Precious.
There’s that word again from forever ago.
I’m not precious to anyone. Don’t they know that yet? I know it.
Something twists inside me and my chest tightens.
“Gabe is waiting. Tell me,” I tell my father.
He turns to me. “Do you know why Stefan wanted guardianship? All of a sudden? When he’s never given a shit about your brother?”
“Because you wanted to cut me off from him. Stefan’s not the monster you claim he is, so you wanted to take away the one person who matters and make it look like it was Stefan’s doing.”
One corner of his mouth lifts into a smirk.
“You killed Alex. Gabe is all I have left,” I add.
“Alex?” he seems genuinely surprised. “You think that was me?” He chuckles, shakes his head at me and I realize something. He’s telling the truth.
“If I wanted him dead, I would have done it the day I had his legs broken. Think, Gabriela. What would I have to gain from killing the boy and his aunt? What?”
Nothing.
“Tell me what you want to tell me and let me go,” I say. I don’t like this. Don’t like where it’s going.
He smiles, drinks a sip of his drink and sets his glass down.
“So you believe Stefan took my son for you? Because he cares about you? Because he wants you to be happy?”
I remember Stefan’s words. “I don’t want you sad anymore, Gabriela.”
“Stop playing with me. Say it. Say it or I’m leaving.”
“He did it because I cut you off. Because I named Gabe as sole beneficiary of the Marchese inheritance. He did it to steal that inheritance. And you helped him. You just signed on the dotted line, you stupid, stupid girl.”
24
Stefan
By the time I see Rafa’s call come in an hour after my men lost them, I’m beside myself and pissed as fuck.
“Where the fuck is she?” I bark when the call connects.
“She’s fine. We’re fine.”
I could give a damn about him.
“Where are you?”
“We’re at Clear Meadows. She just walked into her brother’s room. We were being followed, Stefan. I took her out the back of the toy store.”
I grit my teeth because I can’t tell him those men were my men. That I was having him followed because I didn’t trust him with Gabriela.
“Why did it take you so long to call me?”
“I was busy trying to lose them. Traffic’s insane in this city. I didn’t realize it had been so long.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yeah. Shaken, but she’s fine.”
“Let me talk to her.”
“They just brought out the cake.”
Fuck. I suck in a deep breath. “I’m on my way.”
“You don’t have to come. I’ll bring her back—”
“I’ll be there in forty minutes. Neither of you leaves.” I disconnect the call. I don’t want to talk to Rafa right now.
My meeting ended later than expected, but I learned more than I was ready for.
I knew Marchese was involved. I knew he wouldn’t take any of this lying down. But my uncle’s betrayal—does it mean he was behind Gabriela’s kidnapping? And was Rafa either aware or involved in it?
I need to think. Process. Decide on how to move forward.
But first, Gabriela.
We pull up to Clear Meadows forty minutes later and Rafa greets me at the door. I study him, try to read him. He seems shifty. Not quite the Rafa I have an easy relationship with. But am I seeing what I want to see?
“Where is she?”
“I’ll take you to her. I think they’re getting ready to wrap up.”
I follow Rafa through the front entrance through to a main room where balloons bounce along the ceilings and streamers decorate the green walls. Patients are gathered, most in pajamas, some in wheelchairs, many eating cake.
Gabriela stands beside her brother at the front of the room. He towers over her, and beside him, she looks so small. I wonder if that’s how she and I look together.
There’s almost no resemblance between them but their affection is visible, even from this distance and I’m glad I brought her here. I’m glad she has this.
She’s holding her hand out and Gabe is looking at something. I wonder if it’s her engagement ring but realize it’s her right hand.
When I take a step toward them, she sees me. At first, it’s surprise I see on her face. She stares at me, eyes wide, face paling a little.
I expected a smile. Relief at the very least.
But maybe this is residue of what happened. Of what happened on my watch again.
Gabe follows her gaze and turns to me. I look at him, at this man with the mind of a boy. I see it, too. It’s in his eyes, the damage. I wonder what it takes for a father to do this to his son. And I wonder if death isn’t more merciful.
“Who is that man?” I hear him ask Gabriela.
She smiles, takes his hand and leads him toward me.
“Gabriela,” I say. When I lean in to kiss her cheek, she leans away, gives a slight shake of her head.
“This is Stefan, the friend I was telling you about,” she says.
The word ‘friend’ is hard to swallow.
“He gave you the shiny ring,” Gabe says.
She nods. “Yes. That’s him.”
Gabe smiles at me. “It’s a pretty ring.”
“Thank you,” I say. “It’s not as pretty as Gabriela though.”
“Nothing is as pretty as Gabi,” he says. He studies me for a long moment and it’s unnerving because there’s a flicker of Marchese in his gaze. A moment of knowing. But then he extends his hand. “I’m Gabe.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Gabe. Happy half-birthday.”
His smile widens and he turns to Gabriela. “I want another slice of cake,” he says.
“That sounds like a good plan.” We watch him walk away.
“Are you all right?” I ask Gabriela. “Rafa told me what happened.”
She turns to me, her gaze cautious. A little sad. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to bring Gabe to Sicily,” she starts, surprising me.
“I thought you’d want him close.”
“I want to move him from here, but I don’t want him near us.”
Bullshit. “Be more specific, Gabriela. Say what you mean.”
She studies me, searches my face, my eyes. “I don’t want him near you.”
Her words have the impact of a fist to the gut.
“This morning just shows how dangerous it can be,” she adds.
“This morning shouldn’t have happened.”
“But it did happen. Just like my kidnapping happened. Just like my being put at the bottom of a well happened.”
I cut my gaze to the right, find Rafa standing at the door watching us.
“We’ll talk about it,” I say.
“What’s to talk about? I’m not safe. How could my brother ever hope to defend himself if your enemies came after him?”
“We’ll talk later, Gabriela.”
“No. We won’t. I’ve decided.”