“What the hell are you doing out here?” Adrian was breathless, his voice shaking with fear instead of darkened with anger. “You know you’re not supposed to see Cedric anymore. We talkedaboutthis.”
“I needed to prove to myself that I could do it,” Gabriel murmured. “… So I did. I’m sorry. I took money from you that I shouldn’t have, too. I’ll payyouback.”
Adrian opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off. Sir spoke, his words gentle but firm. “Gabriel savedmylife.”
There was a moment where the only sounds were police chatter and the heavy thud of boots on the sidewalk. Gabriel let that moment sweep away the rest of his anxiety. He was the cause of all this, both good and bad. What had been started, he’d put an end to. The man without a name wouldn’t walk free anymore—he would answer for the crimes he’d committed, just like Garrison. Gabriel didn’t care how many interviews and interrogations it took. The man without a name would not walk free. He would not let his fear or his inferior genetics stop him from seeing that mansuffer.
It didn’t matter so much that he’d hurt Gabriel, but the second he’d pointed that gun at Sir, Gabriel knew there was no way he could forgive him. No one would hurt the man who’d been so kind to him, even when he didn’t deserve kindness.Noone.
“Gabriel?” Adrian asked in awe. “Isittrue?”
“No.” Gabriel glanced at Sir. “I did what I had to do. That man… that man was the one who kept me, after the police raided The White Lotus. He took me from the room he was using me in and escaped with me through a back door, and he kept me in his house against my will. The things he did to me…” Gabriel closed his eyes and ended that thought. “He deserves to be in jail for the rest of his life, just likeGarrison.”
There was silence. When Gabriel opened his eyes again, he saw why. Adrian was staring at him like he’d seen a ghost, his eyes intense with confusion and his mouth open. Nothing more was said until an officer steppedforward.
“Sir,” he said, speaking to Adrian. “I have to ask you to leave. This is a crime scene and you’re not allowed tobehere.”
“I’m his brother.” Adrian turned to face the officer, rigidity returning to his posture. “I need to be hereforhim.”
“No.” Gabriel couldn’t stop, now that he’d started. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Adrian there, but he knew that all Adrian would do was worry, and that was pointless. There was nothing to worry about. The man without a name was being apprehended, and he would face the consequences of his actions. “I love you, but I can take care of myself. Ipromise.”
Adrian didn’t argue like Gabriel thought he might. He didn’t even hum in disappointment. The officer gestured to the side, inviting Adrian to step away, but Gabriel shookhishead.
“He doesn’t have to leave if he doesn’t want to. He’s not disturbing me. But… but he needs to know he doesn’t need to be here for me. I know that I haven’t really been the most… I know that I’ve been through a lot, but I’m okay. I’m okay as long as I’mwithSir.”
“If he starts bothering you, let one of us know,” the officer said in parting. Then, just as quickly as he’d appeared, he disappeared into the chaos of thenight.
Adrian sat at Gabriel’s side, and for a little while, all three of them were silent. Gabriel leaned against Sir, and Sir kept the heavy blanket wrapped around their shoulders. Dry leaves skittered across the street, stirred by the wind. Officers barked at each other, and Gabriel was vaguely aware that an ambulance had arrived. A little more chaos meant nothing at this point. He was numbtoit.
“I want to be with Sir,” Gabriel said into the night. He didn’t care who was listening. Whether anyone listened or not, he needed to get what he was feeling off his chest. “I know that I said I loved Garrison, but I never did. I know that now, because I know what lovereallyis.”
No one spoke. Leaves caught on the ridge by the sidewalk noisily. A stretcher was rushed into Sir’shouse.
“I know that I’m not normal.” Gabriel let his eyes adjust to the flashing red and blue lights. It was hard to admit that there was something broken inside of him, but he couldn’t keep burying his head in the sand. Denial was easy, but the truth? If Gabriel ever wanted a shot at the happiness he’d found, he’d have to embrace it. “I don’t know if I can ever be normal like you want me to be. I’m not… I don’t know if I can think that way. I might not ever be able to change, but that doesn’t mean that Ican’ttry.”
Adrian set a hand on his knee, but it was Sir who Gabriel was focused on. The arm wrapped around Gabriel’s shoulders tugged him closer, then abandoned his shoulder to run fingers through his hair. Gabriel held back a sigh of contentment and cuddled closer. It was a silent sign from Sir that everythingwasokay.
“So this is me trying,” Gabriel said. “I know you don’t think it, but I’ve changed so much since I came to be with Sir. I want to be good, but I don’t want to be good in the way Garrison taught me to be. Not anymore. All this time I’ve been learning and listening, and even when it’s too much and I’m too weak to do what’s right, it’s inside of me. All of it is inside of me. And maybe one day, when it all builds up, I can be more like who you want me to be. I can be someone who makes youproud.”
“You already make me proud,” Sir whispered. It was a simple statement, but it lit up Gabriel’s world. The smile it produced was radiant, and Gabriel tried to hide it by burying his face against Sir’s arm. To be praised like that by someone he loved made him want to be strong again andagain.
“You’ve made me proud, too,” Adrian said. His hand squeezed, then parted from Gabriel’s knee. “Even if the police let you back in the house tonight, you’re not going to want to stay there after what happened. Once you’re released, come with me back to the penthouse. Stay the night, both of you. We have aguestbed.”
“There’s only one bed.” Gabriel lifted his head from Sir’s shoulder, frowning. Adrian had made it clear he wasn’t supposed to touch Sir intimately. “The guest room was taken out for Lilian,remember?”
“I know.” Adrian got up from the sidewalk and brushed off the back of his pants. “It’s cold out here. I’m going to go sit in my car and call Sterling to let him know what’s going on, and to expect guests. If you need me, you know where tofindme.”
“Okay.” Gabriel bit the inside of his lip, equal parts excited by the prospect of sharing a bed with Sir, and dreading it. He knew the last time that had happened, he’d been bad, and he didn’t want to disappoint anyone else. “I love you, Adrian. I’m sorry for making youscared.”
“Scared?” Adrian shook his head and laughed a coarse, exhausted kind of laugh that made Gabriel regret the pain he’d caused him. “That’s an understatement. But you know what?” Adrian’s gaze softened. “I can take being scared, if this is what comes of it. I’m going to need a monster of a martini when we get home, though. You want theolive?”
Gabriel closed his eyes. “Yes,please.”
With nothing more said, Adrian wandered back to his car, his hands dug into the pockets of his coat, leaving Gabriel to wonder what he meant. He didn’t have long to think before Sir kissed the side of his head and sucked him back into the moment. The kiss melted Gabriel’s heart and did away with the remnants of his panic. He opened his eyes again and lifted his head to look at Sir, only to find Sir looking at him with tender affection andkindness.
There was nothing said. There didn’t need to be. Beneath flashing lights, they held each other. The look Sir gave him was enough to tell him everything he neededtoknow.
Whatever hurt Gabriel had inflicted onto him, and whatever emotional suffering he’d caused, it had been forgiven. In Sir’s eyes was forgiveness and an eagerness to make things right. Gabriel had set out into the world on his own not to suit another man’s agenda, but to do what his heart told him needed to be done. It had landed him in danger, and he knew that next time he needed to be more cautious, but at the same time, it had sethimfree.
