Page 36 of Prodigal

Samir blew out a breath and dropped the subject. Gideon stood back long enough to watch Mick and Samir drag an unconscious Ennis out of the vehicle. Pulling out his phone, Gideon made some calls as Mick and Samir loaded Ennis into their SUV.

“The helicopter is waiting for us. Doc is on his way to the penthouse.”

The penthouse was about an hour away by helicopter and Ennis—Gideon allowed himself to take a good look at the older man as Mick drove them away from the scene, tires squealing—was soaked in blood.

“Everyone else is dead,” Samir told him, applying pressure to Ennis’s stomach. “He’s been hit three times. One in the stomach, one in the hand, and another in the chest.” Samir lifted his gaze to Gideon. “Don’t know if he’s gonna make it, G.”

“He fucking better.”

12

“Gideon!”

André’s head shot up at his sister’s loud greeting, just in time to watch as Gideon entered the kitchen. Gideon’s gaze zeroed in on him even as he greeted Jules.

“Miss Juliette. Good morning.” He stared at André.

André stared back.

This was the first time they were seeing each other face-to-face since Gideon left André’s room early last evening. He’d left to handle some business according to what André had overheard Gideon and Samir discussing.

But Gideon looked as if he hadn’t slept. And he still wore the clothes he’d been wearing when André watched him get into his helicopter yesterday. Of course, Gideon had no clue André had made his way onto his roof to watch him depart, and André preferred it that way. Besides, something about the cold hardness in Gideon’s eyes didn’t lend itself to confessions.

Where had he gone? Who had he spent the night with if he looked as if he hadn’t been to bed yet?

André didn’t want to know because it wasnone of his business. He tore his gaze from Gideon’s and focused on thecream cheese-stuffed French toast topped with fresh berries and from-scratch whipped cream the chef had made for breakfast. He would miss the food when he finally left this place. Every meal was something decadent and mouthwatering.

Gideon walked past their table to the fridge, and though André’s head was bent, his attention on his plate, he felt Gideon’s presence like his breath was on the back of his neck, hot and shiver-inducing. He recalled the kiss they’d shared and his taste buds watered, food forgotten.

“You look tired.” Jules broke the thick silence, addressing Gideon. “You should sleep.”

Gideon made a sound—could’ve been a snort. “Yes, I should.” His voice was strained, heavy in a way that had André lifting his head before he’d had the chance to think about what he was doing.

Gideon wasn’t looking at him.

And was André happy or sad about that?

Their host’s gaze remained unfocused as he stared down into the glass of orange juice in his hand.

“Mister Winters.” The chef came out of one of the huge, fully stocked pantries. There were three of them.Three!“Would you like some breakfast, sir? I can?—”

“No, thank you.” Gideon shook his head. “I’m not hungry.” He downed the juice, then put the glass in the sink and turned away, heading for the door.

Something about the set of his shoulders—which André only noticed because he couldn’t help staring at Gideon’s back—about the way he walked… Something was going on.

“I’ll be back,” André told Jules as he pushed his chair back and stood. “Gideon.” He raced after the other man, catching up to him in the hallway outside the kitchen. “Gideon, wait.”

“Go back to your breakfast.” Gideon didn’t look at him, nor did he slow down. He just kept on walking.

André matched his strides. “What’s going on? Why do you look like…that?”

“Like what?” Nothing in Gideon’s tone invited conversation, but André kept pushing.

“Did something happen?” When Gideon didn’t answer, André grabbed him by the upper arm, forcing him to stop. “What’s going on?”

Gideon’s gaze slid slowly, dramatically, to where André held him, then to André’s face. Heat washed over André’s body, starting at his face—embarrassment mixed with the potent attraction he suspected he would always be experiencing for Gideon.

“You should return to your sister. You looked as if you were enjoying your breakfast.”

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