The car stopped in front of Gabriella’s apartment complex. I got out of the ride share after tipping the driver. Maybe, I should get a car and a driver to send me around. I was using the car share to a ridiculous degree, and I was starting to feel like having my own driver wouldn’t be much less expensive, plus I would have more security, and wouldn’t have to drive in a car that smelled like booze from the last person who was riding in it.

  Caleb had offered to have the gang drive me, but I refused. Although I had seemingly seized the local gang and currently had them under my control, I wanted my underground life separate from what I was doing above the counter. I didn’t want to be traveling around with them and get associated as some kind of gang member. Just like in the apocalyptic world, there were parts of my life that were better off separate. Furthermore, I didn’t want anyone from the gang to know about Gabriella or Kiera.

  Caleb might have already known about my mom and sister, but I’d be moving them out of that situation soon. Gabriella was practically family to me too, and I wasn’t going to put her into an awkward situation. Letting out a sigh, I started heading up to her place. Although her building had decent security on it, it was all an automated system connected to wifi. The locks were triggered by a signal, and Cecelia had cracked that signal with ease. I didn’t bother to signal my arrival and merely waved the Perco near the sensor to unlock the outer doors and the elevator.

  Although I could get through the security without being invited up, the actual door to her apartment was the standard mechanical lock and key. I had no choice but to knock. I tried to be quiet about it at first because it was so late at night, but I ended up having to bang harder when no one answered. I was honestly hoping that Kiera would be at the door waiting for me since I had sent a warning to her Perco. I didn’t want to alert Gabriella I was there and have to do things like explain why I was taking Kiera.

  Of course, I’d leave Gabriella a note, but I had found after a long time of dealing with that woman that she was typically easier to deal with after the damage was done than before. If she could get in the way, she would obnoxiously insert herself into a situation until she got her way. That was why Kiera was living with her in the first place. Gabriella had convinced her that it was best for her.

  Knock! Knock! Knock!

  Unfortunately, when no one answered, I had to knock louder. The door from a neighbor opened someone poked their head into the hallway to briefly glare my direction. It was passed midnight, after all. I was starting to feel a bit worried. Timewise, I still had things I needed to get done, and the sooner I was back in the Apocalyptic world, the sooner I could get things moving. I raised my hand to knock again, but at that point, I heard movement behind the door. Someone started undoing the latch and I lowered my hand.

  I heard an irritated voice a moment before the door crept open. The person who answered had been the person I had intended to avoid. Gabriella opened the door. She was wearing a black nightgown, and she opened the door with a glare. When she saw it was me, she squinted for a second, blinked, and then turned around.

  “Oh, it’s you.” She murmured.

  I was frowning, not expecting Gabriella to act so dismissively. She just left the door open, and after taking a few steps, she stumbled. Without thinking about it, I moved forward and managed to catch her. I was surprised when her entire wait ended up pressing against me.

  “Gabriella?” I asked, looking over her shoulder.

  My eyes immediately caught two soft brown pillows, and I looked away, even as I could feel her warm body pressed against mine. She turned to me slowly, showing no signs of pushing off me.

  “Hey, Dan… Danny… Daniel…” She mumbled, her eyes closing as she swallowed, wincing a moment.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, having never seen her acting this way before.

  “Hmm? Mmm…” She reached up to my face, her own only a few inches from mine.

  I could smell her sweet, flowery perfume. I had to use a substantial amount of effort to hold her body, which was covered in a tight and smooth fabric that felt good against the skin. Under that fabric was her own body, which was also quite nice in form, despite her growing years. She slapped my cheek slightly.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Take me to bed.” She groaned.

  It was when she opened her mouth so close to my nose that I finally got a whiff of it. She smelled of some kind of alcohol. I had come to recognize it because Raven’s breath often smelled like alcohol too. I realized that I must have caught Gabriella after she spent the night out drinking. Mom and Gabriella used to do that back in the day, although mom couldn’t go as much because of having to work all the time and take care of us. Gabriella, on the other hand, was still a single woman free to do what she wanted. Realizing that she was hungover, I started to move Gabriella across the living room, heading toward her place.

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  “Where is Kiera?” I asked as I dragged her long.

  “Hmm?” She asked again, sniffing. “You smell good.”

  “Gabriella, where is Kiera?” I asked a little more forcefully, stopping and turning her so that she face me.

  Gabriella fell forward, her chest pressing against me. My face was nearly in her chest. Gabriella was only a little taller than me, and guiding her to her room was already hard enough. Doing it from the front felt nearly impossible.

  “Kiera?” She asked drowsily, opening one eye before making a pout. “What is your relationship with that girl anyway?”

  “Kiera is a friend,” I responded, feeling slightly irritated that I had to spend what little precious time I had left dealing with Gabriella drunk. “I need to speak to her.”

  “You always come for her.” Gabriella huffed. “Maybe, you should come for me once in a while.”

  “Gabriella!” I growled. “Where is she? It’s important.”

  “Shhh!” She put a finger on my lips. “I’ll tell you in bed.”

  Feeling rightly annoyed, I shrugged. “Fine, let’s get you over there.”

  “Ahhh… it’s dizzy… ggmmm.” I tried to pull her, but then made a puffed-out face like she was about to throw up.

  I reached out and grabbed her, moving slower as I worked her down the hallway. It took a few minutes, but we managed to finally get into her room. I stumbled with her, tossing her down on the bed. Had it not been for my Allstrength injection, I was pretty sure I never would have been able to manage that. She was lying in the bed in her negligee, her legs spread, and her eyes barely opened. I couldn’t help but shake my head.

  “Serious, Gabriella, you shouldn’t get this drunk. A guy could take advantage of you.”

  She lifted her head, sitting back on her elbows as she looked at me with a drunken smirk. “Are you going to take advantage of me, Daniel?”

  “And what if I did?” I demanded.

  She wore a strangely contemplative look and then turned to her nightstand. “P-put on a condom. We don’t want to have a baby.”

  “I don’t want to wear a condom!” I declared.

  I hadn’t worn a condom with either Raven or Katarina. Now that I thought about it, was there a chance I might get them pregnant? I had sort of just assumed it wouldn’t happen, but wasn’t it an apocalyptic world? If one of them had gotten pregnant, exactly what would I do? It didn’t matter! I wasn’t planning on sleeping with Gabriella anyway.

  Gabriella’s cheeks turned dark red. “It’s okay then.”

  My mouth fell open. What did she mean by that? It was okay if I didn’t use a condom, or was it okay if she had my baby? Gabriella must have been extremely drunk to be saying such crazy things.

  “Where is Kiera already!” I growled.

  Gabriella’s temptress expression turned sullen. “In bed…”

  “What?”

  “You have to… come to bed too.”

  I slapped my forehead, letting out a sound of my own, but then I jumped down next to Gabriella. Gabriella giggled, throwing her arm around me. A moment later, she had an arm and a leg wrapped around me. Her face was pushed into my neck. This was a very suggestive position. I could feel her hot breath against my neck, and her breasts were pressed against my arm. She was far too vulnerable. I could just do whatever I wanted to her. I looked down at her black hair and gulped forcefully. I had been annoyed before because my mind had been elsewhere, but I was finally starting to realize just how fragile of a situation we were in.

  “Um… Gabriella?”

  “Snnn…”

  I blinked. “Gabriella?”

  “Zzzzz.”

  She was asleep. My head fell back and I rolled my eyes. Slowly, I reached up and grabbed her arm draped over me. Slowly, I pushed her over until she was on her back. She was completely out, and I was right on top of her while she wore nothing but a nightgown. On top of that, she had even permitted me a short while ago.

  Creek.

  I looked up to see Kiera standing there. She was wearing a maid outfit once again, although it was anyone's guess where she acquired it.

  “I was busy getting ready and I noticed the front door open so I decided to check on Gabriella,” Kiera stated. “I see Master is busy. I will come back when Master is finished.”

  The door crept close.