Michael looked back at him. “That sounds like a lot of fun. Don’t you think?”
For an eternal instant, Michael waited for Gabriel to snap and turn this whole thing on its head. He’d done it before, and Michael could almost see him charging past the social worker and the police officers, getting thrown to the ground and Tasered, making everything three thousand times worse than it needed to be.
But then Gabriel let his shoulders drop, and he glanced at Nick and Chris. His voice was bland. “It sounds great. Come on, guys.”
And just like that, they filed out of the room.
Silence fell around Michael like a cloak. He dropped onto the side of the bed and waited for something to happen.
Nothing did.
His brothers were gone. He was alone.
CHAPTER 17
Near midnight, Hannah found herself outside Michael’s hospital room. The door was partially ajar, and the lights were off. He was curled on his side, the blanket draped over his form. The monitors cast an eerie glow on the edge of the bed, but she could tell his eyes were closed.
She slipped into the room, moving as silently as she was able. His breathing was soft and even, so she eased into the chair with barely a whisper of sound.
His eyes shot open anyway, and he shoved himself up on one arm.
“Easy,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to wake you.”
“You didn’t.” His voice was rough, and he ran a hand down the front of his face and pulled himself all the way to sitting. He must have been on a boatload of painkillers to move so easily this soon. His shoulders drooped as he looked at the door. “What time is it?”
“Almost midnight.”
He nodded, but didn’t look at her. “Do you know?” When she didn’t answer right away, he turned his head. “Do you know what they did?”
The pain in his expression took her breath away. She nodded. “Yeah. I know.”
He folded his arms across his stomach and seemed to curl in on himself. His breathing shook.
Then Hannah realized he was crying.
It took her by surprise. He was so strong—so stoic. Seeing Michael crying silently in the dark in a hospital bed surprised her as much as it would to find her father the same way.
She pulled the lever to drop the railing on her side of the bed and sat beside him.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.” She put a hand on his arm gently, unsure he’d welcome her touch.
He unwound his arms and pulled her closer. It put his face against her shoulder, his arms tight around her back. She could feel him shaking. The only other person who ever clung to her like this was James, after the really terrifying nightmares.
Only this wasn’t a nightmare.
“I don’t know where they are,” Michael said, his voice thick with emotion. “They wouldn’t tell me where they were taking them.”
Hannah drew back enough to speak. “They wouldn’t tell you? Don’t they have to?”
“No. Said it was safer if I didn’t know.” He pulled back and seemed to gather himself a bit. “I’ve spent five years drilling it into their heads that I have to know where they are, and now it’s the middle of the night and I have no idea.” He glanced at the side table, then at the door. “I don’t have a phone. I can’t even call—”
“Shh. It’s okay. They’re okay.” She stroked a hand down his face.
“I promised them, Hannah.” His voice was rough and harsh and the pain in his words almost hurt her ears. “I promised I wouldn’t let anyone take them away. And now—”
“You didn’t fail them, Michael.”
“I did.” He put his face in his hands again. “I did.”
“No. You didn’t.”
His voice took on a panicked edge. “What if I can’t get them back? What if the judge says no?”
“That won’t happen.”
“Don’t you know what happens in those kinds of places?” He dropped his hands and looked at her. His eyes were shining in the darkness. “If someone picks a fight with Gabriel—if someone finds out Nick is gay—” Another shaky breath. “And Chris. Chris hates me for this.”
“He doesn’t hate you.”
“He’s so young sometimes—” Michael shook his head. “He wouldn’t even look at me.”
“He’s afraid.”
Michael gave a laugh that was more of a sob. “That makes me feel better. Thanks.”
She found his hand and held it. “They’re together. They’ll take care of each other.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so. They barely left each other to go to the bathroom.”
Michael turned his head to look at her. “When?”
“Last night.”
“Where were they last night?”
“Here. Well, downstairs.”
He looked bewildered. “Wait. They weren’t at Adam’s?”
“No. They came here as soon as they heard. Hunter, too. And Layne and Simon and Adam.”
“All night? They were sitting down there alone all night—”
“I stayed with them. They were okay.”