Page 73 of Wolf.e

“I—I thought—"

I take Brinley’s helmet from her and start walking toward my front steps.

“You thought wrong.”

I’m not easily surprised by people. Most humans are the exact same, standard, run of the mill people you think they are. I’ve always thought I was a good judge of character, but it turns out, I’m not. At all. And Gabriel? I had no idea who he really was. Gabriel makes me realize I’ve probably been judging people my entire life based on what I was taught. And who am I to do that? He’s teaching me that people can’t be defined by their job or their upbringing, even their criminal activity might not necessarily make them a bad person.

Is it wrong to help people when the system fails and then profit from it? Is that any different than my father making the most of a shitty real estate deal gone bad? One is legal, one’s not. Says who? A made-up group of people, bound to serve and protect when it suits them?

I look around at this place, really take it all in, and breathe out a sigh… Maybe Gabriel is the one who has it all figured out.

There are no words to describe the serenity of what I see now. It feels like I’m walking into a treehouse. The wide front steps seem never ending. Like I’ll be going up two floors just to get to the front door. The entire cabin is deep, stained wood and glass. It’s a large A frame and appears like it wasn’t built into the hill it sits upon, but like it sprouted up from the earth. Spanish moss hangs low from the trees giving the entire space an eerie and peaceful feeling.

“Why build it so high up?”

Gabriel stops in front of his solid glass front door. Nodding in the direction of his gate. “So I can see anyone coming from three hundred yards away. Three hundred yards at their fastest speed still gives me twenty seconds to prepare.” He knocks with the back of his first two knuckles on the glass. “Bulletproof, all the glass in the house is.”

Oh.

From my viewpoint looking in, I can see straight through the entire house before he even opens the front door. The house sits on a bluff and there’s a large, open yard and a lake behind it. The only rooms we pass to get to the main living area are a small bathroom and an office. The interior doors in the house are all glass as well.

The sun is still sinking slowly down behind the water as we enter the living room and I realize this might be the most gorgeous view I’ve ever seen. It’s easy to see when the entire back of the house is glass too. I notice as I look around that the inside isn’t overly large, but what is here is well thought out and so neat and minimal.

Gabriel leads me into the open kitchen and living room. It’s a sleek, modern style mixed with rustic wood walls and open wrought iron railings leading to the second floor and a basement below.

I’m shocked that this is Gabriel’s home. I move closer to the window and peer out. The water shimmers below us and a set of wooden stairs leads down to it. There’s a small outbuilding and what looks like targets set up outside on the flat expanse of yard, and there are multiple black and white markers spread over at least half of it and into the trees beyond.

He has his own shooting range? Should I be surprised?

Gabriel removes his cut and hangs it over the side of the dark leather sofa in his living room. There are two of them and they face a floor to ceiling stone fireplace that houses a massive barn board mantel. Then I notice that there isn’t a TV in this room and I find that odd.

I spin around and face him.

“Why am I here? Why was that man at my work today? I’m not going to stay in the dark on this. I can’t go home and I want to know why.”

I watch as Gabriel ignores me, walking to the kitchen to pull a mason jar out of the cupboard and fills it with water.

“Gabriel,” I say as I fold my arms over my chest. “I want to know—”

“They think you’re my weakness. They’ve made the threat clear,” he says, turning to set his glass down, removing his gun and knife, placing them in a basket on the center of the kitchen island.

It isn’t lost on me that most people keep things like fruit there.

“And why are you so hell bent on keeping me safe?” I push him. I’m done letting fear guide me. Too much has happened over the last few weeks, and I’m almost positive that if Gabriel Wolfe was planning to hurt me, or worse, he would’ve already done it, so I might as well ask questions and speak my damn mind.

“I told you, I don’t ask why. I just know I have to keep you safe.”

I place a hand on my hip and hold my chin up as he lifts his glass and takes another long drink.

“That isn’t good enough for me,” I say, hoping to appear as confident as I just sounded.

“I need to know why you didn’t kill me that first night in the woods and then let me go. And I need to know why you’re coming to my rescue now.”

He sets the glass down on the marble counter and without warning, Gabriel turns and moves toward me with a stealth and speed I’m not prepared for. I know when I fire back it frustrates him. Probably because nobody else does it. Instead, I’m met with his large hands circling my waist as he tugs me forward, so my body is flush with his.

“I don’t need to explain any of it to you. You’re alive because I can’t fucking bear the thought of this pulse not beating for me, and that’s the only reason I can give you,” Gabriel growls as he dips his head down and brings his forehead to mine, pausing to take a deep breath, collecting himself as his hands grip my waist so tight it hurts.

My breath rises and falls tightly against him. Gabriel holds me so close, it’s hard to breathe.

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