(no subject)

[evolutionaryimperative]

Gabriel hadn't asked Elle whether it was okay if he showed up at the club again or not. He didn't ask because he knew the answer was no. But he didn't care. If other men were going to oogle what belonged to him, he was at least going to sit there and watch and make sure that nobody tried anything.

He had tried staying away for the first couple of days after spending the whole day at her apartment, but it hadn't went well. He usually ended up at another strip club, with another blonde, and it at all went to hell from there. Two more had been reported missing in the last week because of him. He was making patterns which was never a good thing. He didn't want to get caught, after all. He had been doing this for too long to start getting sloppy now.

So instead he was back to Elle's strip club for the night, sitting in the back like he used to always do. He was nursing his second glass of scotch and carefully watching the surroundings for any funny business. No one had taken Elle into any of the private rooms for the evening yet, there was at least that to be glad about.

He was wearing one of his normal after work outfits of black pants and a dark blue button down shirt, complete with his his leather jacket. Nothing special. Nothing that would grab anyone's attention.

Comments

[electrocutesy.livejournal.com]

He hadn't called, not that this didn't surprise Elle. She had his number buried under a pile of take-out from the past few days that seemed to burn a hole through everything she put on top of it.

She hadn't spent the last few nights staring at the approximate place where she'd left it, only half-watching whatever mindless program or infomercial was on at five o'clock in the morning when she finally got home from work.

That was stupid. Naive. Pathetic. She wasn't going to call him first, or at all. Wasn't it like, some sort of unspoken social agreement that since she stupidly put her neck out on the line and invited him over the first time meant the ball was in his court now? Not that she cared if he took the shot.

She didn't at all. She hadn't thought about him. He was like all the other guys, it was obvious now. Fuck and leave. He probably said all those dumb things like she was special and he liked her because he was a sadistic narcissist.

Speaking of, she was currently dancing on the lap of one--some disgusting greasy "talent agent" that came in every week to pinch her ass when no one was looking and buy her drinks. He was a scam and everyone knew it. She was smiling of course, because who doesn't like some jackass asking if she ever considered "modeling."

"You'd make a lot of dough, sweet cheeks," he was saying, downing his whiskey.

"I bet I would," she said, grinning like a pro. And gracefully turning around to rub against his chest to avoid his rank breath. Maybe if she rubbed him raw he wouldn't pay for a second.

"It's easy," he gasped, and Elle discreetly rolled her eyes and turned her head away, dancing against him. "You just come in, you take it off, we snap some pictures..."

She wasn't listening to him anymore, because her eyes had settled to few tables back, and her patented smile started to fall, her eyes flashing and her jaw clenching.

[specialmonster.livejournal.com]

He had actually tried calling her a few times, but he had frozen up each time, unsure of what to do or say. How did normal people court someone anyways? He was pretty sure the answer was not showing up at her work place and watching her from the shadows, but he was at a loss of what else to do. At least this way, he'd probably get the chance to talk to her.

Because she was special. The fact that he was killing other women and not her was proof enough of that, even if she would never know about that. She couldn't know about that. It would ruin everything if she found out.

So instead he was just sitting and watching her, figuring he could talk to her when her shift was over. His grip on his glass tightened as he watched some greasy man pinch at her cheeks.

Maybe coming here had been a mistake. Instead of reassuring him, he just felt the darkness inside of him swirl at the display.

[electrocutesy.livejournal.com]

Elle's heart lodged in her throat as she glared at Gabriel through the crowded press of bodies, and she couldn't force herself to look away. He had a lot of fucking nerve, coming here. That was her main thought as the asshole grabbed at her tush and she pushed off of him with a flash of rage.

Really, she had no qualms grabbing the drink from his hand and throwing it in his face, darkly wishing for a moment she could smash it instead, and bury it into his head. Instead she ignored his curse and signaled a bouncer, ignoring the sudden shakiness in her hands as she turned on her heel to leave. The bastard of course spat at her back that she was "a fucking whore" but Sean, some ex-Marine, was already dragging him out.

She was walking towards Gabriel's table before she even realized that was her destination, her hips swaying angrily and her fingers curling into fists as she stopped into front of him.

"Are we back to staring at me like a creep?" she hissed.

[specialmonster.livejournal.com]

Gabriel couldn't help but feel a little satisfied as Elle threw her drink in the asshole's face. The guy was a total creep and she deserved better than to have to deal with people like that, as far as he was concerned anyways.

But then she was heading toward him and his stomach flipped nervously. He finished off the rest of his scotch before she got to the table.

"No...I just...I kept getting nervous every time I called, so I thought maybe it would be better to show up here where I couldn't chicken out of talking to you."

And it was true, even if he was exaggerating himself a little. Plus, he had just needed to see her. He couldn't explain it. Couldn't make it make sense.

[electrocutesy.livejournal.com]

"You're pathetic," she spat out, reaching down the grab his wrist and throw it from his drink and the table. With a soft growl, she straddled his lap and leaned forward to press and drag her body against his, her hands gripping the back of his chair. She could at least keep up pretenses she was actually working, even if he was warm and solid and her body remembered him too well. "This is my work," she said heatedly into his ear. "No husbands, no boyfriends, and no assholes who don't have the balls to pick up a fucking phone. Got it?"

[specialmonster.livejournal.com]

"Sorry," He whispered softly, her scent hitting his nose. He wasn't really sorry though. He got to see her again, and that was more important than anything else, really. Okay, so he had fucked up, but he had never claimed that social skills were one of his strong points.

"Can I see you after your shift?" Most men would have probably just gotten up and left, but Gabriel was not most men. Besides, it was hard to think of leaving when she was in his lap like this, her body soft and familiar.

[electrocutesy.livejournal.com]

She wanted to roll her eyes at his clueless, halfhearted apology, and even harder at his question, so she did. Even though she felt herself softening, actually considering it. Her hands slid down to rest against his chest and she slowed her angry movement, her lips brushing nearly his cheek.

Maybe she was the pathetic one.

"I got off around four in the morning, dummy," she said, but the words lacked all the venom she had planned.

[specialmonster.livejournal.com]

"I can wait. I don't sleep much anyways," He replied softly. He relaxed at her softer tone, the lack of venom. He could already tell she was going to forgive him. Which just proved to him how special she was. Not just everyone could deal with someone like him.

It was true though. He didn't sleep much. Maybe a few hours each night at best. Chronic insomnia was one of his long list of issues, though he had found it much easier to sleep with her at his side.

[electrocutesy.livejournal.com]

Elle let her lashes flutter against his cheek, sucking in shallow breaths as she writhed into him. He would wait hours to what, exactly? Jesus, what was this guy's deal? As far as she could tell, all he did was fix watches and stare at her.

And maybe that should alarm her, but it didn't, not really.

"Sounds like a booty call to me," she whispered.

[specialmonster.livejournal.com]

He did other things. He read books, he sometimes too walks, and...he murdered people, but that one she would never know about. Because then she wouldn't like him anymore and it was important she liked him. It scared him almost how important it was.

"Who said we had to have sex," He whispered softly back. "I just want to see you. We could just talk, if you wanted."

[electrocutesy.livejournal.com]

She laughed. She couldn't help it, because he was just so damn funny.

The last time she sat and talked to a man it was because he was paying her to sit and talk to him. Even then it had been a bunch of fucking lies because men didn't want to talk.

Yet he sat here with a straight face and told her he liked her and she was beautiful and special and he wanted to wait for her to get off her job at strip joint to talk to her.

And the scary part was she was starting to believe him.

"Whatever, tiger," she breathed. She playfully nipped at the soft skin of his earlobe, lightly pressing and moving down his chest until she could look him in the eyes. "You want to see me out of this hellhole, you get the fuck out and pick me up later. To talk."

[specialmonster.livejournal.com]

He gasped softly as she bit at his earlobe, a bold move on her part to do out in the open. He didn't really want to leave, to go where he couldn't keep an eye on her, but he supposed he didn't have much of a choice at the moment. If he stayed, she would probably just get angry and then where would he be? What would that accomplish? He knew he had to play his cards carefully with her.

So he would leave.

"Fine," He whispered softly. "I'll leave and come back to pick you up when you're done."i

[electrocutesy.livejournal.com]

"Good boy," she said patronizingly, and abruptly slid of his lap with a dark little smile. At least he listened well. She couldn't help but stand up a little straighter, breathe a little easier. He was still interested, and she was still in control here. Just how she liked it.

[specialmonster.livejournal.com]

He didn't see that way. He just knew how to pick his battles. She'd open up to him more, accept him more if he let her think she was in control, he had picked up on that rather quickly. Control was important to her. Vital, even.

But for now he got up and left, leaving her to the dirty perverts of the world.
-
Hours later and he was back, waiting outside of the club. He had gone back to his apartment and finished a few things up, even taken a nap. He had watched the news, listening to the theories on a new serial killer in the area. He took down notes. It was always good to know what the enemy knew about you, after all. It was how you stayed one step ahead in the game.

And he liked being one step ahead.

[electrocutesy.livejournal.com]

Elle was exhausted by the time she finally managed to drag herself into the back for her stuff. Business was finally slow, but the lockers were noisy as if it were still midnight.

She kicked off her damn heels the moment she could, only half-listening to the girls in various states of undress talk around her.

Elle wasn't that popular with any of them, never had been, but they respected her by now. It was hard not to--she raked in the big bucks, and they didn't. But she didn't talk to them.

So that was why she only paid some cursory mind to them tittering on about some new psycho preying on blond strippers. She'd heard a warning from her manager when she'd walked in, but Ariel was talking about carrying around a gun just in case, despite the fact that she was naturally a redhead.

Mostly, Elle was just wondering if Gabriel was waiting for her or not. Not that she cared. She threw her bikini and shoes in her locker and pulled on some jeans and a sweatshirt, because it was chilly, before slipping on her boots.

She made sure to snap out a "get over yourself, Ariel; you're a fucking bottle blond" before she left, just for kicks, and was rewarded with a scandalized scoff and a "bitch." It was enough to provoke a small smile as she slipped out the back, and came around the front to go home.

The alley was dark but short, and she shivered, blearily looking out at the lightening sky against the city's skyscrapers. She looked to the left, towards the front of the club, and even though he said he came back, she was still surprised to see him waiting for her.

[specialmonster.livejournal.com]

He had been leaning against the wall, waiting for her when Elle finally came out. He pushed himself off, glancing over at her. She looked pretty in the light of the streets. Better than the dim, garish lights of the strip club.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked curiously, tilting his head. He didn't know where she'd want to go to talk. Her place, his place, some twenty four hour diner. He would be fine with whatever. Once again, he let her choose, let her have that power he knew she needed to have so she didnt freak out and try to run or anything.

[electrocutesy.livejournal.com]

"Sure," she said, tilting her head at him curiously with a smile. She hadn't expected to talk, really, but hey, maybe they would. As cute as he looked, waiting for her like a puppy, she was tired, and every inch of her ached. She'd rather have a hot bath, a massage, and a nap then be fucked every which way again, at least at the moment. And if he wasn't expecting it...

She drew in a readying breath and walked forward, impulsively leaning into him, stealing his warmth. "So what did you do tonight?" she asked, tilting her head up at him.

[specialmonster.livejournal.com]

He started leading her toward her apartment, remembering where it was from the other day. Better she didn't know where he lived just yet. He needed to know he could completely trust her before he let her into his domain.

"Not much. I finished the book I was reading, and I watched the news for a while. Nothing too exciting." And it wasn't, not really. But he didn't mind that. Living a mundane lifestyle made it easier to hide his other activities.

[electrocutesy.livejournal.com]

It was a little too easy to wrap her arms around his waist as they walked, rest her heavy head on his shoulder. He was just warm and she was so tired, and he smelled nice. "Did you hear about all those missing blond strippers?" she asked conversationally, the mention of news bringing it to the forefront of her mind. "The manager told me the cops came by to warn us."

[specialmonster.livejournal.com]

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. He didn't even skip a beat at her words. "I did hear about them, they've been all over the news lately. You better be careful then," He warned her, trying to keep a smug grin from spreading across his lips. "It would be a real shame if you got hurt."

[electrocutesy.livejournal.com]

"Or dead," she mumbled, letting her eyes slip closed for a moment as he led her down the block. "It's probably some perverted sicko who's watched American Psycho too many times."

[specialmonster.livejournal.com]

"Or someone who's mother didn't love them enough as a child. Or too much. Maybe it's a whole Norman Bates sort of deal," He mused, not at all giving away himself. He knew better than that. The best thing to do was just to sound like the normal concerned citizen.

[electrocutesy.livejournal.com]

"Ew," she grimaced, peeking to make sure she was going to trip. Assured the crib was still a ways off, she closed her eyes again with a soft hum. "I hate that movie. Even though it's so fake it still creeps me out."

[specialmonster.livejournal.com]

"I like Hitchcock," He said with a shrug of his shoulders as he led her toward the curb. "He really knew how to get into his audience's head, create real suspense and terror. Not like today's horror films where everything is about shock value."

[electrocutesy.livejournal.com]

"I'd rather be shocked than creeped out," she protested, peeking again to step off the sidewalk and into the street just in time. "He thought he was his mother. That's just screwed up."