The man sighed begrudgingly, but still led Gabriel inside by the elbow. "Christ. What am I, your nanny?"
"No, sorry..." Gabriel mumbled.
For some unknown reason, the apology pissed off the man even more. "The hell are you sorry for? Sorry this, sorry that. Quit apologizing. It's getting on my nerves."
Gabriel shrank smaller, staring at his bare feet to keep himself from crying. It didn't seem like this man was born with enough nerves to begin with. Why was he even fired up over something like this?
As soon as they stepped into the bright lobby, the warmth hit Gabriel like a cup of tea, making him shiver involuntarily. The receptionist looked up, her gaze flitting between the gruff man and the boy.
"This one's got a broken ankle," the man told her, nodding at Gabriel. "Found him on the street, mugged."
"Oh, dear." The woman's demeanor softened into a sympathetic grimace.
