I make a sympathetic face, with a matching tone. "He just got dumped, poor guy."

She looks worried. "Maybe I should call your aunt. Who was the girl?"

Waving my hand in a dismissive gesture, I tell her, "Some teen harlot. The school's rife with them." Then deciding to change the subject to her favorite one, I ask, "Is dad home?"

"No, he'll be gone for a few more days," my mom says sadly.

I never know when my dad will be home or not and to tell the truth, I don't think my mom ever knows either. To distract her, I pull her into a quick bear hug, which I've always thought was funny since I grew bigger than her at the age of twelve. With her being just a few inches over five feet, I tower above her at six feet now.

"Let me take you out to dinner, mom."

She eyes me suspiciously, with green eyes so like my own. "I'm not upping your allowance again, Gabriel."

Giving her an insulted glare, I hold back my smile. "Can't a son just show his mom that he appreciates her?" And I do. After all, I was a nine pound baby. Squeezing me and my big head out had to of hurt. The woman deserves some appreciation with my dad always gone while I was growing up. She sometimes had to be both the mom and the dad.

"Alright, but I'm still not raising your allowance." She attempts a stern look, but it crumbles into an affectionate smile.

Giving her a look of mock hurt, I respond, "Gee, love you too, mom." Just to be a brat, I add, "But you won't ever hear those same words from me when you're in a nursing home."

Narrowly, I miss her swatting hand.

Lying in bed later that night, I'm wishing I'd had the common sense to at least get Anna's phone number. I could be working my vocal magic on her right now. Guess the magic will just have to wait until school tomorrow. Probably for the best, I tend to be a lot for a girl to handle.

Getting to school early, so I don't miss her arrival, I wait in the parking lot, sitting on the back of my car with my feet propped up on the b.u.mper. Max pulls into the parking lot ten minutes later. I hope he isn't still mad at me, thinking murderous thoughts involving a gun and my head. When he steps out of his car, I wave him over. Instead, he ignores me and circles around the back of his car to open the pa.s.senger door. Out steps Anna. What the f.u.c.k is going on?

They proceed to walk over to me hand in hand. Anna doesn't even look me in the eyes or say 'hi', but Max is looking friendlier than the last time I saw him. "How's it going, Gabe?" At my dirty look, he starts looking guilty, as he should.

"Just dandy," I barely get out through my clenched teeth. Glaring down to where their hands are joined, I have the urge to rip them apart and yank her away from him. "I need to get to cla.s.s."

As I walk to cla.s.s, Carmen bugs me again and I think about having some angry s.e.x out in the parking lot. However, I don't want to encourage her and I'm so tired of her stalker bulls.h.i.t. Before she can say anything more in that whiney tone, taking my anger out on her I yell, "Get the h.e.l.l away from me you psychotic b.i.t.c.h!" Her friends standing a few feet away look at me like I'm sc.u.m, so I flip them off.

Making it to my first cla.s.s, I slam my backpack down on the desk, making a girl jump in the seat in front of mine. I grumble an apology, taking my seat. What the h.e.l.l happened between the time Anna ran away from me at the beach yesterday afternoon and this morning? I thought she didn't have his number! Did he get hers during one of their cla.s.ses? How could she be with him after the multiple kisses we shared? I know I didn't imagine how breathlessly she kissed me back.

I sit through my first four cla.s.ses, thinking over everything she said to me yesterday, everything I said to her, trying to figure out what went wrong. She seemed way more interested in me than Max. It was me that she was playing games with, not my douche of a cousin. Avoiding sitting with them at lunch, I instead watch them from where I'm sitting a few tables away. Seeing them kiss, I want to beat the s.h.i.t out of my own cousin in a way that ends with him unconscious. No matter how much I tell myself that she's just another chick and that there's always more where she came from, I can't stop seething.

As she pulls away from the kiss, I study her eyes, her face. I was right. She doesn't feel as strongly for him. The heated look that was in her eyes when we kissed isn't in them now. Then it hits me, I know why she turned away from me and turned towards Max. It's such a guy thing to do, but it took a while for me to figure out, coming unexpectedly from a girl.

She's trying to protect herself. She made it clear that she doesn't do relationships and knows that one between us would be anything but casual. She's the type of person that hides her true self from others, has secrets and doesn't let anyone close enough to her to find them out. Maybe a guy hurt her in the past and now she shuts every other guy out that she has feelings for. She's hiding from the feelings she has for me and using Max to do it. She thinks that if she dates my cousin, then she's safe from me. That he's safer to be with. Feeling much better about my own appeal, I start laughing to myself, getting weird looks from the people I'm sitting with.

Well she's wrong there. From the first moment I saw her at the club, I knew that I had to have her. Fate is crashing down on us. Doesn't she know that you can't fight fate?

Annabelle Max had asked for my cell number between third and fourth periods yesterday, but I didn't think he'd call after I'd hung out with Gabriel. He must have known about it, Gabriel seems like the type to make it known. I thought I'd have to smooth things over with Max at school today. Instead, he called last night and asked if he could drive me to school. Like putty in my capable hands.

After Max picked me up at the hotel, he told me he liked me and straight up asked if I'd like to be more than friends. I told him 'yes' and there you have it. We're going steady. I had to laugh about that one. Jackson obnoxiously did when I called him about it while in the restroom during second period. Gabriel problem solved. However, when we held hands in front of Gabriel before school this morning I actually felt guilty. I've never felt guilty about anything while on a job! It'd be ridiculous to since I use people to get to the target. It's nothing personal, at least not on my end. And if it gets personal on their end, well that's their problem isn't it?

Gabriel doesn't sit with us at lunch, not that I'm not aware of his exact location a few tables away, and Max and I share our first kiss. It's nice, but after we're done with it, a part of me wishes that I could kiss Gabriel again. Greedy and stupid, Annabelle. I'm nervous as I walk to fifth period, both antic.i.p.ating and dreading seeing Gabriel. Is this what normal teenage girls go through every day? If it is, it sucks. I'd take being an a.s.sa.s.sin over being a normal teenage girl any day. If I have a problem, I kill it or run away from it. If a regular teenager has a problem they have to work through it. Yep, it sucks.

Taking the same seat as yesterday, Gabriel walks in and sits down next to me. I refuse to acknowledge how handsome he is today in that plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

My phone vibrates and I check to see that there's a new text from Max.

Missing you already Wow, that's kinda . . . cheesy. I laugh softly.

The phone is s.n.a.t.c.hed out of my hand by Gabriel. "What's so funny?" Before I can answer he's reading the message, laughing. "Told you my cousin was gay."

s.n.a.t.c.hing back my phone, I ignore him and pretend to pay attention to the teacher. A few minutes later a note lands on my desk. I open it slowly as if I'm not eager to read it when, sadly, I am.

I know your secret. We'll talk after cla.s.s.

c.r.a.p! Does Gabriel mean that he knows that I've been sent to kill his father? That can't be it! Everything is done anonymously through Simon. But, what else can he be talking about? I may have to call Simon and let him know that I'm pulling out. It'd be a first, but not the end of the world. I come to terms with the fact that I may have to subdue Gabriel before leaving, but why does the thought of never seeing him again make me feel . . . uncomfortable?

After cla.s.s, I follow Gabriel out of the cla.s.sroom, running through different options in my head. Knock him out . . . give him a nonfatal knife wound . . . push him down some stairs. I don't want him at my back, that's for sure, just in case he means to harm me. Joining him in the hallway, he grabs my hand and leads me to an exit out of the building. Good, I may need the privacy. The day is sunny and cloudless, with a temperature of around seventy-five degrees. We pa.s.s by the students heading for gym cla.s.s, swerving off in a different direction.

His hand is warm and I like the feel of my small hand in his larger one. It makes me feel feminine, protected. Something must be wrong with me because I don't need protection from anything. I can take care of myself and anyone who chooses to mess with me. More like he's gonna need protection from me.

He leads me around to the back side of the gym. I scan the area and don't see any witnesses in sight, just an empty soccer field. Well, at least it's not an ambush. Dropping his backpack, he leans back against the wall and pulls my body up against his, hip to hip. The constant attraction I have while around him ignites further, very inconvenient.

"What did you want to talk about Gabriel?" I'm able to keep my voice controlled, despite the urge I'm suppressing to rub against him. I lower my own backpack to the ground, readying myself for a confrontation.

"You and me," he says matter-of-factly. It doesn't seem like he knows the truth about me, likely this is just some stupid ploy to get me alone.

"There is no you and me, there is a Max and me," I tell him coolly, holding his heated gaze.

"There shouldn't be a you and Max," he says and gently grasps the back of my head, making me fight the instinctive urge to hurt him to get out of his grip. At the same time, it makes me hotter than a smoking gun. "You're using Max to hide from your feelings for me." d.a.m.n, I knew being alone with him was a bad idea.

"What's the matter Gabriel? Can't come to terms with a girl not wanting you the most?" I tease in an attempt to hide what I'm really feeling. Want. Wants I must ignore.

He sees right through me too easily. "Liar, I know you want me." He flips us around so that I'm against the tan brick building of the gym and his body is pressing against mine. For some reason I choose to ignore, I let him, making excuses in my head. He kisses me and I can't help but return his desire. The same fire as yesterday is there, kissing him feels so right, so good.

Weaving the fingers of one hand in my hair, with the other clutching my hip and pinning me firmly between him and the wall, Gabriel starts kissing my neck. As if he means to pick up where we left off yesterday. He kisses up to my ear and whispers, "Tell me that you only want me, Anna."

Instead of telling him what he wants to hear, I remain stubborn. "We just met. We barely know each other." The instant connection and strong attraction doesn't make any sense to me and I'm not sure it's wise to admit to it, even to further my task. Why this male, after all the ones who have come before?

"Tell me!" He says again, more demandingly, kissing me roughly this time.

It's a losing battle under his onslaught. "I only want you, Gabriel." Somehow, I mean it and that scares the s.h.i.t out of me.

He looks me in the eyes and says with intensity, "And I only want you, Anna." d.a.m.n, I should not be enjoying that statement, enjoying him. The heart that's supposed to be caged flutters its wings and soars.

We start kissing again and he runs his hand up the outside of my thigh, with his torso still pressing me against the wall. I'm wearing a skirt again today, so he has easy access. When he gets to where I have several blades strapped high on my right thigh, he freezes and moves his body away from mine to look down at where his hand has raised the hem of my skirt.

His eyes slowly journey up to my mine. His expression is one of shock. I peer at him innocently. "What? A girl has to be able to protect herself."

He inhales sharply, letting his next words out on the outward breath, "G.o.d, you are so hot." Then he leans down for another kiss. This time, I'm the one grabbing the back of his head in my enthusiasm.

Chapter 5.

Gabriel I'm aware that Anna has secrets, but I can't blame her for not being forthcoming with information just yet since we just met. Perhaps there's something from her past that haunts her. Whatever it is, I can see it in her eyes. Her knives, while s.e.xy, also worry me. Did someone hurt her physically?

These feelings are new to me, more intense than anything I've ever felt before. Way beyond l.u.s.t. Maybe even new to her also, so I trust that she'll tell me more about herself when she's ready. Right now, I have a more pressing matter to deal with, smoothing things over with Max. He's not going to be happy that I stole Anna from him. But, did I really steal her? Did he really have her first? He may have spotted her at the club first, but I talked to her first. I also kissed her first, yesterday at the beach. Shouldn't I also be upset by his actions?

Anna and I spend all of sixth period with lips locked and bodies rubbing rhythmically against each other and the side of the building. Finally hearing the bell ringing out its five minute warning to the start of seventh period, we break our final kiss. Retrieving our backpacks, we head towards our last cla.s.s of the day. I still can't believe she had three throwing knives strapped to her thigh. You would think that it'd freak me out, but it doesn't. It actually made me even hotter for her. The thought crossed my mind to just take her against the building. But I figure, if I want more with her than I usually want with other girls, then I need to treat her with a little more respect and consideration than that. Seriously though, why would she be carrying knives? Does she need to protect herself on a regular basis? What in her past involves the need for it? My earlier thought about her being hurt physically makes me wonder if she was attacked at some point. The endless questions are frustrating.

While we're walking to cla.s.s hand in hand, she asks, "So in the note, what did you mean by the word 'secret'?"

"What did you think I meant?" Looking at her, I want to drag her back to our make-out spot.

"I asked you first," she counters with a pointed look.

"Well," I begin hesitantly, new territory for me here, "I didn't really mean anything in particular. I just get the feeling that you hide things from people, maybe to protect yourself from getting hurt. I want you to know that I'll be here to listen when you're ready to talk." From the look on her face, she doesn't seem particularly thrilled with my willing ears.

Annabelle I don't think so. I knew being around him would be a problem. How is he able to read me so easily? I mean, he isn't right, not exactly. I do hide things from people, all sorts of things. Like, who I am and what I do. He's also right about me doing it to protect myself from getting hurt. But instead of protecting my emotions from getting hurt, like he thinks, I'm protecting my life and freedom.

He sees through me better than anyone else, including Jackson. I've been trained to hide my emotions and project only those feelings and thoughts that I choose to. I should have more control over it. Two frightening thoughts occur to me, either he's really good at reading people, or when I'm around him I unknowingly let down my guard. The first thought is bad, the second thought is dangerous. Perhaps I'm not doing as good of a job as I thought. He's seeing things that I definitely don't want him to see. I've always been able to control my facial expressions, body language and the emotion in my eyes, so that people perceive only what I want them to. That's all going to h.e.l.l around Gabriel. Again I think that Max would be the better route. I'm enjoying this thing with Gabriel way too much for my own good and he's observing too much for his own good.

About him being there when I'm ready to talk? Not gonna happen, buddy. What am I going to tell him? That I'm an a.s.sa.s.sin hired to kill his father and that the only reason he ever met me in the first place was so that I can use him as a means to a deadly end?

Am I insane? What am I doing, falling for a guy who would hate me if he knew the truth? Maybe I should ask Jackson to take over this job for me. If Max really were gay, that might be an option, not that Jackson would be thrilled at the prospect. Then I'd never see Gabriel again, which shouldn't bother me at all but does. Since the moment I first looked at that black and white photo of Gabriel, I felt something towards him. At first, it was just curiosity, but now it's turned into something more. When I met him at the club, there was an instant attraction, but I brushed it aside. Since then, the more time I spend with him, the deeper my feelings go. It feels like we're being drawn together by forces of nature, animal attraction and more. If that's the case, when this is over, will I be comparing the ending to a natural disaster? Because I can't see how this 'relationship' can having a happy ending when it doesn't even have a future.

We walk out of last period, holding hands, and run into Max in the parking lot where he's waiting for me. Oh s.h.i.t moment here. Max looks down at our hands and up at Gabriel. Gabriel holds up his free hand in a pacifying gesture. "Just-"

Max punches Gabriel in the face before Gabriel can get out another word. Ouch, but nice punch. Gabriel looks shocked, then charges at Max and slams him against the nearest car, a tan sedan. Better hope that doesn't belong to a teacher. Kids start yelling "Fight!" and get excited looks on their faces. Whoa, this is just like the teen movies that Jackson made me watch. They go at it for a few minutes. Not bad, but their technique could use some improvement. They also aren't hitting the right spots on the body that cause the most amount of pain, the maximum damage. Amateurs! Gabriel executes a dirty move, causing me to sigh in appreciation. This sort of reminds me of a show I watched on Discovery Channel where male Bengal tigers were fighting over a female in heat. Dumb animals. Not the tigers, but Gabriel and Max A teacher comes out and breaks it up, giving them detention tomorrow and a speech about blood being thicker than water. As much blood as I've seen in my life, I can attest to that. It oozes, water runs. Of course, sometimes blood sprays too, horribly messy stuff. Max comes up to me before he leaves, placing a hand on my face and says, "I would have treated you good." He turns on his heel to walk towards his car and I think this is the part where I'm supposed to feel remorse or confusion. He's implying that Gabriel won't treat me well. How sweet, but he's pitying the wrong person.

Despite my cynicism, something about his words seems prophetic. Quit being paranoid, Annabelle!

Gabriel comes up to me and I muster an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about coming between you and your cousin."

His smile is at odds with the regret in his eyes. "That's okay. He always forgives me eventually."

"I hope so."

I don't really feel bad about coming between them. It's hard to feel guilt over something so trivial with all of things I've done in my past. Surprisingly though, I don't like seeing Gabriel unhappy. That's weird.

He smiles more warmly at me, his voice changing to match, "So, I guess you need a ride home? Or do you want to hang out?"

"Yeah, we could hang out," I tell him thoughtfully, as if the thought hadn't occurred to me. Of course it had, it's part of the plan.

"So, your place or mine?" he asks, opening the pa.s.senger door of his car for me.

Here is the perfect opportunity to scope out his father's estate and look for weaknesses in security. "Let's go to your place? After we stop by my hotel, so I can change." He agrees with a nod, shutting the door once I've pulled my legs in.

As we head for the hotel, I send a text message to Jackson. Stopping by the suite with Gabriel Sanchez. Make yourself scarce.

By the first stoplight, I get a reply. Should I stay and chaperone?

His joke is more on target than he thinks. I text him back as a sister should. Get lost!

Another text comes from him seconds later. Fine, but no boys in your room young lady!

I laugh, slipping my phone back into the front of my checkered backpack. Gabriel raises an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

Watching him shift gears, I shake my head. "Just a r.e.t.a.r.d being r.e.t.a.r.ded."

"Okay," he enunciates slowly, obviously not liking my vague explanation. Minutes later, and lots of shifting in gears, we're pulling into the hotel parking lot.

We take the elevator up to my suite, with Gabriel stealing a few kisses during the ascent. When I open the suite door and walk inside ahead of him, I come to an abrupt stop. Strewn all over the living room area of the suite are my undergarments. And, I'm not talking just bras and panties, but also garters, stockings and all sorts of s.e.xy lingerie. I'm going to kill him! Only because of my years of training, am I able to keep from blushing. Some of this stuff is not what most teen girls wear.

Gabriel picks up a G-string that's hanging from a lampshade and asks, "Couldn't decide what to wear this morning?"

"Something like that," I mumble as I go around picking everything up. I'm going to murder Jackson for this! I'll take it out on his belongings if I have to, maybe his favorite gun should go MIA. He always tells me that he's a big brother first, a.s.sa.s.sin second, as if it's some sort of responsibility to him. Could he maybe not let the big brother role interfere in my jobs and my love life? Mentally slapping myself, I remind myself that I don't have a love life. I have a job to do.

After gathering everything in my arms, I turn to where Gabriel is sitting on the arm of the couch, smirking in enjoyment. "I'll just be changing in my room."

"May I suggest the hot pink thong?" he says with a devilish grin, making my stomach flutter in excitement. He is so annoyingly handsome.

Pretending to be aggravated by his suggestion, I close the door to my room behind me, tossing the undergarments onto the bedspread. Going over to the safe in the closet, I punch in the code I'd programmed. Now to get what I really came here for. I pull out a box from the safe and open it. Inside is my .22 LR semiautomatic pistol and silencer. I put these in a brown leather shoulder bag, wrapped in a scarf covered with pink skulls, along with other girlie stuff to cover them up. Then I change into a turquoise cotton tank dress. I have the hot pink thong and matching bra on underneath, for no particular reason, of course. Throwing on a pair of black, strappy sandals, I'm good to go.

When I come out of the room, Gabriel gets up off the couch and pulls me into a hug, which I automatically return. Wow, being in his arms feels way too good, time to back off. "Okay, let's go to your house."

Twenty minutes later, as we're pulling through the gates of his family's home, I pretend that I'm seeing it for the first time. That Jackson and I didn't scope the perimeter late Sunday night. "This is nice," I state breezily. Dealing drugs pays well, I think to myself. But so does murder for hire. I have quite a bit of my own dinero. Not that a man like Xavier Sanchez doesn't deserve to be murdered for all the people he's killed. At least the people that I kill deserve it.

"Thanks," he says proudly, speeding down a drive lined with matured palm trees on either side. They must spend a fortune each month on gardeners. The satellite picture Simon emailed me of the estate could pa.s.s for that of a botanical garden.

I'm curious as to how much he knows about his father's illegal business dealings. In an indifferent tone, I ask, "So, what's up with all the guards?"

"My dad's just paranoid," Gabriel answers breezily. Well, that doesn't tell me much. I'm hoping it's because Gabriel doesn't know much.

He drives through the wraparound driveway and parks between the fountain and the white double doors that lead into the house. As we go inside the house, he grabs my hand to lead me up the winding staircase. "Are your parent's home?" I ask him, pretending normal teen curiosity. From what I can glimpse of the downstairs, I see a large formal living room off to one side of the entryway, with what looks like a set of white French doors leading outside. There's a hallway leading to the back of the house, with several closed doors. I a.s.sume that hallway leads to a family room or kitchen, but won't know for sure until I get the exact layout. The home is done in cool and soothing colors, making it feel calm and inviting. Rather ironic when you think about it. But then, Xavier Sanchez is known for not letting his sleazier business dealings touch his family.

"My mom is probably around here somewhere. My dad is hardly ever home." He looks back at me and grins wickedly. "I'll give you the grand tour later. For now, I'll show you my room."

"Fine by me." Though, I'll need the grand tour later to get a layout of the place.

When we get to his room, he immediately pulls me by the waist over to his bed. "And this is the bed," he announces as if it's the end of a lengthy tour. Gabriel's room is unlike the cool, soothing colors downstairs and is done in darker, more masculine colors. Deep blues, lots of black, light taupe for contrast and a few splashes of a deep red give the room a feeling of masculine dominance. The bed he's obviously so proud of is king-sized and framed with a beautifully worked redwood headboard and footboard. There are at least six king-size pillows in different colored pillowcases. With the black comforter pulled back at one corner, deep red satin sheets are peeking out. The bed is a playing field that practically screams a play-by-play regarding the types of games it's been privileged to host. Naughty Gabriel.