Gage

by Delores Fossen

  She hoped.

  But she also hoped that he wouldn’t be hurt putting himself in harm’s way for her.

  The bullets started again and continued. Nonstop. All of them aimed at Gage and the guesthouse. Several slammed into the trucks parked outside. One pinged against the rooster weather vane on the roof.

  Mason leaned out from the tree and returned fire, a hail of bullets blasting through the air and into the fence.

  Lynette had switched back to the screen with Gage when she saw the movement. Not the gunmen. But Patrick. He drew a gun from the back waist of his pants.

  Oh, mercy. Was he going to try to shoot Gage? Lynette reached to press the button on the walkie-talkie to warn him, but Gage shouted something. Lynette couldn’t hear what over the noise from the blasts, but Patrick froze.

  The gunmen didn’t.

  One of them came up from the fence and took aim at Gage. Lynette wanted to scream for him to watch out, but he wouldn’t hear her. Plus, the sound of her voice could be a distraction that could get him killed. Gage ducked down just in the nick of time, and the bullet went into the stone steps.

  She watched, her breath in her throat, as one of the gunmen started running toward the guesthouse. He stayed low and dived back down when Mason sent a couple of shots his way.

  Gage got up, positioned himself and took aim again with the rifle. He waited. And the moment the gunman reared his head again, Gage fired.

  The gunman flew back, and Lynette saw the shock on his face before he hit the ground. If he wasn’t dead, he soon would be, and Lynette felt nothing but relief.

  One down. Two to go.

  She didn’t have to wait long for a second gunman to start firing. The shots bashed into the porch again and Gage thankfully dropped back down into cover.

  How many times had he faced danger like this?

  It sickened Lynette to think about it, especially since this sort of thing was probably part of his job description. It sickened her even more that she’d had a part in this. If she’d just managed to neutralize her father, he couldn’t have done whatever he’d done to bring this killer literally to their doorsteps.

  She touched the wedding ring that she’d put on her index finger. A poor substitute for Gage, but it calmed her a little. So did the prayers she said.

  Suddenly, everything went quiet.

  No shots. No sounds. Gage and the others seemed frozen, waiting.

  Lynette waited, too, and kept praying that it was over. Her gaze flew over the screen, but she saw nothing. And for a few seconds, she thought maybe her prayers had been answered. Maybe the gunmen were dead.

  But no.

  The man reared up from the fence. No rifle this time. It was a big tube-looking device, and even though she’d never seen one, Lynette’s first thought was that it was rocket launcher.

  He aimed it at the guesthouse.

  Now, she yelled for Gage to get down, and she turned, flattening her stomach against the tub. She braced herself for the blast that would likely rip the place, and maybe her, apart. But all she heard was another gunshot.

  Her attention flew back to the screen.

  And to Gage.

  He had taken aim at the gunman, but the man and his rocket launcher were already tumbling to the ground.

  Patrick, however, was standing, and it was his gun pointed in the direction of dead gunman number two.

  Of all the ways Lynette had thought this would play out, she hadn’t expected Patrick to try to save them. If that was indeed what he’d done.

  More movement.

  She saw the third man, the one she believed to be Dalvetti, running away. The man was in a full sprint.

  Gage started to run, as well, and, with the rifle gripped in his hand, he vaulted over the fence and raced after the man.

  Lynette wanted to hurry after Gage, to back him up, but she knew that wouldn’t help. Gage had told her to stay put, and she would. Even if it was killing her to do that.

  Some of the ranch hands followed Gage, but Mason hurried to the front porch, positioning himself between Patrick and the guesthouse. Probably because Mason didn’t trust Patrick. Or maybe he was worried Dalvetti would circle back and come after her.

  The seconds crawled by, and she had no idea how much time passed. It seemed hours as she watched Gage run after the man who’d just tried to kill them.

  Soon, too soon, Gage disappeared from camera range.

  It had been torture watching the gunfight, but it was even worse now that she couldn’t see Gage at all. Maybe it was all the recent danger in her life, but her thoughts ran wild, and she hoped that Gage would make it back safely to her.

  The front door opened, but Lynette could see that it was Mason. “You okay?” he called out.

  “Yes,” she lied. She hadn’t been hurt, but it would take a lifetime or two to forget seeing those bullets come at Gage like that.

  “I killed him,” Patrick called out to Mason. “Did you see? I killed him.”

  “I saw,” Mason answered. “I’ll give you a gold star later.” Mason kept his attention fastened to the end of road where she’d last seen Gage.

  Lynette watched both the road and Patrick. But thankfully Patrick still seemed to be on their side. Like Mason, he was caught up in watching the rest of this nightmare unfold.

  She heard Mason curse, and there was nothing that could have prevented her from leaving the tub. Lynette raced to the door, praying that she wouldn’t look out and see Gage wounded. Or worse.

  It was Gage all right. And he was running back toward the house. Alone.

  Gage cursed, too. “He got away.”

  Because her legs turned to rubber, she grabbed the door. Mason caught on to her.

  “We’ll get him,” Mason promised her.

  But she wasn’t sure that was a promise Mason or anyone else could keep.

  Gage jumped the fence and made it to her, barreling up the steps two at a time. He took over the duty of holding on to her, but he pulled her into his arms.

  “We’re leaving,” he whispered. “Now.”

  He didn’t say anything else. Gage took the Colt from her, stuffed it in the back waist of his jeans, and they hurried toward the bullet-riddled truck.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Gage parked the truck directly in front of the back entrance to the sheriff’s office. After what had happened the last time they were here, he didn’t want to take any chances, and he darn sure didn’t want them to be out in the open any longer than necessary.

  He hurried Lynette to the door that he knew would be unlocked, temporarily, because Gage had called ahead to arrange it. He didn’t want anything slowing them down.

  And he didn’t want any more unnecessary risks.

  There were no guarantees that Dalvetti wouldn’t come after them here, but it was the safest place Gage could come up with on such short notice. It was a start, but he needed to make it as safe as possible for Lynette.

  So he could go after Dalvetti and her father.

  Gage was going to end this.

  Now that he had the hall light to see her face, Gage gave Lynette a quick check. No signs of injury. Well, not physical ones anyway. But he didn’t want to know what all this stress and danger were doing to her and the baby. He certainly wasn’t dealing with it well. He wanted someone to pay and pay hard for this.

  “Gage,” he heard someone say at the exact moment he heard footsteps.

  He looked up the hall and spotted his baby brother Kade and a petite brunette with a rifle making their way toward them. Gage wasn’t sure of the reaction he’d get. He had turned his back on his family ten years ago when he left town.

  And on Lynette.

  Now, he had some fences to mend if he wanted to get back into the fold.

  He did want that, he realized.

  Not just because he wanted family around for his child, but because he needed them.

  Gage locked the door and walked closer, bracing himself for Kade’s reaction. He’d spoken t
o Kade about unlocking the door, but it’d been a ten-second conversation at most. Too short to determine his brother’s feelings about his return from the dead.

  But Kade only smiled and pulled him into a long, hard hug.

  “Glad you’re back,” Kade whispered. “Wish it were under better circumstances.”

  “Me, too,” Gage agreed.

  Kade pulled back, stepped to the side and eased his arm around the brunette’s shoulder. “My wife, Bree. Bree, this is your other brother-in-law, Gage.”

  Bree smiled. “I have a lot of them.” She shook Gage’s hand with a grip a lot firmer than he’d expected from someone who barely came up to his shoulder, and then she looked at Lynette. “Are you doing okay?”

  Lynette gave a hollow laugh. “Been better.”

  “Yes, I heard. Mason called, told us all about it. A shoot-out with a drug kingpin isn’t my idea of a restful evening, either.”

  Gage could attest firsthand that was true.

  “How are the twins—Leah and Mia?” Lynette asked Bree, making Gage realize that she had kept in touch with his family. Or at least kept up with the gossip.

  Bree nodded. “They’re good. Growing like weeds and probably giving the nanny some gray hairs because they’re still not sleeping through the night.” Bree combed her gaze over Gage. “You can tell you’re a Ryland. You look like the rest of them. I’m betting you’re as hardheaded, too.”

  “Oh, he is. The worst of the lot.” Kade flexed his eyebrows and managed a thin smile. A smile that quickly faded. “Nate’s on the way here. You haven’t seen Dade or him yet.”

  Gage shook his head. “But I don’t want them here if it means putting the rest of the family in danger. They have wives and kids to protect.”

  “We’re working on that,” Kade assured him. “Grayson’s at the hospital with Eve. She’s still in labor.”

  “Might be a long one,” Bree added in a mumble.

  Gage silently cursed Dalvetti and Ford again. Lynette and he should be at the hospital, happily awaiting the birth of Grayson’s firstborn, but instead they were on the run for their lives. And maybe putting others in danger by being in danger themselves.

  “Dade’s in San Antonio with the others,” Kade continued. “But SAPD, Nate’s men, will take over security detail when Dade comes here.”

  So, the plan was for him to have four brothers and a very capable-looking sister-in-law for backup.

  Gage wasn’t going to refuse any of their help.

  Lynette came first, and that meant swallowing his fears about their safety. Plus, there was the fact that he didn’t trust anyone as much as he trusted his siblings.

  “Darcy dropped by earlier,” Bree explained, looking at Lynette now. “She brought you some clothes and toiletries that she got from your house. Your cell phone, too. Darcy wasn’t sure which clothes to pack so she just got some things from your closet and drawers.”

  “Whatever she brought will be fine, I’m sure. I’ll thank her the next time I see her.”

  Bree hitched her thumb to the stairs. “There’s an apartment you can use to get some rest and a shower if you want. It’s not much more than a flop room, but no one is going to get in this place to come after you.”

  “Bree’s former FBI,” Kade supplied. “And both of us have sniper training.”

  That might come in handy, and it was a reminder that Bree obviously fit well into the family. Kade had done good.

  “If it comes down to needing long-range shooters,” Kade continued, “we can use me and Bree.” But then he huffed. “Even though I’d prefer Bree not be in the line of fire.”

  Bree came up on her toes and kissed him. “I can take care of myself.”

  “I’d rather not risk it.”

  Gage understood that, too. And he wouldn’t take the chance, either. It was obvious his kid brother was crazy in love, and it would make Kade just plain crazy if he knew his wife’s life was at more risk than necessary. He’d work it so Bree was on protection detail for Lynette. Neither woman would probably like that much, but he didn’t want them on the front lines.

  “Too bad Patrick’s not a suspect,” Lynette mumbled.

  Yeah, too bad. “Patrick took out one of Dalvetti’s men,” Gage explained.

  That seemed to surprise Kade as much as it had surprised Gage. “You think that means Patrick’s not behind any of this?” Kade asked.

  Gage shook his head. “I’m not sure. Heck, Patrick could have set up that entire attack and then killed the gunman just to take blame off himself.”

  Kade and Bree made sounds of agreement. Lynette, too. So, Patrick was still on their short list of suspects despite having done them a favor. That list wasn’t getting any shorter, and it might be a while before they could eliminate a name or two.

  “I just want this to end,” Lynette said. Gage heard the fatigue and knew the adrenaline crash was coming. He was sure feeling it.

  “It will,” Kade promised her. He gave Lynette’s arm a gentle squeeze. “This is our fight now, too.”

  So, four brothers and a sister. But even that didn’t mean good odds. “Sampson Dalvetti is rich and ruthless. He won’t come alone. He’s probably regrouping right now and assembling a new team of assassins.”

  “I read his file,” Kade said. “He’s not stupid, either, and that means he probably won’t come here gunning for trouble. Not in the middle of town.”

  Gage hoped that was true, but he wasn’t going to base Lynette’s safety on hope. No. He had to get Lynette settled into the apartment, make a few more security arrangements, and then he needed to call her father.

  Something Gage didn’t intend to tell Lynette.

  There was a knock at the front door, and all of them turned in that direction. All of them groaned. Gage and Kade cursed, as well.

  “I’ll get rid of her,” Kade mumbled, and he headed toward the glass door where Gage could see Nicole waiting and knocking again.

  “You think she got that court order to put me back in the loony bin?” Lynette asked.

  Gage shrugged and tried to give Lynette a reassuring glance. When that didn’t work, he kissed her, and then followed Bree and his brother.

  Apparently, this long-assed day wasn’t over yet.

  “Why don’t you wait upstairs in the apartment?” Gage suggested to Lynette. But as expected, she went with him to the front door.

  And he couldn’t blame her. Nicole was trying to railroad her, and Gage could understand Lynette’s need to face down the woman.

  Kade unlocked the door but used his body to block Nicole from coming in. “What do you want?” he snarled.

  “Your help.” Nicole’s voice didn’t sound any steadier than Lynette’s.

  Nicole looked past Kade, and her attention landed on Lynette. “I need your help, too.”

  “Really?” Lynette challenged. She folded her arms over her chest. “With what? You want me to have myself committed to the asylum so it’ll cut down on the time you’re spending on this witch hunt?”

  “No. That witch hunt is over. On my part anyway. I can’t say the same for your father or Patrick.”

  “Patrick?” Lynette challenged. “So, now he’ll try to have me committed?”

  Nicole groaned softly and shoved her perfectly styled hair from her perfectly made-up face. “I don’t know what Patrick will try to do. Kill you, maybe. Because he believes you’re trying to send him to jail.”

  “We are,” Gage volunteered. “If he’s done anything that warrants jail. Did he?”

  For a moment Gage thought she might answer, but Nicole only shook her head. “I have enough enemies without making one of Patrick.” She looked at Lynette again. “I’m here because of your father.” She paused a heartbeat. “Ford knows.”

  Nicole dropped her gaze to Lynette’s stomach.

  And to the baby.

  “Ford knows,” Nicole repeated.

  * * *

  KADE AND BREE LOOKED at Lynette, and they obviously wanted an explanation
about what the heck was going on.

  Lynette wanted the same thing.

  Gage kept his right hand over his gun, but he moved closer to her, until they were shoulder to shoulder. And he waited just as Lynette did, because she wasn’t about to volunteer anything to Nicole. This could be a fishing expedition.

  “Ford knows you’re pregnant,” Nicole clarified.

  So, no fishing expedition. Lynette pulled in her breath and wondered just how bad things would get now. Pretty bad. Because this would only enrage her father even more, and it might even explain why Dalvetti had attacked them.

  “You’re pregnant?” Kade asked.

  Lynette nodded.

  “It’s Gage’s baby,” Nicole supplied. “Ford knows that, too.”

  Gage stared at Nicole. “Am I supposed to care a rat’s butt that my spit wad of a father-in-law knows my wife is pregnant?” Gage glanced at his brother. “Yeah, Lynette and I are still married. Long story.”

  “I didn’t get the annulment,” Lynette volunteered.

  Gage shrugged. “So, maybe not so long after all.” He turned back to Nicole. “Did you think I’d be shaking in my boots? Well, I’m not. And if Ford sent you here—”

  “He didn’t,” Nicole interrupted.

  “Then why the heck are you here?” Gage demanded.

  Nicole looked away, mumbled something that Lynette didn’t catch. “Ford blackmailed me into starting the paperwork to have Lynette committed. I, uh, did some things. Things that Ford said Lynette found when she was investigating me.”

  Lynette shook her head. “I found nothing, and you’re only implicating yourself by coming here like this.”

  “I had to warn you,” Nicole countered.

  Gage gave the woman a skeptical look that Lynette was certain matched hers. She was even more skeptical because Patrick had come to the guesthouse to make a similar whine, and it had been the start of Dalvetti’s attack.

  “It’s true. I’m trying to help you,” Nicole insisted. “All I ask in return is immunity if any charges are filed against me.”

  Sheesh. Another immunity deal. Both Patrick and Nicole must think she’d dug up some pretty smelly dirt for them to react this way.