Chapter 21

21

Gideon only had two regrets: that André had to witness him take a life and that Sienna got away so easily. He wanted to make her suffer for what she tried to do to André, but he would accept her death—as quick as it had been—as payment.

He heard André's gasp, saw the way the other members of The Council stared at him, silent, all of their expressions passive. But aside from André, the one he really tuned into was Ennis. The older man hadn't known Gideon's plan; it wasn't as if Gideon would tell him that he would shoot his daughter on sight. But Ennis had to know how things would go.

Nobody got a pass from Gideon.

Especially not for threatening André's life.

He didn't look, but he felt Ennis's stillness next to him. Felt, too, the way André's father's breath died and didn't seem to return. But Ennis didn't speak. Didn't make a sound. Good, because Gideon would have no problem giving him a bullet hole to match his daughter's.

"Now that that's been taken care of…" He refocused on The Council. "There's a new proxy member to approve. Which," he reminded them, lest they forget, "is merely a formality." With Sienna lying dead at their feet, they had no choice but to accept André as Ennis's proxy.

"There are procedures that must be followed, Winters."

"I know." Gideon nodded. "The necessary documents have already been submitted, like Canto said. All that's left is for you to acknowledge it and swear André in." Clearly, they thought because they'd summoned him that things would have gone a certain way. They still hadn't learned that he wouldn't be manipulated or handled in any way…unless he wanted to be.

One of them gasped at his words. "How dare you? You're telling us how to do our jobs now? He has to be vetted, investigated?—"

"No, he doesn't. He has the backing of two fellow council members. No other proxy has ever had that." With other proxies, their backer would usually be the person for whom they would be proxy and no one else. Gideon reached down and took André's trembling hand, linking their fingers. He didn't look at his lover when he told The Council, "When we leave here, we won't be returning, so get your shit together and let's get this done. You have an hour."

"Contrary to what you believe, Winters, you are not our leader."

Gideon smirked. "I am whoever I say I am." He tossed them a wink, then turned away, taking a silent André with him. He didn't check to see if Samir followed with Ennis. He knew they would be behind him.

Nobody spoke until they returned to their vehicle, Ennis climbing in with help from Samir. Once they were all inside with the doors closed, Ennis rammed a fist into Gideon's jaw, knocking his head sideways, then lunged at him, grabbing him by the throat.

"No!" André shouted. "Stop!"

"My fucking daughter! You killed my daughter!" Ennis's fingers dug into Gideon's flesh.

But Gideon simply rolled his eyes, not even bothering to defend himself. Instead, he remained still as Ennis struggled against Samir, who yanked him away. Gideon tugged on his shirt, smoothing it out and cracking his jaw. He took a moment before he addressed Ennis. "Your daughter tried to kill you." He kept his tone calm and measured. "Most importantly, she tried to kill your son. Tell me, what did you think the outcome would be when you made her confess—in front of the entire fucking council—that she attempted to take your life?"

Ennis's eyes were red but dry as he stared Gideon down, hatred hot and tangible in his gaze.

"You knew her actions required a death sentence, but I guess you didn't expect I would be the one to carry it out, huh?" Gideon leaned forward, into Ennis's face. "Make no mistake, I would kill her over and over again if I could. I will wipe you—and the entire fucking council—off the map if I have to, to protect him." He jerked a thumb in André's direction. "He's mine, and my job is to protect him. It used to be yours but you abdicated your responsibilities." He sneered. "Like a fucking coward."

"Gideon."

He ignored the reproach in Samir's voice. "You're alive because I think hurting you would hurt him. But if he gave me the go-ahead, you would never see me coming."

"Gideon." André touched his shoulder. "Enough."

Gideon took a deep breath, allowing André's touch to calm the furor in his chest.

"This is who you want?" Ennis turned to André. "He's a monster."

André cocked his head, staring at his father. "What is it that Gideon did just now that you wouldn't have done? If she hadn't been your child, your daughter, the one you raised with all that love and privilege and entitlement, would you have allowed the person who tried to kill you to live?"

Ennis didn't have a comeback for that. "She was your sister," he told André instead.

"Who tried to kill me twice. And you." André shrugged. "According to the rules of your council, that was a hostile act punishable by death. You don't get to pick and choose which rules should be followed and which ones shouldn't."

Listening to him, Gideon couldn't hide his smile. He hooked an arm around André's shoulders and pulled him close, into his side. "You are spectacular," he murmured against André's temple. His words were for André and André alone. He hadn't expected his lover to defend him, let alone do it with such calm surety. It filled his chest with warmth, made his heart beat harder and faster. "Samir." He lifted his head, meeting his friend's narrowed gaze, and gestured.

They'd been around each other, trusting each other, for so long that Samir didn't need Gideon's words. He tapped Ennis on the shoulder before opening the vehicle door and stepping out, then taking Ennis's hand to help him climb out. The older man moved gingerly due to his healing injuries.

Injuries given to him by the daughter he was trying to defend.

Fuck him.

Once he was out of the vehicle, still holding on to Samir's hand, Ennis glanced over his shoulder, lips parted as if to speak, but Gideon slammed the door in his face. Since the driver and the rest of the bodyguards were milling about outside, he had André to himself, and Gideon immediately hauled André onto his lap.

"Gideon!" André gripped his shoulders as he straddled him, knees pressing into the seat on either side of Gideon's body.

"Hey." Gideon pinched his chin gently. "Look at me." André peered down at him with an eyebrow raised. "Thank you for defending me to your father. For supporting me."

André licked his lips, and Gideon's cock liked that shit. A lot. He loved it even more when André wiggled on him, trying to get comfortable. "You should have told me you were going to do that."

He should have. Gideon nodded. "I'm sorry."

André cupped his face in both hands, thumbs stroking his cheekbones. His eyes were serious when he said, "I've had enough of death and violence, Gideon. In this short period that we've known each other, I've seen too much of it."

Fuck. "I'm sorry, baby." He brought his face to André's throat, kissing his Adam's apple. "I'm sorry." They were so different, the two of them. André wasn't cut out for the kind of life Gideon led. If he was a better man, he would've left André where he found him. Even now, he should break things off. Walk away.

But that wasn't happening. It would never happen.

"Hey. Now it's your turn to look at me." André fisted his hair, tugging his head back. When their eyes met, a smile spread across André's face, lighting his eyes up.

He took Gideon's breath away. So fucking much. He couldn't help but to steal a kiss, licking his way into André's mouth, hands sliding down his back to palm his ass.

André broke their lip lock after a minute, peppering kisses along Gideon's jaw. "You defended me."

"Yes," Gideon breathed.

"You protected me."

"Always." His eyes slid shut, body shuddering.

"You love me."

Gideon opened his eyes, easing back just enough so he could meet André's heavy-lidded stare. "Forever," he vowed.

He hadn't intended to talk about love. But something inside André had melted when he saw the way Gideon defended him. When he really, finally acknowledged that Gideon would—and had—kill for him. That couldn't be anything but love, and so he'd voiced it, half expecting Gideon to deny it.

But instead, the other man had confirmed it.

He loved André.

Sitting astride Gideon, André cradled his face in his hands. Lost in the clear blue of his eyes, reading everything in their depths. There was a whole bunch of fucked-up shit happening outside the SUV doors. Things they had to face head-on, things André could no longer ignore and deny. But here, in this space with Gideon, all André knew was warmth and safety. And it was because of Gideon.

"I love you, too," he murmured. "I love you, Gideon." Those few words, he hadn't known that would be all it required to watch the Gideon Winters melt before him. And he damn sure hadn't expected for a tear to roll down Gideon's face.

"The last person who told me that was my father before he died," Gideon told him with a low sniff. "And before that, it was my mother just before she died."

"I'm sorry." He swiped a thumb over Gideon's wet cheek.

"No." Gideon shook his head. "No. There's nothing to apologize for. In fact—" He smiled, eyes still wet, red-rimmed but sparkling. "Say it again."

André grinned and lowered his head so their noses could brush, their lips could meet. "I love you, Gideon Winters."

Gideon's arms tightened around him. "Thank you for being here with me," he murmured. "For having my back."

He didn't have to thank André for that. "Always," André assured him. "I will always be at your side and I will always have your back." There was still so much he didn't know about The Council and their dealings, but he didn't fear it as he did before. They were just people, flesh and bone. And besides, he had Gideon.

"You can trust that I won't ever hurt you," Gideon told him as if he'd heard André's thoughts. "That I will ensure you're happy, always. And that I will go to my grave protecting you and Jules."

"No talk about graves." André pressed a tender kiss to his lips. "Tell me about this swearing in that I have to do. What does it entail?" He wanted to be as informed as possible and didn't want to make any mistakes.

Curled up in Gideon's lap, the other man's lips absentmindedly grazed André's temple as he explained what André had to look forward to.

"There won't be bodyguards or anyone who isn't a member of The Council present. You stand in front of them and state your name and your designation, which for now is proxy . You have to recite the rules that govern the proxy members, which is slightly different than the ones for actual seated council members. If there are any objections to your membership, it will be voiced. If there are more than three objections, the process is halted while you're reviewed. During that time you can try to sway the holdouts to your side—bribe them, offer shit you know they want, promise whatever. But everyone needs to be in consensus. Then you'll be sworn in. Pretty simple."

André blinked at him. "How in the hell is that simple? They can reject me? You didn't mention that before."

"They know better than to reject you."

"Um." André furrowed his brow. "You're not about to kill anyone who votes against me, are you? Because I did ask for a pause on the bloodshed."

Gideon chuckled. "No killing, I heard you."

André worried his bottom lip. He didn't like how Gideon made it seem so simple when it didn't feel like it. From what he'd heard in there, those people didn't want him in their little murderous, controlling-ass club. He doubted they would allow him to go through without pushback. "I don't know how to bribe someone," he whined. "What am I supposed to promise them to make them pick me?" And did he even have the guts to do all that shady shit?

"Hey, all that's being handled as we speak." Gideon pinched his chin lightly, tugging him close to kiss him. "I know where all the bodies are buried. You don't have to do shit but look good while you take your rightful place."

And if André was going to do this, then he would have to switch up his thinking, wouldn't he? If the members of The Council had weaknesses, he needed to know it too because he had no doubt that they were poking around in his life, searching for his weak spots at that very moment. "Tell me." He nudged Gideon. "Whatever I need to know about those people in there, tell me."

He listened intently as Gideon schooled him, sharing dark, depraved shit about members of The Council. It was still too early for André to be able to put faces to names but Gideon helped by taking out his phone and pulling up images. So many secrets, each one darker than the last. Each one turning André's stomach, some filling his eyes with tears as he was exposed to how vile and corrupt people could be.

Those were the people he would soon be peers with.

Who cared only about themselves and their bottom line. Motherfuckers who orchestrated disasters for profit. The wealthy and the powerful. His father was one of them. Gideon was one of them. And now, André.

Was this really what he wanted? Could he do this?

"Hey." Gideon touched his face. "I know it's a lot?—"

"A lot?" He scoffed, shuddering. "Gideon, it's… I don't have the word for what it is." He wanted to throw up.

"I know." Gideon nodded, expression solemn. "I have plans for The Council, but that's a long-term strategy I'll share with you another time. For now, this is what it is. Can you handle it?"

Could he? As he stared into the eyes of the man he loved, André didn't know.

A knock came on the back passenger-side door, then it opened and Samir peered in. "They're ready for the swearing in."

André's heart shot up into his throat.

Gideon took his hand. "It's time to decide."