Red Zone

by Sherri Hayes

Chapter 27

  It was dark by the time Rebecca let herself in through the back door. The main floor was quiet, the lights dimmed. She set the alarm then went to locate Gage. She wasn’t prepared to come face-to-face with him yet. She hoped she’d be able to confirm he was safe and in the house before retiring to her bedroom for the night—without him seeing her.

  She almost walked right past him. He was sitting in the corner of the living room. With the lights so low, she hadn’t seen him. Unfortunately, there was no hope of avoiding him. He was staring right at her.

  “I’m going to make sure the house is secure before calling Hansen. I want to see if he was able to track down Fuller.”

  Gage stood.

  He took a step toward her then stopped.

  “That’s all you have to say?”

  “Gage, don’t do this.” Rebecca was hanging on by a thread as it was. She didn’t need to rehash everything. There was no way she’d be able to keep it together, and she didn’t want him to see her cry.

  Before he had a chance to say anything more, she turned and ran up the stairs as fast as her feet would carry her. She heard his footfalls behind her and knew he was following. Thankfully, she was able to open her door and slam it shut, locking him out seconds before he reached her. He banged on the door with both fists, calling her name, but she ignored him. Using what she’d learned growing up, she closed her eyes and blocked out the noise around her. Redirecting her thoughts, she concentrated on her new goal—taking a shower. She walked straight for her bathroom, and turned on the water. Stripping out of her clothes as quickly as possible and flinging them carelessly on the floor, she stepped into the shower letting the water wash away the fact that her heart was breaking.

  After thirty minutes, her skin was starting to wrinkle, but the ache in her chest hadn’t eased. It will get better, she told herself. It had to.

  Rebecca dried off, and walked naked back into her room. She ran a hand over the bed she’d not used in over a week. It seemed huge and empty, but she knew she’d better get used to it. There would be no more sharing a bed with Gage.

  Walking over to the dresser, she removed a pair of pajamas and put them on mechanically. She felt disconnected from her body. All her limbs were attached and functioning properly, but it was all on autopilot.

  Determined to get her mind off Gage, she sat down at the small desk where she had set up her laptop. She logged onto her e-mail, hoping that Megan had sent her something to distract her. Luckily, she had.

  Megan loved sending her pictures. This time the photos were of her room at Paul’s house. Rebecca had to admit it was nice. Nothing extravagant, but it was perfect for Megan. On the table beside her bed was the framed picture of the two of them as teenagers that her sister always carried with her. Seeing it made Rebecca smile.

  She scrolled down further and looked through the other pictures Megan had attached. Paul’s house reminded her of Gage’s parents’ house. It was nice but simple, practical. There wasn’t anything lavish in sight. Considering Paul’s profession, it made sense. Cops, even detectives, didn’t make that much money.

  Thinking about Paul’s job led her back to her own. She needed to go downstairs and check that the house was secure before she could climb into bed and try to fall into the oblivion of sleep. Unfortunately, she knew Gage would still be awake, and she was going to do everything she could to avoid another confrontation that night. She would have to wait him out. He had practice the next day. He had to go to sleep at some point. When he did, she would sneak downstairs and make her rounds.

  Hoping Hansen had good news, she picked up the phone and dialed.

  It took him a while to answer, and when he did, she could barely hear him through the background noise.

  “Hang on!”

  Slowly, the noise began to fade.

  “You still there?”

  “Where are you?”

  “Yeah, thanks.” He paused, and then the background noise was completely gone. “Sorry. I’m at a club downtown.”

  “I take it you haven’t found Fuller yet.”

  “No. His manger said he took the week off. He is scheduled to work on Monday, so at worst, I’ll corner him then. One of the other employees heard me asking about Fuller and said he frequents this club. I’m hoping to get lucky. If not, I’ll be back on stakeout duty tomorrow at his residence.”

  Rebecca sighed. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

  “I’m going to be honest, though, Carson. I think there’s something we’re missing here.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, opening her eyes and standing. She couldn’t bear to sit anymore. A nervous energy was coursing through her body.

  “Fuller works at a fast-food joint. From what his manager said, he’s an average employee. I can’t see him having the means to follow Daniels around or plant explosives on his vehicle. The shooting . . . I could buy that. It doesn’t take all that much to get a gun if one’s determined, but explosives?”

  “You don’t think he’s our guy?”

  “No, I don’t. That doesn’t mean I don’t think he might have some information that can help us. The vehicle following you two was registered to him. If he wasn’t driving it, hopefully he knows who was.”

  “Agreed. Anything else?”

  “No. On your end?”

  “Gage has to fly to Los Angeles Sunday night after the game for a promotional photo shoot.”

  “You need me to tag along as backup?”

  As much as Rebecca wanted to say yes, she knew it would be better if Hansen focused his energies on finding Fuller. At this point, it was the best lead they had.

  “No. You need to find Fuller.”

  “I’ll call you once I find him. You just watch Daniels and yourself. After what this person’s already pulled, I wouldn’t put anything past them.”

  She walked to her bed and sat down after hanging up with Hansen. They had to find Fuller. Somehow, her gut was telling her he was the link, and she’d learned to follow her instinct, like every good law enforcement officer.

  Glancing at the clock, she realized it was already after eleven. She walked to the door, and listened for any sound from Gage on the other side. Nothing.

  Slowly, she peeked out into the hallway His door was closed. She breathed a sigh of relief and padded down the stairs with as much stealth as she could. Less than ten minutes later, she was back in her room, behind a locked door, free and clear.

  She leaned back against the door and stared at the empty bed across the room. The pain in her chest returned, and she did her best to will it away. It didn’t work. Putting one foot in front of the other, she crossed to her bed and crawled under the covers.

  Gage heard Rebecca as she tiptoed down the stairs. He was tempted to follow and corner her. Make her admit that she felt something for him, too. Maybe it wasn’t love—not yet—but it could be. He knew she cared for him, at least. She’d admitted as much.

  He didn’t follow her, however. His bed was cold and empty without her, but he lay there and endured it. Telling her how he felt had been a risk. He’d known that, and he was paying the consequences.

  Even as he lectured himself, he knew she’d not really given him much of a choice. Something had happened, and she’d already started to pull away. Maybe she’d realized she was falling for him, too. He hadn’t gone into this expecting to fall in love and neither had she. Love had blindsided him, but in the best possible way.

  Rebecca was stubborn. It was one of the things he loved about her. Unfortunately, it was also one of the things that infuriated him. He hadn’t been lying when he said he believed they could have something great. Love was a risk, but it was one worth taking with the right person. Gage was positive Rebecca was that person.

  Friday morning came all too soon, and he was back at practice. Rebecca returned to the routine of avoidance she’d adopted before they’d spent Thanksgiving with his family. She woke up early—he had no idea what time since he’d been up
before seven—and checked the outside. After that, she shut herself in her room until it was time to leave for the stadium.

  Gage wished he knew what to say to break through whatever wall she’d put up this time, but he was at a loss. He didn’t have much experience with relationships. Plus, Rebecca was the complete opposite of the other women he had dated. He could almost guarantee that what would have worked with them wouldn’t work with her anyway.

  The drive to the stadium was tense. He wanted to touch her, to hold her hand like he had before, and he almost did. Her posture was defiant, almost daring him to push the boundaries she’d set once again. More than anything, he wanted to do just that, but it wasn’t the time. Unlike before, he knew what it was like to get lost in her. If he started, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop.

  His hand reached out to her automatically as he turned to go. She took a step back and tilted her head to the side. He dropped his hand and walked into the stadium, while she stood watch beside his SUV.

  Somehow, he managed to stay focused on practice. Being able to blow off some steam helped. His receivers were, once again, commenting on the power he was putting behind his throws.

  “Hey, ease up, man. You’re gonna burn my hands off at this rate,” one of his receivers complained as he jogged back into the huddle.

  “Can’t take the heat, Kelly?” Kenny asked.

  “Stop it, guys. Let’s run the play again, but this time cut to your right. I want to practice some sideline passes.”

  Kelly groaned but went to take his place on the field.

  Gage walked up behind his center, and moments later, the ball was in play. Four defenders pressed hard against his offensive line trying to get to him and the ball. He was aware of them, but his focus was on his receivers. One was over the middle. He was completely open. The other two were hugging the sideline, just as he’d called it, but they were also playing man-to-man coverage. It would have been smarter to throw it to the open receiver, but Gage wasn’t in the mood to play it safe. He hurled the ball through the air toward Kelly. The ball landed right on target, square in the middle of his chest, seconds before the safety tackled him.

  Kelly rubbed his chest as he stood. Gage smiled. It wasn’t the best way to relieve his irritations, but it was all he had at the moment.

  Practice lasted another two hours before they broke for the day. He showered, changed, and then walked out to the parking lot to meet Rebecca. She was in the car waiting for him, like any other day.

  She watched him walk across the parking lot and even smiled politely when he slid behind the wheel.

  He’d had enough.

  “How long are you going to shut me out?”

  “Can we just get back to your house, please?”

  Gage gritted his teeth and started the vehicle. Something was going to give when they got home, one way or another. He couldn’t just sit on his hands and do nothing. He had to try.

  As soon as they were inside the house, she walked toward the stairs.

  “I’d appreciate it if you’d join me for dinner. I’ll come get you when it’s ready.”

  She looked at him, curious.

  “You have to eat,” he said.

  “All right.”

  He nodded.

  She turned on her heel and climbed the stairs to her room.

  Gage took a deep breath and jogged to his refrigerator. It was fairly well-stocked, with the basics, anyway. The problem was, he had limited knowledge. Knowing what he needed to do, he dug his phone out of his pocket and dialed.

  “Hey, Ma. I need your help.”

  Chapter 28

  Two soft knocks sounded on her door just after six o’clock. She took a deep breath and tugged at the bottom of her blouse, even though it was already lying perfectly in place. Rebecca walked to her bedroom door and opened it.

  Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Gage standing on the other side. He was wearing a black dress shirt and pants. The silky shirt clung to the muscles of his arms and chest, and the dark colors gave him a mysterious quality, making his brown eyes look even darker. He looked incredibly sexy. She wanted to run her hands up and down the front of his shirt before circling her arms around his neck and kissing him. Never in her life had she met a man with such potent appeal.

  Rebecca turned around, pretending to grab something on the dresser. She needed a minute to get a grip on her reaction, or she was going to jump into his arms. That wouldn’t be helpful. It wouldn’t make things easier.

  Yes it would, she argued with herself.

  No. She had to stick with the plan. She had to think long term. Gage wasn’t . . . right . . . for her.

  The first time she’d reminded herself of Gage’s incompatibility with her life plans, she’d believed it. At the moment, however, she was starting to doubt herself. That hadn’t happened in a long time. Rebecca was used to making a decision and sticking to it. Gage was changing everything.

  “Dinner’s ready.” He held out his hand for her, waiting for her to take it.

  She stared down at his hand, debating whether or not to go along with whatever he had in mind. Rebecca met his gaze with her own, full of questions.

  “It’s just dinner, Rebecca.”

  Dinner. Right.

  Reluctantly, she gave him her hand. He wrapped his warm fingers around her palm, and she felt the heat travel up her arm and through the rest of her body. She closed her eyes, trying to get her bearings.

  “You ready?”

  She opened her eyes and looked at him.

  “Yes. I’m ready.” He smiled and squeezed her hand, before leading her down the stairs.

  When they walked into the dining room, Rebecca stopped abruptly. She blinked twice, thinking she might be seeing things. When she reopened her eyes, everything was exactly the same. There were two place settings at one end of the table, each with a neatly folded napkin, along with two lit candles. The lights had been lowered to create an intimate feel with the candlelight. She felt the muscles in her throat contract.

  “Gage . . .”

  “Too much?”

  She looked again at the scene in front of her, the obvious work he’d put into it, and felt the pressure in her chest return.

  “I don’t know,” she whispered.

  She focused on him again, scrutinizing his face, his eyes. He watched her, waiting for . . . something.

  “What is it you want from me?”

  He took a step toward her. “I want you to have dinner with me. That’s it. Just dinner.”

  “That’s it?” she asked, skeptical.

  He smirked. “Okay. That’s not all I want, but if that’s all you’ll give me, I’ll take it.”

  “Gage, I—”

  His finger pressed against her lips, silencing her, and she felt her skin react at his touch.

  “Dinner.”

  She nodded.

  Throughout the meal, Gage was a perfect gentleman. Knowing she didn’t drink alcohol, he poured them both water to go along with the chicken, vegetables, and rice he’d made. He kept the conversation casual, asking her a lot of questions about college and her job with the FBI.

  It reminded her of the game of twenty questions they’d played while lying in his bed. Unfortunately, that was the last thing she wanted to be reminded of right then. Gage was amazing. He was handsome, charming, and he had a softer side that she had a feeling most people didn’t get to see. Of course, he was also one of the cockiest men she’d ever met. Instead of that being a turnoff, she found she liked it. It was part of who he was.

  The sound of his fork hitting his plate with a little more force than was normal brought her attention back to him. He was frowning.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “I was going to ask you the same thing. You seem to be thinking really hard about something, and I don’t think it’s anything good by the look on your face.”

  She sighed and placed her own fork down on the table.

  “What is it that
you want from me?”

  “I told you. Dinner.”

  Rebecca shook her head. “No. I mean, what is all this supposed to mean?” She gestured to the romantic setup.

  Gage laid his napkin on the table off to the side and leaned forward in his chair. He reached for her hand. She tried to pull back, but he held on tight, not letting her get away.

  “I know what I said the other night scared you.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her. “It made you uncomfortable. Is that better?”

  When she didn’t answer, he continued. “You asked what I want from you. What I want is for you to consider giving us a chance. A chance beyond your job to protect me.” She opened her mouth again, but he went on without allowing her to get a word into the conversation. “I don’t want you to say anything right now. I don’t want you to make any decisions. I just want you to think about it. Think about making this thing between us official.”

  He held her gaze for the longest time, and she wondered if he would kiss her. The air around them grew thick with tension, and she knew if she followed her instincts, she would be immediately in his arms enjoying his mouth, his hands. He’d made love to her on this table before, and she knew he wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. All she had to do was give in to what he wanted.

  Things weren’t as simple as following her gut in this instance, however. This wasn’t about a case anymore. This was her life. Her future. She couldn’t gamble with it. Her childhood had been full of instability. She didn’t want that for her future.

  Gage didn’t seem to expect a verbal answer from her, and she didn’t provide one. After several minutes, he released her hand, pushed back from the table, and walked into the kitchen, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

  He returned a few minutes later with two decorative glass bowls filled with chocolate ice cream. He placed a bowl down in front of her before sitting down beside her again. She looked down at the ice cream as if it were going to jump out and bite her. Making her dinner was a simple gesture, but it was one that no one had ever done for her before, before Gage. Her heart constricted, almost painfully, as she glanced up at him. He was watching her, a look of longing in his eyes.