Page 130 of Gabriel

I agreed with him, but I stayed quiet. No use upsetting Sailor more than we already had.

“If it helps any…” I said slowly, thinking back to that moment when I saw Anya looking at Jet like he was her whole damn world. “She looked good. And happy. In love even.”

Sailor’s voice dropped a notch. “And Amara?”

My whole body tensed. “What about her?”

“She’s pregnant,” Raphael said bluntly. “And she tells us you two are getting married. So I’m asking… is it Stockholm syndrome? Or was it her siren’s voice that lured you in? Luis said you should’ve packed earplugs.”

I huffed out a laugh, shaking my head until it sent a jolt of pain through my skull. “Are you seriously asking if Amara groped me while I was tied up?”

“I mean…” Raphael cleared his throat. “She did kidnap you, and women can take advantage of men too.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Sailor snapped. “Not now. Bringing Luis on this trip was the worst decision. He’s filled your head with crazy theories, and if I have to hear mermaid shit one more time, I’m going to murder him.”

I barked out another laugh, deep and almost painful, but I couldn’t stop. My eyes burned from the force of my emotions.

“Jesus Christ, Raphael. If Amara had forced herself on me, do you really think I’d be marrying her? I’ve been watching Amara since the first day I spotted her at D’Arc. Why do you think I agreed to teach a class there?”

“I thought you liked teaching,” Sailor said.

I scoffed. “Do I seem like professor material to you?”

“No,” she admitted.

“Besides, Nikola warned me she’d try to kidnap me. I let her, thinking she’d lead me to Jet. I needed eyes on him.”

“Why?” Sailor asked.

“Because he tried to trade her,” I said grimly. “He came to me last year. We met in a… club.”

“What kind of club?” Raphael asked suspiciously.

“Doesn’t matter. What matters is, he offered Amara in exchange for Anya. I said no, but I suspected back then that he wasn’t done. So I’ve kept an eye on him ever since.”

“And then he disappeared,” Sailor whispered.

“He set a trap to get what he wanted,” I said bitterly. “He played the long game. I’d be impressed if I didn’t want to murder him.”

“Ditto,” Raphael muttered. “Sick freak. I don’t like him.”

“They’re… a unique family, for sure,” Sailor murmured.

“That’s one word for it,” I said, exhaustion tugging at my voice.

“Amara proposed to you. Jet kidnapped your sister. Makes you wonder what the hell Elira did,” Raphael said.

“She helped her brother, obviously,” I muttered. “Though I’m sure there’s some poor soul out there tangled in her web.”

“Think she tortures her lovers?” Sailor asked.

“With that one?” I grimaced. “Anything’s possible.”

Raphael grunted. “And you’re marrying Amara. Because of the pregnancy?”

I paused. There was so much I could say. The pregnancy was a ruse, but I wasn’t ready to tell them that. That was Amara’s and my secret.

“I’d be a fool not to,” I said instead, voice thick. “I’ve wanted her for years. And now she’s finally come to her senses and wants me too. She proposed.”