Page 67 of Prodigal

Fuck. “I’m sorry, baby.” He brought his face to André’s throat, kissing his Adam’s apple. “I’m sorry.” They were so different, the two of them. André wasn’t cut out for the kind of life Gideon led. If he was a better man, he would’ve left André where he found him. Even now, he should break things off. Walk away.

But that wasn’t happening. It would never happen.

“Hey. Now it’s your turn to look at me.” André fisted his hair, tugging his head back. When their eyes met, a smile spread across André’s face, lighting his eyes up.

He took Gideon’s breath away. So fucking much. He couldn’t help but to steal a kiss, licking his way into André’s mouth, hands sliding down his back to palm his ass.

André broke their lip lock after a minute, peppering kisses along Gideon’s jaw. “You defended me.”

“Yes,” Gideon breathed.

“You protected me.”

“Always.” His eyes slid shut, body shuddering.

“You love me.”

Gideon opened his eyes, easing back just enough so he could meet André’s heavy-lidded stare. “Forever,” he vowed.

He hadn’t intendedto talk about love. But something inside André had melted when he saw the way Gideon defended him. When he really, finally acknowledged that Gideon would—and had—kill for him. That couldn’t be anything but love, and so he’d voiced it, half expecting Gideon to deny it.

But instead, the other man had confirmed it.

He loved André.

Sitting astride Gideon, André cradled his face in his hands. Lost in the clear blue of his eyes, reading everything in their depths. There was a whole bunch of fucked-up shit happening outside the SUV doors. Things they had to face head-on, things André could no longer ignore and deny. But here, in this space with Gideon, all André knew was warmth and safety. And it was because of Gideon.

“I love you, too,” he murmured. “I love you, Gideon.” Those few words, he hadn’t known that would be all it required to watchtheGideon Winters melt before him. And he damn sure hadn’t expected for a tear to roll down Gideon’s face.

“The last person who told me that was my father before he died,” Gideon told him with a low sniff. “And before that, it was my mother just beforeshedied.”

“I’m sorry.” He swiped a thumb over Gideon’s wet cheek.

“No.” Gideon shook his head. “No. There’s nothing to apologize for. In fact—” He smiled, eyes still wet, red-rimmed but sparkling. “Say it again.”

André grinned and lowered his head so their noses could brush, their lips could meet. “I love you, Gideon Winters.”

Gideon’s arms tightened around him. “Thank you for being here with me,” he murmured. “For having my back.”

He didn’t have to thank André for that. “Always,” André assured him. “I will always be at your side and I will always have your back.” There was still so much he didn’t know about The Council and their dealings, but he didn’t fear it as he did before. They were just people, flesh and bone. And besides, he had Gideon.

“You can trust that I won’t ever hurt you,” Gideon told him as if he’d heard André’s thoughts. “That I will ensure you’re happy, always. And that I will go to my grave protecting you and Jules.”

“No talk about graves.” André pressed a tender kiss to his lips. “Tell me about this swearing in that I have to do. What does it entail?” He wanted to be as informed as possible and didn’t want to make any mistakes.

Curled up in Gideon’s lap, the other man’s lips absentmindedly grazed André’s temple as he explained what André had to look forward to.

“There won’t be bodyguards or anyone who isn’t a member of The Council present. You stand in front of them and state your name and your designation, which for now isproxy. You have to recite the rules that govern the proxy members, which is slightly different than the ones for actual seated council members. If there are any objections to your membership, it will be voiced. If there are more than three objections, the process is halted while you’re reviewed. During that time you can try to sway the holdouts to your side—bribe them, offer shit you know they want, promise whatever. But everyone needs to be in consensus. Then you’ll be sworn in. Pretty simple.”

André blinked at him. “How in the hell is that simple? They can reject me? You didn’t mention that before.”

“They know better than to reject you.”

“Um.” André furrowed his brow. “You’re not about to kill anyone who votes against me, are you? Because I did ask for a pause on the bloodshed.”

Gideon chuckled. “No killing, I heard you.”

André worried his bottom lip. He didn’t like how Gideon made it seem so simple when it didn’t feel like it. From what he’d heard in there, those people didn’t want him in their little murderous, controlling-ass club. He doubted they would allow him to go through without pushback. “I don’t know how to bribe someone,” he whined. “What am I supposed to promise them to make them pick me?” And did he even have the guts to do all that shady shit?

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