Chapter Fourteen

I ran upstairs as soon as I woke up the next morning. Liam had given Gabriel breakfast and was sitting in the chair across from the bed while our hostage ate off a tray table, his hands still cuffed together. Samson was in the room, growling slightly whenever Gabriel glanced at him. The wolf looked healthy, his cuts had healed and the gash on his forehead was only a pink line, but his eyes were slightly bloodshot.

“Did you sleep?” I asked.

“No. Would you? That black demon spent the night in here.” He pointed at Samson.

I thought back to my captivity under Kennet. “Maybe not. But even you have to admit your situation here is not unearned. You conspired to kill us, even though you say you were against it. If you’d warned us, we would have found a way to save your mother.”

“I couldn’t take the chance. I don’t know you.”

Liam got up and motioned for me to go outside the room where we could speak privately. A wolf’s hearing is excellent, so we still used our minds. “I spoke to Aaron last night around midnight. There is an interesting development.”

“What?”

“His pack is claiming that Gabriel was behind everything that happened. They say they found the boys in the cellar of a cabin and that the teens are all fine. Apparently Gabriel had 'conveniently' left the directions to the cabin in the glove compartment of his truck. They want him back, to judge him according to pack law.”

“So they’re tossing him out with the trash. Who did Aaron speak to?”

“Quentin. Aaron also asked to speak to Karl, but was denied.”

“And the bomb?”

“They’re blaming Gabriel.”

“But he wasn’t lying last night. It’s really all Karl and Quentin behind everything.”

“Yes, he was completely truthful.”

“We need to make arrangements for the temporary lab to be driven back here. I’ll ask Aaron if two of his pack can do it, although I’m certain there will be nothing of value left in it. I’ll call Kyle and Ethan and tell them to meet here tonight at eight. We need to figure out how to proceed. I’ll ask Aaron to join us too.” Liam smiled at me. “What?”

“I’m just enjoying your confident air of authority.”

“Are you telling me I’m being bossy?”

“Taking charge in a crisis is not being bossy.”

“This is the easy stuff. You got our asses moving and out of Los Altos.” I so needed to talk to him about Kennet but now wasn’t the time. “Liam, could we spend some time together, tomorrow maybe? I want to talk about... I need to know…” Why was this so hard?

“We’ll go for a walk and we’ll talk. I have things to say as well. Tomorrow will be fine.”

“Does Gabriel know about what his family is saying?”

“Yes. I told him. He says he’s not really surprised.”

I went back into Gabe’s bedroom with Liam. He was sleeping curled up on the bed, his tray table pushed aside and Samson asleep on the floor by the door. “We’ll let him sleep. I’m going to visit Sinc. Do you need any extra help?”

“I’ve called in Farrell to watch him for a while. I’m going to cook for the meeting tonight.”

“Aaron, Kyle and Ethan will thank you.” My cooking skills included pasta, scrambled eggs and boxes of mac and cheese. Liam spoke softly to Samson in Fae, probably telling him to make sure Gabriel stayed in the room, then we both headed downstairs.