“Shh,” I whispered.
He turned his head and glanced up meeting my eyes. “I love you, Luna.” He took my hand and squeezed it, but hearing those words had been the best feeling in the world.
“I love you, too,” I spoke softly, with barely a breath. He stroked his cheek against my hand.
We sat that way for quiet moment until my father came back into the room. “Have you been awake a while?” He crossed the room and stopped at the foot of my bed.
I nodded and held my hand out for him so he came closer and took it, standing beside me. “Not too long.”
Dad looked at Gabriel. “Long enough to know she’s not suppo
sed to be talking?”
“That long,” said Gabriel. “But she’s being stubborn.”
He chuckled. “She gets that from her mother.”
Gabriel and I exchanged a glance and smiled. I had gotten many things from my mother, but no one could deny that the stubborn parts of me came from the pastor himself.
Suddenly, the alarm sounded over the speaker in the hall as Code Blue was announced in ICU. There was a rush of people past my door and Gabriel took my hand and glanced at my father.
The two exchanged a nod and I pretended not to notice. Gabriel took a deep breath and looked up to the ceiling and Dad patted my arm to comfort me. I wondered if they thought I didn’t know what happened, but moments later, an officer stuck his head in the door and called for Gabriel.
“I’ll be right back, baby. Close your eyes and get some rest.” He kissed my forehead and left me with my father.
Through a crack in the door, I saw Gabriel’s face; his jaw was clamped so tight it twitched and he pulled his lips into a straight line. He lowered his head as he nodded. A few moments later, the officer clapped him on the back as they shook hands, and Gabriel returned to the room and approached my bed. He and my father exchanged another glance and Dad retreated to the window.
“He’s dead now, isn’t he?” I searched his eyes and found my answer before it fell from his lips.
“Yeah. The police know everything that happened. It was all on our cameras.” He stroked my hair.
I remembered the warm splatter of blood as he fell against me and though I hadn’t seen the bedroom’s aftermath, I could imagine it was a mess. My gut twisted in knots as I relived turning from the bed to see him standing there in the bathroom doorway.
“I don’t want to go back there.” I didn’t want to see the red stains on Gabriel’s carpet or look into that bathroom doorway, ever fearing the killer would be standing there. Even though he was gone, the nightmare would live on.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Gabriel
I stood at the window of my Los Angeles penthouse and stared out at the palm trees in the distance. I’d missed the place more than usual, and though glad to be back, I hated the reason. I couldn’t bring Luna back to the vineyard to recover with the renovations already in progress.
As soon as the investigators gave me the all clear, I had a team of contractors go in and tear out the carpet and knock out the wall that separated my bathroom from the bedroom. A little rearranging would be good for our future stays there, but I didn’t want to make it our permanent residence.
I turned and glanced around my bachelor suite and decided this wouldn’t do, either. Luna needed a proper home, not a penthouse apartment.
Mason and Joe were right at home, lounging on my black leather couch and watching ESPN updates while Luna chatted with Kim in the bedroom, their laughter so loud at times I cringed knowing Luna’s throat must have been on fire.
It had only been three days since the incident, and I’d called us all together when I’d heard that Detective Hatcher was in town and wanted to stop by with his final report.
I had been more anxious than the others, pacing from the window on the far wall and back to the door for the past hour. I’d waited all these long weeks to get my name cleared, and it couldn’t come fast enough.
A knock at the door had me crossing the distance and Mason turned down the sports report as Joe, being the protector he was, stood and stepped to stand near the window.
I opened the door to find the graying cop with his cold stare. He’d dressed up for the occasion, or whichever one had brought him all this way.
“Good afternoon, Detective. I appreciate you stopping by.” I waved him in, and he took a seat in my favorite leather recliner.
“I wanted to come by and talk with you about my final report and what we’ve concluded from statements from his family and roommates, if you’re interested.”