A Price Worth Paying

Chapter Thirty-nine. Gabriel.

GABRIEL.

I need to see Trouble. So fucking bad. That asshole Doc made her go to bed before we all got back last night.

I just wanted to hug my Trouble. Okay, maybe sneak a quick kiss. But if I touch her I know she's okay. That's all I need to do.

And I get she's got a head injury. We all got the damn message loud and clear after she ripped into North over that fucking cat. What a dipshit. Jesus Christ, I would have been pissed if it hadn't been so fucking funny. Upsetting her like that, the moron! I mean shit, what was he thinking! Oh wait, that's right. Shout first, think second is North's modus operandi. Like I said, I know he adores her, fuck we all do, but yeah, dipshit!

It is interesting to watch Mr Blackbourne's reaction to well anything, really, that Sang does though. Because fuck, she commandeered his precious feral cat, renamed the sadistic little bastard, while it climbed all over her sneering at the rest of us, and all he could do was smile indulgently. If any of us had tried that we would have had the pleasure of two hours running. And fuck, I hate running.

But because it was Trouble all he could do was smile and dote on her. Actually, now I think about that, Trouble fucking owns Mr Blackbourne. She gets in trouble, and it's our fault. Damn, I have to learn how that works.

I'd get her to teach me if she had a clue it was happening. But she's so innocent she'd probably cry and feel all guilty or some shit. Yeah, I'd best keep my mouth shut and let sleeping dogs lie.

Finally, Kota pulls into Vic's place and I'm that little bit closer to my Trouble. I'll let him and Nate go see Sang first. I want to pick a dress for her to wear, since that asshole Doc plans on absconding with her while we watch this DVD her Grandfather left her.

I wonder what the deal is with this film. Because something's not right about the whole fucked up deal. There is way more going on than we've been told. But, so long as Trouble is okay, then I'm okay. Fuck, we're all okay. I trust Mr Blackbourne. He won't let us down.

He never has, I think as I greet my brothers already here, and make my way into Victor's closet to select an outfit for Trouble. Because God knows if I leave it to her she'll mess it up, and I can't let her leave with the Doc, to go do God knows what, looking less than perfect.

Kota had been and gone by the time I choose what Trouble should wear. Smart, but my idea of casual. The Doc won't let her overdo it. At least I can trust him to keep her safe. Well, as safe as a trouble magnet can be. Because, God knows, that girl is like a black hole for trouble. Not that I would have her any other way.

She's perfect. I may like to gild the lily, but my girl doesn't need it. Not really. It's like a strange compulsion in me to dress her so other people can see the inner beauty inside her that we all see. She's so humble she doesn't understand her beauty, and after all these months she still blushes when someone compliments her.

So, really, it's going to take time for Trouble to understand we all love her because let's face it, she may be it for me and my brothers, but no one cared about her until we came along, especially that fucked up family of hers, and we've known each other less than a year. But, we've got plenty of time to show Trouble what love is and that she's it for us.

Except those Grandparents of hers. They cared. I saw the look in her eyes when she spoke about them and I wonder again what they were like, and I'm hoping they loved her like she deserved. Because it pisses me off to think of the crap time she had living with those asshole excuses for parents. Mr Blackbourne tells me not to dwell on it. Like that's fucking possible!

We all know she's the best thing that's ever happened to us, I think as I knock on the bathroom door. "Oy Trouble! Are you respectable in there? I've got a job to do and we're burning daylight." I yell, grinning to myself as I hear Nate complain and Trouble giggle.