Forbidden (24 page)

Gabriel groaned, glancing at her form fitting dress.
 
He really didn’t want to guess where she’d have to hide the phone under that.
 
Instead he shoved the car into gear and raced back towards Sadie’s house.
 

***

“Wake up,” a shrill voice screamed in Gabriel’s ear.
 
He groaned and batted it away, worried that his ear drum might burst.
 
“My mom’s gonna kill me if she finds you here!”

Gabriel jerked upright, confused by the room around him.
 
A purple lava lamp blobbed on the desk nearby, red converse sneakers poked out from under an untidy bed and a bright pink neon bean bag sat under a window.
 
Various rock band posters covered the ceiling.
 
Gabriel rubbed his eyes as he tried to remember where he was.
 
A girl shoved her face over his.
 
“
Argh
!”

Sadie stood up, rolling her eyes as Gabriel picked himself up off the floor, his right leg still draped over the couch.
 
“Oh please.
 
Like it’s such a shock to wake up here.
 
You spent the entire night running up my phone bill trying to reach Rose, remember?”

Sleep’s haze quickly dissipated as Gabriel brushed his fingers through his tangled hair.
 
The events of the previous night began to come back to him.
 
“Rose?
 
Did she call?”
 
A withering look from his neighbor was enough of an answer.
 
“I had to ask.”

Sadie shrugged.
 
“So what do we do now?
 
Go back to her house?”

Gabriel nodded, grabbing his car keys from the floor as he raced for the door.
 
Sadie blocked his path.
 
“Hold on there bucko!
 
You can’t just go walking through my house at six in the morning. My mom will have both our heads!”

“Then what do you suggest?” he asked, annoyed with the delay.
 

Sadie smiled and pointed to the window.
 
Gabriel groaned.
 
“Oh you have got to be kidding me.”

“Nope.
 
There’s a tree not too far from the ledge.
 
Just swing on over and do your best Tarzan impression.
 
But for goodness sake be quiet!”

Gabriel grabbed his tux jacket and lifted the window.
 
He glanced down and swallowed roughly.
 
His hesitation didn’t go unnoticed.
 
“Don’t tell me a big guy like you is afraid of heights.”

“No.
 
I’m afraid of falling,” Gabriel corrected her tersely as he swung his leg over the ledge.
 
His mind raced through all of the crazy things that had happened since he’d met Roseline.
 
Super strength, increased speed, amazing hearing, freaky tattoo…but could he trust that he would survive that fall?

Glancing over the edge, Gabriel’s fingers hooked tightly around the window ledge.
 
His knees locked down and he went pale with fright.
 
After several moments Sadie stuck her head out next to his legs.
 
Her mocking humor had faded.
 
“You really are scared aren’t you?”

All Gabriel could do was nod.
 
His eyes were riveted to the ground, his breathing shallow as he fought to control the churning contents of his stomach.
 
There was nothing in the world that frightened him more than heights.
 
No, that wasn’t true anymore.
 
The fear of losing Roseline was worse.

“You don’t have to do this,” Sadie said softly, worried that he might fall out of her window.
 
“Come back in and we can head out in an hour when mom has left for her aerobics class.”

Gabriel shook his head.
 
“No, I can’t wait that long.
 
Rose needs me.”

Sadie noted the firm set of his mouth and the waves of determination flooding off of him.
 
“You really love her don’t you?”

His terrified eyes flitted her way.
 
“More than you can imagine.”
 
Despite his fear, his voice didn’t waiver.

She nodded.
 
Tugging his hand, she slowly helped him back inside.
 
“Fine.
 
Then let’s get this over with.”

With a firm resolve, Sadie opened her door and lead Gabriel into the hall.
 
She stopped short as William’s door cracked open.
 
Sadie gasped, shoving open the door, knocking Nicolae flat on his back.
 
“You sneaking snake,” she hissed, kicking Nicolae in the shin.
 
“When did you get home?”

Nicolae clamped his hands around his throbbing leg.
 
“Last night.
 
Before you,” he groaned.

“Why did you run off?” Gabriel questioned, remembering how Nicolae had snuck out at the same time as Roseline.

“I just needed some fresh air.”

Sadie rolled her eyes.
 
“Sure you did.
 
At the exact moment Roseline was kidnapped.”

“You think she was kidnapped?”
 
Nicolae’s laugh grated on Gabriel’s frayed nerves.
 
“Why would Fane kidnap her?”

Liquid ice froze Gabriel in place.
 
“Fane?
 
That’s who took her?”

Stunning green eyes flickered over Gabriel, suspicion pinching his features.
 
“How do you know about Fane?”

“I read an email.”

Nicolae’s face relaxed.
 
He rolled over, rising to his feet.
 
“Yeah, well then you already know they’re best friends so it makes sense that she’d leave with him.”

“Friends?” Gabriel choked out.
 

“I thought you knew,” Nicolae frowned, darting a glance between Sadie and Gabriel.

Sadie rolled her eyes.
 
“He thought Rose was in love with Fane.
 
Stupid jealous fool!”

Gabriel swallowed on his bitter guilt.
 
“I didn’t know.”

“Of course you didn’t,” Sadie snapped.
 
“You decided it was easier to think she’d betrayed you than to just ask.”

William groaned, rolling over.
 
He was still wearing his rumpled dress clothes.
 
His hair was plastered on the side of his face.
 
“What’s up?” he asked, surprised to see everyone in his room.
 
He jerked upright.
 
“Did you find Rose?”

“No,” Gabriel whispered.

William looked crestfallen.
 
Nicolae backed away.
 
“Where do you think you’re going?” Sadie cried, yanking Nicolae back.
 

“We don’t have time for this Sadie.
 
Just let him go,” Gabriel called, heading towards the door.
 
“Rose needs us.”

Reluctantly, Sadie turned, motioning for William to follow.
 
She shot a threatening glare towards Nicolae.
 
“Don’t move.”

Nicolae remained rooted to the floor, pondering the strange turn of events.
 
Something definitely wasn’t right.
 

***

“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do missy,” Mrs. Hughes said as the trio made it to the ground floor.
 
Sadie grimaced, turning slowly.

“It’s really not what it looks like.”

“Oh no?” her mother questioned, lips pinched tightly.
 
“Cause it sure looks like the three of you crashed upstairs after a long night of partying.”

“Oh,” William snickered, fighting to straighten the wrinkles from his shirt.
 
“Then it looks exactly like that.”

“Uh-huh.
 
So that explains why Gabriel’s father has been ringing us non stop for the past three hours.”

Gabriel groaned.
 
“I’m so sorry Mrs. Hughes.
 
I never meant to disturb you.”

“I understand that Gabriel.
 
But what I don’t understand is why you are here.
 
Your father is under the impression that you should be with Claire.”

“Yes, ma’am.”
 
He sent a warning glare at Sadie as she opened her mouth.
 
She instantly clammed up, passing on the look to her yawning brother.
 
“I got a ride home from Sadie last night but forgot my house key.
 
I tried to wake my parents but I guess they couldn’t hear me.
 
Sadie was kind enough to let me crash here.”

“In her bedroom?” Mrs. Hughes glared.

“Nah, he was with me,” William covered smoothly.
 
“He crashed on the floor.
 
Looks terrible doesn’t he?”

Gabriel swallowed down his cutting remark, forced to be grateful for William’s quick thinking.
 

“Well, I guess I can head back to bed now and make up for some of that lost sleep now that the mystery has been solved…but you and I are gonna have a little chat later Sadie Marie Hughes.”

Sadie winced.
 
Not the dreaded middle name.
 
“I’ll be here,” she forced a smile.

Mrs. Hughes nodded, stifling a yawn as she headed away.
 
They waited until her bedroom door closed before dashing outside.
 
“Where’s your car?” William asked, confused.

“Down the street.
 
We didn’t want our parents to know where I was,” Gabriel answered.
 
Sadie gripped William’s arm tightly as she slipped on the ice, trying to keep up with Gabriel’s quick pace.
 
How was the guy remaining upright on the thick sheet of ice?
  

“Good thinking, except for the part where you shacked up with my sister for the night,” William chuckled.
 
“What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t,” Gabriel replied, tight lipped as he raced ahead to his car.
 
It was covered with the same layer of ice that’d fallen on the sidewalk during the night.
 
He waited impatiently as it slowly melted under the full force of his defrost.
 
“This is taking too long,” he muttered under his breath.
 

“Patience is a virtue,” Sadie snickered, rubbing her hands together.
 
The tingling numbness had turned into agonizing pain.
 
She really hated the cold!

“So is anyone gonna fill me in?” William asked from the back seat.
 

Gabriel turned.
 
“We’re going to Roseline’s house again.”

“Looking for clues?”

“Something like that,” Gabriel nodded at William.
 
He flicked his windshield wipers and watched as they cleared a small streak.
 
“Good enough for me.”
 
He ignored the worried glances the siblings shared as he pulled out onto the road.

Ten minutes later, Gabriel slid to a stop in front of Roseline’s deserted house.
 
“Everyone coming?” he asked as he jumped out of the car.
 

He didn’t wait to see if they would follow him as he hurried up the path.
 
His shoes clomped heavily on the ice glazed grass as he searched.