Gabriel gently squeezed my hand back. “I know it sounds like a bunch of gibberish, but I need you to tell me everything he said.”
“Umm...” It wasn't that I didn't remember his words. I dreamed about them often. It was that I didn't understand them enough to explain them to another person.
“He said something about walking the earth for a long time and never seeing a woman as beautiful as me. He said he'd seen kingdoms fall for women whose face couldn't hold a candle to mine, and that I didn't know how rare my looks were. And then his voice changed.”
“Changed like how?”
It sounded creepy, like clicks.”
Gabriel frowned. “Clicks?”
“Yeah, there was a clicking noise in his throat. He then snatched my hat and wig off and started choking me. He wanted me to call him master. Said that my grandfather tried to hide me because he knew my beauty would attract all those that were like him.”
“Him who? Your grandfather or the Mayor?”
“The Mayor.”
Gabriel nodded. “What happened next?”
“He ripped my dress and tried to rape me. I reached behind me for my grandmother’s brass lamp and hit him with it. The corner of it imbedded in his head. He stood, and he still had the grin on his face. It was like he couldn't even feel the gash in his head. Blood was everywhere. He told me it looked as if he and I were going to have to continue this on a later date. Then he said something about hating human flesh.”
I held my hands up by my head. “His head started moving side to side, and back and forward real fast; like somebody was fast forwarding a tape. He began to repeat vote Davenport for Mayor, over and over again in a voice that sounded like chalk scratching down a chalkboard. And in the next instant, he fell dead.”
I looked at Gabriel studying him to see how my story was affecting him. I didn't think he was going to judge me too harshly for killing a man. Seeing as to how he had killed before, at least twice that I know of; once when he was seven, and that man that was going to attack me in the alley.
But I couldn't help but feel ashamed for almost being raped by the Mayor that was clearly possessed by some kind of demon or something.
“Hmm.” Was all Gabe said.
He used the hand that I was not clutching to roll the golden pen back and forth on his desk, as he thought about my words. Great, he thought I was crazy!
“You think I'm crazy don't you?” He smiled at me.
“Did you think I was crazy when I told you about the homeless man with no shoes who told me the secret to my amazing strength?”
I shook my head. “Surprisingly, no.”
“Emm hmm, and did you think I was crazy when I picked up my desk with one hand?”
“No, I didn't.”
“Good. I don't think you’re crazy either. I think you've been through a lot. And it's time for you to rest and let your husband take things over from this point. The Mayor was right about one thing. You are God's gift to an undeserving man. That much is true.”
He palmed my face and brought it down to gently kiss my lips. “But this man will never let anything happen to you. Nobody is ever going to hurt you again. They would have to kill me first. And I promise you baby, I ain't no easy kill.”
I smiled because I believed him. I just watched him pick up this mahogany wooden desk with one hand. It probably took three or four men to get this thing in here. He kissed me again, before he grinned down at me.
“However, I do have another question.”
I sat up on his lap folding my arms. “Gabriel Calhoun, if this is another question about William, I swear I'm going to do damage to you.”
Chuckling he shook his head. “No, this isn't about our bipolar friend.” He brought his hand to one of the clasp on my overalls, where it laid against my breast.
“So, you say we can't have any fun tonight, huh?”
I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at his sad face. I shook my head.
“We can't have any fun for the next week.” His startled gaze rose to mine.
“A week? How am I supposed to survive that long without your sweetness?”
Giggling, I shrugged. Who knew he had this silly side to him.
He leaned his head against the back of his chair. “What is a brotha to do?” He muttered, watching with those clever eyes of his.
“What do you mean?”
His mischievous gaze swept over me. “Don't you know I'm addicted to your loving girl?”
I shook my head amazed that he felt the same way I did. “No, I didn't know that.”
“Yeah, I'm addicted to your nectar. So much so, I don't think I can go a day without it. And I think it's only right that since I can't have the sweetness of your body, I should at least be able to have the sweetness of the work of your hands to hold me off.”
I frowned. “What the world are you talking about?”
A wicked grin settled on his face. “Your, I feel guilty tarts!” He moved so fast with his next action it took me a minute to realize what had happened. The rascal had put his hands around my waist, lifting me off his lap, placing me on his desk. Then he was up, out the chair and had the pan of tarts in his hand before I could even blink.
“My sweets!” He growled before running out the door with the pan.
“Gabriel
