Free GABRIEL (Killer Book 2) by Bonny Capps

black Maserati.
    The bustling city dies out as I find myself in the lower end part of town. Luckily, the homeless are the only ones out at this hour as they huddle around their trashcan fires.
    I pull into one of the alleyways between the lines of homes and stop when I see her tiny, blue house. Some of the windows are broken and the flowerbeds are full of weeds.
    I see her. She’s skin and bones as she sucks the smoke from her cigarette, inhaling deeply before blowing the cloud in front of her face. I know that she’s nineteen. She seems to be alone, not one car is in the driveway.
    She begins walking through the yard and down the alleyway. I’m quite a ways away, so she doesn’t see me as I begin trailing her.
    She walks between the rundown buildings, and I give the space a once over to make sure that nobody is watching before I approach her.
    I roll down my window and she startles when she sees me.
    A nervous smile spreads across her face as she slowly approaches my car, “I think you’re in the wrong part of town.”
    “Am I?”
    She looks around before her nearly black eyes fall back on mine, “Yeah, you don’t see cars like this around here.”
“You want to go for a ride?” I ask.
    She tilts her head to the side, “Go for a ride? Why?”
    I nod my head towards the passenger side as I flash a charming smile, “Get in.”
Her shoulders slump as she crosses her arms loosely over her chest. “I don’t know.” She murmurs, her eyes travelling up and down the alley before landing back on mine.
    “Come on,” I taunt, “It’s just a ride. What are you afraid of?”
    She bites her lip and surveys me momentarily before quickly rounding the car and getting in.
    Flipping on my music app, I hand her my phone. “Your pick.”
    The music begins streaming through the speakers as I begin making my way to the house, feeling her eyes on me.
    “Who are you?”
    I smile at her, “Gabriel. I help people. Like you.”
    “Like me?”
    “People that want to die.”
    She frowns, “How did you-”
    “We spoke earlier. In the chat room.”
    She sighs as she relaxes in the chair, “H-How did you find me?”
    “There are many ways to find people.”
    “Will it hurt?” She asks flatly.
    I look towards her and smile slightly. “No. It won’t hurt.”

    I look around the table. My mom acts like she normally does, sipping her wine and fidgeting in her chair. Dad carries on, talking about business. He’s practically speaking to himself, I only nod to acknowledge him. My mind is somewhere else. It always is.
    My little sister, Jessy, is visiting from college. She’s a spitting image of my mother, big doe eyes and brown hair. She and I have always been close. She’s always understood me; when I would be quiet, when I would stare into the nothingness, she never questioned me.
    “So, how have things been Gabriel? Any new lady friends?” She says playfully as she shimmies her shoulders.
    I smile. “No, just work and renovating my home.”
    My dad laughs, “You’ve been at it for a while. We all need to make a trip up there.”
    I clear my throat before taking a sip of my wine, “Definitely.”
    I feel my mother’s eyes burning into me as she clears her throat. “Anything else going on, Gabriel? We haven’t seen you in so long – other than your father, of course.”
“Yeah. I’ve been seeing Dr. Gnosh again.” I say, avoiding her eyes.
    “Really?” She whispers.
    I glance towards her, “Just to be safe.”
    She nervously sips her red wine before placing her glass back down, “Is there any particular reason why you’re seeing her again?”
    I grit my teeth as I look into her eyes. The secrets of our family linger in the air like forgotten whispers.
    “Other than the sperm donor that helped make me, no. No particular reason.”
    She sinks back into her chair as she continues to stare at me like I’m the worst mistake she’s ever made.
    I look towards my sister and dad, both stare down at their plates