Page 48 of Prodigal

With him.

He stood as close to André as he could, and he felt the confusion and frustration pouring off the other man. With everything that happened tonight, and then add the whole Ennis situation…Gideon knew André had to be reeling. Hell, Gideon was reeling.

When the elevator doors opened up into the penthouse, Gideon uttered one word. “Come.” He stepped out, not checking if André followed; the hesitant sound of footsteps behind Gideon said he did. Gideon led him to his office and closed the door after André entered, then walked over to the bar and poured two drinks.

He turned, holding one out to André. “Drink.”

André took it, waiting until Gideon tossed his back with a grimace before doing the same.

“Shit!” André blinked rapidly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “The fuck was that?”

“What you needed. What we both needed.” Gideon poured himself another drink, offering the same to André, who shook his head in refusal. That meant more for Gideon. He hadn’t gotten shit-faced in a very long time, but tonight just might end the drought.

André dropped into a nearby chair with a loud sigh, head bowed, shoulders hunched. Gideon studied him, aching to touch him, but he wasn’t sure that his touch would be welcomed.

“I’m sorry.” André brought his head up, gaze landing—and staying—on Gideon. “What happened tonight—” He blew out aheavy breath. “It wouldn’t have happened if we’d been here. I fucked up.” His voice cracked. “Jules is traumatized because of me.”

Shit.The emotions in his voice, on his face, tore at Gideon. He put his drink down and then went to André, kneeling at his side, taking his hand. “Jules is safe. You’re safe.” The idea that they might not have been—that they could have so easily been taken from him—had Gideon clearing the fear out of his throat. “You didn’t know the true extent of what was going on.” Neither had Gideon, and hestillbeat himself up about that. He should have looked into Ennis’s daughter before making his plans. He should have asked more questions.

In hindsight, there were so many things he could have—and should have—done to prevent what happened tonight.

“Jules is strong,” Gideon said softly. “We’ll make sure she gets the help she needs. Whatever that looks like.” He hadn’t gotten any help when his mother had gotten killed in front of him. His father had simply whisked him away and left him to deal with all of that by himself. He’d loved his father and adored the fuck out of him, but Aldo had his faults too. He’d made mistakes too. Gideon just needed to ensure he didn’t repeat them.

André gazed down at him, tears shimmering in his eyes though they didn’t fall. “I wish I’d listened to you.”

Gideon wished the same, but what was done, was done. They couldn’t go back and change things. All they could do was move forward. He stroked a finger across André’s wrist. “You’re here now.” He swallowed. “That’s what matters.” All his fucking plans had gone up in smoke and Gideon didn’t even care. He still had a million questions for Ennis, but they could wait. As messed up as he was, thanks to his daughter, Ennis wasn’t going anywhere.

“Do you believe him?” André asked. “You believe Ennis?”

Gideon sat back, staring into his eyes as he answered, “I do.” He’d expected Ennis to be a cold, ruthless sonofabitch. And he was. But not when it came to his son. The man clearly loved André. He’d sacrificed a relationship with his son just to protect him, and Gideon understood that. His own father had acted similarly. Aldo had stashed him away, keeping him hidden for years, to protect Gideon from whoever would try to kill him.

Ennis had been Aldo’s top suspect in the assassination of Gideon’s mother, and he knew his father must be rolling over in his grave at the idea that he and Ennis had anything at all in common. But they did.

“What is—What is The Council and that wholeproxything?” André asked with wide eyes. “It was like the two of you were speaking a whole new language down there.”

Inhaling, Gideon stood and held out a hand. “I’ll explain, but not now. You need some rest.”

“No.” André took the offered hand, allowing Gideon to pull him to his feet. “I need to be with Jules.”

“Okay.” He did promise they would return to her. “Let’s go.”

“Before we go.” André tugged away from Gideon’s grasp and squared his shoulders. “I know what I did, leaving so abruptly, fucked up whatever was building between us, and I’m just…” He shook his head. “I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry that I allowed my fear to run me off.”

What? “Nothing is fucked up.” And because he couldn’t help it, Gideon hauled André into his chest, cupping the back of his head when the other man pressed his face into the crook of Gideon’s neck. “Nothing is fucked up,” Gideon assured him, ignoring the way his heart raced when André’s warmth washed over him. He wrapped his arms around André, breath leaving him in a rush as a tremor ran through him. André was there, solid and whole. And safe. “Nothing is fucked up,” Gideonwhispered in his ear. “You’re here with me, and that’s all that matters.”

André lifted his head, pulling away slightly so their eyes could meet. “And me being here, is that all you want?”

Not even close. “You know it’s not.”

André’s lips curved slightly and the heaviness in his eyes melted a fraction. “Okay.” He nodded. “Okay.” He took Gideon’s hand. “Let’s go see Jules.”

Gideon allowed André to lead, content to follow wherever the other man wanted to take them.

Jules fellasleep on André’s chest. Finally. He and Gideon spent hours with her, distracting her with movies and silly games that she participated in half-heartedly. All André wanted was to take her mind off things, but he knew when morning came he would have to find someone they could trust to talk to her about what she’d experienced.

Something told him getting his sister to do that would be a battle in itself.

For the moment, though, she was asleep. He met Gideon’s eyes, and the other man got up from where he sat at the opposite end of the couch in his huge home theater. When Gideon stood over him, André handed him Jules and then got to his feet.

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