But when in the tense silence his gaze met Rev’s, he didn’t feel fear, only a growing agitation that he couldn’t go through with his plan as smoothly as he expected to.
“Hi, Dad.”
“You can’t possibly be trying to do this.” Rev’s voice was cold, even if raspy from all the drinking he’d done earlier tonight. “If the other patches knew… Do you even want to find out what would happen for such a betrayal? Put back the ruby.”
Gray swallowed, suddenly aware of the weakness he kept forgetting about—his missing arm. The back of his neck tingled unpleasantly, but he put the ruby into the front pocket of his jeans. “I need to do this,” he said, taking a step toward the door despite the heaviness in his chest.
“Are you saying I should shoot you to save everyone else?” Rev snarled and sat on the cot, which gave a cry of protest. His gun still pointed at Gray’s chest, but as the seconds passed, Gray was realizing that no matter how messed up or cruel Rev could be, he wouldn’t shoot his own son. He’d literally stayed in a burning building with Gray two months ago. And here Gray was, giving back by using Rev’s love against him.
“Will you?” Gray asked, continuing his slow walk, eyes pinning Rev to the cot in hope he wouldn’t get up. The ruby burned his skin through the jeans, as if it were finally aware of its own power.
Rev got up, but he staggered slightly, probably still drunk. “You wanna test me? What do you think you’re doing anyway? You think you’ve got all the answers and you always choose right? Like on that night you let Mike go off on his own? Fucking think!”
The accusation shot right through Gray, more painful than a bullet would have been. His throat tightened, but instead of running through the door and straight to his apartment, he faced Rev. “You actually think it was my fault.”
Rev scowled. “You were always together! Why not that night, huh?” He didn’t answer the question, though. Did he know he’d overdone it?
Gray shook his head. “I used to think that too. But you know what? Mike was an adult. And he didn’t have to go out without me. Just another time he’d taken a risk. But I don’t want to suffer anymore because of this. I’m feeling alive again. Don’t you want this for me?”
“So you’re gonna put the whole fucking world at risk for this creature Baal sent here to mess with your head?” Rev raised his voice, but he didn’t shoot even when Gray took another step back. Instead, he threw the gun to the bed and charged at him, stepping over the coffee table.
The attack was so sudden Gray stood in place instead of immediately running for the door. Rev stumbled when his foot knocked over the flimsy table, but he managed to remain standing and reached for Gray’s shirt. Rapidly feeding himself air, Gray clutched at his father’s wrist, but when he tried to push him back with the other hand, the reality of not having the tool he so desperately needed sank in. Decisions only took him a split second. He moved his hand to Rev’s neck, tucked his chin, and slammed his head against Rev’s.
One head butt was enough, and the thick fingers let go of his shirt for just long enough. As he sped out of the room, he saw his father sway and lean his weight on the wall, but he wasn’t knocked out. While it was a relief to see that he wasn’t seriously hurt, it also meant Gray was on borrowed time. It would only take so long for Rev’s damn phone to switch on again.
His legs moved so fast that he practically flew up the stairs, bursting out of the secret cellar and across the hall. Each of his muscles was tense, elastic, delivering its peak performance as he ran down the empty corridor that hadn’t been touched by the first rays of the rising sun. He was beyond rational thoughts. Focused solely on speed and efficiency, Gray raced against his own brothers to a single room where the Pigeon Heart would find its new host. His heartbeat soon got in sync with the rhythm drummed by his feet, and he pushed on, thinking only of the end goal.
Of Shadow waiting for him in bed every single day of his life until they died of old age.
Chapter 30
Shadow always got a bit anxious when the arm he lent Gray returned to him like proof that Gray had walked too far away to keep it. Without the physical connection, Shadow could no longer sense his lover and wouldn’t know if Gray were in danger. But then again, they were home, and Gray had promised to come back soon, so there was no point agonizing over it. Instead, Shadow spent the time warming up under the soft comforter and fantasizing about cuddles.