Chapter 8 - The Shadow at the Window
An hour later, Claire had fallen asleep in the bedroom down the hall, exhausted by the emotional shock of their reunion.
Amelia stood in the kitchen, holding a warm cup of tea, staring out the back window at the falling snow. The relief of finding her sister was still overwhelming, but a strange, dark knot of anxiety had begun to form in the pit of her stomach.
Gabriel stepped into the kitchen, setting two black passports on the granite counter beside her.
"Flight leaves from Milwaukee at six AM," Gabriel said smoothly. "Private charter to Zurich. From there, we go to a estate in southern France. Luca’s network doesn't reach the Mediterranean territories."
Amelia looked at the passports, then up at Gabriel’s calm, handsome face.
"We?" she repeated softly.
Gabriel paused, his smile fading slightly. "Of course. I’m coming with you."
"Gabriel... you’ve done everything for us," Amelia said, picking up her tea with both hands. "I can't possibly ask you to abandon your entire life in Chicago to play bodyguard for two refugees in France."
Gabriel walked closer, stopping just inches from her, his presence suddenly feeling much larger, much more possessive than it had in the car.
"You don't understand, Amelia," he said, his voice dropping into a deep, intense tone that sent a chill straight down her spine. "I didn't abandon my life. This is my life. I spent eight years standing two feet behind Luca while he touched you, while he bought you diamonds, while he locked you in that glass tower. Do you really think I did all of this just to hand you a plane ticket?"
Amelia took a subtle step backward, her back hitting the edge of the granite counter. "Gabriel..."
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"I built this escape route for you," Gabriel said, his eyes darkening with an obsession that had been hidden under eight years of professional polish. "Luca didn't deserve you. He never knew what you were worth. But I do."
Before Amelia could speak, the sudden, high-pitched whine of a perimeter alarm echoed through the cabin.
