INNOCENT (Gabe's Trials)

Proteges

Taking the elevator to the underground parking lot, my heart started beating a frantic tattoo. I couldn't know for sure if Gabriel was waiting for me there or if he'd sent Mathew to pick me up again, but either way I couldn't wait to see him. Like it or not, everything I'd witnessed that morning, plus Ginger's words had left their mark on me. I needed answers. Answers I wasn't going to push for this time, but which I still hoped to get. Furthermore, I needed him. I needed to see him, hear him, feel him... I just needed him desperately. Dear God! I was an addict.

The elevator's doors swang open revealing an empty parking lot. My eyes widened a fraction. So maybe I'd stayed at work for a little longer than usual -since it took me forever to become able to concentrate on what I had to do- but I'd never expected to be the last one to leave the building. As for Gabriel, where was he? Why wasn't he or Mathew there already?

The tires of a huge, black SUV screeched somewhere near me and my heart constricted with fear. That was certainly not my murderer nor his wingman.

Slowly turning on my heels, I started for the elevators, trying to keep my emotions and panic at bay. One of the car's doors opened, the sound breaking through the silence and making me cringe. I didn't know how, but I knew that whoever it was, the person climbing out of that car was after me and that he or she was dangerous. And if you know that, then what the fuck are we waiting for? Run! Scream! Do something! Anything. My conscience screamed, making me shake my head to clear my thoughts. First of all, I was anything but capable of runing at the moment. Second of all, screaming wouldn't have helped, since there was nobody anywhere around that could hear me. My only chance of escaping this nightmare was to get as close as possible to the surveilence cameras.

Quiet footsteps started resonating throughout the parking lot, eating the distance between me and my follower. Fucking hell! For once in my lifetime I really wished I was wrong -I wished I was simply paranoid instead of being in real fucking danger.

The sound of a speeding car heading towards me had me breathing out a sigh of relief. He was here. I knew it by the warmth spreading in my belly. I was safe.

Gabe's SUV pulled up behind me just as I quickly turned around, my eyes desperately searching for him. And there he was, opening the door to the driver's seat and pulling out a gun at the mysterious man following me.

"Get in the car, judge!" My eyes widened the moment I became aware of the fact that I hadn't budged from my spot. "Now!" His harsh tone was what really got me going. Without a second's hesitation, I headed for the car and climbed inside, staring at the dark haired man Gabriel was aiming his gun at. He was the one and only Jasper Saunders I'd danced with that night before Gabriel had stepped in. The man was keeping his hands in the air, the expression on his face dark and darring. What really shocked me though, was the way Gabriel was looking at him, the gun in his hand useless. He wasn't going to shoot him. That much was obvious. Now, the question was why not?

Appearently snapping out of his trance, my murderer quickly climbed back into the car, closing the door and stepping on it.

"Are you ok?" He asked, once we were at a safe distance from the court house.

"I'm fine, I think. Who was that man?" I searched his face for something resembling an answer, but he was giving nothing away. In fact, he seemed to be made of fucking stone.

"Don't worry. He won't bother you again. I promise." Well, I couldn't have given a crap about his promises. That man was representing a danger to me and I wanted to know why.

"You could have shot him back there. Why haven't you?" Because the Gabriel I knew certainly would have.

"I wanted to, trust me." Judging by his short, direct answers, I wasn't going to get a lot out of him this time.