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I don’t understand why she would think that. I rack my brain trying to understand where she would come up with these ideas. But it’s just that, she doesn’t have a reason. She makes things up in her head. She’s trying to protect herself.

“She thinks she’s broken, and she doesn't want you to see that.” Sighing Gabriel leans back, not able to look at me as he explains, “they used to beat her for no reason sometimes. She would come into my room at the clubhouse, and I would help bandage her wounds, but my sister refused to talk about it. I never pushed because she always seemed to be too far in her head to even answer simple questions. She’s always been strong for me, for us. Taking on more than she can handle, but refusing to ask for help, refusing to lean on anyone.”

Nodding my head, I see everything he’s talking about. Izel is strong, but sometimes even the strong need help. Izel runs away with her brother because they were going to rape and sell him. She put herself at risk all the time to save her brother.

“We trusted one person, a new prospect, Kiwi. He was nice, kind of like a big brother in a way. He would flirt wit–”

I don’t realize I’m seething until Gabriel begins laughing. “Calm down there, buddy, she didn’t want him. Honestly, the only person she’s ever shown interest in is you.”

I smile behind my mask, finding myself more pleased with the idea of Izel never liking anyone until me.

“He betrayed us. He was playing nice because Dan felt like something was up, and I put my trust a little too much into Kiwi. He ended up selling us out. I didn’t see Izel for a week, and when I finally did it was when two of Dan’s men were going to… well, they were going… You know?”

The words die in my throat. I’m nodding because I do. I know what they were planning on doing.

“She killed them. I don’t even know how it happened. I was so out of it. One minute I was crying, begging them to stop. And then the next she was covered in their blood, and we ran. We were chased and honestly, I’m not sure how we got so far. Days passed, and she saw someone was following us, so she stashed me in some house and ran. It was almost two weeks before I saw her again. Until you brought her to me.” Gabriel looked up, turning towards me.

“You saved her twice now. You might not see it that way. I can tell you’re beating yourself up, thinking it is your fault this happened. But it’s not. I could easily just blame myself. I’m the reason we were on the run. It was because of me that I told Kiwi, and because of me Izel was forced to kill two people and get kidnapped not once but twice. And because of me she was tortured.” Gabriel sucks in air, breathing hard as he frowns at me.

"It’s not your fault,” I muttered.

“You’re right, it's not my fault. And that means it’s not yours either.”

Snapping my head towards him, he smirks. This whole discussion was him trying to convince me that it isn’t my fault for her getting kidnapped. And as much as I want to fight and argue with him, he is right. Izel is going to do what she wants, and she was protecting her brother from dangerous men.

“You love her?” he asks.

"Yes.” I was confident about that.

“Even with her eyesight going? One day she’s going to wake up and probably never see again. You okay with that?”

“Of course.” I don’t care if Izel never sees again. I’ll be her eyes. I’ll show her not everything needs to be seen.

“Can you handle her being jealous and irrational?”

Remembering how she acted towards Rachel, my stomach clenches and I feel all warm. I like the idea. I like her being jealous and irrational.

“From the weird look you’re giving me I think you can. So as long as you choose her and don’t stop, I think that’s all that matters,” Gabriel says, getting to his feet. He doesn’t say anything else before he’s heading back inside the hospital.

Pulling my phone out, I dial Killian.

“Hello?”

“You disappeared.” After arriving at the hospital, Killian left, sending a text that he had something to take care of. I haven’t thought about it until now.

“It’s a long story, but someone else was hiding in that clubhouse. I don’t know why they were, but it’s someone that is important to Salem.”

“I don’t care.” I sound like an asshole, but I couldn't care less about Salem and her problems. “I need to find some guy that was there but left before we arrived, goes by the name Reaper. I don’t know much else.”

“Hold on.”

Swallowing my irritation, I start pacing around the sidewalk. I’m not good at waiting for others, and Killian being the little bitch he is–

“Give me the details you can.” Aziza comes onto the phone.

“I don’t have much. He goes by Reaper; they have stupid road names. But… the girl, Izel Hollow, I don’t know her middle name.” I hear clicking around and before I know it Aziza is answering my unasked question.

“Mabel.”