LOGINGabriel's POV Two weeks can change a person’s whole life.Mr. Miller was officially behind bars, rotting in a prison cell after the court had proved him guilty for murders. Derek, using every political strings and underground contact he had left, managed to pay off the right officials to clear his own name, reclaiming his late mother’s legal asset.To top it all off, my mother finally woke up from her coma. One of the first things served to her hospital bed was divorce papers from Mr. Miller. Well officiated by Derek himself. When I went to see her, she cried and apologized for everything she had put me through. But some wounds run too deep to heal with a simple apology. I couldn't forgive her. Before she packed her bags and left the country for good, she dropped one last bombshell on me...I was adopted. I was still trying to process it all. I had endless questions floating around in my head: Who were my birth parents? Why did they abandon me at an orphanage?And then, there was D
Gabriel's POV"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper against the icy wind.Mr. Miller looked down at me with a sick, twisted smirk. "Derek found out your mother planned that evil attack against you, Gabriel. Do you know what he did? He tampered with her car brakes and sent her crashing straight into a coma."My heart dropped right into my stomach. I turned my head, staring at Derek in sheer horror, but he couldn't even meet my eyes.Mr. Miller let out a soft, dark laugh. "So... do you still want him, Gabe? He's just a killer, exactly like me."My whole body was shaking with fear and disbelief, but I pulled myself closer to Derek, shielding his trembling frame with mine. "Nothing you say is going to make me leave Derek here," I spat, glaring up at the monster. "Now tell me what the fuck you want!""Wow. That didn't work," Mr. Miller sighed, shaking his head with mock disappointment. "Fine. I just want the both of you dead. Derek burned down my cocaine shipments worth ov
Gabriel's POV I was already inside the car before I realized I might have made the single greatest mistake of my life. Erica had tried to stop me, to warn me, but I couldn't just sit there. I couldn't wait for Scott or the police. The terrifying calm in Mr. Miller’s final statement on the phone....it wasn't a bluff. I had lied to Erica, telling her I needed to use the bathroom, only to sneak down the back fire exit and walk right into the trap."Your phone," the heavy set guard sitting beside me barked, holding out a scarred palm.I handed it over without a fight. The second it was out of my hands, another man leaned in from the front seat, pulling a thick black cloth over my head and tying a rope tightly around my wrists.A few agonizing hours later, the car finally ground to a sudden halt. Every muscle in my body was stiff and aching. Rough hands grabbed my shoulders, yanked off the blindfold, and shoved me out of the vehicle.The cold evening air hit my face, and a sudden, crippl
Gabriel's POV "So what do we do now?" I asked, looking across the polished surface of the table."Well, with the evidence we've got, we’re just going to send it all to the police," Erica said, leaning over a thick stack of printed documents. "We have more than enough to convict Mr. Miller."I nodded, resting my chin in my hand as I watched them. We were all seated around the long dining table, scheming on how to finally send Derek's murderous father to prison. They had been working on this for a week....well, them, obviously. I had just been locked up in this cage because Derek was so paranoid his father was going to send someone to finish me off."Where exactly is Derek again?" Erica asked, scanning the room."I’m not sure," I sighed, tapping my fingers against the wood. "I barely see him anymore. He just comes in, drops off food or checks on me, and then vanishes again.""Scott, I hope he’s still sticking to the main plan," Erica said, turning her head toward Scott, who was typing
Derek's POV "Hello?" I answered, my voice tired. "Derek, your men won't let us in," Erica snapped over the line. "Oh fuck, sorry about that. I am coming downstairs now." I cut the call and stood up from the mattress, heading toward the bedroom door. Before I could reach the handle, Gabriel rushed up behind me, his fingers desperately catching the tip of my shirt. His eyes were bloodshot and swollen red. "Derek, I am coming with you," he demanded, his voice thick with unspent tears. "Hey... have you been crying?" I turned around, reaching out to wrap him gently in my arms, but the moment my skin touched his, he flinched hard. "Let me go!" He aggressively yanked himself out of my embrace. "What have I done this time, Gabe?" I asked, throwing my hands up in genuine frustration. He paused for a second, his brown eyes glaring up at me with pure heat. "What haven’t you done? That should be the right question!" Gabriel barked, pointing a sharp finger right in my face. "You
Erica's POV I slumped onto my couch, my brain working overtime trying to digest or prepare itself for whatever storm was coming next. "Hey, Erica?" Mike called out, leaning forward in the chair beside me. "Yeah?" I answered without looking up. "What's our role in all of this?" he asked, rubbing his palms together nervously. "I mean... Derek is going on a full-blown war with his own father. We are basically just nobodies here..." "Are you scared?" I asked, turning my head to look him dead in the eye. "Well, a little! Isn't Mr. Miller one of the most powerful men in this whole city?" I straightened my spine, sitting bolt upright. "Mr. Miller killed his own wife. He partnered with Gabriel's twisted mother and had Gabriel kidnapped and tortured... Should I keep listing out his sins for you, or do you get the picture?" "I know, I know..." Mike sighed, holding up his hands defensively. "It's just... girl, we are here on full scholarships. If anything goes wrong, Derek and Gabriel h
Gabriel's POV I sat on the edge of my sagging dorm mattress, a small, hysterical laugh bubbling up in my chest. Tornadoes. That’s what Mike and Erica were. For a few minutes back at that dive bar, the world had felt loud and colorful and weirdly okay. I kept thinking about Erica screaming about h
Gabriel's POV My hand wouldn't stop shaking. Every time I looked down at my knuckles, I saw the faint red smear where I had actually, God, I actually punched him. I punched Derek Miller. I was walking back to the dorms my heart doing this frantic, rib cracking dance. Why did he let me go? He sh
Gabriel's POV I didn't even have the chance to say no. The air in my tiny, cramped dorm room felt like it had been sucked out by a vacuum the moment Derek’s belt hit the floor. The metal buckle made a sharp clink against the linoleum that sounded like a gunshot to my nerves. Connor was behind me,
Gabriel's POV The sun crawled into my room like it was mocking me, hitting the messy pile of sketchbooks in the corner. I hadn’t slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Derek’s cold blue gaze and felt the phantom weight of Bradley’s indifference. I kept checking my phone. It was a reflex now







