Gabriel's Storm

by Sue Brown

  Sam looked up at him, confused by the sudden apology. “What for?”

  Gabriel looked down at him, his dark brows knit together. “The next couple of hours is going to be horrible.”

  “Because the last couple of hours has been that great?”

  “Yeah, but that was your shit. Now you’re going to be caught up in my shit when all you probably want to do is nap.”

  “You must have been reading my mind,” Sam said. “I just want everyone to go so I can cuddle on the sofa with you. But we have to give statements to the police.”

  Gabriel took Sam’s hands in his. “This isn’t going to be pleasant.”

  To Sam’s surprise, he felt Gabriel’s hands shake. “Riley’s really got it in for you?”

  “Yes. He tried to cause a lot of trouble for me.” Gabriel shrugged his shoulders. “The thing he didn’t realise was I barely noticed. I was in my own world for months. It was Toby and Damien who had to firefight all his unpleasantness.”

  “And now he’s got a chance to start it all over again.”

  “You can bet he’s going to try.”

  Sam gave him a vicious smirk. “If Riley tries any trouble, he’s going to come up against my lawyers.”

  Gabriel managed a smile. “Are they good?”

  “They eat minnows like Riley for breakfast.”

  “You’re kind of scary when you smile like that.”

  Sam tossed his head. “My lawyers are scary. I’m the sweet guy singing about love.”

  Gabriel gave him a whatever-you-say look as they hit the gravel path and headed into the cottage.

  Toby disappeared to get some of Damien’s clothes for Mick, and Gabriel made tea for Sam and coffee for everyone else. Sam settled down in a corner of the sofa and closed his eyes just for a moment. He must have dozed off, because he was jogged awake as he felt the sofa dip and someone settle next to him.

  “Wakey wakey,” Gabriel murmured. “The big bad wolf is here to talk to you.”

  Sam reluctantly opened his eyes. Gabriel had switched on the lamp, and the fire crackled in the grate. The room was empty apart from them.

  “Where are the others?” He clutched his throat. “Wow, that hurts.”

  Gabriel handed him a cup of tea. “Toby’s gone off for evening surgery, but he’ll be back later. I wouldn’t let him wake you up. Mick and the other witnesses have been allowed to go home after giving brief statements. Mick wanted to act as bodyguard in case Riley tried anything, but I told him about your threat with the lawyers, and that seemed to pacify him.”

  “And the police?”

  As if on cue, Riley and Billings entered the cottage and sat down opposite Sam and Gabriel.

  Riley focused his attention on Sam, who thought that if the officer ever managed to smile, he’d be a handsome man. The sneer he aimed at Sam did nothing for him.

  “Mr Maitland, why don’t you tell us how your brother ended up at the bottom of the cliff.”

  “He tried to kill me.”

  “How?”

  Sam gave him an incredulous look but kept his cool and answered the question. “He tried to strangle me—you can see the marks—then drag me and push me off the edge of the cliff.”

  “But he was the one who ended up on the rocks.”

  “He was too close to the edge and lost his footing. As Gabriel tried to save me, Colin didn’t realise how close he was, and he slipped. Gabriel tried to warn him but he didn’t listen.”

  “You didn’t try to save him?”

  “I couldn’t save myself,” Sam said bluntly. “If it hadn’t been for Gabriel and Mick, I’d be dead too.”

  “Yes.” Riley curled his lip. “It was convenient they were there.”

  Sam frowned. Gabriel had warned him Riley was going to get nasty, but he couldn’t work out what Riley was driving at. “Mick was jogging past and Gabriel lives here.”

  “And why are you here?”

  “Because my brother arranged for me to drown in a storm, but Gabriel saved me.”

  “But you don’t know this for sure.”

  Sam licked his dry lips. How could he explain about his bad dreams? About the conversation over his head as Mitchell and Barrett discussed the reasons for killing him. Gabriel didn’t feature in those dreams.

  Billings interrupted, obviously having had enough of his colleague’s tone. He knew who Sam was and had been handling the rock star with a wary respect, even if his colleague was oblivious. “Did you know Mr Pennant before he rescued you from the boat?” he asked Sam.

  “I don’t remember,” Sam admitted. “I don’t feel like I know him.” He gave Gabriel a sideways glance in case he’d said something wrong. “My memory is patchy still.”

  “We’d never met before five days ago,” Gabriel assured him and blushed a little. “I didn’t know who you were before yesterday, and I never met your brother before today. And before you ask—” He gave the policemen a pointed look. “I haven’t taken up homicide as a side hustle.”

  Billings nodded and scribbled something in his notebook, but Riley just gave a derisive snort.

  Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Is there something you want to say, Riley?”

  His tone was icy. By contrast, Sam seethed next to him at Riley’s obvious disbelief. What was this guy’s problem? “My brother tried to kill me twice. Not Gabriel. My brother.”

  “Do you have any proof of this?” Riley asked.

  “I remember the two men from my estate talking about it.” He wasn’t going to tell Riley that he’d thought it was just a dream. “And he tried to strangle me in front of witnesses.”

  “He could have been defending himself.”

  Sam leaned forward, his hands wrapped around his cooling cup of tea. “My brother was my manager, PC Riley. He wanted all my content, and there’s a lot of it, so he could release it and keep the profits for himself. He would be extremely rich. Colin failed to kill me the first time, so he tried again, except he didn’t bother to hide what he was doing. I think his mind snapped.”

  “Or this is just a convenient story, and you want all the money. You could have used Pennant to help you.”

  “But I didn’t. You can check the witness statements. Billy Mitchell was hired to kill me. Have you got him in custody?”

  He blinked. It was as if the fog in his mind suddenly thinned, leaving a brief gap he could see through. He shuddered as he remembered two men standing over him.

  “Sam, are you okay?” Gabriel asked.

  “Billy Mitchell?” Billings scribbled into his notebook. “You know who he is?”

  “He works in security at my home. He was employed by Colin.”

  “You said the other man was called Barrett? Do you know his first name?”

  Sam shook his head. “No.”

  “He also works on your estate?”

  “He does.”

  He suddenly felt very alone and vulnerable and reached out for Gabriel’s hand. Gabriel took it without hesitation.

  Riley’s expression darkened as he stared at their joined hands, but as he opened his mouth, Sam said in a tone so mild Gabriel looked at him in surprise. “I’d be really careful what you say next, Officer Riley. I’d hate to make a formal complaint. Think about how it would play out on social media.”

  Riley snapped his mouth shut.

  Behind him, Billings rolled his eyes. “I think we’ve got all we need for now, Mr Maitland, Mr Pennant.” He flipped open his notebook. “We’ve got your contact details, haven’t we?”

  The mention of contact details was an unwelcome reminder that his time with Gabriel was almost over. Sam stumbled over his address and phone number, unable to remember either fully, until Gabriel called the record company and found his contact there. From that call, they got his home address and phone number and a promise to send a car tomorrow to pick him up. They wanted to pick him up immediately, but Sam insisted on the following day. He needed at least one more night with Gabriel.

  “Don’t you go anywhere, P
ennant,” Riley snapped as he got to his feet.

  Gabriel stood, ready to tear into Riley. “I live here.”

  Then Sam turned to him. “Why does he hate you so much? This is personal.”

  Gabriel ignored the two officers gaping at him. “He was Jenny’s boyfriend before me.”

  “Ohhhhh.” Sam dragged it out as insultingly as he could. “She picked you over him. No wonder he’s being a prick.”

  “For fuck’s sake,” Billings muttered over his shoulder as he shoved a livid Riley out of the door. “Do you want him to arrest you?”

  Sam smiled sweetly at him, and Billings sighed. “Just don’t go anywhere, Mr Pennant.”

  Gabriel nodded and waited for the door to shut. “What the hell, Sam?”

  “He’s a bully. I hate bullies.”

  “He never forgave me for pinching Jenny from under his nose.”

  Sam kissed him on the cheek. “She picked the better man.”

  Gabriel sighed, pushed his hand through his hair, and grimaced at the grit lodged in it. “I’m lucky there was a witness to verify your brother was the one attacking you. Riley’s not the only one who thinks I killed Jenny and Michael. And now here I am at the scene of another death.”

  Sam’s eyes went wide. “What the hell?”

  “They think I used the summer surge as an excuse to hide the fact I’d disposed of their bodies before I reported them missing.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Sam snapped, wincing at the pain in his throat.

  “Hey, be careful.” Gabriel frowned. “How bad is it?”

  “Bad. Don’t change the subject.”

  Gabriel turned to face him, tucked one leg under his thigh, and took Sam’s hand. “As I said, Riley’s not the only one who believes it.”

  “No one in the village does,” Sam said, his copper brows knit together. “I saw them. Everyone was worried about you. They all like you.”

  “You just see the best in everyone.”

  “No, I don’t. I see things more clearly than most people. I’m a writer. I watch people for a living.”

  “I thought you hid away in your studio,” Gabriel teased.

  “The studio is my bolthole. I’m surrounded by people who want a piece of me. I’m watching them all the time. They think I’m just a musician, but I’m more than that.”

  Gabriel lifted Sam’s hand to his lips and brushed a kiss over the back of his hand. “You’re not just anything.” He leaned forward to kiss Sam’s cheek, but Sam moved so that they kissed on the mouth instead.

  “Enough of that,” Toby said as he walked into the cottage.

  Sam sighed and pulled back. Were they ever going to get five minutes alone?

  “What are you doing here?” Gabriel snapped.

  “Checking up on Sam.” But Toby headed towards the kitchen rather than coming over to the sofa. “Damn, I need a drink. It’s been a long day.”

  Gabriel mouthed an apology at Sam, who shrugged.

  “I’m fine,” Sam called out.

  “And once I’ve confirmed that, I’ll leave you alone.”

  Sam heard the microwave ping, and Toby appeared in the kitchen doorway with a mug in his hand. He took a tentative sip and sighed in relief.

  “You have fresh coffee at home.” Gabriel’s tone had moderated to mildly irritated.

  “Your heated-up coffee is better than Damien’s freshly made. You know that.” Toby sat down where Billings had been moments before. “Thank God today is nearly over.”

  “Who’s on call tonight?”

  “Dr Willis. You’re my last patient. Then Damien and I are shutting the door on the world and watching whatever horror flick he wants to inflict on me.”

  “You don’t like horror.”

  “No,” Toby agreed, “but I love Damien.”

  Sam swallowed back the sudden lump in his throat. Both these men loved as fiercely as the winds that battered the cottage. Did Damien appreciate just how lucky he was? Did Jenny?

  “Sam?”

  He blinked and looked at Gabriel. “Huh?”

  “Toby asked if your throat was sore?”

  Flushing, Sam tried to gather his thoughts together. “A little. I think it’s going to be a few days before I can sing again.”

  Toby drained his mug and came to sit on the coffee table in front of Sam. He gently felt around Sam’s neck. Sam hissed a couple of times as Toby pressed too hard on a bruise, but all in all, it could have been much worse. He knew Colin hadn’t done any permanent damage to him. How his maniac brother would have loved it if Sam had survived only to never sing again. That would have been worse than death for Sam. Colin should have thought of that.

  Toby dropped his hands and studied him. “You were lucky.”

  “Yeah, I was.”

  “Rest your throat over the next few days, and you should be fine.”

  Sam smiled at him. “Thanks for taking care of me.”

  “Between me and my idiot brother-in-law, you were in good hands.”

  “Thanks,” Gabriel said dryly.

  They both ignored him.

  “I’ll need to contact your own GP to tell them what’s happened, but you managed to come out relatively unscathed.”

  “Apart from the amnesia, nightmares, bruised throat, and nearly being thrown off a cliff,” Sam agreed.

  Toby’s lips twitched. “Apart from that.” He sighed and got to his feet. “I think it’s time I went home to my man.”

  “Bye,” Gabriel said, obviously anxious for Toby to be on his way.

  Toby rolled his eyes and grinned at Sam. “You’re welcome to come watch the horror movie with us.”

  Sam shook his head and nestled into Gabriel’s side. “It’s my last night here. I think I’d rather spend it with Gabriel.”

  “Your loss,” Toby said, “You could be watching the idiot blonde bird walk in the woods at night and get eaten by the monster.”

  “You know what you’re going to watch?”

  “There’s always an idiot blonde woman running in the monster-infested woods,” Toby said, and Sam nodded. It did seem like most of the horror plots Sam had ever watched.

  Gabriel hauled Sam into his arms and pointed at the door. “Go away, Toby.”

  Toby rolled his eyes, but he was gone a moment later, leaving Sam and Gabriel alone for the first time since that morning.

  Chapter 19—Gabriel

  “I DON’T care if the cliff falls down. Someone else can deal with it,” Gabriel said as he switched off his phone so no one could contact him while Sam locked the door and closed all the curtains.

  “We might get some persistent paparazzi.” Sam turned to smile at him. He looked exhausted, his thin face drawn and pale.

  Gabriel really hoped not. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone else, and he didn’t want Toby bailing him out of the police station in the middle of the night because he’d thrown a camera over the cliff. “It’s due to rain heavily overnight. Hopefully that’ll deter anyone.”

  As if on cue, he heard the first spatters of rain against the window, followed by a large gust of wind which rattled the front door.

  “Thank you, British weather.” Sam slumped into a corner of the sofa and yawned loudly. His stomach rumbled, and Gabriel remembered it had been a long time since either of them had eaten.

  “I’m going to shower, because I’m covered in grit. Then I’m going to make dinner,” he said. “Then we’re going to sit by the fire and relax.”

  “Need a sous chef?” Sam asked.

  “Can you chop?” Gabriel’s question was serious. He didn’t imagine Sam spent much time in the kitchen.

  Sam’s smile was sudden. “I managed before.”

  As it happened, Sam could chop, and he prepared the salad while Gabriel made fajitas. They didn’t talk much as they prepared the food. Sam seemed lost in thought, and Gabriel wasn’t sure what to say. Sam had shown little grief over losing his brother. Granted, Colin had tried to kill him twice, but he hadn’t shown any si
gns of anger either. Gabriel knew from experience that grief would catch up with Sam soon enough, and he wanted to be there for him, but tomorrow he would be gone. He wasn’t sure what to do for Sam except make dinner.

  They retreated to sofas by the fire, and Gabriel sat next to Sam rather than taking his usual chair. Sam gave him a quizzical look but settled down in the opposite corner with a contented sigh, and they started eating.

  Sam put his bowl on the coffee table with a contented belch. “I can’t manage another mouthful, but it was good. Maybe later.”

  Gabriel looked down at his half-eaten bowl. He’d eaten more since Sam arrived than he had in months, but even he was defeated. They both ate far too much because Gabriel had made enough for six men rather than two.

  “It was good,” he agreed. Maybe he’d eat more later. Much, much later.

  “I can’t remember the last time I….” Sam laughed ruefully. “Of course I can’t remember.”

  Gabriel glanced at him. “What were you going to say?”

  “I can’t remember the last time I cooked a meal for myself.”

  “You like cooking?”

  “Yes. Maybe. I don’t know. I have a memory of cooking with my mum, but it’s so vague. I can’t remember anything recent.”

  “Jenny and I shared the cooking,” Gabriel said, and for the first time, saying her name out loud didn’t stab him through the heart.

  They sat in silence for a while, and Gabriel listened to the hiss and pop of the logs in the grate. Sam didn’t seem to want to talk. His eyes were closed, his chin resting on his chest, and his hands folded over his stomach. He could have been asleep, but Gabriel had the feeling he wasn’t. Still, it gave him the opportunity to study Sam, to memorise him before he left for good.

  A thought occurred to him. “Sam?”

  “Hmmm?” Sam didn’t bother to open his eyes.

  “Earlier, when the police were here, you remembered something, but Riley interrupted and got distracted. What did you remember?”

  Sam sighed, and he opened his eyes. Gabriel wanted to take him into his arms to ease away the pain.

  “I remember more about that night.”

  “What do you remember?” Gabriel asked softly. He didn’t want to spook Sam, but his reaction had been so extreme it had to be important.