Chapter 13

Gabriel was ready to kill someone. He didn't know how the fuck the poisonous witch still had her claws in his boy, but…

His boy?

Gabriel froze. Charlie had taken Rowan away and the stupid cow of a woman had taken her BS and gone, but Gabriel seemed to be hovering between something that felt terrifying and just right at the same time.

"Gabriel?"

He glanced up at Patrick. "Where's—"

"Charlie has him." Gabriel took a step, but Patrick's hand clamped around his arm. "We can take him back to your place, but I think he needs Charlie and I think you need me." Patrick added the last few words kindly and Gabriel took a steadying breath. He walked to the back where the booths were and saw a shaking Rowan sitting next to Charlie. Charlie immediately moved opposite, so Gabriel could sit down. He pulled Rowan into him, and Rowan burrowed his head against Gabriel's jacket and clung. Gabriel took a few easier breaths.

"I'm happy to go home. We can take our lunch with us."

Rowan didn't answer for a long time, so long that Gabriel thought he might not, and he shot a worried look at Patrick.

"When you say home," Rowan whispered. "Where—"

"I mean with me," Gabriel said definitively and brushed a kiss on Rowan's head. "I mean with me unless you want to call your dad. That's always an option."

Rowan raised his very pale face. "I'm so much trouble."

Gabriel's heart ached, so much that he was tempted to rub his chest, but his arms were full, and he wasn't letting go. "Then I think we'll go home, and you get back into your pj's and eat lunch, and you can show Charlie how good your coloring is and see if he wants to play. Maybe meet Bear and Frog."

Gabriel glanced at Patrick, but he was already standing up. "We'll grab the lunch and see you soon."

Gabriel carefully steered Rowan outside and to the car, keeping an eye out in case that awful woman was still around, but he got Rowan buckled in and it didn't take long until they were home.

"I'm sorry," Rowan said as they went inside, so quietly Gabriel barely heard him. Rowan carefully slipped off his sneakers, and Gabriel put them next to his.

"The way other people behave isn't your fault, Rowan. Who is she? A friend of your mother's?"

"She was our neighbor and she often watched me when Mother had to go out some evenings."

Gabriel didn"t comment as Rowan sounded almost ashamed, simply led him to the bedroom and reached for his sweater.

"No," Rowan almost wailed and stepped back. Gabriel froze. He'd helped Rowan earlier, but he understood. Rowan had the right to change his mind at any point.

"Of course," Gabriel said and took a step back to make sure Rowan didn't feel threatened. "Would you like some chocolate milk or some juice?"

Rowan stared at him, his lower lip wobbled once, then he burst into tears. Gabriel's immediate reaction was to reach for him, but he managed to stop himself. He carefully opened his arms. "Can I?" Rowan couldn't get any words out, but he launched himself so hard at Gabriel that Gabriel had to put a foot out to steady himself. He held Rowan while Rowan cried and shook, then gently steered him to sit down on the bed.

"It's okay," Gabriel murmured. "You don't have to do any of this on your own. I'm here. Charlie is." He paused. "Charlie will be here soon if you prefer he help you to get changed."

But Rowan seemed to cry harder. "I haven't…I haven't," but whatever Rowan was going to say got drowned out in sobs.

"Rowan," Gabriel said after another moment of simply holding and rocking him, and having his heart ache so damn much he could barely breathe. "You don't ever have to let anyone see your body if you don't want to. You are entitled to your privacy and I'm sorry if I overstepped before." Rowan took a gulp of air instead of a sob, and Gabriel thought he was listening. "I know you don't have many clothes or supplies here. Please don't be embarrassed to ask for what you need. I'm pretty sure most things can even be ordered online now, and I know you only have two spare pads. Patrick and Charlie can get you whatever you want, or we can order them. I can also arrange to get them from your mom's—"

"No, please," Rowan shook his head. "I never want to go there."

"You don't have to," he soothed. "I just meant to pick up the rest of your clothes. Your college things. I'm pretty sure with your permission Charlie and Patrick could go, but we'll check."

Rowan nodded after a moment, and he took a shuddering breath. Gabriel passed him some more tissues. "Shall I get you a drink while you get changed?" Rowan stared at him but didn't answer. His big, beautiful eyes still brimmed with unshed tears and Gabriel wanted to wrap him up and hide him from the world.

Run away with him, even. If ever someone needed a wall against the world, this boy did.

"Can…can," but Rowan pressed his lips together and lowered his gaze.

"What do you need?" Gabriel prompted and squeezed the hand that was still clutching his.

"Can you help me?"

Gabriel nearly stopped breathing. "Of course I can, but on the understanding that if anything makes you uncomfortable, you say so immediately. Promise me." Rowan nodded, then said yes. Gabriel heard his front door open, and Patrick and Charlie come in and take the lunch to the kitchen. "That's Charlie. Still want me to help?"

Rowan nodded again, so Gabriel took Rowan into the bathroom, came back out, and gave him a couple of minutes to pee. Then he went into the bathroom after knocking to find Rowan washing his hands. He handed over some new pajamas that he'd bought last week, and Rowan's face lit up. They had dinosaurs on them. When Rowan was warm and dressed, Gabriel took him into the kitchen and Patrick and Charlie were their usual selves, so lunch was quite chatty. Rowan didn't say much, but Charlie made up for it. Then Charlie begged to see Rowan's games and Rowan glanced at Gabriel as if asking for permission.

"As long as you take your water with you," Gabriel said, because he knew Rowan didn't drink enough. Gabriel put on some cartoons as well, and they were soon busy. He came back into the kitchen and sat back down.

Patrick raised an eyebrow and Gabriel knew with the TV, if he kept his voice down, the boys wouldn't hear. "Two things," he said. "Two urgent things. I need to know if someone else can get his things from his mom's. Rowan doesn't want to go near the place. Maybe if I get Rowan to ask his dad this afternoon? They texted this morning, but he promised to call."

Patrick nodded. "And the second?"

"I think he needs a new doctor."

"You mean a therapist? I agree."

Gabriel shook his head. "Not just. I mean, yes, he urgently needs someone to talk to, but I think he needs to see a medical one more urgently than I thought. I don't think he's drinking enough water at all, and…" Gabriel glanced at the kitchen door. They could both hear Charlie giggling. "This isn't breaking a confidence, because he hasn't told me, but the pads he wears are completely the wrong size and from what I've seen, nearly unnecessary. I know I'm not a doctor and I don't know his history, but you heard how controlling his mom is. I think he needs to see someone without her doing the talking. Someone fresh."

Patrick nodded and reached for his phone. "He isn't registered with a family doctor, according to Charlie, or if he is, Rowan doesn't know who."

"And he needs some supplies. He's got two left."

"I can get him some recommendations and make sure he's seen urgently. Have you heard from the police?"

Gabriel shook his head. "No, but that's his dad's purview. If Rowan wants me in his corner, I'm there."

Patrick drained his coffee. "And what about you?"

Gabriel took the question seriously. He knew ignoring his own needs long term wasn't the way to happiness, or even peace, except he honestly didn't know what those needs were anymore. "I honestly don't know. All I know is that right at this moment, I believe I'm the best thing for Rowan…" Gabriel met Patrick's gaze. "And he's the best thing for me."

Patrick dipped his head in acknowledgement. "I don't think you could be more honest than that."

Patrick and Charlie left soon after and even though he knew Charlie had been a good distraction for Rowan, Rowan was really overstimulated. The boy practically vibrated, so Gabriel decided to bring things down.

Rowan spoke to his dad, and Gabriel, even though he was very happy to give Rowan privacy, had been asked by both of them to join in on the call. It wasn't fantastic news. His mom was charged with child endangerment, but it was down to whether the cops could prove a felony or not, which was doubtful. It meant the difference between a fine and actual imprisonment.

Rowan hadn't spoken much after that, and while he was present, Gabriel had carried much of the conversation. They'd arranged to meet for dinner during the week. His mom had a bail hearing and was likely to be released, but she didn't know where Rowan was. His dad had confided that to Gabriel after Rowan had excused himself to go to the bathroom, and he was glad.

When it didn't look like Rowan was returning, Philip Wilson ended the call after stressing he could collect his son at any point. It made Gabriel feel like a senior with his prom date, almost.

When he'd hung up, he went in search of Rowan. Not that it was hard. Rowan had finished his shower and was just sitting on the bed.

"Are you hungry?"

Rowan shook his head.

Gabriel opened his mouth to protest that he'd barely eaten, but then shut it. Then he thought about what he was doing. And Rowan. And him, and whatever relationship they had, or what he hoped to have. Because at some point in months or years, they would have to evolve. All relationships did. He nearly laughed. Here he was maybe two weeks in, and he was thinking about years?

"Rowan, do you know what a Daddy Dom is?" It was a good start.

His big, blue eyes widened. "Not…I don't know."

"Could you take a guess?" If Gabriel was honest, he wasn't a hundred percent sure, but he'd like to know where Rowan's head was at.

Rowan thought. Gabriel could see his clever mind working, because whatever Rowan was, he wasn't stupid. He was clever, and Gabriel had an idea that this might be the way to reach him. He also had an idea that Rowan's little needed a lot of coaxing, but being a submissive was his default setting. Gabriel just needed to make sure Rowan gave up control because he wanted to, not because he'd been beaten down to it.

"I suppose," Rowan said slowly, "that a Daddy Dom would have more rules." When he didn't say anything else, Gabriel pushed a little.

"And what do you think the consequences for breaking those rules would be?"

And Gabriel saw it. He saw the second the thought reached Rowan's brain. The moment his eyes dilated a little and his breath caught. "He might be punished," Rowan said almost breathlessly.

And Gabriel knew in that moment what he wanted.

And it would be worth waiting for.