Page 199 of Claim Me
Then I clearly hear Gabriel’s voice.
"Mr. Lowen is deeply devoted to the cause and sacrifices his own private time to tend to matters here. He does much more than you can see on the surface."
I raise a brow, surprised by the direction the argument takes.
"Are you hot for him?" another voice asks.
"What?!" Gabriel snaps back, louder than necessary.
"Does he even know?"
"Know what? What the hell are you talking about?" Gabriel hisses, clearlyunwillingto entertain the implication.
"Gabriel, it’s none of my business. If you’re infatuated with your boss, well, I wish you luck. I’ve heard he’s practically a monk, so you may need a lot of luck trying to win him over…"
I lower my eyelids slightly.
Right. That’s how people see us from the outside. Me, a dried-up, wealthy eccentric, a scientist, a monk. And Gabriel? He’s a young, attractive alpha with a rare ability. A perfect relational minefield, an obvious setup for a disaster.
In the end, Gabriel agrees to pass along the request for a meeting, and I already know I’ll accept. By now I’ve realized the man is the youngest of the Ferros. The same one who fled the mafia, the one who was targeted here. That alone would be enough reason to hear him out, but there’s also the practical side. Doing a favor for one of them could prove useful later. You never know when Rocco’s position might collapse or who might replace him.
From what I know, the young man opted out of the mafia life, concerned that he would be forced by Rocco to continue cage fighting, since Rocco was an even bigger fan of underground fighting than their uncle Anzo.
When they come in, Gabriel positions himself strategically, placing his body directly between me and Eliano Ferro, to the point where I can barely see the guy past his frame. He’s clearlyon high alert and ready to step in if Ferro decides to avenge his uncle Anzo on the spot. But that doesn't seem likely, since the young man is not the brutal mafioso type, that much is clear.
The meeting unfolds in a predictable way.
For a while, I listen to the young Ferro’s appeal. He asks me to intervene and help him gain admission into the Beta Activation Follow-Up program, even though he doesn’t meet the formal criteria. Eliano argues from a security standpoint, which in his case, as someone being hunted by the mafia, is not without merit.
I agree in the end, but that’s not the part that holds my attention. It’s what happens after he leaves.
Once the door closes, Gomez resumes talking, this time layering even more explanations over the drone incident, but my focus splits between him and the conversation still coming through the earpiece.
Out in the hallway, the discussion is now clearly aimed atdiscouraging Gabriel from getting involved with me.
So much for gratitude! I agreed to help Eliano, and the jerk repays it by talking me down behind my back.
"Don’t do this, Gabriel. Don’t get involved with him," Ferro says. "He’ll break your heart."
Those words almost echo inside me.
Will I break it?
What if the True Mate magic heals my body, but leaves my mind exactly as it is, full of doubt, skeptical of the whole idea of love? I opened myself to sex, somehow ending up deeply invested in that side of the experiment, but the love part… that remains an unanswered variable. Maybe some things simply cannot be rewritten by a Bond?
I can’t deny that I feel deeply attached to him, genuinely fond of him, but what if I can’t return Gabriel’s feelings in the way he hopes for, or to the depth he deserves?
For a moment, I turn inward, searching myself for an answer.
Love… love always felt like something that belonged to family, to blood, to people tied together by history and obligation.
Romantic love is different. Unstable and risky. They call itfallingin love for a reason, there’s something inherently dangerous about surrender built into the very phrase.
Yes, yes, I let go of control during sex and enjoyed it, but opening up and giving away control when it comes to feelings? There’s some kind of resistance in me.
"You don’t understand anything," Gabriel replies, his words showing forced restraint.
"That man is twice your age! For all his genius, I think he’s completely ruthless."
