Page 69 of Hold

Sure, the boys wouldn’t get to college. But they’d have a lot of fun for the next three to ten years. Live in the moment, the way Gabe used to.

Let Kane bail you out. Again.

Dammit. He already bailed them out, as witnessed by Jake’s phone and Benji’s tablet. And her job. And the house he and Cat had basically chosen for her.

Did she have any backbone at all?

Not right now. Just… not right now.

She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them and began working on Dr. Marion’s spreadsheets.

♦

At lunchtime, Thea called Gabriel. He’d programmed his number into her phone, knowing her password because she hadn’t changed it for ten years, even as her phones had to be replaced. He picked up at once.

“I’m glad you called,” he said.

Well, she wasn’t. “Listen, Gabe. If you’re serious about being there for the boys—”

“And you, darlin’.”

“For theboys,” she reiterated, “then we can figure out a schedule. You are welcome at my house if you are going to be a part of their lives again.” She put emphasis on the wordmy. “If you have a place to live, they can come and stay with you. Stay, not live.”

“I know that, pet. Like I said, that’s what I’m asking. For now at least. I’m staying with Sean, but I’m moving into my own place at the end of the month. It’s only a one-bedroom, though. I figured they could take the bed and I’d take the couch.”

Sounded shitty, but at least he’d been thinking of how he could have them near him. “You have a ways to go before Jake, at least, will want to stay with you.”

“I know,” he said again. “I’ll work on him.”

“All right. I have a study group on Wednesday. You can take Benji out for dinner then.”

“Great.”

“Have him back before eight o’clock.”

“Sure.”

“Gabriel.”

“Yes, pet?”

“If you fuck up this time, I willendyou.” The thought of her boys being hurt again brought a welcome adrenaline rush to her limbs, helping her break out of her stupor.

“I won’t. You’ll see.”

Chapter 20

Liam and Jake worked on a crumbling pipe system in a derelict Victorian that morning. They weren’t due at O’Brien’s until after lunch. Jake was silent unless he absolutely had to speak. They’d gotten into a good enough rhythm before Jake had gone on vacation that this wasn’t a problem, except for the reason for it. Jake wasn’t exactly a talker at the best of times, but they’d shared some stories about basketball and other sports they liked.

“How was the Cape?” Liam tried.

“Wet.”

That was that, he supposed.

Liam got them both sandwiches, and they sat in the back of the company van. The day was unseasonably cool and overcast, which fit. Jake looked up and scowled at the sky; Liam wanted to copy him.

But, oh yeah, that was right, he was the grown-up here. And he had something to say. “Jacob,” he began.