Dark Desires ✔

Chapter 5: Angel in White

It was faint, but Gabriel could definitely hear his friend's irritated voice through his dreamless sleep. Gabriel would have thought since he didn't give River any reaction, the man would get the message and leave. But River wasn't the type to get scared of Gabriel's demonic glare, that was the absolute worst in the mornings.

"Stop barking at me," Gabriel's voice was a low growl.

"Do you know what time it is?" River asked, he was clearly annoyed.

"If you're awake then I'm sure it's still dawn," Gabriel said from under the duvet.

River scoffed. "It's eight o'clock in the morning," he informed his alpha. "I can't believe I'm waking you up, like we're still in high school."

Even if Gabriel tried, he wouldn't be able to fall asleep now. "It was a long night," he knew he gave River a lame excuse but it was true.

The duvet fell and bunched up near Gabriel's waist when he rose from the bed. Through the window next to him, thick beams of golden light spread across the bed and over Gabriel's bare torso making him uncomfortably hot. "Why are you in my room, River?" Gabriel raked his tousled hair out of his drowsy eyes.

River crossed his muscular arms, that bunched up the dark leather jacket he wore; it was tattered from being used so often. Gabriel had bought River that jacket for his birthday a couple years back. He was glad to see it used so often.

"Klaus came to wake you up about a hundred times, but you were sleeping like a corpse," he said. "And I know the only way to wake you up is with more tenacity."

Gabriel rolled the kinks out of his stiff neck. "I told Klaus I was up all night," he mumbled.

Under the light, River's blue eyes appeared silver. "Were you planning on not going to the work today?" River asked.

Gabriel got off the bed and padded away from his friend. "No, I'm going. But I thought I'd go a little late," he said. Gabriel opened the door to his bathroom and took a quick shower; it lasted no longer than five minutes. After he was done, he wrapped a towel around his waist. Droplets of water rolled down his body and soaked into the towel.

River's voice spoke up from the room. "What were you working on that you stayed up all night?"

Gabriel sauntered out of the steamy bathroom and into his closet. "Azura gathered intel on someone I want to get in touch with," he said. "So, I was just reading through it."

River leaned on the wall with a frown creasing his handsome face. "King Vitiello," he presumed.

He smirked at his friend for guessing correctly. "King returned from Italy a couple of days ago," he told River. Gabriel finished buttoning the cuffs on his shirt before he joined his friend in the bedroom.

"What was King doing in Italy?" inquired River.

"Perhaps, he went to soak in the sun," Gabriel jested.

River's brow rose. "I don't think a mob boss does vacation, Gabe," he remarked.

Gabriel hooked his suit's jacket over his arm. "Even a mob boss deserves some time off, River," he said with a grin. "I just hope this time he's returned with more of an open mind."

River faced Gabriel. "Why are you so persistent for this guy?" River's silvery blue gaze narrowed and settled on his alpha calm expression.

"I met him once... and something told me that this man is more than just a Don," Gabriel shared.

A moment later, River rolled his eyes. "You're such a sucker," he left the bedroom shaking his head.