“Is this sexy man all for me? I think I know something fun we can do back at home.”
Gabriel’s staring at me with a raised eyebrow before his eyes flicker back to my car. “Is he in there?”
“You can pretend he’s not.”
“I get anxious,” he says.
“You don’t have to be here. I’d actually prefer you weren’t.”
“Not… no… not about that. What if he hurt you? These are literal killers you’re dealing with. And many of them are men who aren’t afraid of violence. Men who kill without hesitation or fear. Every time you go out, I realize that it could be the last time I ever see you.”
I hesitate, not expecting his concern. “Every time we apprehend a suspect, it could be the last time. Every time we come across a victim, there could be a killer waiting around the corner. It’s impossible to know what could happen. We can’t predict the future. Trust me, I’ve thought again and again about what I could have done differently when my parents died. But that’s not how life works.” The rain is coming down even harder, dripping off my hood and onto the inside of his car door, but he simply takes his thumb and swipes through it.
“Did you get hurt?” Gabriel asks, voice thick with worry.
“Not in the slightest.”
“Did he try to attack you?”
“He considered it, but I never gave him the opportunity to.”
“Are you taking him in there?” he asks as he nods at the silo.
“When you’re ready.”
“I’m more than ready. I’ve already been here for an hour,” Gabriel says, and I know that he doesn’t mean in his car when his clothes are soaked. “Why’d it take you so long?”
“It was a half-hour drive and then I had to wait for him to go somewhere inconspicuous. You knew it’d take a bit. That’s why I set your phone to track mine, so you’d know when to head over here.”
“I couldn’t sit still. I had to do something and doing something meant coming here. Then I got out and looked at everything. I tried to find something you missed. Something that I could use as proof to be like ‘Look, you could get caught,’ but I couldn’t find anything. The more I love you, the more I worry about you.”
“You really think I would mess up?”
“No.”
“Did you want to have a reason to make me stop?” I ask.
“I don’t know,” Gabriel admits. “I don’t know anything… I don’t know why I’m here. But let’s get this over with.”
Get it over with? Doesn’t he realize that this isn’t something to rush? This is something to enjoy… something to… no… no, that’s not how Gabriel works. That’s not how normal people work.
“What?” Gabriel asks. “Why do you have that look on your face?”
“Maybe this is how my face always looks.”
“Well, it doesn’t because I’ve become quite fond of looking at your face.”
I lean in and kiss him. “What do you think about going home and forgetting all about this?”
“I’m not leaving you, Liam. So suck it up. Let’s go. I’m waiting.”
I back up from the car and head over to the trunk. This is simple. It’s like a standard interrogation. That’s all this is. I’ll kindly ask him to confess in a humane and fun way that Gabriel will enjoy, and then he’ll be on his way.
I pop the trunk and look in at my prize.
It’s not fear on his face but rage. Those ones are always the hardest to break.
“You’re going to make this go super smooth, you got me?” I hiss. “We’re going to strut in and you’re going to be so shocked by his handsome face that you’re going to confess everything.”
