Okie dokie guys, here's the next chapter. I guess you guys seem to like this story so far so as long as I'm getting a good response from you then I'll keep posting. Not real sure yet if the chapters are going to be long or stay about the same so just bare with me. Please enjoy and as usually thanks for all the support so far!!!
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Chapter 4
After a long flight on an uncomfortable cargo plane and buying a new vehicle, Gabe was about exhausted but now he was only about an hour away from the people that needed him the most. Since living either on a base or out in the blistering hot desert for the last few years, he had acquired a hefty amount of money in his bank account. Every year for Christmas, some of his money went to the orphanage that he had grown up in and every year he would personally deliver a check to the nuns that had raised him. Needless to say, money wasn’t an issue for him and now it wouldn’t be one for Jennifer and Molly. Jennifer would never have to worry about being able to feed her daughter again.
Not long after he had drove off the lot with the brand new SUV, he had stopped by a local department store to buy them both new clothes. He had made sure both Jennifer and Molly had any article of clothing they would need. He even snuck in a few skimpy undergarments in the huge rubber tote that was Jennifer’s so when he checked out at the counter, the young woman that rang him up gave him a weird look for buying woman’s and children’s clothes but he didn’t care. A smile crossed his lips at the thought of seeing Jennifer and Molly in them. He just wanted them both to have pretty things.
Driving into the large, bustling city, it didn’t take Gabe nearly as long as he thought it would to find the ratty, rundown apartment building that the woman and daughter called home now. One thing was for sure, they wouldn’t be staying here in this dump another night if he had his way about it. He was sure there was a fair amount of druggies that inhabited the building so it was not a place for either of them to stay.
Pocketing his keys after locking up the vehicle, Gabe rushed up the stairs to find Jennifer’s apartment. He was starting to get jumpy so the quicker they got out of here the better off he would be.
After a few moments of searching, Gabe found the door that housed his destiny behind it. He quickly knocked before he lost the nerve. A second later, the door cracked just a bit for him to see the profile of a woman that absolutely took his breath away.
“Yes?”
That voice wanted to bring him to his knees. Sweet and lyrical were the only words he could think of to describe the way her voice sounded to him. Gabe cleared the knot out of his throat before announcing himself.
“Jennifer, its Lieutenant Wilson.”
The door quickly shut. He heard the rattling of chains before it opened again. What stood on the other side had his breath catching again. Those wild green eyes that had haunted some of his dreams a few nights stared back him like she was waiting for him to disappear. Her long chestnut brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail and he had to fight the urge to pull it down.
“Please come in.”
Gabe stepped through the doorway and into the tiny, clean apartment. He couldn’t see a speck of dust anywhere.
“Mommy, who is here?”
Molly walked out of the room rubbing her eyes with one hand and carrying the teddy bear he sent her in the other. Molly stopped as soon as she noticed Gabe standing there.
“Mr. Gabe?”
Gabe nodded then the next thing he knew tiny arms were wrapping themselves around one of his legs. He bent down to pick her up. She was the most precious thing he had ever seen and she was beautiful just like her mother.
“I knew you would come! The angel told me you would come!”
Molly wrapped her little arms around Gabe’s neck, just about squeezing the life out of him but he didn’t care.
“I’m here Molly.”
Jennifer cleared her throat.
“Molly, you are going to choke the poor man.”
“No, she’s fine.” Gabe didn’t want her arms anywhere else but around his neck.
Gabe allowed himself another moment to bask in the warmth of Molly’s tiny arms before he set her back down on the floor. He turned to Jennifer and fought the urge to pull her close to him body. He wanted to fee her warmth in a different way but he quickly pushed that thought away.
“I want you to get everything together that you need.” Gabe stated.
“Is something wrong?” Jennifer asked with a quizzical look.
“Not at the moment but I want to be on the road before trouble finds us.”
Jennifer nodded.
“It will take a few minutes. We don’t’ have a lot.”
Jennifer turned and ushered Molly into the bedroom. Gabe took a seat at the small dining room table. He let himself get lost in the thoughts of having a family. Would he get the warm welcome he had received from Molly from his own children? He thought of coming home to a wife that loved him and children that would have him wrapped around their little fingers. If he wasn’t careful, he bet the little girl in the other room would eventually have that ability before too long.
“We are ready.”
Jennifer stood before him with a suitcase in one hand and her daughter’s tiny hand in the other.
“Alright, let’s hit the road then. We will stop outside of town for breakfast.”
With teddy bear in hand, Molly let go of her mother’s hand and grabbed his. When he looked down at the tiny figure beside him, he was greeted with a warm smile and bright, twinkling green eyes that could shine through the darkness. Yep, he would definitely be wrapped around her tiny little fingers before long…
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Jennifer couldn’t believe the sight before her. Molly had always been shy and always shied away from people she didn’t but for some reason, Gabe was different. Seeing the two together was like seeing a father and daughter walk hand in hand. Molly hadn’t even been this way toward her own father. For some reason, Molly never liked being around Austin and would constantly tell Jennifer that he wasn’t her daddy.
Gabe reached down to pick up her little girl but before he could take it to the door, loud yelling came echoing from the hall. Gabe stopped to listen.
“Find the girl!”
Gabe turned back to Jennifer.
“Fire escape?” He asked in a hushed tone.
Jennifer nodded and turned toward the window. Uriel stood there in a stoic pose.
“I really wish you could quit doing that.” Gabe growled at the man.
“I’ll hold them off; go!”
The window slid up without anyone touching it. Jennifer stood there for a moment trying to comprehend what was happening.
“Jennifer, we have to go.”
Gabe shook her a little with his free hand. That was all it took to get the adrenalin to kick in. She tried to take Molly away from Gabe but he stopped her.
“No, Molly stays with me; take her bear. Molly, hold on tight.”
Gabe shifted Molly to his back before he climbed out the window Molly buried her little head in his shoulder not wanting to look down. Gabe helped Jennifer out the window just as soon as the front door to the apartment shattered into pieces. Turning back, Jennifer saw nothing but a bright light then heard Uriel yell.
“GO! RUN!”
Jennifer turned back and hastily made her way down the fire escape. As soon as her feet hit the asphalt, Gabe grabbed her arm, pulling her to the street. By the time they reached the SUV standing before them, Molly was scared and sobbing and Jennifer was out of breath. Gabe helped her into the passenger seat then placed Molly in her lap.
“So, it really is true? I’m not dreaming.” Jennifer said breathlessly.
“Looks that way. You guys okay?” Gabe asked as tired squealed when he pulled away from the sidewalk.
Jennifer ran her hands over her daughter making sure she was unharmed.
“Yeah; its ok baby, please don’t cry.”
Jennifer began to rock her frightened little girl, softly humming the lullaby she used to sing to her when she was a baby. She noticed Gabe looking at her out of the corner of her eye. Suddenly, he reached over to her leg.
“You’re hurt.” He said softly then turned his head back to the road.
Looking down, she saw a deep, bloodstained gash high on the side of her thigh. She looked around for something she could gold to it to stop the bleeding.
“Here.”
Gabe tore one of the sleeves of his shirt and handed it to her. Molly looked down at her leg as more tears started to trickle down her face.
“Mommy, you’re bleeding.”
“It’s okay sweetie, it doesn’t hurt.”
“When we get out of the city, we’ll find a motel.” Gabe said while not taking his eyes off the road.
Holding pressure to her wound with one hand and holding Molly close to her with the other, Jennifer stared out the passenger window thinking how her life has taken such a weird turn. Angels aren’t supposed to be real. She knew her daughter had visions; visions that would plague her dreams at night but what would angels want with Molly? Surely, they couldn’t want her for that fact alone, could they?...
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As the bright sun raised high over the sky signaling mid-day, Gabe pulled into a tiny motel parking lot. He was running on close to twenty-four hours of no sleep and needed to rest a while, even if it was only a couple of hours.
“Stay right here while I get us a room.”
Jennifer nodded without saying anything. Those wild green eyes stared back at him then the most beautiful moment occurred. Jennifer smiled at him causing his heart to almost pound out of his chest and an unfamiliar fire to rise inside him.
Before Gabe could make a fool of himself, he quickly stepped out of the SUV. As he was about to reach the door to the lobby when he stumbled because his thoughts were on Jennifer’s smile and not where he should be walking. In all of his thirty-three years, no woman has ever had this kind of effect on him. Sure he was no saint but how could one smile have him tripping over a crack in the pavement?
Moments later, Gabe walked out with a room key in hand. He made damn sure they had a room at the very far end of the building. They needed privacy in case a certain angel decided to pop in on them again. He got in and pulled down in front of the room that would be theirs for the next few hours.
“Take Molly inside while I grab some stuff.”
Gabe handed Jennifer the key card. Molly was sound asleep in Jennifer’s arms and Gabe hated the thought of disturbing her but they all needed to be inside and not out in the open.
Gabe grabbed the town rubber totes that held clothes for both Molly and Jennifer then carried them inside the room.
“What’s that?” A sleep Molly asked.
Jennifer turned around with a questionable look.
“It’s some clothes for you guys.”
Gabe turned to head back out to grab his bag. Walking back inside, Jennifer pinned him with a look he quite couldn’t’ decipher.
“You didn’t have to do this.” She said to him.
“I know I didn’t but I did. It’s getting cooler outside and you guys need to stay warm.”
“Look mommy, I’ve got a sleeping beauty night gown and a pretty red dress! Don’t I look pretty?”
Molly held the dress up in front of herself while she twirled around next to her mother.
“You do look pretty. Why don’t we go get a bath then we can watch some cartoons.”
Molly groaned a little. Guess she didn’t like that thought, Gabe mused. When they both disappeared into the bathroom, Gabe relaxed a little. He really needed to get some of the thoughts he was having of Jennifer out of his head. The last thing she needed right now was him trying to seduce her…