Gabe: The Alvarez Security Series Read online

  Forcing herself to put him out of her mind, she took a quick bath and then climbed into bed. She normally fell asleep thinking of all of the things that needed to be done the next day, but tonight was different. This night, a handsome giant filled her dreams.

  CHAPTER 2

  The morning sun peeked through the old blinds and pretty pink curtains in Jennifer’s bedroom as her radio alarm began blasting country music. Slamming her hand on the snooze button, she needed the extra ten minutes. Ross had other plans.

  “Jennybenny,” he yelled from the bathroom. “You gotta get up.”

  Weren’t kids supposed to want to sleep late? Maybe the alarm is wrong. Sitting up in bed, she pushed her sleep tousled curls out of her face and looked at the clock. Nope, it was six o’clock. Time to begin their well-ordered morning.

  Ross was dressed and out of the bathroom by the time she made it in there. Her morning routine was simple; quick shower, moisturizer and mascara, and she hopped in her slacks and blouse. Sliding on her basic two-inch pumps she remembered the sky-high heels of the lady from last night. That woman had to be almost six feet tall without the heels. And I bet those shoes cost more than my month’s salary! Those thoughts had her quickly thinking of the mystery man from last night. As tall as that woman had been, he had been taller. No wonder he looked like a giant. That thought was followed by the realization of what she must have looked like.

  Grimacing, she moved to the kitchen where Ross was eating his cereal with the TV on. The local anchorman was talking about the huge gala event last evening to celebrate the completion of a movie filmed in Richland. Recognizing the name of the hotel as the one she was at last night, she turned to see the screen just as glamorous Alicia Morgenstern was alighting from a limo, her arm on…the giant in the tux.

  She could not stop the desire to see him once again as she walked closer to the old, small TV. Yep, he was just as gorgeous as her memory recalled. Seeing Alicia turn and latch onto his arm had Jennifer clicking the TV off. So out of my league. A giggle erupted from her as she realized that the famous movie star had called her alley trash. Wow, I was insulted by someone famous, she thought wryly.

  Glancing at the clock, she was glad Ross had gotten up on time since she could not seem to get her act together this morning.

  “Got your homework, sweetie?”

  “Yeah. Oh and you need to sign this,” he said as he pushed a piece of paper across the counter toward her.

  Looking down at the school form, she saw a description of an upcoming field trip and a place for the parent/guardian to sign. Her fingers rested on the word as her mind slid back to just a year ago when her mom would have been excited to have signed the form.

  She looked up and caught Ross staring at her.

  “Are you okay, sis?” he asked with more concern than most eight-year-olds have to muster.

  Ruffling his hair, she smiled. “I’m good. Just took a little trip, that’s all.”

  Ross grinned in understanding. That was their mom’s saying for when her mind wandered. Jennifer signed the form and watched him put it in his backpack, making sure to zip it closed.

  Walking him to the corner, she waited until the school bus pulled up and saw him safely aboard before she turned and went back into the center. Walking into the kitchen area of one of the city’s elder centers she found Henry.

  “Good morning,” she called pouring two cups of coffee. Handing him one, she splashed a liberal amount of cream and sugar in hers before taking a swig. “Mmmmm,” she purred. “Now my day can begin.”

  Henry laughed as he stirred the huge pot of oatmeal that they would be serving. His wife, Cora, came from the back with some of the bread that Jennifer had brought in last night from the restaurant.

  “Hey darling,” the older woman greeted. “These rolls are gonna be such a treat with some honey and jam and the oatmeal this morning.”

  “She walked since her truck wasn’t working,” Henry tattled to his wife.

  “Girl, you know better than that,” she exclaimed, looking at Jennifer as though she were a recalcitrant child instead of a woman used to making her own decisions.

  “Oh it was fine and I could tell that Carlos sent Jim to make sure I was all right,” she added, although her mind wondered what it would have been like to have the giant escort her home. Shaking her head to stop the musings, she moved with practice to the serving area of the center, taking a stack of bowls with her.

  The elderly residents walked through, the women first and followed by the men. Greeting each person coming through the line with a smile and a hearty helping of breakfast, the hour passed quickly. Walking around the tables, she differed their thanks back to Henry and Cora, who ran the center and reminded the residents that they would need to assist with clean-up. One of the men told her that he would be taking a look at her truck to get it running for her. Smiling her thanks, she glanced at the clock on the wall before hurrying to the back to grab her purse and briefcase.

  “Bye, see you this afternoon,” she yelled as she hustled to the corner to catch the bus. It took thirty minutes to get to work, changing buses twice. With her head buried in her Kindle, she never noticed the stares of the men around, but her innocence only added to her attraction.

  Hopping out of the bus, she headed into the tall, government building that housed the Department of Social Services. Settling her things in the small cubicle, she began clicking through emails and then piles of records. She was combining her specialties having written her thesis on the increasing homelessness of the elderly.

  “Hey girl,” a cheery voice came from behind.

  Smiling, she looked up at Sybil walking over to toss her oversized bag into her cubicle, followed by Roy, who was already pulling out his cell phone.

  “Baby pics,” the two women squealed as Roy turned his phone around to show them his new twins. Having been on paternity leave for several weeks, this was his first day back. Cooing over the pictures, the group did not hear their boss, Chip, walking over.

  “Meeting at nine,” he said as he walked by.

  “I swear, grouchy-pants must not be gettin’ any,” Sybil quipped. Turning her eyes to Jennifer, she grinned. “But then if you would agree to go out with him, maybe he wouldn’t be such a grouch!”

  “Oh no,” Jennifer said, rolling her eyes. “I’ve told you I have no time to date and on top of that, I would never date the boss.”

  The three settled into their work, but Jennifer could not keep her mind on the files in front of her. Tall, strong jaw, short hair. Eyes that seemed as though they would miss nothing. It was obvious that the tux had been tailored for him. If she had moved closer to him, her head would have fit under his chin. And if he’d wrapped those arms—

  “Jennifer!” Sybil shouted, startling her. Jumping, she turned to her friend. “What?” she questioned.

  “I’ve been calling for almost a minute. We’ve got our meeting.”

  “Oh, I was…um…reading the files,” she explained, not able to control her blush.

  “Uh huh. With that look on your face girl, you weren’t thinkin’ of no file!”

  Shushing her friend, they made their way to the small conference room.

  *

  Blocks away, Gabe walked into Alvarez Security. He was running late; sleep had eluded him the night before. A year ago he would have come out of Alicia’s hotel suite after a night of fucking. As he headed home from the gala, the idea of dipping it in her again turned his stomach. And on top of that, his night was filled with thoughts of the mystery girl. What woman goes out in the night to pick up bread to take to homeless people? Who goes searching for a box in a dumpster? He wanted to be suspicious, thinking that she must have an alternative purpose. His detective friends had worked a case where the drugs were hidden in dumpsters for the next person in the chain to pick up.

  Is that what she was doing? But Carlos trusts her. And the manager knows what she does with the bread. As his mind had been trying to figure her out, h
is dick had responded to the call of the wild. He hadn’t been able to get her beauty out of his mind. Pure. Ethereal. So unlike Alicia’s carefully crafted looks.

  Shaking his head, he entered the building from the underground employee parking garage, making his way to the hub of the agency. Customers coming through the front doors would be met by a pleasant receptionist and then escorted to one of several conference rooms. But behind the steel-reinforced wooden doors near the back that needed a security code to enter, was the agency’s actual work area. There were offices, a conference room surrounding a large open area filled with communication devices, computers, large screens mounted on the walls, and everything else that they needed to assist them in their missions.

  Greeting the others, his twin smiled as he pointed to his watch. Flipping him off, Gabe just kept walking. Straight to Tony’s office. Knocking twice, he waited until he heard the call “Enter”. Walking in, he found himself standing at attention before relaxing.

  Tony looked up and grinned. “Old habits?”

  “Yes. They die hard,” he added as he fought the urge to call him Captain.

  Tony nodded toward the chair and let Gabe take the time to get settled. The silence hung for just a moment, each man comfortable in the knowledge that the words would come at the right time.

  “Tony, I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to work for you,” Gabe started. “I know that last year I agreed to take whatever assignments you had for me, but I’d like to make a request if possible.”

  Nodding, Tony said, “I’m listening.”

  “I let things get out of the realm of professional with Ms. Morgenstern and last night showed that kind of error put this agency in a bad situation.”

  “I agree that sleeping with a client isn’t what I think is the best thing to, but you were off the clock and I’m not going to dictate to my staff who they can and can’t see.”

  Shaking his head, Gabe responded, “I appreciate that, sir. Do you think that there will be any ramifications from her camp?”

  Tony bark out a sound. “Don’t sweat it. We fulfilled our contract. Her manager will take care of her and reign her in. We only have one more contractual obligation with her and that is for the premier in several months.” Looking at Gabe’s sudden uncomfortable expression, Tony said, “Ah. Is that the request?”

  “If possible, I’d rather not be the person that escorts her for that event.”

  Tony laughed as he said, “Not a problem. I have several people that can easily supply that coverage.”

  Nodding, Gabe stood and turned to leave. Walking back toward the others, Vinny came over.

  “Bro, you okay?”

  “Yeah, just needed to apologize to Tony about the Alicia fiasco.”

  Jobe strolled over, hearing the last comment. “Jesus, that woman was a piece of work. I used to envy you, man, until I had to spend some time with her last night.”

  “I was a dumb fuck to ever cross the professional line with her and let her get her claws in me.”

  “Tony okay with you?” Vinny asked.

  Nodding, Gabe answered, “Yeah, he’s cool. We only have one more assignment with her, but that’s in several months so maybe she’ll have someone else she can pester by then.”

  “Who was that woman in the alley last night?” Jobe asked.

  “Woman?” Vinny complained. “You never mentioned a woman last night other than Alicia. You holdin’ out on me bro?”

  Giving what he hoped was a nonchalant shrug, he replied honestly, “Don’t know. Never saw her before.”

  Seeing the men standing around waiting for a more complete answer, he just said, “She was out there waiting to get some food from Carlos.”

  Just then, Tony called a staff meeting and Gabe was glad for the distraction. Walking toward the conference room, he felt Vinny’s hand on his shoulder.

  “Don’t think you’re getting off that easy. You may have them fooled, but remember I’m your other half,” he said.

  Gabe hung his head as they continued walking. I should have known it. No way he’s not going to notice I’ve got this girl on my mind.

  *

  Vinny used his spare key and walked into Gabe’s apartment. Moving over to the fully stocked kitchen, he made himself at home grabbing a beer out of the refrigerator. A few minutes later Gabe came up from the exercise room.

  Vinny’s apartment was in the same building and the amenities were one of the reasons both men lived there. A gym and indoor swimming pool, plus the security, made it a perfect place to relax after work or a mission. Saving money from their days in the Special Forces and then with the excellent pay they received from Tony, they decided not to scrimp on their living conditions.

  Gabe walked past Vinny, moving toward the refrigerator where he grabbed the ingredients for a protein shake. Once they settled on the oversized sofas in the living room, Vinny finally broke the silence.

  “So, are you going to tell me about the girl in the alley or not?”

  Gabe considered for only a second keeping it to himself, but knowing his twin would see through him, he acquiesced.

  “Hell, brother. I don’t even know what to say. I went outside to get away from Alicia and get some fresh air. Caught what I thought was a kid in the dumpster. Turned out to be a woman.”

  “In the dumpster? What the hell was she doing in the dumpster?”

  “Getting a box.”

  “A box? What the fuck did she need a box for?”

  “It seems she comes to the restaurant sometimes to pick up the bread that was baked but not served. I talked to the kitchen manager and he said it would have just been thrown out. She comes and gets it, but I don’t know what the fuck for.”

  Vinny looked at his brother carefully. “There’s more. What are you not telling me?”

  Gabe looked out of the window for a moment, trying to gather his swirling thoughts. “There was something about her. Something…I don’t know. Jesus, this sounds so ridiculous. I mean, we’ve both pounded any woman that was willing for the past few years, but recently I’ve been…wanting something…”

  “Like what Shane, Matt, and BJ have?” Vinny asked, referring to their friends who had recently gotten married to amazing women. “So what about this woman brought out those thoughts? I mean a woman crawling around in dumpsters at night doesn’t exactly bring to mind a happily-ever-after feeling,” Vinny quipped.

  Gabe shook his head, saying, “I don’t know. She was gorgeous. She kind of looked like a little elf. Tiny. Dressed for comfort but not shabby. I startled her when I caught her but then there was the most amazing look on her face.

  Vinny laughed. “Oh yeah, that look that says I want to jump this guy?”

  “No! Not at all,” Gabe said, seeing the disbelieving look on his brother’s face.

  “What then?

  Rubbing his hand over his face again, he said ruefully, “More like she wanted to tell me to get lost.”

  “Well, that’d be a first,” Vinny joked. After a moment of mirth, he sobered looking as his twin grappled with his emotions. “Do you…want to see her? Again, I mean?”

  Gabe looked over, the corner of his mouth quirking. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

  “So where will you find her?”

  Gabe laughed and answered, “I guess the only place I know that she’ll be.”

  “The dumpster behind the restaurant?”

  “Yep. I’m heading there tonight.”

  *

  The night sky was clear with the stars piercing the darkness. There was a full moon giving illumination to the alley, as well as the dim street lights. Gabe made sure that Carlos knew he was there but refused his offer to wait in the warm kitchen. He preferred to see her immediately when she came. And if he was honest he did not want her in the alley alone.

  But she didn’t come. Not that night. Nor the next. Nor the next. By Thursday, Gabe’s frustration was at an all-time high and Vinny finally cornered him after work in the gym.

  “Br
o, what the hell’s been wrong with you all week? The only person you haven’t snapped at is Lily and that’s only because you know the rest of us would chew your ass if you did.”

  Gabe’s answer was a glare as he continued on the treadmill, his leg muscles corded with definition and his shirt soaked with sweat.

  With a flip of his hand, Vinny pulled the emergency switch on the treadmill, causing Gabe to slip backward, barely catching himself from falling on his ass.

  Rounding on his brother, he growled, “What the fuck are you doing? Tryin’ to kill me?”

  Calmly sitting down on the nearest weight bench, Vinny smirked at Gabe and said nothing. Just stared. And continued to smirk.

  Gabe tried to ignore him but finally heaved a huge sigh and said, “You know you’re a pain in my ass?” while sitting down on the other bench.

  “Yeah well, it’s one of my more endearing qualities,” he said laughing.

  The silence rested between the twins for a few minutes, each comfortable with the quiet and waiting.

  “Is it the girl?” Vinny finally asked.

  “Yeah,” was Gabe’s only reply, shaking his head.

  “Look, you’ve been back to find her and she’s now under your skin. But bro, you don’t even know her. And by the description, she’s not your type.”

  At that, Gabe looked up sharply. “My type?”

  “Oh, come on. You’ve always gone for the tall girls that you don’t have to bend so much to kiss. Or fuck standing up for that matter.”

  Gabe lifted his eyebrow, saying sarcastically, “Anything else you want to enlighten me on about my type of woman?”

  “Okay fine. You like ’em tall and built. You like tits and ass and long legs. From what you said, this girl’s got none of those!”

  “You’re crazy, Vin. I don’t have a type and…I…oh hell. I don’t know what it was about her that’s got me so tied up.”