Page 6 of Hellfire

After their release, Cole wanted to call the runaway and apologize, sort things out man-to-man, mitigate any tension between them before it caused problems with my relationships with them. When I texted Gable to see if he was ready for that conversation, he shut me down, and I respected it.

By the way Cole pawed at his hair, I knew the time to address the elephant in the room had arrived. “I’m sorry about your brother.”

Collateral damage we expected when we marched the djinn army into the Brotherhood’s compound. We just didn’t expect it to be Gable’s family.

His pupils dissolved into fire, the hand resting on his thigh closing into a fist.

Talon set aside his drink, body rigid, ready to defend his friend if fists came. “We wish we could have done more for him.”

We all did, me more than anyone. I wanted to reach across Mary’s body to take Gable’s hand. “I’m sorry too. I promised to get them out and I failed.”

He tapped the top of his rings on the underside of the table as if expelling the nervous energy he’d fuel into hitting Cole. “It was always a risk, love. At least I’ve got Little Bug.” He crushed her to his side.

Cole downed the rest of his beer, seeking absolution in the bottom of a bottle. “I wish I’d done something else.”

“Like what?” Gable met Cole’s eye. “Luke was lost to his anger, and you freed him, as fucked as that is to admit. Don’t let it destroy you, mate.”

Gable was never one to mince words, and I liked his forthrightness.

Cole let out a long breath, got up from his seat, crossed to the opposite side of the table, and threw his arms around Gable’s neck.

Gable patted Cole’s arm and slumped in his hold, releasing the friction in his body. “We’ll have a funeral for him this Friday afternoon. You’re welcome to come.”

“We’ll be there.” Cole thumped Gable’s chest and let him go, sitting back in his seat.

I smiled, my heart lighter that Gable forgave Cole and resolved their strain.

Mary remained quiet throughout the exchange, and I started a conversation to put her at ease. “What are your plans now that you’re free of the Brotherhood, Mary?”

A premature question when she likely needed months of deprogramming, therapy, and time to integrate into her new life.

“I don’t know.” Her words tumbled out in a rush.

“We’re going to take some trips to the Blue Mountains and sightsee, aren’t we, Little Bug?” Gable’s nickname!Be still my heart.

“It’s beautiful up there.” I made a show of getting more food and urging her to eat.

She nodded but refused to meet my gaze, and I scrambled for a way to encourage her to feel comfortable.

“Here you go.” Talon gave Gable a beer and placed a glass of water down for Mary, making her flinch.

“Thank you, sir.” She picked up the glass, twisting it, staring at the water as if she’d never seen it clean in her life.

I went back to my previous question and posed it differently. “Will you learn magick with your brother?”

She squeezed the glass until her fingers bleached, telling me she wanted to put distance between her past and future.

Gable’s arm tightened around her back. “We’ve been talking about Mary finishing high school and going to college.”

He indicated that he and his siblings didn’t attend conventional schooling, as they were trained as servants to perform the will of the Brotherhood. Other children were enrolled and educated all the way through to college, obtaining regular jobs, assimilating with society as plants to bribe and intimidate my grandfather’s enemies.

“That’s what I did.” I dipped pita bread in the hummus. “My parents wanted me to have a normal life.” I wasn’t touching the irony of me ending up studying at a magick academy…

“Little Bug needs a birth certificate to enroll her into school.” I wasn’t surprised by Gable’s answer, given that my parents obtained fake documents for me, including a license with a different surname. “I’m getting fakes made up by Castor, my friend at the motorcycle club.”

“Friends in all the right places, huh?” I teased.

“You bet, love.” His dark lashes lifted, his smoky eyes going to Talon, Cole, then me, the meaning apparent. He considered us all his friends.

---