A tiny smile curled his lips. “Is that ‘cause I always text?” He hoped Gabriel would realize something was off, not only because he called, but also because he wasn’t speaking. Maybe it was a bit of cleverness on his part.

Finally, Dal tilted his head back so he could look at Gabriel. He was still pale and fear lingering in his eyes. But here with this man he felt a degree of safety.

“Thank you for savin’ me.”