“Cade – wait!”
But I’m yanking across the thin curtain, staring in disbelief at Gabrielle’s home.
Her scent is saturated within the space, the warmth of her butterscotch perfume contrasting harshly with the meager contents.
There’s a thin blanket on the floor, a navy sleeping bag rolled up and tidily placed into the corner. A tiny lamp sits alongside it, and I spot Axel’s sweatshirt folded up neatly.
That’s it.
This is where she lives?
This is hernest?
My mouth dries as I turn back to her. Something stabs deep inside my chest.
“Gabrielle.”
She’s shaking, her whole body rolling in tremors as she hugs her arms desperately to her sides. Her eyes stay fixed to the ground.
“Gabrielle.”
Hudson swears quietly behind me as he gets a look inside.
My hands land gently on her cheeks as I tip her face up to mine. My eyes search hers, those deep blue depths swimming as a tear falls down her cheek.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” I breathe. “How long have you been here?”
Her lip wobbles, but I keep her face tilted up.
“A few weeks,” she whispers shakily. “I lost my job. And my apartment.”
My stomach turns over. “And you’ve been here since?”
She nods, her small face fragile between my hands.
“I’m getting somewhere else,” she mutters, her eyes sliding down. “I’ve been saving.”
Hudson appears at my side, his arms folded. I can feel the tension sliding from him, flooding into our pack bond.
Nate and Axel must be wondering what the hell is going on.
“Axel walked you home,” he says quietly, and she flinches. “He said your street seemed quiet. A little run down, but decent.”
She shrugs. “I hid until he was gone.”
My eyes slide shut briefly. Axel is not going to be happy.
“You’re coming home with us.”
The words trip straight off my tongue, and Gabby blinks, startled, as my hands fall to my sides.
“I… what?”
Hudson nods firmly. “You’re not staying here, sweetheart. Not for a second longer. Pack your stuff.”
Gabrielle’s eyes close for a moment, and when she opens them, they’re full of determination.
“I can’t.”
