Page 55 of Gabriel (Legacy of Heathens #4)

Gabriel

T he stillness in the room stretched like a rubber band pulled too tight, and frustration coiled in my chest like a live wire. Or maybe that was fury rolling off Raphael, I couldn’t really tell.

Machines beeped in a slow, mechanical rhythm. A low hum from the overhead lights buzzed in the background, blending with the hiss of oxygen and the shuffle of footsteps in the hallway outside.

I fucking hated being this helpless.

“Gabriel,” Raphael rasped finally. “How are you feeling, hermano ?”

“Hello, darling.” Sailor’s voice was warm and teasing. The two of them couldn’t be more different—my brother all storm clouds and fire, Sailor a steady sea—but I’d never known two people more perfect for each other.

“You look like shit,” Raphael supplied.

I let out a gravelly chuckle.

“I missed you two,” I said, smiling even though it felt brittle. I couldn’t see them. That absence gnawed at me, made everything feel distant and wrong. “I’ve been worse, but don’t worry, I’ll get better fast.”

“You’re blind,” Raphael snapped.

“Well, fuck. Thanks for the reminder,” I muttered. “I was just starting to forget.”

“Boys,” Sailor scolded gently, brushing my hand affectionately. “That’s not something to joke about. You gave us quite the scare, Gabriel.”

“Sorry,” I said quietly, and meant it.

Raphael let out a grunt, his mood practically vibrating through the room. “The flight over here was hell.”

Sailor sighed beside me. “We were worried sick.”

I forced a smile.

“Don’t worry. My shoulder’s healing fine and…” I faltered, unsure what to say about my eyes. The ache behind them was a constant throb, a reminder of everything I’d lost. “I’ll manage.”

“I’ve already reached out to the top ophthalmologists in the world,” Sailor said, always a step ahead, always trying to make things better. “Let’s keep the faith.”

“Okay.” I heard movement in my periphery. “What’s happening right now? In the room, I mean?”

They paused.

“Raphael’s sitting by the window,” Sailor replied after a beat. “And I’m in the chair next to your bed.” Her hand covered mine again. “Right here.”

“Fuck,” I whispered, frustrated. “This sucks. Not even a year ago I was telling Nikola to hang in there when he got put in a wheelchair. And now look at me…” I tapped my chest. “I’m a goddamn hypocrite.”

“Fuck that,” Raphael growled. “You’re not a hypocrite. You’re handling this better than most of us would.”

“Yes, you are, darling,” Sailor agreed. “It would be concerning if you weren’t upset.”

I lifted my hand again, searching, and Sailor was already there, curling her fingers around mine. “Thanks for being here.”

“Of course,” she said. “We’re family. We stand together.”

“Speaking of family…” I hesitated, then said, “Anya?—”

“Don’t worry about Anya,” Sailor cut in. “We’re handling it.”

I stiffened. “So you know?”

“Oh yes,” Raphael grumbled. “And I swear to God, I’m going to see how well Jet Volkov—or whatever the fuck his last name is—flies when I throw him off a building.”

“Raphael!” Sailor sighed, exasperated. “Let’s not?—”

“Well, reina , someone has to fucking pay for the shit that’s happened.”

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.”

Sailor made a soft sound—half laugh, half gasp. “And you said yes?”

“I did.”

“Even though you’re in here because of her?” Raphael demanded.

“She didn’t do this to me. I could’ve ended up in Albania regardless. Jet was always a step ahead.”

Silence followed, heavy and complicated.

“You’ve always been an optimist,” Raphael muttered. “You’re blind because of her and her fucked-up family.”

I sat up straighter in the bed, despite the weight pressing down on my body. “Look. I know it’s a mess, but I love her. And she loves me. I’m not made of glass, Raphael. Vision or no vision, I’ll recover. You don’t need to protect me from my own choices.”

“You’re my brother,” he said, voice thick. “You think I’m just going to sit here and play nice with all of this?”

I swallowed hard. “I’m not asking you to like it, but I am asking you to accept it. Let me fight this fight and live my life with Amara. Even if I have to do it blind.”

There was another long pause.

“Can I walk you down the aisle?” Raphael asked dryly. “Since I got robbed of that with Anya.”

“If you try it, I’ll kill you,” I deadpanned.

Sailor choked on a laugh. “Oh, Lord. We better make sure it doesn’t come to that.” She paused, then added softly, “Raphael… you have to admit. Gabriel and Amara—somehow, in the chaos, they really are perfect for each other.”

Laughter filled the room, breaking the tension like sunlight breaking through fog and somehow I knew things would end well.