Page 58 of Gabriel

“Touché,preciosa.” I chuckled dryly. “At least tell me you used the good tranquilizer. Not the kind that gives you a twitchy eye and a limp dick.”

She tilted her head, amused. “Don’t worry about your dick, Santos. I used the best on the market.”

“Thank you. That’s so thoughtful of you.”

That made her laugh softly, almost guiltily, while something flickered in her eyes. Something warm. Something tired.

I looked at her seriously. “You know I’m not staying in these, right?”

“For now you are. I need you to listen.”

I smirked. “Then you better make it interesting.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but then the door swung wide again.

Dios santo, Elira looked just as menacing as the last time I saw her. Her dark gaze swung from me to Amara, a smirk playing at her lips. I should probably be more concerned about the danger I was in, but something about the scene was too ridiculous to take seriously.

“Took him long enough to wake up,” Elira drawled as she strolled in wearing tactical black, a knife strapped to her hip, and—because life was full of contradictions—a plate of toast in hand like she was delivering a casual breakfast, not crashing a kidnapping.

“You know what I just learned?” Amara asked, sipping her coffee while keeping her attention on her sister. There was a barely noticeable tension in her shoulders that Elira seemed to miss.

“What?”

“That you and Jet cornered Gabriel?—”

“Not exactly cornered,” Elira cut her off, narrowing her cat eyes on me.

“Semantics,” Amara gritted. “You two demanded Gabriel keep away from me.”

Elira shrugged. “Well, it’s not like you liked him.”

A slight flush stained Amara’s cheeks.

“That’s not the point, Elira. I know you’re protective, but I can handle myself and—” She tilted her chin my way as she continued, “I can certainly handle him.”

“Fine,” Elira hissed. “You have my word. I won’t be threatening him to stay away from you anymore. In fact, you two can shag like rabbits and I won’t say a thing.”

“So nice to have your permission, Elira.” My tone dipped with sarcasm. “It’s what I live for.”

Elira rolled her eyes, then purred with poisonous sweetness, “I’m so happy to see you again, Santos. Too bad the circumstances are just as shitty for you.”

I smiled with fake sweetness. “Not as shitty as you think.”

“Oh my, you’re so delusional. Just because my sister kissed you doesn’t mean she likes you.”

Amara’s head whipped back and forth, her blush turning a deeper shade of red. “Stop it, you two.”

Elira shot me a glare before turning to look at her sister and I was taken aback by the soft expression on her face. It appeared almost foreign on her, but it was clear she loved Amara.

“Sorry, sis. He started it.”

Amara sighed. “How many times exactly did you guysmeet?”

“We ‘crossed paths’ twice.” I tried and failed to bring up my hands to form air quotes around the words.

“I’m surprised you lived to tell the tale,” Elira drawled as she rolled her eyes and crossed the room. “It’s a shame that Amara is kind of obsessed with you.”

My brows arched in surprise. “She is?”