The Acceptance

Chapter 16

Throbbing pain jerked Luther from his drugged slumber. A subconscious urgency prodded him to open his eyes, but at first, he saw only a great blur. His gun hand raised and at the ready, he willed himself to full awareness.

Little by little the fogginess cleared, showing him foreign surroundings.

What the hell?

He started to lift his other hand, felt a heavy knife falling, and found himself fumbling with two weapons, a knife and his gun.

He had no recollection of drawing either one.

“Jesus.” Shaking his head to clear it didn’t help much; he didn’t understand any of this.

What had happened?

The last thing he recalled was sitting on the grass in front of his house with Gaby. He’d wanted to make love to her, had planned to work around to exactly that.

Now he sat in the shadowed, dank darkness of a basement, and a foul stench—the fetor of death—burned his nostrils on every breath.

A scene of utter carnage surrounded him. Blood sprayed the walls. Brain matter, gore, covered an area of the floor.

In the middle of it all . . . a dead boy? He wasn’t sure of the age or sex, only that, given the lifelessness of the body, whoever it was had expired. Farther away, an older couple lay in tangled, bloody demise.

Luther looked at the gun in his hand. His head pounded as memories intruded, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

This was the room Bliss had described to him, but how had he gotten here? Manacles hung from the wall, nooses from the ceiling. Makeshift cages held restraints of all kinds; it didn’t take great intuitiveness to know that innocent people had suffered great and immeasurable pain here.

Where was Gaby? What had happened to her? His chest hurt and his guts cramped. No, he wouldn’t think the worst.

He wouldn’t. He had to figure this out, and fast.

Hearing nothing and no one, but unsure of any other threats, Luther started to stand. A warm weight shifted against his leg. He glanced down—and found Gaby slumped beside him.

“Oh my God.”

When her head lolled to the side, his heart threatened to burst. More scared than he’d ever been, he put aside the weapons and cupped her shoulders. “Gaby?”

She mumbled, but didn’t awaken.

Luther shook her. “Gaby!”

Sliding off the chair to his knees, he gently laid her onto the floor and checked her over for wounds. Her arms were badly bruised, and a nasty rope burn encircled her pale throat.

His muscles coiled in fury. “Fuckers. I’ll kill them all.” Drawing a ragged breath, his hands trembling, he smoothed back her hair. “Honey, talk to me, please.”

Her eyes opened.

To Luther’s astute gaze, they appeared clear, bright with perspicacity. She frowned. “Luther?”

He shoved aside his suspicions to help her into a sitting position. “Are you all right?”

With sluggish inelegance, she put a hand to her head and looked around.

Eyes narrowed, Luther watched her. She showed no signs of shock at the tableau of horror. No signs of shock.

Eyes direct, voice unshaken, she turned to him and said, “My God, Luther.”

He swallowed hard. “I know.”

Her beautiful blues didn’t blink. “It’s amazing.”

“It is?”

“Well, yes. Look at what you did.”

He drew back, uncertain, confused, no memory of doing . . . anything.

Gaby wrapped her arms around him. “You killed them all, and you saved us. The city should give you a commendation or something.” Her warm breath touched his neck. “It’s over, Luther. Finally, it’s over.”

After Luther made a call, it didn’t take long for authorities to arrive. They swarmed the place, filling the upscale community with flashing lights and a flood of officials. Affluent neighbors came out to their porches, disgruntled by the disturbance to their peaceful and prosperous lives.

As more uniformed men shoved past her, Gaby asked, “Who the hell are all these people?”

“Detectives, crime scene technicians, medical examiner, photographers . . .” Luther shrugged. “It takes a lot of people to lock down a crime scene and gather the evidence the right way.”

“Seems like a lot of ballyhoo to me when it’s already clear what happened.”

His gaze sharpened on her. “And that is?”

Gaby shrugged. “Sick freaks grabbed us, you killed them all, you’re a hero—end of story.”

Luther didn’t buy that. He ran a hand over his head, a little pained, a lot disgusted. Hands on his hips, he turned away from her to stare at the bodies. “You were right.”

“About what?”

“He’s not a boy.”

“Well, duh.” Gaby shook her head. “He’s not even a he.”

“How did you know?” Luther flexed his jaw in frustration. “You were so certain about it, when no one else knew. So how did you know?”

Time to tread carefully. Gaby tried for a look of indifference. “He’s the same kid I saw in my area way back when, that’s how.”

“Before Lucy was taken?”

“Yeah. You remember. You asked me why I was chasing him, and I told you then that I didn’t know for sure.”

“But you knew that he—strike that—she was suspect even then?”

Gaby didn’t like where the questions were leading. “He/she looked too clean-cut and uppity to be hanging out in my neck of the woods, that’s all. I just sensed that something was off.”

“And as always, you were right.”

“Lucky me.” She, too, glanced at the body. “You know,” she said softly, “she prefers to be addressed as he.”

“He is dead, so what does it matter what he prefers?”

It didn’t, not really. But still . . . She glared at him for confusing her more. “Look, Luther, it was him and his two twisted relatives there—”

“How do you know they’re relatives?”

Good grief. Would he grab on to her every word trying to find plot holes?

Trying for a patience she didn’t possess, Gaby inhaled. “Okay, here’s how it went down. Are you paying attention?”

Luther stiffened. “Just spit it out.”

“They—the warped relatives—stuck you with the drug before they got to me, so you probably don’t remember as much as I do. But before that, before they drugged me, I heard a lot. The lady who likes to impersonate a boy is called Oren, and the other two are his aunt and uncle.”

“You actually have memory of all that?”

“I guess you don’t, huh?” Gaby patted his arm in bogus sympathy. Poor Luther, he hated the loss of details, his weak grasp on the happenings. “The uncle injected you first. You got in one good hit that knocked him down, but it was too late—the drug was already in you and doing its thing. While I was moving to help you, the loony aunt stuck me, not just once, but a bunch of times.”

Luther paled. “Show me.”

Why not? Gaby turned and lifted her shirt.

“Jesus, Gaby.” Gentle fingertips smoothed over her skin. “She did a number on you.”

“Yeah. But I clocked the bitch in the nose, which is how it got broken. I’d have done more, but then I passed out and the rest is as much a mystery to me as it is to you.” She lowered her shirt again.

“You need to be checked.”

“Forget that, cop. I’m fine.”

Concern warmed his face. “It’s important that we both go—”

“Ha.” Gaby shoved away his hands. “You might have to follow orders, but I don’t.” To keep him from getting pissed again, Gaby changed the subject. “Do you realize that this room is exactly as Bliss described it?”

Sickened by it all, Luther nodded. “I imagine all dens of torture look similar. It’s a grisly sight.” His gaze locked on hers. “You don’t seem bothered by it though.”

Gaby forced a shudder. “Yeah, it’s creepy.” She slugged him in the shoulder. “Thank God you played hero and took care of them, huh? If it wasn’t for you, we’d probably both be—”

Luther squashed a finger over her lips. “No.” He lightened his touch, caressed her lips. “Save it, okay?”

“Um . . . what does that mean?” Gaby prayed that he wouldn’t start doubting her rendition of things. She wasn’t up to full disclosure. Not yet.

Probably not ever.

“You’ll have to tell it again at the station. There’s no reason to go over it all now.”

“Oh.”

He looked tender, forbearing, and pained.

How should she interpret all that?

Luther put an arm around her shoulders. “There’s no reason for us to stay down here. Let’s go get some fresh air.”

Because he looked like he needed it, Gaby agreed. “Sure. If that’s what you want.”

Ann was at the other side of the room with two other detectives. Luther walked over to her. “We’ll be out front if anyone needs us.”

She surveyed him with a critical eye. “I’d prefer you head on to the hospital to get checked out.”

“I’m feeling better by the minute.”

“We need to be safe. You can’t remember anything, and what if it isn’t a drug? What if you have a concussion?”

“I wasn’t hit in the head.”

“All right, fine.” She tried a different tack. “It wouldn’t hurt to get a blood sample, just in case the drug is still in your system.”

“I guess it can’t hurt. I am still sluggish and a little on the queasy side. If you want to line up someone to drive me, I’ll go.”

“I’ll have Sergeant Faulkner take you. If the doc gives you the okay, you can come back then. God knows we’re going to be here awhile.”

After that agreement, they both looked at Gaby.

She frowned. “What?”

Luther gave her a suspicious once-over. “It’s odd, given how I feel, that you don’t seem at all adversely affected by the drugs.”

So now she recovered too quickly? Nitpicking jerk. “I guess I’m hardy, huh?”

Ann’s expression pinched. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s it, Gaby.” She shared a look with Luther. “Go on outside. The stench in here is enough to try even the hardiest stomach. Sergeant Faulkner will be right with you.”

Once they reached the steps, Gaby nudged Luther. “When Ann first got here, she spent a lot of time clinging to you.”

“She’s a friend, and she knew I could have died. That’s all there is to it.”

“She’s a really touchy-feely friend, isn’t she?”

Luther sat with a groan, not giving her concerns much attention. “You were offended by it?”

“No. I know she’s got a thing with Morty.” She joined him on the top step. The clear, star-studded sky blanketed the area. It amazed Gaby that a night so beautiful could shadow such evil. “From what Ann said, I guess they’ll be here for a long time?”

Luther leaned into a post. “Maybe all night. It’s important to collect evidence in the proper way. They’re hoping to tie the other deaths to this scene. Even in the worst situations, it’s good to give victims closure.”

“With all that blood and stuff in there, that shouldn’t take long.”

“They’ll get search warrants and go through the whole house.” Luther paused. “You know, it’s possible they might find more bodies inside.”

“They won’t,” Gaby said, before she thought to censor herself. She made haste to cover her error. “Oren was too cagey for that. I have no doubt he’s killed others, but they’re dumped somewhere, someplace where they might not ever be found.”

Just then, several men brought out the plastic-wrapped corpses to transport to the county morgue.

“It’s weird, isn’t it?”

Luther watched her through the darkness. “What is?”

“The house is so beautiful—and it hid the basest evil imaginable. If you ask me, they should burn this place to the ground.”

He pulled her against him. “I understand one sicko running amok, wreaking havoc on innocent lives. But how the hell do these crazies find each other to conspire together?”

Closing her eyes and resting her head on Luther’s hard shoulder, Gaby recited something she’d read long ago while trying to understand her own predilection. “Bloodthirstiness can stay clandestine inside the most trustworthy people, and no one would ever know it’s there. Societal teachings and moral principles lock it down and keep it well hidden, but it smolders there, torpid, idle, until the right circumstances call forth the appetite—and serenity is forever shattered.”

Luther’s mouth touched her temple. “You are a fascinating woman, Gaby.”

She was a scared woman, a woman wanting things she was never meant to have. In a mere whisper of sound not intended for Luther’s ears, Gaby spoke her deepest thoughts. “If only I’d figured this out in time to save Lucy.”

Luther kissed her again. “You did your part, honey. Yours, and mine.”

Gaby’s eyes widened.

The sergeant stepped out of the house. “Sorry to have kept you waiting. My car’s right over here.”

Luther stood. “Come on, Gaby. We both have to get checked, repugnant as it seems, so we may as well get it over with.”

“I hate hospitals,” she told him as she tugged to her feet.

“But you’ll have me with you. And that, Gabrielle Cody, can make anything more bearable—if you’ll only let it.”

Two weeks had passed since Oren and his aunt and uncle were stopped in their deadly occupation of torture; two weeks of mundanity, the tedium melding one hour into another.

Gaby had a lot of decisions to make, but circumstances gave her time aplenty to make them.

Luther, her biggest decision of all, stayed busy with the details of the case, gathering information, and filling out reports.

Accolades for his work were pouring in. Jimbo read the papers daily—a shocking revelation for Gaby—and he kept her informed without being asked. So far the police chief and even the mayor were heralding Luther as a hero. They said his dedication, professionalism, and cool head under pressure had spared the community further, unspeakable crimes.

Cool head under pressure? Gaby snorted. Yeah, being threatened with prolonged torture would qualify as pressure, for sure.

Luckily Luther had endured a drugged sleep through it all.

And she . . . well, she’d only been pressured to dispatch the abominations without Luther being injured, and without him knowing. By all accounts, she’d succeeded.

And so went the banausic nature of her life.

During cooler nights and quiet days, Gaby completed her novel and mailed it anonymously to Mort. In less than a day he’d read it and now he enthused to any and all who’d listen that this was the best Servant graphic novel yet.

Gaby appreciated his praise, just as she appreciated the purgative effect of writing and illustrating this most recent harrowing segment of her duty.

The artistic nature of the work cleared her head, but not her conscience.

As her biggest fan, Morty now had Bliss reading the novels, when she’d never been much of a reader of any kind. There’d been many changes in Bliss’s life, and Gaby thought it was time for her to leave the streets. The girl needed a job that didn’t involve the flesh trade.

Jimbo wouldn’t like it, but she and Jimbo resided in strained, semi-respectful peace, and he wouldn’t want to disrupt that, not for one hooker.

Bored with herself, Gaby strode to her window and looked out at the night. In such a short time, the weather had changed. Heat still ruled the days, but evening temperatures were more comfortable.

Maybe tonight she’d sleep.

Maybe tonight she’d make a decision—the right decision— and remove herself from Luther’s life.

Turning away from the window, she went into her meager bathroom, washed up, and brushed her teeth. Wearing a tank top and panties, she headed for bed. She had one knee on the mattress when a disturbance erupted in the hall. Before she could reach her door, a fist pounded on it.

Outraged that anyone would dare, Gaby crossed the room with a stomping, barefoot stride. “Who is it?”

“Open up, Gaby. Right now.”

Luther? Had something happened? Jerking the door open, and then seeing him whole and unharmed, Gaby prepared to blast him with her distemper.

Then she noted Bliss fretting behind him, and wide-eyed Mort behind her. Seeing her in her underwear, Mort gave her a surprised once-over. Bliss gave her a look of apology. For what?

“What the hell’s going on?”

“No more.” With that cryptic roar, Luther shoved his way past her attempts at blocking him, and kicked her door with unnecessary force. It didn’t quite shut. Being reinforced made it heavier than Luther had anticipated and he turned with a dark scowl to examine her door.

Gaby gaped at him. He was . . . in her room!

No one got into her room. It was her private sanctum, the one place she could let down her defenses. Here, the signs of her extreme defense toward society, along with her aptitude for writing and illustrating, were evidenced.

In a near panic, Gaby scoured her room. The tools she used for her graphic novels were stored away. But the locks on her bathroom door were obvious to the naked eye. And if Luther looked, as detectives often did, he’d find not only her knife but a gun as well.

“What the hell is this door made of? Solid steel?” He lifted a hand to appraise her many locks.

Apprehension nearly took her breath, making speech strained. “What. Do you think. You’re doing?”

Giving up on the door, Luther transferred his scowl to her. “You’re thinking of running out on me again. And damn it, I’ve had enough of that.” His finger pointed, almost touching her chest. “I have my hands full wrapping up this case, fending off bloodthirsty reporters, and thanks to you, I’ve also got half the city wanting to pat me on the back.”

Feeling smaller, more vulnerable than she ever had in her life, Gaby backed up a step. She kept her gaze glued to Luther, unsure what he might he do, or when he might realize the scope of her anomalous existence. “Thanks to me?” Being surrounded by her own damning evidence left her near to panting. “What do I have to do with anything?”

Luther propped his hands on his hips and surveyed her with a critical eye. Voice less caustic, but still inflexible, he said, “This is unnecessary, you know.”

A knock sounded on her door, and he yelled, “Not now.”

Through the door, Bliss said, “But Luther—”

“I’m handling it.”

“It?” Gaby asked. And what was unnecessary?

“You.” Luther gestured at her room. “This.”

Her heart threatened to punch through her rib cage. “You should get out. Now. While you still can.”

He advanced on her, and by sheer instinct, Gaby reacted, throwing a kick that he blocked, an elbow that he dodged.

She found herself tumbled onto her bed, pinned down, and . . . kissed. And, oh God, she felt starved for it, for him— even knowing she should have already left the area.

She jerked her head to the side, and Luther brought it back around.

“Settle down, Gaby.” He touched his nose to hers. “I have something to tell you.”

Uh-oh. She didn’t like the sound of that at all. “What?”

“I’m going to keep your secret.”

Alarm skittered all along her nerve endings. “What secret?”

He ignored that to trace her choker with one finger. “You’re going to have to learn to trust me, you know.”

How could she? He didn’t realize how she’d fabricated everything just to suit her purpose. She’d protected herself, and lied to him in the bargain.

Luther’s gaze met hers. “It’s not always easy for me, Gaby. It goes against the grain to be drawn into falsehoods.” Luther’s earnest expression never wavered. “I’m not a liar, and even a lie of omission eats at me. But I understand it. Hell, if I hadn’t been so busy trying to catch maniacs, I probably would have seen it sooner. But I see it now.”

Oh God, oh God. She shook her head, words beyond her.

Luther held her face in a gentle hold. “I see this, your apartment. And I see your life, what you’ve done and why and what you’ll still have to do. And most of all, I see you.”

Fear, hope, choked her. Around the tears that tried to escape, Gaby said, “You’re nuts.”

He had to be. If he saw the real her, he’d want nothing to do with her. He couldn’t. He was a law-abiding man, and so much of her life fell outside the law.

One corner of his mouth kicked up in a compassionate smile of acceptance. “It’s okay, Gaby. You’re an admirable woman, a woman I can like despite your . . . individuality.”

She stared at him, saw his grin widen before he said, “And it just so happens that you make me hot as hell, too.”

Another tentative knock sounded on her door.

Luther said, “Not yet, Bliss.”

Mired in a jumble of foreign emotions, Gaby licked her lips. “Why is Bliss here?”

Reaching down, Luther wedged his hand to the inside of her thigh, opening her legs wider so he could settle between. Then he propped himself on his elbows and stared down at her.

“Well, you know she was dead-on about the basement, right?”

“You believe that now?”

Teasing, he bent to kiss her lips. “You don’t?”

She’d always believed. So many things couldn’t be explained by science or logic. “I know Bliss has a gift.”

“Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page for once. Because that’s why I’m here.”

She didn’t understand any of this. “You’re here to talk nonsense and molest me?”

He laughed. “Sorry to disappoint you, but no, I won’t molest you. I won’t have to. We’ll be together whether you like it or not.”

That bold statement pushed her ridiculous reserve to the back and brought out her truer nature. “If you think to force me, cop, think again.”

“Silly.” He pushed off the bed, grabbed her hands and hauled her up. “That bed was far too tempting, and I guess it’s time for you to talk to Bliss anyway.”

“I don’t—”

Luther hauled open the heavy door.

Red-faced and worried, Bliss almost fell inside. It was obvious she’d been trying to listen in.

She wiggled her fingers in a half-hearted wave. “Hi, Gaby.”

Standing behind her, offering silent support, Mort watched them. And now Ann had joined them, too.

Unsure of herself and the situation, Gaby just waited.

Ann said, “Do you know what you’re doing, Luther?”

“For once, yes.” He nodded at Bliss. “Tell her.”

Looking down at her feet, rounded shoulders hunched, Bliss sighed. “I see the two of you together, Gaby. Just as Mort and Ann are meant to be, you and Luther are—”

Gaby slammed the door. No. Bliss couldn’t possibly know that.

Time stood still while she struggled to reconcile the impossible with a dream.

Luther touched her back. “Take a breath, honey.”

“You!” Gaby turned on him. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”

“Probably, but it doesn’t change anything.”

It hurt. More than anything ever had, it hurt. Gaby shook her head.

“I know you care about me. By now you have to know that I care about you. And Gaby? Nothing else matters.”

He caught her when she would have turned away. Jerking her into his chest, he reiterated, “Nothing.”

“That’s because you don’t know.”

He went solemn, serious. “I know I didn’t kill Oren or his relatives. I know you protected me. And I know I’m glad to be alive.”

Gaby’s brain went blank. How could he . . . ?

He swayed her from side to side. “I know that Bliss confirmed what I’d already suspected.”

“Oh God, Luther, you should stop now, while you can.” If he didn’t stop, she might be convinced, and then they could both be doomed.

“I can’t. We’re an item, Gaby, now and forever.” He kissed the top of her head. “It’s meant to be.”

Desperation clawed at her heart. “Because Bliss said so? You don’t even believe in that stuff!” He didn’t believe in her.

But . . . he hadn’t turned her out for lying about Oren. In fact, he’d almost sounded grateful.

“What can I say, Gaby? You’ve made a believer of me.” Luther set her away from him. “Now, much as I realize you’re pretty superhuman—”

Her mind stalled on that description. Not a freak, but . . . superhuman.

“—I’m still just a man, and I’d prefer we ease into the physical part of this relationship little by little. Perhaps tomorrow works for you? I can get out of the station early. What do you say?”

Her brain was still contemplating the odd compliment he’d given. “What are you talking about?”

“I need to make love with you, Gaby.” His gaze skimmed down her body, and came back to her face. He inhaled. “But I’m throwing a lot at you all at once, so I’m trying to be noble. I want to give you time. I want you with me every step of the way.”

Oh, when it came to the sexual side of their relationship, she was with him. “How much time?”

He smiled. “Tomorrow sounds good to me, after we’ve had a chance to talk things out, figure out how we’re going to do this. But for right now . . . Being this close to you with you dressed like that and a bed right there is testing my control.”

The shock of Luther’s proposition wore off, and the possibility of acceptance presented itself. Gaby looked at her bed. Did she dare?

Luther took her hand. “What do you say, Gaby? Want to go out to dinner with our friends?”

Their friends.

Just like a normal couple.

Gaby turned her back on Luther, desperate for a clear thought. But from the first, he’d kept her thoughts jumbled and skewed her perspective.

And maybe . . . just maybe, that had been God’s plan all along. Was it possible she needed to learn acceptance? And in acceptance, could she have it all?

It was worth the risk. It had to be.

Keeping her back to him, but unable to keep her heart any longer, Gaby nodded. “Okay, Luther. I’d like that.”