The Fugitive

Gabriel's voice resonated across the room, the fierceness behind his voice stilling everyone momentarily. Lenny was the first to move and approached the coffee table, picking up the roll of cash before taking Esme's hand from her lap and placing the notes into her hand as he lowered his face and kissed her knuckle. Gabriel's hand shot out and gripped Lenny's wrist, but it didn't seem to concern the human. 

Lenny looked up from her hand, unfazed by Gabriel's grip tightening and smiled. "You do not owe me anything, kid. I am sorry your apartment wasn't safe enough. I could show you some others with better security that is still affordable."

Esme wrapped her hand over Gabriel's, causing the vampire's grip to lighten ever so slightly, but he still glared at her, letting Esme pull his hand away from Lenny's wrist. Without looking at the she-wolf, Gabriel's fingers tightened around her own, not willing to let her go. Esme relaxed her hold, feeling somewhat comfortable even by these turn of events. Maybe she would scold herself after? She stared back at Lenny and gently smiled; for a gangster, he sure was kind. 

She wanted to give the money to him, it was only right, but the vampire next to her was losing his patience, and so she accepted it. 

"I'll text you later," She replied to Lenny, ignoring Gabriel clicking his tongue. Lenny took the hint and quietly left through his walk seemed to have a bit of swagger to it, with a smirk forming on his lips as he waved goodbye only to Esme.

After staying at Gabriel's, it made Esme appreciate the idea of having two places, especially after last night's ordeal. Although she never did turn up at the fancy apartment, Gabriel provided her. But she liked having a safe house and the other to keep herself as distanced as possible from others. And at the moment, Esme didn't know how to react to Gabriel; had he really been worried over her? 

She almost scoffed aloud. Why would anyone worry about her leaving?

Esme shook her head, ridding herself of such foolish thoughts. Gabriel sighed and looked down; Esme's hand was still atop his relaxed on the sofa now. Esme followed his gaze, and she removed her hand. 

"Do you really think that nobody would care if you left?" He asked dangerously quietly. His body was still somewhat close to hers, but this wasn't the first time he had gone into her personal space. Maybe she had grown used to it because she didn't feel uncomfortable. 

"It would make your life easier if I did. Less trouble, fewer bodies scattered across your city, and fewer subordinates randomly attacked." Esme glanced at Niko's retreating form and looked away quickly when he returned her stare with guilt. Her voice hardened. "And I did not know those rogues and did not set them loose outside of ONYX. The only idea I can think of as to why they would do something so risky is to prevent you from coming to me." Her fingers tapped on the leather armrest in thought, ignoring Gabriel's intense stare. Again.

"Why.." Gabriel spoke slowly with a dangerous tone to his voice. His gaze moved from Esme's face to Niko and Luther's. His eyes started to glow. "Are you still here?"

Esme thought he was speaking to her as well and started to stand up but was instantly pulled back down onto the sofa, lying down, her back now pushing into the cushioned surface. She stared wide-eyed at the vampire hovering above her, her wrist held down on the sofa. "Where do you think you're going, little wolf?" Gabriel purred, smirking from the growing blush on her cheeks. 

"I do believe it is our time to leave." She heard Luther speak up, and she watched upside down and could see only the back of his golden locks and Niko's brown hair exiting through the double doors. Niko was the one to look back at her, a mixture of emotions flicking across his face, but she couldn't grasp at what. Concern, pain, suspicion?

The doors shut behind them, and she was now alone with Gabriel, the King.  He was still smirking at her, one hand holding her down, the other balancing him above her as he leaned closer to her. His face was now inches from hers, and she stared wide-eyed at this sudden change in the atmosphere. 

There was almost a static, electric buzzing between them, and she didn't move away as he lowered his lips to her neck. Esme gasped at the sudden sharp points of his fangs grazing against her neck, not spilling blood. She breathed heavily, shocked at the feeling of desire from his fangs and the burning touch of his hand on her wrist. Such a simple touch..

But it wasn't simple! They are Gabriel's fangs!

"W-what are you doing?" Esme's hand shot out to Gabriel's face, but her fingers caressed his cheek then went through his luscious hair. She trembled from both wanting to push him away and to pull him closer to her neck so he could devour her. Was this the power of a vampire? She tilted her head away, so he had better access to her, like a damned prey begging the beast to eat her, but she couldn't help it. 

Gabriel chuckled against her skin, his lips vibrating through her, making her quiver as he slid his hand from her wrist and their fingers intertwined. Her heart was racing, and her breaths came out quick. All was lost between them at that moment, he wasn't the king of all vampires, and she was not some random rogue. 

A heat was coursing through her body to her core, and she didn't know how to handle it. It was Gabriel's doing, and she felt defenceless against it.  Gabriel pulled away slightly, his lips now hovering above hers. "Did you stay with Leo last night?" He whispered, the spark behind his eyes glowering at her as though she had done something wrong. 

But Esme was not fearful of him or the fact he was so intimately close with her. She was comfortable and embarrassingly so, needy for him. Gabriel's lips barely brushed hers as he spoke, and she gulped, feeling a tingle of desire grow for the man. "Why do you think I stayed at Leo's?" She barely whispered, trying to control the breathlessness in her voice and the beating of her heart. 

Gabriel searched her eyes, lowered his head to the side of her face, and started leaving a trail of butterfly kisses down her neck. Each one made her whimper, his gentle, soft lips cool to the touch but sent shockwaves of heated flames through her body. Gabriel stopped, letting his hair tickle her neck as he inhaled her scent just below her collarbone. 

Esme's heart skipped a beat, and she almost jolted away from him, panic coursing her as she remembered her scars. Gabriel was on the opposite side of her burnt and shredded skin at her attempts to remove her mate's mark, but there were several bite marks across her body.

"I smell his scent on you. It's very light, but I can still smell it," Gabriel spoke into her chest. Well, her shirt was still in place. But what if things went further? She bit her lip just thinking about it.

Hold up! Was she just sexually frustrated? Had it really been so long since being intimate with someone that she was going to let Gabriel kiss and touch her? 

Gabriel looked up, his chin resting on her right breast, one hand now entangling her hair and the other caressing her body, the light touch over her other breast making her inhale sharply, and her gaze darken as his hand went down to her jeans, stopping at the first button. Esme gulped. She wanted him to go further.

The vampire smiled lazily at her, making him look all the more sexier with his ruffled hair and exquisite good looks. "I did not stay at Leo's last night… We are and always will be only friends.." She explained as a shiver went through her while he undid the button.

Pop.

"Is that so?" Gabriel purred, lifting his face up to meet hers. "Esme, I don't know if you understand what is happening right now, but I can't resist you." The zip to her jeans slowly went down, almost teasingly so.. "Tell me to stop."