Page 43 of Prodigal

“You wanted to see me?” Gideon asked.

Ennis’s lips moved before any sound came out. “Where-where is my son?” His voice was low, the words strained and halted, but Gideon heard him just fine.

“What son?” He lifted an eyebrow.

Ennis’s chest rose and fell, his breaths loud and shaky. His appearance was a stark departure from the carefully composed persona he usually presented. He looked pale and exhausted, pain reflected in his eyes and the stiffness of his body. His jaw was covered in a week’s worth of salt-and-pepper scruff. “I know-I know you have André. Bring him to me.”

Huh. “I don’t know what you think?—”

Ennis’s jaw ticked in obvious frustration. “I didn’t interfere because he is safer with you.” He paused, breathing harshly. “But he is in danger.”

Gideon tensed. “Explain.” He rounded the bed to stand next to Ennis. “Explain now.”

“She wants him dead.” The effort to keep talking showed itself on Ennis’s face and he lifted a hand, grabbing Gideon’s wrist in a weak grip. “She tried-tried to kill me. Don’t let her get to him.”

“Samir, contact our men on André.Now.” Heart thudding, Gideon asked Ennis, “Who isshe? Tell me.”

“Sienna.”

Gideon blinked. “Your daughter?” André’s sister? What the fuck? Sienna Canto was Ennis’s heir—to his vast fortune and businessesandhis seat on The Council. As far as the public knew, she was his only child. Why would she want her father and brother dead? How did she even know about André?

Christ, even as he got answers, Gideon had more questions.

“Where is he?” Ennis was fading. “Where is my son?”

Fuck.Fuck!Gideon didn’t want to answer, didn’t want to say it. Because if what Ennis just told him was true… “I let him go.”

Ennis made a hopeless sound, releasing Gideon. His hand fell back to the bed and his head rolled back and forth on the pillow, his skin getting more and more ashen by the second. “Find him. P-please” His breathing was labored, the rise and fall of his chest more pronounced as he begged, “Find…him. Pr-protect…him.”

14

“How long isthis silent treatment supposed to go on?” Arms folded, André stood in the doorway to Jules’s bedroom, eyeing her as she reclined on the bed, staring at the TV and pretending not to notice him.

From the moment they’d left Gideon’s place, Jules had made her disapproval of André’s decision quite clear. She’d obviously developed a soft spot for Gideon. André hadn’t told her everything and he suspected she knew that, but he wasn’t going to burden his little sister with all the fucked-up things that were happening. He didn’t see a reason why they should remain at Gideon’s.

André’s attraction to him didn’t count.

They were back home, had been for a week, and were safe. He made sure to check out their surroundings whenever they went out and whenever he was driving, but there’d been nothing to make him think they were in danger. Maybe Gideon had been wrong. Maybe he embellished the whole thing just to keep André with him longer.

Whatever it was, they were away from Gideon’s world now. Which was the best thing for him and Jules. Didn’t mean hedidn’t wish otherwise from time to time, but that should go away eventually. Right?

“Jules.” He waited for a response, and when he didn’t get one, he sighed. “Fine. Just…come eat. Dinner’s ready.” He turned away reluctantly, making his way to the kitchen.

He’d tried to get them back into their normal routine since returning home, but Jules wasn’t having it. She was pissed at him, and no one could hold a grudge like a teenage girl.

Jules appeared after he’d set the table and they sat, eating without speaking.

“You and I belong here.” He finally broke the silence. “Gideon’s world is not ours, Jules. We can’t forget that. We had to return to our real world sooner or later.”

“Did we?” She fixed him with an unblinking stare. “Or were you doing what you always do, acting like you don’t need anybody else?”

He frowned, dropping his fork back onto his plate. “I don’t need anybody else.” Why would he? “I have you.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m your sister. A teenager. You need someone around who’s your same age, idiot. And someone who actually likes you and wants to be with you.”

He coughed to mask his surprise. “And what, you think that someone is Gideon Winters?”

“It could be.’’ She shrugged and picked up her fork, turning her attention to her plate. “But we’ll never know because you ran away like a coward.”

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