Low blow, Savage. Nice work.
I know what a toll his job took on him. Maybe I don’t understand the full extent. I doubt he will ever open up enough to talk to me about what went on over there, but just knowing it got bad enough he went to a shrink tells me all I need to know. A good friend doesn’t throw something like that in your face. I’m such an asshole.
“Gabe, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
He drops back in the sofa and leans his head back, effectively avoiding any eye contact with me. “Yeah, you did.”
The silence lingers between us and I try to determine something, anything to say. I could deny it, but I would be lying. As much as I hate that what I said hurt him, I also know he’s good, really fucking good at killing. And whether he likes that fact or not, it’s still true, and it would still solve all of our problems.
He scrubs his hands down his face before finally returning his leery gaze to me. “I can’t kill him, Savage,” he murmurs, his voice barely loud enough to hear.
Gabe doesn’t break. Ever. He’s been my best friend, my brother, my rock, since I was too young to realize how important it was. He’s been with me through the hardest days of my life, and risked his own life to save Danika’s. And I know he would do it again, without me ever asking. He doesn’t break, but he is bent right now, after what happened last night, so far I’m afraid anything I say may push him over some invisible edge.
“I know you can’t. I didn’t really mean that was an option. I just meant it might solve our problem.”
He nods slowly, then reaches for his beer on the table and tips it back, draining what’s left in the bottle. “You really think it could work?”
“What? My plan?”
“Yeah.”
I’ve been thinking about this nonstop since we rescued Danika. A hundred different ideas have battled around in my head, and I’ve rejected every single one of them. This is all I have, all we have, our only chance at surviving this.
“If I was just some random guy off the street whose girlfriend got in over her head? No. Not for a fucking second do I think it would work. But, Abello knows me. He knows I don’t fuck around, and he knows my word means something. And I know him. I don’t think he wants to hurt me, either directly, or by going after Danika or you. I think if I presented this option, another way to him, he will take it rather than face the consequences of taking us out.”
Just the thought of him coming after Danika or Gabe makes me so angry, my skin heats and my heartbeat races. “I’m not going to let him fuck with us, Gabe. It took me too long to get to where I am, to finally be happy, I’m not going to lose it now.”
“What about my dad? You know he won’t just let this go if Abello follows through with your plan.”
Hearing Gabe refer to Dunne as his dad makes my skin crawl. My father was more of a dad to him than that self-centered asshole ever was. The only good thing Dunne ever did for him was to let him spend most of his time with us, and to basically let him go when he turned eighteen. Now, this shit with Abello may not only bring down Dunne, but it may also out Gabe’s true identity, something he has worked very hard at concealing for over a decade.
“I know, but he is the lesser of two evils here, and we can deal with any blowback from him down the road.”
Gabe sighs and leans back on the couch. “I guess we don’t have much of a choice.”
“Not really.”
“Then call Dom, get the meeting set up, and let’s get this done.”
I make the call, with my heart in my throat. Dom doesn’t answer, but I manage to arrange to meet at Angelo’s on Friday night through one of his goons. Now, all I can think about is getting back to Dani. Even though she’s just been across the hall, and I’ve only been away from her for two hours, it already feels like an eternity.
Princess follows me across the hall to my place and the darkness and silence immediately sets me on edge. “Dani?”
She doesn’t respond.
Where the hell are you?
I follow Princess down the hall toward my bedroom and when I pass the guest bath, the unmistakable smell of eucalyptus wafts from the open door. She must have taken a bath.
Good, she needs to relax.
My bedroom is dark. Dani pulled the curtains closed over the blinds so no light would get in but I know she’s there, in my bed. Even in the darkness, her form stands out and calls to me. I approach the bed and the steady sound of her breathing tells me she’s finally getting some much-needed sleep.
You should leave her be.
Despite every fiber of my being calling out to climb into bed with her and take her in my arms, I don’t. Instead, I turn and head back toward the living room, with every intention of letting her sleep.
“Savage?”