Chapter 6 - Crossfire in the DarkGabriel didn't hesitate. While Marcus was distracted gloating, Gabriel rolled out from beneath the table, firing two rapid shots through the dim moonlight.
Thud.
Marcus stumbled backward, dropping his carbine as he clutched his shoulder, before scrambling frantically back out into the dark gardens.
"Dante! Cut him off at the greenhouse!" Gabriel shouted into his comm-link, before immediately dropping back down beside Chloe.
She was checking herself over, breathing heavily, her adrenaline surging through her veins. "Are you insane?! You just engaged a sniper in an open dining room!"
"And you’re still breathing," Gabriel countered, his hand firmly gripping her shoulder. His dark eyes swept over her face, checking for injuries with a fierce, possessive intensity that terrified her more than the gunfire. "Are you hit?"
"No! But I'm officially sick of your lifestyle!" Chloe shoved his hand away and crawled out from under the table. "Every time I'm within ten feet of you, someone starts shooting!"
"That," Gabriel said grimly, standing up and checking his weapon's magazine, "is a very fair point. Which is why we are ending this tonight."
He turned to the wall-mounted intercom panel, punching in a master code. "Elena. Initiate Lockdown Protocol Omega. Seal the estate vaults and route all perimeter cameras to my handheld."
"Done," Elena’s calm, steady voice crackled over the speaker. "The south gardens are completely cut off. Marcus is trapped between the greenhouse and the lake."
Gabriel looked down at Chloe, his face carved from stone. "Stay in this room. Lock the doors behind me. If I'm not back in twenty minutes..."
"What?" Chloe challenged, her chin trembling slightly despite her anger. "Do I inherit the pit bull?"
May you like
For a fraction of a second, a genuine, breathtaking smile broke across Gabriel’s face.
"You inherit everything," he murmured. And then he vanished into the dark hallway.
