Chapter 23
GAbrIEL
I can feel impatience spreading through my whole body because I already want to be alone with Blue, to pull him against me and melt into him, but at some point my phone rings. I glance at the screen and see an unknown number.
Not wanting to disturb Simon and Blue, I step out into the hallway and answer, not expecting anything unusual, because spam calls come to me all the time offering a laptop or a fridge ‘for free’. So I don’t even need to switch on my five-second talent.
"Hello."
A moment of silence, and then…
"Good to hear your voice, Gabriel."
It feels like someone just hit me over the head. For a second, everything goes dark before my eyes, and I lean my back against the wall, feeling a cold shiver run through me.
"Marcel."
This name reemerging from the shadows… It almost feels like ancient, dark history.
His voice turns overly sweet.
"Hello, baby."
What the fuck? That’s too much.
I squeeze my eyes shut as a wave of anger rises, and the shock immediately starts to fade, replaced by pure fury.
"There was a time I would have given anything for you to call me that. Even once. But you don’t have that right anymore, Marcel. Not after you sold me out in court," I spit through clenched teeth.
Marcel’s laughter is light like silver chimes. I used to love listening to it like a sweet bell, but now it triggers another wave of irritation and… disgust.
"You really have the nerve to call me after everything?"
A second of silence, heavy and deep, and then he fires back.
"You really have the nerve to work as his bodyguard? Of all people, his?!"
Oh, Marcel’s voice turns different now. The flirtation is gone, replaced by something like a polished blade.
"You see, when the people you thought were your friends betray you, and your worst enemy is the one who reaches out a hand to help… the lines of who’s on the right side start to blur, don’t you think?"
A hollow, empty laugh.
"We betrayed you? Our betrayal is nothing compared to what you’ve done, Gabriel. You’re defending that monster… and at the worst possible moment, you know? You’re standing on the losing side, because we’ve gained… a powerful ally!"
"Fuck you, psycho!" I shoot back, my emotions throwing my thoughts into chaos and driving any chance of a constructive response right out the window.
"You’ve crossed over to the dark side, Gabriel."
I laugh like a madman, my emotions completely out of control, my stream of thoughts chaotic.
"You can’t say who’s truly dark until you make an effort to learn more about who you hate!"
"He brainwashed you, Gabs."
"Or maybe you’re the one who’s brainwashed? We can go back and forth like this forever, Marcel, and it won’t lead anywhere. What the fuck do you want, besides wasting my time?"
"To warn you, because I used to like you, Gabriel. You were a sweet guy. I want to tell you that everything has consequences, and you’ve disappointed me gravely."
"You fucking asshole! That ‘warning’ just makes me want to protect him even more. You’re the one who disappointed me. I was head over heels in love with you, and you sold me out, fabricated evidence against me…!"
Another burst of laughter.
"I’m a man on a mission, Gabriel. And soldiers exist to carry out orders.
If they fall in battle, that’s part of their duty, and you were one of those soldiers.
Better to lose a soldier than a general, right?
I had to make a choice to continue my mission.
Sometimes you have to accept losses along the way. "
"Wow, that is a hell of a cold-hearted approach! And what mission is that exactly? Attacking someone whose goals and methods you don’t even understand?"
"I know enough to correctly identify the enemy. Be careful you don’t end up standing among them."
"Go to hell, Marcel!"
I hang up. I feel like smashing the phone against the wall, emotions tearing through me.
I walk into the bathroom and splash cold water over my face.
I lift my head and look at my reflection.
I’m red as a beet, veins standing out at my temples, rage shaking me.
I can’t believe I was so deeply invested in him for so long, and now he has the nerve to call me, to threaten me.
But then something makes me freeze. His words…
They’ve gained a powerful ally.
That’s the second time I’ve heard that from Marcel. What could that mean? Is someone backing them, supporting their ‘mission’? Someone powerful.
Is it a person or an organization? I almost regret not dragging the conversation out and getting more out of him.
I cup my hands again, fill them with water, and splash my face generously, then a harsh curse slips out of me.
In the next second, I hear soft footsteps in the hallway. I know who’s about to walk in before he does. I turn and look at him.
Blue’s sapphire eyes are wide, searching.
"Something happened. I can feel it through our Bond. You’re upset."
I take a deep breath, even though it almost hurts, and straighten up.
"I got an unpleasant call. Ghosts from the past," I say through clenched teeth.
A moment of silence.
Blue’s gaze shifts to our reflections in the mirror, such a striking contrast, his slight figure next to mine, so much larger and heavier, and yet I’m the one who feels insignificant.
"Marcel," Blue says calmly.
I don’t even need to nod.
"What did he want?"
I let out a loud snort.
"And what does Marcel ever want? Manipulation, guilt-tripping, and threats."
A moment of silence. I sigh and rub my temples.
"He didn’t say anything surprising, except he repeated something I’d already heard from him, that he has powerful allies and that he’s still on his mission."
I run my fingers through my hair in frustration. "I regret not pushing him further, although I doubt he would’ve told me more."
"I don’t think so either. He wouldn’t reveal his cards." Blue steps a little closer, standing by the sink.
"During the trial, Detective Arnold did some digging through social media and phone connections, looking into his links with different groups. Marcel showed up at a few Beta Empowerment meetings. At one of them, even the ex-capo, Anzo Ferro, was present, but it doesn’t look like he had any deeper connections with the BE leadership.
Other than that, Arnold gave me a list of various pages and organizations Marcel liked.
They were mostly environmental groups, especially the more aggressive ones, but nothing that stood out in any significant way. "
I stay silent, and probably my skeptical expression prompts Blue to ask, "Did he ever mention anything? Any prospects?"
"He sometimes fantasized about collaborating with several groups, like NeverTrue or NFH, but nothing ever came of it.
However, he knows how to stay hidden, to cover his tracks and stay discreet.
If he wanted to cooperate with some kind of domestic terrorist organization, I doubt the police would find evidence of it easily.
Marcel is not stupid. He had a very clever way of operating. "
Blue narrows his eyes slightly.
"I would never accuse him of being stupid. Otherwise you wouldn’t have been interested in him. And his defense in court was nothing short of brilliant, that has to be acknowledged."
I look away again, fixing my gaze on the mirror, where I see my still-damp face. Blue’s face beside mine seems strangely calm.
I speak with emphasis.
"Marcel was an excellent strategist. Honestly, he would have made a great general. He thought ahead, anticipated consequences. His plan to attack the laboratory was actually very good, bulletproof… if not for me, the weak link. He overestimated how invested I was in him."
"I can imagine that he followed his own moral system without considering that other people have different values."
"Yeah. In every other respect, Marcel was nearly flawless," I say, then realize how that must sound to Blue.
He asks in a slow tone,
"You admired him. His mind."
I fall silent for a moment. I didn’t want to take the conversation there, but I can’t lie.
"Yes, I admired him. There was a certain greatness in him that I lacked. The same is true for you," I add immediately. "Some people feel jealousy toward those who are better than them in any given field, but that was never me. It drew me in."
Blue stays quiet, then gives a faint smile.
"Interesting. Most people are drawn to a beautiful body, and you’re sexually attracted to brains?"
I let out a soft chuckle.
"You could say that, although in your case your body doesn’t fall behind either," I add with a teasing smile and take a step closer to him.
A thought forms in my mind, something important I need to tell him, something that’s been bothering me for a while.
"Blue, the threat involving Marcel should not be dismissed easily. You mentioned before that you’d reinstate the additional bodyguards, so they could go with us whenever we are outside the building. Will it materialize?"
Blue sighs and straightens slightly, lifting his hand to rub his neck. He does it absentmindedly, but there’s a certain persistence to it, like it’s itching.
"Yeah. I was hesitant since my previous chief of security was compromised by the Ferros. I have very low trust in them, but… maybe it’s a lesser evil after all. I’ll reach out to their current company. After I let them go, I recommended them there, so we should be able to use their services again."
"Wait. You fired them but got them another job?"
Blue raises his brows. "Of course. I didn’t fire them for misconduct. Why wouldn’t I help them?"
I blink dumbly.
"Wow, it’s not common for employers to care about what happens to their employees after they leave."
Blue doesn’t respond, but something subtle flickers across his face.
"You’re kinda amazing."
Blue slowly turns, and heads for the door, but before he opens it, he tosses this over his shoulder,
"If you like that about me, that’s already enough of a reward."
His answer surprises me. Does my opinion really mean that much to him?
On one hand, he maintains his reserved demeanor, but on the other, brief but intense responses slip through the cracks in his walls.
No matter how hard I try, even with the Bond between us, I can’t seem to touch what’s hidden inside the fortress Blue has built inside himself.
Then Blue leaves, and I stay alone in the bathroom, wondering about the puzzle he is.
And this thing with Marcel… I close my eyes for a second. I hope this storm will pass without thunders.