Page 63 of Roman

“I’m not going anywhere.” Danny enunciated each word clearly.

“If you’re worried about leaving me here—”

“I don’twantto leave, Gabe. Yes, Roman’s fixated on me, but the fixation is…mutual. I like him. Maybe more than like. He’s kind and thoughtful, and hewantsme. No one’s ever wanted me like this before. And I want him right back. I don’t want to leave him.”

Gabe nodded, but Danny’s relief was short-lived.

“Mind control,” Gabe said.

“Excuse me?”

“You said one of their powers was mind control.”

Fuck. “Did I?” Danny definitely had.

Gabe was looking at him with something suspiciously like pity in his eyes. “Danny, if he’s got his creepy vampire fingers in your brain, you can’t be trusted to make your own decisions.”

“He’s notmind-controllingme, Gabe.”

“How do you know?”

“I just—I just do! Besides, they only use it for simple, temporary stuff. They can’t just make a person think they’re in love with someone else long-term.” At least, Danny didn’t think so. He was sort of talking out of his ass at this point.

“In love.” Gabe’s voice was flat. “You’re inlovewith this monster.”

Had Danny really just accidentally confessed his love for Roman to his brother? Did he really mean it?Not the time, Danny.“He isnota monster, Gabe. Listen, you’ve been hurt, and you’re angry, and I get it. But you’re being very speciesist right now.”

“Speciesist?” Gabe was now looking at him like he’d grown another head. This was goingvery well.

“Yes. Exactly. Assuming that simply because they’re not human, they’re evil monsters.”

“It’s the drinking blood andbreaking my armthat has me convinced they’re evil monsters, Danny.”

“Humans do the same shit every day, Gabe! Well, maybe not the blood drinking,” Danny conceded. “But how many injuries do we see on our patients that have been inflicted by other people? If vampires are evil because one hurt you, then the whole human race needs to be written off too. One bad banana doesn’t mean you throw away the whole bunch.”

“I think the phrase is ‘bad apple.’”

“Whatever.” Danny huffed. “Vampires are complicated creatures, just like any other species with any sort of intelligence. Learn a little more about them before you judge.”

Gabe was looking at him now with an expression Danny couldn’t quite place.

“Well?”

“Sometimes I forget how special you are, Danny.” Gabe’s voice had noticeably softened. “Ever since we were kids. You see the good in everyone. You want tohelpeveryone. You’re a good person.”

It was maybe the nicest thing Gabe had said to Danny since he could remember.

It was probably the pain meds talking, but still.

Gabe brushed a hand through his dark hair. “I came back thinking that after so long away, I’d finally be in a position to help you out. Watch over you. I didn’t really consider supernatural creatures as one of the things I’d need to look out for.”

“Roman won’t let Luc hurt me, Gabe. And now that we know you’re a target, he won’t let him hurt you either.”

“You really trust him, don’t you?” His brother looked floored by that fact.

“With my life,” Danny confirmed. “Besides, I never needed watching over the way you thought, Gabe. I’m an adult. I’vebeenan adult, fending for myself, for a long time now. I’m not always perfect at it, but I’ve been doing okay. I just needed someone to…I don’t know…be there. I was lonely. Lonelier than I thought. And then Roman appeared, and he’s just…here for me. I don’t feel lonely. I feelloved. You don’t need to worry.”

Danny paused there, considering telling Gabe about what Roman had done for their mom, but it didn’t feel like the right time. Particularly with Gabe so fixated on the whole mind-control aspect of things.

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