Page 18 of 12 Days of F*ckmas
Smiling, he followed.
I stopped us in front of several lockets. After a few minutes, I picked a small heart-shaped locket made of gold and outlined in rubies. It shined like the sun.
Gabriel flipped open the glass case like he owned the store and lifted it out. “This is a very classy choice.”
He opened it for me, and a prism glittered inside. It was all the colors of the rainbow shining at once, nearly blinding me with its brilliance. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
“Turn around.” He licked his lips. “I would love to put this on you.”
I did as he said, relishing in his fingers brushing my skin. He placed the locket around my neck. The chain was cool against my skin.
“It is perfect,” he whispered in my ear. “Andyouare perfect.”
I blushed. “You’re so sweet.”
A dark chuckle left him. “Sweet?”
“I mean that in the nicest way possible.”
He spun me around. “I am not sweet, Mariah. Not by any stretch of the imagination.”
I widened my eyes. “Then, what are you?”
“I am dark, and I desire dark things.”
A cold shiver sliced up my spine.
“Pick some more items. They can be gifts for your family.” He walked off. “I will see you in the morning.”
I frowned. “You’re leaving?”
“I still haven’t found Savio.” He continued toward the door. “I thought Rudy’s son was an idiot, but it seems he smart enough to remain well-hidden.”
“Have you tried the racetrack?”
Gabriel stopped and turned around. “He’s a betting man like his father?”
“Savio spends all of his time at the racetrack. He’s the reason why I’m always adding minus signs to the budget.”
Gabriel quirked his brows. “You do know that when I find Savio, we will not be exchanging cookie recipes.”
“Savio treated the brothel like his own bank account and the employees like his personal sex dolls.”
He spoke through clenched teeth, “Like what?”
“He made the girls do things against their will, and never compensated them for their troubles.”
Gabriel studied me. “How didyouend up working there?”
“Desperation. My father and I had a family accounting firm. It closed when my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Rudy’s brothel had been one of our clients. When we shut down, he offered to take me on fulltime.”
“Did that help?”
“Rudy barely paid me.”
The line in his jaw twitched. “And how did Savio treat you?”
“I never liked the way he looked at me.” I shivered in disgust. “Whenever he came around, I stayed away.”
