Abaddon chuckled and gave him a brief hug. “Someone’s being a little horny bunny tonight. I’ll take care of that once I’m back,” he said, as if he were planning to do the weekly shop, not kill. Gabriel would have to think of something else.
With a deep sigh, he pressed his forehead against Abaddon’s chest. “Okay, let’s go to the garage.”
Abaddon smiled and gave his temple a kiss. “He’ll be gone tonight. You’ll never again have to fear him.”
Frost blew through Gabriel’s chest when he realized that after wishing Martinez gone for years, he was now scrambling to give the bastard another day. It was fucked up, but at this point, very few things could stop him from trying to keep Abaddon with him.
“Okay… the garage,” Gabriel muttered as Abaddon pulled him along by the hand.
It was dark outside, but with the moon almost full, they had more than enough light to follow the outer wall of the kitchen building and then sneak into the former wine cellar under the main house.
The scent of motor oil and gas was choking Gabriel with each step he took, and he fervently thought of ways to stop Abaddon. They still had time, so what was the point of wasting one of their final nights together on a dirty rapist?
He looked around, unwilling to let go of Abaddon just like he hadn’t wanted to part with the muffins. Would he let the world take such a miracle out of his hands because he wasn’t able to stand up for himself?
“All I really need is a lookout,” Abaddon said, approaching an inconspicuous car. He hadn’t even shared what his plan was for dealing with Martinez. What if he got hurt with no one there to help him?
Gabriel shifted his weight, increasingly distressed by the storm raging inside him. How was he to communicate all this anguish without spelling out that he wanted Abaddon to stay with him. Tonight. Tomorrow.
Forever.
But his angel was blind to his emotional turmoil, and squatted by Mrs. Knight’s car, studying its lock.
Gabriel cleared his throat. “So, I…”
“Stand outside, or peek out to make sure no one’s approaching.”
“Okay, but, then what? You go away? Alone?”
“Yes, that’s the plan. I’ll be fine, Gabriel.”
Gabriel huffed and walked off to the garage door, secretly hoping for someone to appear and disturb this damn plan. For the janitor coming over to sweep the floor, or someone deciding they’d forgotten something from their car. Anything.
But they were alone on this peaceful spring night, and unless something drastic happened, he and Abaddon would be one man closer to parting forever by midnight.
And as Gabriel pulled on his shirt, moving it to cool his overheating body, his gaze fell on the red frame of the fire alarm switch.
He didn’t think. Two steps forward, and he smashed his elbow into the glass, pushing the button inside. He stumbled back the moment the siren began howling.
Abaddon jumped to his feet, tense as Cloud when startled. “What the fuck did you do?”
“I tripped! I’m so sorry!” Gabriel raised his hands but knew that guilt was painted all over his face.
Fury twisted Abaddon’s features as he looked around before storming up the slope of the exit. “Don’t lie to me. I saw you!” He grabbed Gabriel by the arm, and soon enough, they were both running into the night to avoid being spotted.
Running wasn’t Gabriel’s forte, so the jog past the field and to the woodland felt like punishment already. And his elbow hurt.
“I tripped!” he repeated, barely able to catch breath as he slowed down in the shadow of the trees.
“No, you did not!” Abaddon roared, spinning around like a pagan deity made of perfect skin and endless hair. “Why? Why would you do something like that?” he demanded, stepping closer to Gabriel.
Were he anyone else, Gabriel would have recoiled in fear, but Abaddon wasn’t a threat. He never lied and wouldn’t hurt him. And how did Gabriel repay him?
Fuck, what wouldn’t he do for a cigarette.
Guilt ate at his heart as he rubbed his aching elbow, caught red-handed. “I don’t want you to go!” he choked out, and in his desperation, he sucked in air and shouted, “Stay or I swear I’ll cut myself open!”
He hardly believed he’d said that out loud, but there it was, out in the open, accompanied by a sob as if he were a big baby, not a grown man who should be able to handle his shit. But when Abaddon was on the line, Gabriel lost his mind, ready to do crazy shit, even make himself bleed just so his angel would have to stay and tend to his wounds.
Silence. And the longer it lasted the deeper was the crack in Gabriel’s heart.
If he couldn’t be with Abaddon, then he’d rather disappear and just… no longer exist.