“Your man Enzo took care of the fox shifter,” Charlotte said. “He was quick and quiet—made it look like she’d just had too much to drink.”
Gabriel nodded, guilt tying him up inside.
That poor fucking woman…
Keeping his attention on the crowd downstairs, he said, “They don’t remember a damn thing. That bitch imprisoned us all in a nightmare, and for them, it’s as if it never even happened.”
Charlotte ran her hands over her blood-soaked jacket—Jacinda’s blood, he realized—and sighed. “I was talking with Isabelle this morning, and she told me succubi have incredible powers of mind control. This kind of spell? You and I shouldn’t be able to remember it, either.”
“Same thing happened when she showed up in my bedroom and hijacked my mind. I remembered everything. But that time, I was able to break out of her thrall. Jacinda told me even Viansa was shocked by it.” He rubbed his forehead, his headache coming back with a vengeance. “How is any of this possible?”
“I don’t understand it any more than you do. As a human, I was immune to vampire compulsion. I’m guessing this is related. But that doesn’t explain your situation.”
“I just… Tonight was different, Charlotte. Not just a vision planted in my mind. Sheownedme, and this time, I wasn’t even aware of it. I don’t understand how she was able to overtake me so completely that I… that I was willing to kill an innocent woman at her command. I very nearly killedyou. I… I staked Jacinda as if she meant nothing to me, and now she’s…” His voice broke, and he turned away, unable to face the pain in Charlotte’s eyes, a mirror to his own. “How the fuck are we supposed to defeat her if we can’t even see her coming? If she can control us so completely, so invasively?”
“I don’t know, Gabriel. But if my experience with the Redthornes has taught me anything, it’s that you guysalwaysfind a way to protect the people you love.”
Silently, she looped her arm through his and rested her head against his shoulder, both of them clearly grateful for the company.
Gabriel didn’t know how much time passed, he and Charlotte lost in their own private hells, the partiers carrying on downstairs, laughter and music floating up to the heavens. There’d been no word from the other side of the door, which he hoped was a good thing. If the wound was fatal, he reasoned, she would’ve died by now, and someone would’ve come to deliver the news.
Colin and Isabelle were just taking their time, making sure they patched her up properly. That’s all it was. Nothing to fear.
“Jaci’s fine,” Charlotte said suddenly, as if she’d read his thoughts. “You think one little stake to the chest can takeherdown? You and I both know the woman is scrappy as hell.”
Gabriel allowed a soft chuckle. “She’s definitely a fighter, that one.”
“She’d have to be to put up withyourbullshit.”
At that, Gabriel turned to her and smiled, grateful for the distraction. “Mybullshit? Whatever do you mean, Ms. D’Amico?”
She nudged his arm with her elbow. “You know what I mean.”
“No, I’d really like to hear your thoughts on the matter. Since you’re apparently the expert on my so-called bullshit.”
“Are we confessing now? Okay, fine. The first time I met you—at the fundraiser? I thought you were thebiggestasshole.”
“Wait. Are you referring to the night my brothers and I caught you and Dorianin flagrante delictoin the guest house, dodging a party he was supposedly hosting?Thatnight?”
“Hey!” She smacked his chest. “Don’t deflect! We’re talking aboutyourbullshit, not mine.”
“Right. Carry on.”
“I looked at all of you lined up together outside the guest house, side by side in your tuxes, no idea that you were vampires. And I thought,wow. Of all the Redthorne brothers, Gabriel has the most massive stick up his ass.”
“Debatable.”
“Suspected, demonstrated, and proven many times over.But…”
“But?”
She shrugged, and the teasing sparkle in her eyes turned serious. “But then you helped Dorian take out those vampires who tried to kill me, and you helped me destroy my shithead uncle and get my sister back, and now you’re… I don’t know. Growing on me, I guess. In an asshole kind of way, but still.”
“I’ll take it as a compliment. In an asshole kind of way, but still.” Gabriel put an arm around her, once again glad of her company. “You know, I recall a night not so long ago whenyourlife was in Colin’s hands, and my brother was crawling the damn walls thinking you’d die before he confessed his love. Not that he’d admit it to us, mind you. It was written all over his face from the very start. Sappy bastard.”
She poked him in the ribs. “There’s two life lessons there, my friend.”
“And I’m sure you’re keen to share them with me.”
