My Stepbrother Wants Me

Chapter 221: A Word With You

Catherine’s POV

My heart was a frantic drum in my chest as Julian led the way, his movements fluid and predatory, while Gabriel brought up the rear, his eyes darting toward every shadow.

"Step exactly where I step," Julian whispered, his voice barely a vibration in the dark. "The floorboards near the mahogany pedestal are original; they’ll groan if you breathe on them too hard."

I nodded, clutching the strap of my singlet. I was still reeling from the scene in Julian’s room—the image of my mother being marched away like a prisoner burned behind my eyelids. We were moving through the service corridor.

We were nearly at the door that led to the mudroom—our final hurdle before the side exit—when my fingers slipped. The adrenaline had made my palms slick with sweat, and my phone slipped from my grasp.

Clang.

The sound was deafening. In the hollow, midnight silence of the Vaughn estate, it sounded like a grenade going off. We all froze, the air turning to ice in our lungs.

"What was that?" Richard’s sharp and immediate voice boomed from the upper landing.

"Move," Julian hissed, grabbing my waist and hauling me behind a curtain that shielded a nook of decorative armor. Gabriel didn’t follow; he didn’t have time. Instead, he kicked the canister further into the light, away from our hiding spot, and stood his ground.

Slow but terrifying footsteps descended the stairs. I pressed my face into Julian’s chest, swallowing hard, and still making silent prayers within my heart. Julian held me so tight I could feel the frantic thrum of his own heart against my cheek.

"Gabriel?" Richard’s shadow stretched across the floor, long and distorted. "What are you doing down here? Are you not supposed to be in bed by now?"

"I am not a child. I can be anywhere at any time. Besides, I was just thirsty," Gabriel’s voice was remarkably steady, though I could hear the faint tremor of a lie underneath. "I came down for water. Then I tripped over that... metal thing. I think one of the workers must have left it out by mistake."

I held my breath, still praying Richard wouldn’t look toward the curtains. There was a long, agonizing silence. I could almost feel Richard’s gaze scanning the room, searching for the crack in the story.

"Pick it up," Richard said coldly. "And since you’re already out, I’d like to have a word with you in my study."

My eyes popped open. A word with him? Did it have to be now?!

"Now?" Gabriel asked. "It’s nearly one in the morning." ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

"I don’t recall asking for the time. Please do as I say."

Him adding the magic word was a bit unusual, though his words still held a commanding tone, that left Gabriel no choice but to obey him.

The footsteps retreated toward the study. I felt Julian exhale, his body sagging slightly against me. "We have to go now," he whispered, his eyes dark with a new kind of urgency.

"We can’t!" I whispered back, pulling away just enough to look at him. "We can’t just leave Gabriel. What if Richard knows? What if he finds out we are not in our rooms? We should wait until they’re done." freewebnøvel.coɱ

"We don’t have time to wait, Catherine," Julian countered, his grip on my arm tightening. "There are people waiting for us. They must already be on the edge. Gabriel is a big boy; he can handle a lecture and whatever situation Richard tries to create."

Suddenly, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I jumped, my hand flying to my hip to stifle the sensation. It was on silent mode, thank goodness, but the persistent glow of the screen was like a beacon in the dark. It was Kiera.

"Kiera’s calling again," I muttered, showing him the screen. "You are right. She is probably losing it."

Julian cursed under his breath. "See? We have to go. Especially now that Gabriel is buying us this window—don’t let it be for nothing."

I looked toward the study door, guilt gnawing at my insides. Gabriel had stepped into the line of fire for us. I really hoped Richard wasn’t going to torture him for being rude to him these days.

"Cat?" Julian’s voice pulled my mind back. I nodded, and we slipped out the side door into the biting night air.

Fortunately, Julian had been planning for a quick exit long before the fight broke out. He had parked his car outside the gated perimeter earlier in the day, hidden behind a thicket of manicured hedges near the entrance. We sprinted across the lawn, our feet barely touching the grass, and rushed into the car.

I sank into the leather seat. I watched the mansion disappear in the rearview mirror, a feeling of unease settling in my gut.

"Do you think Gabriel will be mad at us for leaving him behind?" I asked, my voice small. "We just... abandoned him there. He was taking the blame, and we didn’t even wait to see if he was okay."

Julian’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, I heard his tongue clock.

"Catherine, what? Why are you so concerned about how he feels?" his voice clipped the words short. "He’s my brother. I have always told you I know him well. Gabriel knows the stakes. He did what he had to do."

I looked at him, surprised by the sudden edge in his tone. "I’m concerned because he’s with us, Julian. He’s the only reason we aren’t in that study right now getting interrogated by Richard. It is very much normal for me to be worried about the person who just saved our asses."

Julian didn’t speak for a long moment. He took a sharp turn, the tires chirping against the asphalt. Finally, he let out a long, ragged breath, his shoulders dropping an inch. "I know. Sorry. I’m just... I’m on edge. It’s the jealousy kicking in again. I’m sorry.."

"It’s okay," I said softly, reaching over to rest my hand on his arm. "I know and understand but you should really get a grip on your emotions."

The touch seemed to calm him, the rigid line of his jaw softening slightly. "It’s not just Gabriel you should be worried about," he said, his eyes fixed on the road. "We should be wondering what Richard wanted to talk to him about. Richard doesn’t have ’words’ with people at 1:00 AM unless he’s planning to move a chess piece. I just hope Gabriel doesn’t let him into his head."

I looked out the window, then looked back at him again. I wanted to tell him that the Gabriel I knew would never let Richard use him but I didn’t want any of Julian’s drama, so I just drew my lips to a thin line and focused my gaze on the road.