Page 35 of Michael
“This girl I met. Her name’s Amanda.”
“Amanda?” she echoes, leaning forward.
I tell Gabrielle all about my encounter with Richard at Amanda’s place—how he threatened me, claiming he owned her soul. She listens intently and then shakes her head.
“That guy is dangerous,” she says. “He’s got powerful friends. You need to be careful when dealing with him.” Gabrielle pauses. “Now, about Amanda...”
“What is it?”
“I’ve watched over Amanda for decades. She’s bound to him, Michael. Trapped on a technicality. Richard sealed it with a diamond bracelet. You might have seen it on her—the sneaky devil.”
My insides roil with rage and terror. My voice wavers as I stammer, “What... happened?”
My sister’s eyes drop to her hands, held tightly together. “It was a Ouija board game, but it didn’t go as planned. Amanda was only a kid.” She quietly expresses her sorrow. “Richard loves to take advantage of situations like that. The only way Amanda can be free of her contract is if she finds true love. I made the bet with the confidence I would win, in order to get the necklace to Amanda.”
Gabrielle’s words make my blood boil. I can’t believe that Richard Emmert has been manipulating Amanda for so long.
“Fuck… She can’t spend an eternity in hell,” I say under my breath. “I’m going to talk to Jack.”
“Jack?” She flinches.
“Jack Langley. I hate the guy’s guts.” I clench my jaw in annoyance. “Gabrielle, I’m fond of Amanda. She’s sullen and cranky, and a bit of a witch—not the nice type. And yet, she fascinates me. She’s so... so...”
My sister’s lips ease into a warm smile. “She’s sweet and kind and has a warm and loving heart,” she admits.
“And she even took in a kodi,” I marvel, my eyebrows arching in surprise. “She opened her heart to a black-hearted creature.”
“Yep. That’s her.” Gabrielle nods proudly. “And remind me, why is Jack Langley her savior?”
I heave a sigh. “The necklace you gave her lit up when she and Jack speed dated at the DeLux Café.”
Her brow slowly furrows. “What happened exactly?Whendid it gleam?”
“I don’t know. She was on a date with Jack when I interrupted them. The necklace must have gleamed around that time, because that’s when she started tracking this devil.”
Gabrielle’s face turns a shade paler as her eyes widen. “Does Richard know?” she asks.
“Ugh, don’t get me going about Richard!” I stand up abruptly. “How he stalks her. She’s dead frightened of him! I almost broke our laws twice because of that spineless fiend—and Jack is no better!” I explode, pointing down a righteous finger.
Gabrielle stares at me with a suspicious look before speaking again. “What are you thinking, Michael? What do you plan to do?”
“WhatcanI do?” I exhale sharply. “I want her to be free from Richard’s curse.” Desperate, I rake my hair back with my fingers. “I’m going to have a conversation with Jack Langley. If he’s the only one who can save Amanda, then I’m going to make sure he does it in the right way.”
My sister peers into my eyes, her lips pressed together tight. “Michael,” she finally says. “I’m not sure she got it right.”
“What are you saying, Gabrielle? The necklace didn’t work?” I ask, my heart hammering in my chest.
Gabrielle takes a deep breath. “I think it did, Michael. I think she found her fated love—but it’s not Jack Langley.”
The revelation hits me like a blow to the chest. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s simple,” Gabrielle says, her voice gentle and soothing. “The necklace glowed for Amanda because it was designed to find her true love. It found what it was looking for—just not in the form of Jack Langley.”
Her words sink in slowly as I rack my brain for clues. Who could this person be? “Then who is it?” I gaze into Gabrielle’s eyes desperately, wanting an answer almost as much as I want to save Amanda from Richard’s clutches. “Whoever it is, I must find him!”
Gabrielle studies me with measured consideration before finally speaking again. “Haven’t figured it out yet, have you?” She smiles knowingly at me before continuing. “You’ve been so focused on helping Amanda that you haven’t even stopped to consider your own feelings.”
I stand there, expressionless.
