Chapter 1

1: Iceboxes and Lion Claws

Gabriel tried to make sense of what Officer Hart said—at least, he thought Hart was a police officer. These last few days had been a whirlwind of disasters, and before Gabriel knew what was going on, he’d been swept away, handed from one person to another. They had all introduced themselves; he was sure they had, but he couldn’t remember one single name. Well, except Hart, Troy Hart—tall, dark, and surly. One stern look was all it took for Gabriel to want to hide behind something.

“It’s only for a few days, a week or two tops.” Hart clapped Gabriel’s shoulder and skipped up the three creaking steps to the door of the small cabin. The lightness in his stride should’ve belonged to someone else—maybe it did. Since they’d turned up on the narrow gravel road, some of the fatigue in Hart’s eyes had seeped away. He didn’t smile or anything, but the way he moved was more…casual.

Gabriel stood, frozen to the spot. If he walked up those three steps, he feared he’d never come back to reality. The chilling wind sneaked around the corner of the cabin and hit him full on. It was the cold making him tremble—probably.

“Are you coming?” Hart turned to stare at him from inside the door, his face betraying nothing about what lay ahead.

Gabriel took a deep breath and pushed his hands into his pockets to keep them from shaking. The wind caught hold of his hair and shoved it in his face only to add to his misery. He cringed at the picture he must present. It had been so long since he’d cut his hair Emma had threatened to shave it off in his sleep.

The steps protested loudly under his weight, and Gabriel fought a blush. The only thing missing was him falling through the stairs—fat bastard. Hart must think him an idiot—a flabby, scruffy slob who just had to ruin his day. Gabriel had heard him grousing to a colleague back in the city, whatever its name was. White-something, if he remembered correctly. Gabriel knew when he wasn’t welcome; he knew to keep to himself so as to not bother anyone, but he didn’t have any say in what was going on now. If he could have spared Hart his company, he would have.

The cabin was dark, and as far as Gabriel could tell, the temperature didn’t differ much from the outside. The smell was stale, mouldy almost, like wobbly pages in a book left in a damp cellar.

“The electricity is working, and the stove in the kitchen was replaced last year, so you should be able to cook without a problem. There’s one of those portable radiator heaters in the bedroom—you just plug it in the socket by the bed. As for warm water…” Hart pursed his lips as he eyed the wood-burning stove in the middle of the room. Gabriel broke out in a cold sweat. Please don’t say it, please don’t say it

“I don’t really know how it works,” Hart began, and Gabriel’s heart sank. “But there is a copper water pipe circling the stove…pipe.” Hart spun his finger. “This is more of a summer getaway place, but if you light a fire, there will be enough hot water for a quick shower…and…erm…it’ll get warmer inside, too. The radiator can’t heat the entire cabin.”

Gabriel nodded. What could he do? He couldn’t go back, or so they’d told him. He’d had to leave Toffee and Caramel behind.

Hart opened the door to a small bathroom. The space between the toilet and the basin was hardly big enough to let a normal-sized person sit down—Gabriel doubted he would be able to—and an old lion-clawed bathtub was crammed in the corner. It must’ve been placed there before everything else. An old rain-shower head was screwed to the wall, and the shower curtains looked like an old medallion tapestry. Gabriel refused to hug himself while Hart was watching, but he could really use a hug.

“It’ll only be a few days. Once we’ve managed to find you a job, you’ll be moved and can start your new life.”

Gabriel’s stomach knotted, and saliva flooded his mouth. He didn’t want a new life. He had everything he needed back home—a job he loved, his cats, his family, unlimited hot water.

“I’m leaving your papers here.” Hart put an envelope on the rickety coffee table. Then he pulled out a phone and a charger from his pocket. “Credit card, ID, and a phone. You need to have the phone available at all times. Officer Ward or I will be in touch as soon as we know something about a job or a place to stay. I’ve already added my number, so if there’s anything you need, you can call me.” He gave Gabriel a wry smile. “They’re doing everything they can to hurry the trial along. The sooner, the better for everyone involved.”

The ground shifted under Gabriel’s feet. He didn’t want to testify, feared to see those men again. He’d seen a person die, right before his eyes. He dreaded having to relive it.