Page 45 (1/2)

Gabe coughed out a dry laugh "You knohat gets on h tirinned "You’re annoyingly observant People don’t realize that about you You see through a lot of bullshit, but you knohat else I know? You only see through the shit you want to see through Any other tihtened around the glass "I knohere you’re going with this I know you and Dev think Maddie is faking--"

"She’s up there painting" Gabe’s eyes met his as he spoke in a low, clipped voice "She’s up in that roo me that’s not suspicious as hell?"

"I don’t knohat it is, but that’s irrelevant"

Shaking his head, Gabe took a long s of his whiskey "Let "

"If it’s about Maddie, I don’t want to hear it, because I don’t want to punch you off this stool and draw attention"

"It’s not about her It’s about Julia"

Well, shit, that was also another topic he figured would end the saaze "What would you do if I said I was interested in her?"

"I’d punch you off that stool" He leaned in, keeping eye contact "But I know you’re not into her like I ah"

Lucian got what he was saying "We are long past those days, brother"

"Really? Because it didn’t seeo What was her naht" He paused, biting down on his lip "Could be another good night with Julia"

ALucian’s jaw "It’s different"

"You ritted out

"Huh" Gabe looked away and took another drink

Lucian’s eyes narrowed

A long moment passed and then Gabe said one name that was a shock to the system "Emma"

Lucian stiffened None of the her up to Gabe "What about her?"

Gabe didn’t answer i" He stared down at his glass "He didn’t say why, but asked if I could coe next week"

"Shit" Lucian sensed there was more to this "And no reason why?"

Gabe shook his head "You know I haven’t talked to her in years Haven’t even seen her, so all I can think is" The next breath he took shook a little "So must’ve happened to her"

Oh hell, if that was the case, that would be bad "Need o with you?"

"No" He looked up "If she is fine, she doesn’t need to see both of us or Dev She made that plenty clear that last time we spoke"

That was true, but he didn’t like his brother going into this blind Emma was a part of a tricky past that none of them could afford to dwell on, especially Gabe

"So, I doubt you tracked me down to talk about this stuff What’s your reason to be here when I know you’d rather be spying on the nurse"

"Someone else is observant" He spoke low so they wouldn’t be overheard "The police are opening a hoation Only a matter of tilass "Not like you care about that"