandoned hooker sat on the curb, gazing in their direction. An old gray-haired lady looked out her second-story window.

"Not here."

"Okay." Luther put his hand at the small of her back and urged her forward. "Let's go."

"Back to my apartment?"

"No. To my car."

Dread slowed her step. "Luther, if you're still wanting that date—"

"Just shut up and walk, Gaby. I have some things to say to you."

"Fine. Whatever."

Luther stopped, put a fist beneath her chin to elevate her face, and kissed her.

That kiss renewed her. The second he pulled away, she missed him.

"Every time you smart off, Fin kissing you."

Regaining her wits, she said, "I wouldn't recommend it."

"I'm on to you, Gaby. You don't want to hurt me."

She snorted.

"Admit it. You boast about all the damage you can do, but you don't really want to do it." He laced his fingers in hers. "Not to me."

"Obnoxious, conceited—"

"Correct. Intuitive. Astute."

"All right" she said, cutting him off. "So I don't want to hurt you."

"Thank you."

"But if you push me hard enough, I will."

During their exchange, they'd covered a lot of ground and Gaby found herself in front of the apartment building.

Luther said, "Here's my car," and he opened the passenger door for her.

Feeling like a freakish Cinderella, Gaby climbed in and put the gift bag in her lap. Luther waited, and when she just looked at him, he leaned in and fastened her seat belt—and kissed her again.

"Stop that!"

"No." He shut the door and circled the hood. After he got behind the wheel, connected his own seat belt and started the car, he said, "Now."

Gaby looked at the gift bag, thinking he meant for her to open it.

Instead, he said, "I'm sorry."

She just looked at him.

"Very sorry. I know you think I was making fun of your assertions that evil exists, but I wasn't."

"Whatever."

"Gaby." He leaned over and, again, caught her chin. "This morning, I got called to a foster home where the children were kept in cages. Then this afternoon, I had to investigate a shooting at a convenience store. The robber had the cash, was almost out the door, but turned back at the last second and shot the cashier in the head—just for the hell of it. She was a mother of a toddler and she died."

"I'm sorry."

Luther nodded. "I know evil exists, Gaby. I know it's out there, in unimaginable proportions, twisted in ways that I don't want to think about but can't deny. There are depraved, corrupt, ugly crimes committed every day, against men, women, and children. The lack of morals, or any sane description, devastates me, but I still have to deal with it."

Gaby had nothing to say to all that. "You didn't believe me."

"Actually, that's not it." He put the car in gear and pulled away. "I was just frustrated. You know, for a change, I wanted to see you have as much intensity directed at me as you always have focused on pursuing some evil incarnate."

Rage simmered. "You were .. .jealous ?"

"A real kicker, huh?"

"That's pathetic!"

He worked his jaw. "Tell me about it."

Damn it . Gaby twisted to stare out the window. Scenery passed in a blur. Her thoughts cramped. Her heart ached. "I'm sorry."

"I have no idea if you mean that or not."

How could he know when she jumped around so much? Reaching for his thigh, Gaby said, "Luther? I am sorry. But I can't help who I am."

"Sure you can." His hand covered hers, keeping it on his thigh, flattening her palm there. "Let me in, Gaby. That'd be a start."

No, it'd be an end. To him.

She couldn't tell him so. She'd hurt him enough already. Once she settled things here, when the evil was destroyed, she'd slip out in the quiet of the night.

That'd be best for everyone.

Gaby pulled her hand away. "Do you want me to open this gift or not?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

She pulled the bag open and peeked inside—and saw a small rectangular machine with wires coming out of it. "It plays music, right?"

"Yeah. It's a digital audio player."

She lifted it out. "I've seen people walking around with these plugged into their ears."

"I took a chance," Luther said, "and saved a bunch of songs into the memory for you. I hope you like them."

Speechless, Gaby just looked at it. Then, unable to help herself, she fiddled around with it until she got it on and could listen. Rambunctious beats vibrated through the machine with incredible power. "Wow."

"You like?"

She found a natural rhythm and bobbed her head to the music. "Yeah, I do."

He smiled. "There's another gift in there too."

"More?"

"Go on. Let me know what you think."

Unnerved by his generosity, Gaby again rummaged in the bag, digging below the pretty tissue paper. Her hand found a box and she lifted it out.

"Don't get pissed," Luther said. "Let me explain first, okay?"

Hearing that got her irritated right off. "What did you do?"

"Nothing. And it's not symbolic. Just… something that I thought would look right on you."

Oh God . He hadn't. He couldn't have. Gaby opened the box and found that, in fact, he had.

"A necklace?"

"A choker. The black leather is very you," Luther teased.

Her brows pinched down. "There's a silver cross."

"Not to ward off evil, I swear. Just because it's pretty." He reached over and trailed a finger down her cheek. "It reminds me of you."

Gaby went speechless.

"The leather choker is edgy and sexy. But the cross is so small and delicate—and regardless of your feelings on the matter, it represents good."

Gaby could only stare at him. "And somehow that matches your image of me?"