Chapter 10
SCARLETT
I FOLLOW GAbrIEL AFTER practice, keeping enough distance so that he won’t notice me, but I can still see where he’s going. The recording worked better than I expected. He’s no longer the captain, his teammates hate him, and his reputation is in pieces.
And I’m responsible for all that. I tore him down without much effort because he gave me everything I needed himself.
I can’t help the small smile that pops up on my face. This is what I came here to do, and it’s what Carla deserves.
But there’s still something I don’t understand. Why did Gabriel lie to Coach about Zyair in the first place? What does he get out of benching his own teammate? It doesn’t make any sense, and the fact that I can’t figure it out bothers me more than it should.
Gabriel keeps his head down and his hands shoved in his pockets. He’s not looking around or checking to see if anyone’s watching him. He’s too lost in his own head to notice me trailing behind him.
I round the corner outside the athletic center... and slam directly into him.
He reaches out, his hands gripping my arms, and I pull back immediately.
“Sorry, I—” I say.
“Are you following me?” he asks, tilting his head.
“What? No.” I scowl.
“Really? Because you’ve been behind me since I left the building.”
“I wasn’t following you. I was just heading this way.”
He moves closer, and I take a step back. But he keeps advancing until my back presses against the wall, and he’s standing in front of me with one hand braced next to my head. His body blocks out the light, and suddenly all I can see is him.
“You sure about that?” he asks.
My pulse quickens. For a second, I’m distracted by how close he is and by the way his eyes are locked on mine and the heat radiating off him. His jaw is tight, and there’s something in his expression I can’t quite read. Anger or frustration.
But then my instincts kick in.
I grab his wrist and twist, using his momentum against him to spin us around. Before he can react, I slam him against the wall and press my hand against his throat. It’s not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make my point.
“Don’t ever corner me,” I say, my voice low.
His eyes widen in surprise, and we don’t move for a moment. His chest is rising and falling under my hand.
His gaze lowers to my lips, and the tension between us turns into something dangerous and electric. The air feels thick, and I can’t tell if I’m angry or if...
I want to kiss him. His lips are so damn close, and I could just close the distance and...
No!
I let go of him and step back, putting space between us. “Stay away from me.”
I turn and storm off before he can respond, my heart thudding so loudly that I can hear it in my ears.
What the fuck was that?
I wanted to kiss him for real, and not for the mission or to manipulate him. Because for a split second, I forgot who he was and what he did.
Gabriel is the villain. He’s the reason Carla is dead, and nothing will change that.
I keep walking until I’m far enough away that I can breathe again. Leaning against a building, I close my eyes and force myself to focus. I can’t get distracted or start feeling things for him that have nothing to do with revenge.
I groan and let go of the wall. What I need to do is keep following him and stay focused.
IT DOESN’T TAKE ME long to track down Gabriel again. He doesn’t look back, and this time, I stay far enough behind so that he won’t spot me.
He gets to a bus stop and waits. A few other people are there, and I hang back near a storefront, pretending to look at my phone while keeping him in my peripheral vision.
When the bus arrives, he gets on it. I flag down a taxi and tell the driver to follow it.
The driver gives me a weird look. “Are you a cop or something?”
“Something like that.”
He shrugs and pulls into the traffic, keeping a few car lengths behind the bus. We follow it downtown and then out toward the quieter neighborhoods. The buildings get smaller and the streets emptier, and I start to wonder where Gabriel is going.
Eventually, the bus pulls over, and Gabriel gets off. I pay the driver and step out at a safe distance, watching as Gabriel walks down a quiet street lined with trees.
I follow on the opposite side, ducking behind parked cars whenever he glances back. He just keeps walking, his shoulders hunched.
He ends up going to a cemetery.
I stop at the entrance and watch as he passes through the iron gates. His posture is different now. Vulnerable in a way I’ve never seen before.
I don’t know what he’s doing here, but it feels wrong to get any closer. And it’s too exposed, so I wait near the entrance, hidden behind a tree.
Gabriel makes his way through the rows of headstones until he stops in front of one near the back. He stays there for a long time, and I can see his shoulders shaking slightly. Is he crying?
I shift my weight, trying to get a better view, but I can’t see his face from here. From time to time, he moves his hand as if he’s wiping at his face.
I wait, and eventually he straightens up and takes a step back from the grave. He doesn’t move for another moment, and then he turns and heads toward the entrance.
I duck behind the tree again and hold my breath as he passes, but he doesn’t look in my direction.
When he’s gone and I can’t hear his footsteps anymore, I step out from behind the tree.
The cemetery is quiet, except for the leaves rustling and the birds chirping. I pass through the gates and move quickly between the headstones, weaving through the rows until I find the spot where Gabriel was.
When I see the name on the grave, my breath catches.
Lucas Santelli
Beloved Son and Brother
I stare at the dates, trying to process what I’m seeing. Gabriel had a little brother who died when he was just a kid.
I didn’t know that. There was no information about it anywhere online when I looked into Gabriel’s background, and I never saw any mention of a sibling.
The grave is well-maintained. Fresh flowers are arranged in a vase next to the headstone, and the grass around it is neatly trimmed. Gabriel comes here regularly, I guess.
I crouch down and run my fingers over the engraved letters. Lucas. A little boy who never got to grow up.
Something twists in my chest, and I hate it. I don’t want to feel anything for Gabriel, especially not feel sorry for him.
And yet, I can’t help but think about what it must’ve been like for him to lose his brother.
No.
Gabriel is still responsible for Carla’s death. He’s still the person who manipulated her and made her feel worthless enough that she decided to end it all. The fact that he lost his brother doesn’t erase what he did.
I can’t let myself feel sorry for him or let this distract me from why I’m here.
Gabriel doesn’t deserve my sympathy. He doesn’t deserve anything other than exactly what I’m giving him.
Turning away from the grave, I force myself not to look back. I move quickly and don’t slow down until I’m out of the cemetery and back on the street.
But the image of the headstone stays with me, along with the way Gabriel stood there with his shoulders shaking.
I push it all out of my mind. Gabriel is still my target, and I’m going to destroy him.
No matter what.