Page 67 of The Price of Power

But I cut him off, shaking my head. “Don’t bother, Gabriel. Whatever you have to say, I don’t want to hear it.”

He barreled ahead anyway. “I’m sorry you overheard us. I thought Tony and I would be finished with our conversation by the time you were out of the shower.”

My fingers bit into the thick terrycloth towel, struggling to keep it tightly clasped in front of my chest as I stared up at him.

“That’s what you’re sorry for,” I gaped at him, aghast. “That I overheard you. Not that you just sentenced a man to death?”

He shook his head, dragged his fingers through his hair, pressed his lips together hard. Did everything other than look ashamed. “Liv, you don’t understand?—“

“Then explain it to me,” I challenged him. “Tell me why I shouldn’t be horrified that you just ordered one man to be murdered and another to be terrorized.”

Gabriel took a step back. Turning his back to me, he cursed under his breath before spinning back around to face me.

“No, you’re right,” he said, his voice somehow even tighter and angrier than before. “You should be horrified. Because the life I live and the things I do are horrifying. But this isn’t news to you. You’ve known who and what I am for a long time now. So the one thing you can’t be is surprised.”

Each of his words landed like a blow to the gut—because he was right.

I did know.

I’d known there was something terrifying about him from the moment he’d sent the drunk in the Ritz running out of the lounge.

And after that, when he’d threatened my brother’s life and my family’s livelihood. And when he demanded I hand myself over to him for three whole months. Or all those nights sitting next to him in nightclubs across Manhattan, watching as mobsters and thugs lined up, hoping just to get a few minutes of his time.

I knew what he was.

But somewhere along the line, I’d decided to pretend I didn’t.

I’d let myself be seduced, not just by his touch, but by all the charitable fairy tales he wove around him. Maybe he did save that little kid’s life, but how many other people did he send to their graves?

Only a monster could do something like that.

“But this guy you sent Tony after, do you really have to kill him?” I asked, practically begging for him to show a shred of humanity and prove me wrong. “They said he was just some punk. Surely, you can let him off with a warning.”

“There is a time and place for mercy, but there is never room for pity,” he said, his voice heavy with the weight of responsibility. “My papa taught me that.”

“I don’t…” I shook my head. “I don’t understand. Is this about your wall of protection again?”

“You know it is.”

“Then you have to know that one guy stealing a few boxes of black market anxiety pills can’t possibly tear cracks in the wall.”

“Liv, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Gabriel closed his eyes. His head fell back in frustration. I could see the muscles in his neck tightening, the tendons sticking out. Anyone with a sense of self-preservation would have known to stop right there. That pushing him any further wasn’t a wise choice.

Yet, I kept right on going.

“Come on, Gabriel,” I pleaded with him. “You don’t have to use violence to solve every problem. You’re so much better than that.”

“No. I’m not,” he growled, his eyes snapping back to me. “You are. You’re the good one. Not me.”

“Gabriel—“ I tried again, reaching out to him, but he took a step back from my outstretched hand, shaking his head with even more intensity.

“That’s why I’ve done my best to keep this side of my life away from you,” he continued. “It’s why I go away in the morning and don’t come back until night. Because I never wanted this part of my world to touch you and tarnish that goodness.”

I rolled my eyes at the ridiculousness of his statement.

“You can’t be serious,” I said. “Like you said, I know what you are. I’m only here with you so you don’t tell Tony to bring you my brother’s head.”

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