Page 50 of Gabriel

Sailor sighed theatrically. “Fine, just tell her she better be good to you. If not, Iwillbreak her bones.”

I laughed. She would try, but she wasn’t meant for bone-breaking. I would do the deed and she’d take the credit. That was howweoperated.

“She’s perfect for me,” Gabriel said, his tone dropping into something more grounded and somber. “We’ve got some things to work through first, but once we do, she’ll be mine andnobodywill touch her.”

I raised an eyebrow but smiled. “Duly noted. Still, you can’t blame us for being a little protective.”

“I don’t,” he said, nodding. “Also, I need a big favor from you two.”

“Anything,” Sailor said quickly.

“I might be off the grid for a bit, but don’t worry. I’m fine and Luis will be… with me.”

My brows furrowed. “What are you up to?”

He waved his hand nonchalantly. “I just need to charm my girl. My method will be a bit unorthodox, so if you don’t hear from me for a while, I don’t want you to put out a search party and look for me.”

Sailor groaned, suspicion lurking in her eyes as I let out a sardonic breath, then said, “Please tell me you’re not kidnapping her.”

Gabriel smiled. “I swear I’m not kidnapping her.”

“Good. Although we’d have your back no matter what,” I told him.

“Kidnapping is hard to defend,” Sailor justified, visibly relieved that Gabriel wasn’t entertaining the ways some of us had resorted to in the past. “Violence too, but that’s sometimes necessary.”

Gabriel nodded. “You’re right, but that violence will be necessary for whoever’s buzzing around Anya.”

Sailor and I froze.

“Is someone buzzing around her?” I asked slowly, my voice calm, but my knuckles were already cracking.

Gabriel shrugged again. “Not sure, but if someone gets too close?—”

“I’ll break hisfuckingbones,” I growled reflexively.

“Agreed,” Gabriel said without missing a beat.

My wife, clearly unimpressed by the sudden spike in testosterone, gave us both a look—the kind that said, “I married one of you and raised the other, but don’t push your luck.”

“Before any bones are broken,” she cut in, her voice calm but sharp enough to slice through the tension, “maybe we ask Anya if whoever is buzzing around her—assuming there’s someone—is to her liking or not.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but the glare she shot me shut it just as fast.

“By the way, Gabriel,” she continued, now directing her attention back to him with that sweet-but-deadly tone, “have you actually talked to her about any boys?”

“We’ve talked, and she assured me she wants no boy attention.” I had a feeling Gabriel was twisting the truth a bit. I definitely wouldn’t call him out on it, because my Anya was too young for anyone. It didn’t matter if the boy she chose was a saint, I’d fucking kill him.

Sailor raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Gabriel,” Sailor sighed, rubbing her temples like she was bracing for something she didn’t want to say. “Do you ever get the feeling that Anya’s… I don’t know… off lately? Like something’s not quite right?”

Gabriel didn’t answer right away. Then, with almost mechanical precision, his expression shifted—calm, composed, unreadable.

“No.”

And just like that, the mask dropped into place.