Gabriel moved. It was a mere shifting of his muscles, subtle but frightening all the same. There was something very dangerous about Gabriel, though Brice couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. Something about his eyes that wasn’t entirely human. He tried to look away from those black, empty eyes, but instead he was falling forward, straight into their centers. At once he felt ashamed of himself. Brice had a very strong urge to retract his words. He cleared his throat and spoke almost without his own volition. “Francesca is the perfect guardian. Of course there’s no question about that.”
Brice managed to tear his gaze away from those cold black eyes. He had the feeling Gabriel was secretly laughing at him. To his amazement, Brice found himself clenching his fists. He was not a violent man, but he desperately wanted to hit someone. He also had the strangest feeling Gabriel knew exactly what he was thinking, knew it and was deliberately antagonizing him. It was in his every look, his smile, his pitiless eyes. Why couldn’t Francesca see that those eyes were as cold as death itself?
Gabriel smiled, a flash of perfect white teeth. “Of course Francesca is the perfect guardian. You think so, too, is that not correct, Skyler?” His voice was soft and gentle, so beautiful it made Brice sound harsh in comparison. But it was more than that, it was the way he said Francesca’s name that made Brice want to throw things. There was something very intimate, very possessive in his tone.
The judge turned to look at the young girl. “Is that so, Skyler, would you like to live with Francesca? It’s up to you. If you prefer to answer in private, we can clear the room and just the two of us will hear what you have to say.”
Skyler shook her head, hugging her stuffed wolf close to her. “I know what I want,” she answered softly, but very clearly. “I want to live with Francesca.”
The judge beamed at her as if she were a brilliant child. “Naturally. I can see you and Francesca have already established a close bond. I trust we can see to the proceedings as quickly as possible?” He fixed a stern eye on first the attorney, then Brice.
While Francesca’s attorney nodded solemnly, Brice squirmed. “We haven’t settled the matter of Francesca’s living circumstances to my satisfaction. After all, I am ultimately the one who must decide if Skyler’s environment is safe or not before I release her. She has suffered a tremendous trauma. I don’t know if living with a male, a stranger, is conducive to her recovery.”
“Brice—” Francesca put a wealth of feeling into his name. “Please don’t force me to go to court over this. Skyler and I need to be together as a family.”
Brice raked a hand through his hair. “I’m not arguing that point, Francesca. I just think we shouldn’t move too soon. A background check is usually done on anyone seeking custody of a child and I don’t think dispensing with it is proper since we know nothing about your friend here.”
“But Francesca is the one seeking custody,” the judge said, “not Gabriel. I have had ample time to read the files prepared by Mr. Ferrier on Gabriel, and I believe he is a good and decent man, well suited to caring for a child.”
“What file? I didn’t see a file,” Brice protested.
Once again the judge was caught and held in Gabriel’s slashing black gaze for a long minute. He smiled warmly. “I assure you, I read the file thoroughly and know everything necessary about Gabriel. It is a confidential document, not open to the public.” He leveled his gaze at Brice.
“I am certain you will take my word for it.”
Brice was more than certain Gabriel was manipulating the judge. Blackmail? Money? Was the man wealthy? Was that it? Each time Brice thought he had come up with a compelling argument, Gabriel would somehow catch the judge’s attention and turn everything back against Brice. He glared at his rival. When Gabriel returned his stare, those damnable black eyes slid over him with malice, sending a shiver of fear down his spine. Who is he? Where has he been the last few years? Was he a killer, for the government? Did they really have killers that walked around freely? Was he a criminal and the judge knew him from a past experience? Brice felt sure Gabriel was holding something over Francesca’s head. That had to be it. He was forcing her compliance. Maybe it was a good thing Skyler was going into that home. She could see what was going on and report back to him. It would be necessary to get into the girl’s good graces and persuade her to watch over Francesca. He would have to make her his ally.