Page 21 of Ice-Cold Obsession

Gabriel is the villain. He’s the reason Carla is dead, and nothing will change that.

I keep walking until I’m far enough away that I can breathe again. Leaning against a building, I close my eyes and force myself to focus. I can’t get distracted or start feeling things for him that have nothing to do with revenge.

I groan and let go of the wall. What I need to do is keep following him and stay focused.

IT DOESN’T TAKE MElong to track down Gabriel again. He doesn’t look back, and this time, I stay far enough behind so that he won’t spot me.

He gets to a bus stop and waits. A few other people are there, and I hang back near a storefront, pretending to look at my phone while keeping him in my peripheral vision.

When the bus arrives, he gets on it. I flag down a taxi and tell the driver to follow it.

The driver gives me a weird look. “Are you a cop or something?”

“Something like that.”

He shrugs and pulls into the traffic, keeping a few car lengths behind the bus. We follow it downtown and then out toward the quieter neighborhoods. The buildings get smaller and the streets emptier, and I start to wonder where Gabriel is going.

Eventually, the bus pulls over, and Gabriel gets off. I pay the driver and step out at a safe distance, watching as Gabriel walks down a quiet street lined with trees.

I follow on the opposite side, ducking behind parked cars whenever he glances back. He just keeps walking, his shoulders hunched.

He ends up going to a cemetery.

I stop at the entrance and watch as he passes through the iron gates. His posture is different now. Vulnerable in a way I’ve never seen before.

I don’t know what he’s doing here, but it feels wrong to get any closer. And it’s too exposed, so I wait near the entrance, hidden behind a tree.

Gabriel makes his way through the rows of headstones until he stops in front of one near the back. He stays there for a long time, and I can see his shoulders shaking slightly. Is he crying?

I shift my weight, trying to get a better view, but I can’t see his face from here. From time to time, he moves his hand as if he’s wiping at his face.

I wait, and eventually he straightens up and takes a step back from the grave. He doesn’t move for another moment, and then he turns and heads toward the entrance.

I duck behind the tree again and hold my breath as he passes, but he doesn’t look in my direction.

When he’s gone and I can’t hear his footsteps anymore, I step out from behind the tree.

The cemetery is quiet, except for the leaves rustling and the birds chirping. I pass through the gates and move quickly between the headstones, weaving through the rows until I find the spot where Gabriel was.

When I see the name on the grave, my breath catches.

Lucas Santelli

Beloved Son and Brother

I stare at the dates, trying to process what I’m seeing. Gabriel had a little brother who died when he was just a kid.

I didn’t know that. There was no information about it anywhere online when I looked into Gabriel’s background, and I never saw any mention of a sibling.

The grave is well-maintained. Fresh flowers are arranged in a vase next to the headstone, and the grass around it is neatly trimmed. Gabriel comes here regularly, I guess.

I crouch down and run my fingers over the engraved letters. Lucas. A little boy who never got to grow up.

Something twists in my chest, and I hate it. I don’t want to feel anything for Gabriel, especially not feel sorry for him.

And yet, I can’t help but think about what it must’ve been like for him to lose his brother.

No.