Betrayals
Page 101

“My office fireplace is cleaned,” Gabriel said as we settled in the garden with mochas, cookies, and blankets. “I’ll use it tomorrow.”
“Then I’d better start looking for a garden one.”
“That was the idea,” he said as he tugged the blanket over his shoulders.
“Or we could just not sit in my empty garden when it’s so damned cold.”
He didn’t even answer that, instead saying, “About the hound …” Which was the prompt I needed. I explained.
“So the Huntsman was connected to Lucy Madole’s death,” Gabriel said when I finished the story.
“Seems like it. He had Lloergan do surveillance, and the hound sensed Lucy would die at another’s hand.”
“Whoever he’s working for had Lucy killed and then had him persuade Ciro to kill the lamiae. That person also set him on Aunika.”
“Or has made it seem that way.”
“Perhaps,” Gabriel said. “False persecution to deflect attention and give Aunika what appears to be an alibi.”
“As soon as I catch up with her, she’s beset by mystery stalkers and then disappears … which allows her to continue carrying out her scheme. If I only had any idea what that scheme could be. Or what her motivation might be.”
“You likely won’t know all that until you find Aunika. We should rechannel our efforts in that direction. The Cn Annwn want to find the rogue Huntsman. See if Ricky can persuade them to locate Aunika instead.”
“Right. Because leading us to her may lead them to him. Okay, then. We have a plan. I’ll concentrate on that and stop chasing my tail trying to make connections with the rest.”
After a few moments of silence, Gabriel said, “I will also speak to Melanie myself. I might be more persuasive.”
“Persuade her as Gwynn.”
He stiffened at the name.
“I saw him here in the garden,” I said softly. “When I had the vision here last spring.”
“Which explains the fever,” Gabriel said. “Your brain’s equivalent of an allergic reaction.” He tried for a smile, but it faltered, and he busied himself drinking his mocha.
“It’s not like that. When I see Gwynn, they’re good memories. It’s easy to paint Gwynn and Arawn as selfish and arrogant and thoughtless, and it’s easy to paint Matilda as silly and weak. They were young and they got caught up in fear and jealousy and they made mistakes. Terrible, senseless mistakes.”
“Can we discuss something else?”
“I just think you need to come to terms with Gwynn, or it’s just going to get more and more uncomfortable.”
“I will come to terms with it. In my own way.”
“I wish I could show you—”
“No,” he said, his voice harsh as he met my gaze. “If you are thinking you might be able to share a vision, as you did with Ricky, the answer is no. I’d like you to respect my wishes.”
“I will. I’m sorry.”
He was already on his feet, picking up the dishes with a clatter and headed for the house. “I have work to do. I’ll be at the kitchen table.”
So please find another place to be.
That was what he was telling me. It did not matter how far we came, the moment my toe crossed his invisible line, he was done with me.
“Fuck you, Gabriel,” I said.
He turned. “I beg your pardon?”
“You heard me. Fuck you. I was only trying to help, and as soon as you said no, I backed down. Yet that wasn’t enough. It’s never enough. I’ve misbehaved, and so I lose the privilege of your company. You’ll walk into that house—my house—and tell me where I can and cannot sit, because God forbid you should have to endure my presence when you’re angry with me.”
His gaze chilled. “I don’t believe I said anything of the sort.”
“No? Okay, then. Well, I have work, too. So we’ll both sit at the dining room table.”
He stood there a moment, and then said, “I think you should call Ricky and see if he can stay here with you tonight. I have things to do—”
“You are such a fucking coward, Gabriel.”
Those eyes turned to ice. “Excuse me?”
“You don’t even have the guts to say you don’t want me around.”
He glared at me, his jaw working.
“Come on,” I said. “You can do it. You’re a pain in the ass, Olivia. You’re a nag and you’re a bitch, and I don’t want to be around you. Go away.”
“I never said—”
“Do you know what’s worse than being a coward? Being a hypocrite.”
“Are you calling me—?”
“You tell me you have my back. You fuss about my safety, make a big deal about protecting me. But the moment that’s not convenient, Ricky can take over. You know what, Gabriel? I have an even better idea. Why don’t you give me a ride back to Chicago so you can drop me off in a shitty neighborhood.”
“You got out of the car—”
“I didn’t realize where I was.”
“Neither did I.”
“I waited for you to come back.”
“I didn’t know exactly where you got out. Not until Ricky told me the next morning.”
“Bullshit.”
“I had other things on my mind, Olivia. All I registered was that you got out of the car.”