Chapter 25

Gabriel's chillin' in his small flat, minding his own business, when suddenly his phone goes off like a fire alarm. It buzzed and vibrated so hard that it made the whole countertop hum like a bee. Gabriel snapped out of his daydream, and his hand shot out quicker than a cat, grabbing the phone with a smooth touch.

His thumb swiped across the screen, and his heart went THUD, like it just fell down a flight of stairs. The voice note made his chest feel heavy, as if someone had poured concrete in it. It was from Winter, one of his sister Chloe's besties.

Winter's words hit Gabriel like a slap in the face: “Gabriel,” she said, her voice full of sadness, “I hate to be the one to break it to you, but Chloe's in the hospital, hurt pretty badly. She's got a nasty wound on her neck, but she's a tough cookie, and she made it. Still, it's pretty rough. The docs say she's lucky, but you know how it is. She needs you, man. I know you've been away, but she's been asking for her big brother.”

Gabrie