She felt her nose wrinkle. “It’s not that I’ve closed myself off to the possibility of it, which is why I asked that you don’t speak to him alone—I know there’s every chance he could be as callous as some believe. It’s just …”
“What?”
“He was ten years old, Luke. Ten. And yeah, I know kids are capable of such cruelty, but it’s not common. Gabriel was strange for sure, but not cruel. Plus, I simply don’t see why he would have done it. His parents weren’t abusive, from what I saw. He didn’t hate them, unless that was something he hid really well. It makes no sense to me that he’d have killed them.”
“Sometimes, it’s not about cruelty or hate. It could be that he felt nothing for them. That he wanted a certain something and they were some sort of obstacle it seemed logical to him to get rid of.”
Blair gave a weak shrug, unconvinced. “Maybe.”
“As for your request … I won’t outright accuse him of stalking you, but I also won’t deny he’s a suspect if he asks,” said Luke.
She briefly curled her arms tighter around him. “Thank you.”
Luke kissed her hair and then pulled back slightly. “Before we head to his building or do anything else, we need to get your cell number changed. The sooner that’s done, the better.”
She nodded. “I’ve changed my email address and closed down my social media accounts.”
“Good. We want to make things as difficult for the prick stalking you as possible.”
“Just be braced for him to react badly or do something drastic to reach me.”
Luke caught her face in his hands, his gaze serious. “He won’t get to you. And if he tries, I’ll butcher him.”
“Not before I slit his throat.”
“Hmm, we’ll discuss that another time.”
“You mean you intend to talk me into agreeing for you to make the killing blow.” Blair shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“We’ll see. I can be very convincing,” he added, his voice dropping to bedroom territory.
She smiled. “So can I.”
His eyes heated. “I don’t doubt it.”
Standing in the elevator of Gabriel’s apartment building, Luke slid a brief look at Deke. The enforcer was a tough bastard armed with a mean right hook that could take a man down with a single punch. Little rattled Deke or garnered an emotional reaction from him. In fact, he seemed to mostly operate on only three settings—chill, tense, or surly. Recently, the latter was the most prevalent. And the guy was being very tight-lipped as to why.
“Are you going to finally tell me what’s been bugging you lately?” Luke asked.
Deke cast him an unreadable glance. “No.”
“Then maybe you could tell me why your animal is constantly in a foul mood and picking fights with any cats who get too close.”
The guy’s jaw hardened.
“Is it something to do with Bailey? I’ve noticed your surliness hits whole new levels when she’s near.” The way Luke saw it, she was either at the source of the enforcer’s frustration or she was merely exacerbating it by … well, by being Bailey—someone who delighted in driving people nuts.
A muscle in Deke’s cheek ticked. “Just leave it.”
At that moment, the elevator doors opened. Stepping out, Luke said, “The pride will only give you so much space to work through what’s wrong.”
Deke gave a single nod of acknowledgment.
They both strode along the hallway, stopping when they finally reached Gabriel’s front door. On high alert, Luke wrapped his knuckles on the door. It was a few moments before it opened, revealing a lean, blond, smartly dressed male.
“Gabriel Sanders?” Luke asked.
The male glanced from him to Deke, his face blank. “Yes.”
Luke eyed him closely, not willing to miss a single micro-expression, as he added, “My name is Luke Devereaux. I’m the Beta of the Olympus Pride.”
Recognition flashed in the cool-blue eyes that gazed at him. “What can I do for you?” he asked, his voice so flat it rubbed Luke’s cat the wrong way.
“There’s currently some … activity going on around my mate,” Luke replied. “I believe you know her.”
“If the whispers I heard that you are the predestined mate of Blair Kendrick are true, yes, I know her.” Gabriel leaned forward slightly, his nostrils flaring. “Ah, yes, her scent is blended with yours. The whispers held truth, then. I haven’t spoken to her in years. How is she?”
“Fine. If you don’t count that she’s presently being stalked.”
Something rippled across Gabriel’s face so fast that Luke couldn’t put a name to it. “Stalked?”
“Yes. Someone repeatedly left gifts on her porch. She’s also received strange calls and an email from someone who is clearly obsessed with her. I’ve been made aware that you often sneak onto her territory. I wondered if maybe you’d noticed others do the same, or perhaps you saw anyone lingering near her cabin?”
“And you also wonder if maybe it could be me,” Gabriel sensed, no sign of offense in his expression or that unnaturally dead voice.