“I need my son back!” she shrieked. The noise pierced Adrian’s ears, and this time, he did wince. “I need my son back and youtookhim from me! Youkilledhim! Ihateyou!”
“You needtogo.”
“Youmurderedhim!”
There were many things Adrian had done in his life that he wasn’t proud of, but for now, blinded by a protective instinct he was only starting to realize, he didn’t regret shoving his mother farther down the hall. She stumbled and staggered, and as she fought to regain her footing, Adrian sprang into action. He rushed to Gabriel’s side, opened his bedroom door, and dragged Gabriel inside. The door was barely closed when he heard his mother’s rapid footsteps approach, and Adrian turned the lock seconds before she started to rattle thedoorknob.
“Ihateyou!” She shrieked through the door. “Youkilledhim!”
The hate continued to spew from her mouth as Adrian moved across the room and settled on the side of Gabriel’s bed. He breathed in deeply, then collapsed backward and stared at the ceiling. Dissociating from what was happening was hard, but it was the only way to save hissanity.
Adrian had hoped that with Gabriel back in the house, his mother’s temper would cool, and they could move on with their lives. Adrian would graduate with his bachelor’s degree in business and go on to start his master’s in the hopes of one day taking his father’s place as CEO of his mergers and acquisitions company, Gabriel would go back and get his GED, and the past would staythepast.
It was clear to him now that life wasn’t going to go asplanned.
“You didn’t kill me…” Gabriel flopped onto the bed by Adrian’s side. They didn’t touch, but feeling his weight shift the mattress was a small comfort. “You didn’t do anything, Adrian. She’s notbeingfair.”
“I know,” Adrian whispered, but he didn’tbelieveit.
“Is she alwayslikethis?”
“Not always, but the bad days are becoming worse, and they’re getting morefrequent.”
“Is that why you have panicattacks?”
Adrian didn’t reply. His mother’s behavior was only part of a complex web of self-loathing that he still wasn’t sure he understoodinfull.
With a little sigh, Gabriel turned onto his side and laid a hand on Adrian’s stomach, right over histinybump.
“You’re going to make it right,” Gabriel whispered. “I know you will. You’re strongerthanme.”
Adrian didn’t say anything. He stared at the ceiling as his mother shrieked at him and rattled the doorknob. He didn’t think he was strong at all, but he did know that he was strong enough to be weak. It was time to admit to himself that he couldn’t do this alone—not with Gabriel in his life. They couldn’t stay here. Gabriel needed a place where he could heal, and Adrian? Adrian wasn’t sure what he needed, but he knew that he wouldn’t findithere.
Something needed tochange.
He knew what he neededtodo.
16
Sterling
It wasn’tthe first time Sterling had heard the club-side door open, then latch gently back into place, but it surprised him all the same. He set his book aside and turned his gaze to the wall dividing the living room from the short hall leading to the door. There was only one person brash enough to come into his homeuninvited.
Adrian was here, and that meant he’d made hisdecision.
Sterling’s heart skipped a beat. He stood from his chair and was on his way across the living room when his visitor came around thecorner.
It wasn’t Adrianatall.
Gabriel, his shoulders drooped and his back hunched, dodged Sterling’s gaze and cowered where he stood. He made an uncomfortable humming noise, like he wanted to say something, but the words had all jammed in his throat. In his hand was a medium-sized piece of rolling luggage, just a hair too large to be acarry-on.
Sterling looked from him, to the luggage, and backagain.
What the hell was it with the Lowe family and breaking into hispenthouse?
The answer came a second later. Adrian rounded the corner, far more confident than Gabriel. Two large duffel bags were slung from his shoulders, one red, theotherblue.
“We’re staying here,” Adrian announced. “Where can Gabrielsleep?”
