Page 77 of Gabriel

Amara flashed me a glare. “He doesn’t have or do twisted things. He’s not his father’s son.”

“But he’s his mother’s.” Amara tensed, and I knew I’d fucked up. She and Liana Volkov were extremely close, and hinting to Liana’s gray past wouldn’t earn me any points. “I’m sorry,” I apologized, meaning it too. Not because I was wrong, but because I hated upsetting Amara. “I’m protective of Anya and Sailor. I vowed when I was a boy that I’d protect them, and it seems I’m failing.”

She nodded as if she understood the sentiment, and I suspected she did.

“You’re not failing them,” she claimed. Silence stretched until she continued. “Honestly, I’ve never realized your family is as blended as mine.”

“It can sometimes make our family dynamic… complicated,” I admitted. “And that’s putting it mildly.”

“All families are complicated,” she muttered. “Did you know your mother?”

I shook my head.

“No, although I’ve heard stories of Sailor’s sister my entire life. She had a hard life. Sailor made sure I knew about Anya, the woman who died giving birth to me.”

“Anya?”

“Yes, my sister—or cousin if we want to be technical—was named after her,” I explained. “Told you our family is complicated.”

“Your mom died and your aunt adopted you, that’s how families should work.”

“My mother got pregnant as a result of force,” I said, voice edged with shame. Amara’s lips parted and she swallowed audibly. It wasn’t something I readily shared with people, but it was important to me that she understood where I came from. “Learning that… changed me.”

I had never spoken those words aloud.

“It doesn’t make you any less of a man, Santos.” Her voice was a whisper. “Things like that don’t make any child any different than one born out of love.”

“Sailor definitely agrees with you,” I said, letting out a sardonic breath.

“So that’s your connection to the Santos Cartel?” she asked softly. “I always wondered since it seems your mom is closer with the Ashfords, and they aren’t exactly… criminals.”

“Ah, the billionaire kings. No, they aren’t criminals. They helped Sailor raise me and ensured our protection until Raphael entered our lives. You see, Amara, I owe it to Raphael and Sailor to keep Anya safe just like Sailor kept me safe.”

“You are. You’re doing everything right,” she claimed. “Aside from whatever it is you’re after when it comes to Jet, because he’s not a threat to her.”

She was blind and too trustworthy when it came to her brother, and although admirable, it was also very frustrating.

“Let’s agree to disagree for now,” I muttered under my breath.

She let out a relieved breath and smiled. “Yes, let’s. And, Gabriel?”

“Yes?”

“It’s obvious your birth mother loved you, and Sailor loves you very much.”

This conversation was getting too close to the truth and it made me feel uncomfortable, but the next words slipped out regardless. “I always wondered if Sailor looked at me and saw him.”

“If that were true,” Amara said gently, “she wouldn’t have protected you like she did. That’s not shame. That’s love. It’s the kind of love that chooses to see more than where you came from.”

“Or some kind of sick complex,” I muttered.

“No,” she said. “It’s just… love. Simple as that. She sees her sister in you. That’s why she loves you even more.”

I focused on her. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes were soft with compassion.

“After I found out the truth about my birth,” I said, “I started using charm like my armor. It gets me what I need and keeps people from seeing the wreckage underneath.”

She nodded slowly.