Page 124 of Gabriel

“No, not yet.”

A beat of silence fell between us. The air seemed to shift again, charged now with a question I didn’t want to ask but needed to.

I swallowed the taste of hospital air, metallic on my tongue. “And Anya?”

Silence stretched, and it was almost as if her answer was lodged in her throat and holding my hand was the only thing keeping it from breaking loose and spilling.

I didn’t need her to speak to feel the change. The tension bled from her skin into mine, like ink in water.

And in that silence, I already knew. Anya wasn’t here.

“She and Jet disappeared,” Amara whispered. “They’re safe. Kian followed them, but Jet keeps evading him. Unfortunately, my brother knows this area really well.” I could hear a gulp echo between us. “I’m sure she’s safe.”

I let out a sardonic breath, the sound bitter in my throat. “I guess it depends on whether Jet set up that explosion or not.”

“He didn’t.”

Her answer hit like a punch to the ribs. Relief came fast, hard, and unexpected. My whole chest trembled as I exhaled. I hadn’t realized how much I was bracing for confirmation.

“The Triad was behind it, but none of us seem to know who they were after or why,” she continued. “Honestly, it’s probably for the best that they disappeared.”

I turned my head slightly, trying to focus on the direction of her voice, even if my eyes still gave me nothing.

“I’m not sure I agree,” I said quietly. “We don’t know if Anya’s with him willingly or not.”

Although deep down I suspected.

Even in the haze of memory, I could still picture my sister standing in her silky pajamas in the villa, her eyes shimmering and locked on Jet. I had to admit she didn’t look like a hostage. She looked like a woman in love.

And God help me, I didn’t know if that was better or worse than believing Jet had taken her by force.

There was no immediate answer, but I heard Amara scoot closer. Her scent followed the motion: something familiar, tinged with citrus and salt, like she’d just stepped out of the ocean.

“I think we both know she isn’t a hostage, Gabriel.” She let out a long sigh. “And that I owe you a massive apology.”

The room fell into silence.

“I was so fucking stupid and blind,” she continued. “I played right into Jet’s and Elira’s schemes instead of listening to my gut and you. I knew something was off, and yet I stubbornly clung to my conviction that they wouldn’t betray me. Or maybe I hoped, and now my blindness… Dammit, that’s the wrong word.”

“Yeah, not the best one,” I agreed, letting out a sardonic breath.

“I’m so sorry, Gabriel.” Amara’s voice cracked. “I wish it was me who got hurt, not you. I wish I could take it all back. I wish I never followed Jet’s vague instructions, and instead listened to my gut. And most of all, I’m sorry for not trusting you, the man who’d always waited patiently in the shadows. I fucked up majorly.”

“You did.” There was no sense in sugarcoating it. “And you should have trusted me over your siblings, but living on regrets is pointless and we cannot go back into the past.”

“I know, and if I were in your place, I’d want to murder me and my siblings.”

“I could never hurt you, Amara. Your siblings, on the other hand… I could choke the life out of them and never miss a beat.”

Her inhale echoed in the silence of the room. “You might want to include me in that statement once you hear my next words.”

I tensed, unsure where those words would lead. When she remained quiet, I prompted, “Let’s hear it, then.”

“Give me a moment,” she muttered. “It might be the last time you talk to me?—”

“That bad, huh?” I let out a sardonic breath. “Better spit it out, Amara, before I conjure shit in my head. Trust me, it isn’t the best place right now.”

“God, you might hate me after this.” Her words sent unease down my spine, and I readied for the worst, whatever that might be. “Fuck, I’m so sorry to do this after how much I hurt you.”