“You’ve been in a bad place recently,” Reed said to him. “No one blames you. This whole thing took something out of you. Hell, I think any of us would feel the same way if it happened to us.”
Fear lanced through Cage. He knew they had all suspected that he wasn’t the same, but still, he thought he hid it all a little better than that.
“Liv couldn’t stand the idea that you might go through this alone. We have each other, but you don’t have that,” Reed said. The room went quiet.
He understood that his brother wasn’t saying anything to hurt him, and yet those words pierced him in a way he hadn’t expected.
He was alone, despite all those women he’d been with. All those nights, and yet there he was, alone. So alone that this brother and sick wife didn’t want to risk burdening him with another problem to worry about.
Cage cleared his throat before he spoke. Emotion clogged his throat.
“I’ll do what you need me to,” Cage said and looked between the two men.
Reed gave a nod. “For now, we’re just establishing Trent here. I plan on being more the silent partner in this.”
It made sense. Trent would need more men than just himself and Johnny. They would have to get some of the other men to go over, plus establish contacts around town.
“So where do we go from here?” Cage asked the two men.
Reed waved a hand for Trent to take over.
Trent smiled at him. “Well, for now, I think we better see what the hell is going on with your vet.”
Cage sighed inside. There was something shady going on, and he had to know she was safe. Maybe he couldn’t do much to help out Olivia and Reed with their problem, but protecting Whitney was still something he could manage, even with his knee.
“Good,” Cage said. “Let’s get started.”
Trent nodded to Reed and made his way to the door. Once he was out, Cage turned back to Reed.
“You should tell the others,” he said quietly. “We care for one another. It’s what we do. Why do you think I’ve worked for your sorry ass all these years?”
Reed nodded. “We plan on breaking the news at the next dinner.”
Cage gave a slight nod. He was going to have to toughen up. The family needed to focus on Olivia. He’d get through his own problems fine. The pity party needed to be over. It was time to buckle down and get some real work done.
Chapter Ten
“Hump!” Sharon said from the front for about the fifth time.
Whitney swore under her breath and closed her eyes. One more time and she wouldn’t be responsible for her actions.
“So,” Lisa said quietly next to her as she glanced out the window, “four nights in a row.”
Whitney turned to glare at her. She still wasn’t sure how to handle Cage keeping an eye on her. A part of her found it very sweet, but the other part was terrified at the idea a person was out there trying to torment her for some unknown reason.
“What?” Lisa asked innocently enough. “It just shows his dedication.”
Sharon snorted from her place behind the desk as she closed out the accounts for the day. Whitney gritted her teeth to keep from leaping over the counter and throttling the older woman. Her receptionist was detail-oriented and good at her job, but on some days, her personality really grated.
“That man is only dedicated to one thing, and I think we all know what it is,” Sharon said. Her mouth was pressed so thin there was just a line where her lips should be.
Whitney sighed and continued sweeping the lobby area.
“He’s here to make sure I’m safe,” she said and jumped when the door chimed open.
“You aren’t safe?” Ted said from the door, frowning slightly.
He was still wearing his typical work clothes: button-up white shirt and black slacks. She had no idea how he kept his clothes so clean and pristine. Dealing with animals, she was never quite sure what would happen. Hazard of the job.
Ted walked in a little further and stared at her with worry.
“I’m fine,” she said and smiled.
Ted frowned and glanced over his shoulder. Cage sat in a car across the street, watching the place.
“Then why is he here?” he asked.
Whitney could hear the irritation in his voice but shook her head. This wasn’t something she should feel guilty over.
“Cage is just making sure nothing happens in the evening,” she said and went back to sweeping.
“He doesn’t have to,” Ted said and moved in her path.
She looked up at him. He just wanted to be a part of her world outside of the volunteer job, but there was no way it would work other than friends. Plus, Ted was a nice guy, but she doubted he could handle it if some criminal or crazy guy came after her.
“It’s fine,” she said, moving around him. “Sharon, you can go.”
Ted moved to her side and spoke in her ear.
“Let me help you,” he said. “You just have to give me a chance.”
Whitney sighed. She was so tired. It seemed like no matter where she was, she was always on alert. She hadn’t been able to sleep like she should.
She looked out the window toward Cage’s car. He watched her closely through the window, and despite his aggressive ways, his presence did make her feel safer.
“Cage does this for a living,” she said and looked back to Ted. “I think it’s best we leave it up to him.”
Ted cleared his throat and stepped back. His face had reddened, and she knew she’d hurt his feelings, but she was just so tired of having to work at everything.
“Yes, well,” he said and glanced out the window. “I guess we can’t all make a living through violence.”
Whitney opened her mouth to say something about the comment, but Lisa cut her off.
“So, Ted,” she said from the spot where she was wiping off a chair. “What are you up to tonight?”
His whole expression changed as he looked back to Whitney.
“I came to see if Whitney had plans on Friday.” He beamed at her.
“Damn,” Lisa said quietly and went back to scrubbing spots.
“I can’t,” Whitney said and looked away. “I have plans.”
“Oh, surely Lisa won’t mind if you cancel,” he said. He looked over to Lisa, who was suddenly very interested in the chair on the farthest side of the room. “I was thinking we could take it slow. Maybe just dinner and a movie.”
“Ted,” Whitney said softly.
“Or just dinner.” He shrugged.
“I don’t—”
“I’m not picky,” he said. His smile was stiff and plastered to his face.
“I can’t,” she said a little louder than she intended, but he wasn’t going to keep talking over her. If he didn’t understand the situation, then she’d have to make him understand.
His smile slipped a little, and she felt bad for hurting him.
“It’s just a simple date,” he said and looked around, somewhat uncomfortable. “No expectations.”
Whitney shook her head. There was no way around it. She was going to have to lay it on the line.
“I already have a date, Ted,” she said.
He grew quiet, and when she looked up, he was glaring out the window.
“It’s him, isn’t it?” he asked.
She opened her mouth to respond but closed it. At this point, it wouldn’t really matter what she said. He knew and that was all that needed to happen. This was best for both of them really. Ted was a nice guy. He just needed to find someone more compatible and interested.
“Well,” he said, stiffening his back. “I guess I was under the wrong impression.”
“Ted,” she said softly and reached out to him, but he was already headed for the door.
It chimed as he opened it. A small draft from the night slipped in and chilled her.
He looked back from the door.
“I hope you know what you’re doing. A man like that will eat you alive.” He let the doo
r slam behind him as he walked away.
She resisted a laugh. Ted was right. His words were ones she had said to herself many times over the last few days. Still, she couldn’t find the will to cancel the whole thing, and she knew that wasn’t only about needing Cage’s protection.
Whitney wanted this date. She wanted to see what Cage was really all about.
She glanced out the window and watched as Cage kept his gaze on Ted.
It was strange. She’d spent all her life trying to make sure men were never an issue, and now she had two who were causing nothing but issues.
“Well,” Lisa said from the other side of the room. “It could have been worse. Sharon could have been here.”
Whitney snorted loudly.
* * *
Cage waited patiently outside in the car. Lisa had just gone home, and it usually wasn’t long before Whitney left. He worried that Ted might make a scene, but the guy came and went without too much fuss. Not like he was worried he’d be hard to handle even then.
Cage had to keep watch on the place. Although it might seem a little intrusive, he had to know she was safe at night after the collar incident. When they’d run a match on the ID, it came back as a missing poodle. Nothing was adding up though.
Who would do something like that? It didn’t really seem like a Los Malos thing to do. If they wanted to make a threat, there were easier, more direct ways to do that. Gangs liked people to know who was messing with them.
Cage frowned as Whitney came out the door and waved at him.
He slid out of the car and made his way over. He cursed his leg and how slow he was still with it. At least the doctor had finally cleared him to drive. That offered him at least some independence and the ability to do his job without a babysitter.
He reached the door, ready to race into action, but slowed down when she smiled at him.
“I thought you might be more comfortable inside,” she said.
He tried not to let the frown reach his face as he made his way in. Why did everyone have to be so concerned with making him comfortable? He could deal.
“Thanks,” he grunted, knowing she didn’t intend for her words to irritate him.
Whitney locked the door behind her and made her way to the back.
Cage followed and tried not to think of how amazing she looked. Her red hair, which was usually pulled off her face, flowed freely around it. He liked that she was in jeans and a t-shirt. It made her seem more real to him.
“Any trouble today?” he asked, hoping she might elaborate on what happened with Ted. Even though the man looked mad, he didn’t seem to have done much, but he could have made some quiet threats.
Whitney glanced over to him as she read through a chart outside of a cage.
“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” she said and looked quickly back to the charts.
“And Ted?” he said, stepping a little closer. “He didn’t seem like he could handle it.”
She sighed loudly and hung the chart against the cage.
“He’ll be fine.” She moved on to the next cage.
Cage nodded. It didn’t matter if she told him. What did matter was that Ted left mad, and he had a good idea as to why.
“Whitney,” he started. He stopped when something rattled the door at the back of the clinic.
They froze and looked at one another. Cage pulled out his gun and stood next to her.
“Stand back and don’t open that door unless you hear me,” he whispered in her ear.
She nodded and moved against the farthest wall.
Faster than he’d moved in months, Cage stepped outside and followed the line of the building. Shadows moved across the walls, but he kept his mind clear. In order to see them, Cage was going to need to concentrate.
He crept his way to the corner of the building, ignoring some pain in his knee. A quick glance around surprised him. The back alley behind the clinic was well lit and not the ideal spot for breaking in. Hell, most would have at least thought to throw a rock at the light to mask themselves. Of course, arrogance made criminals do stupid crap all the time, so he couldn’t be sure.
The alley was empty, and nothing seemed to be out of place.
Cage made his way to the door.
“Whitney,” he said and waited for the door to open.
The door creaked open, and her pale face appeared in the door.
A long piece of string hung down to her face and swung in front of her. He frowned at the sight.
“What’s that?” he asked.
Whitney reached up to pull it down. Her hands shook.
“It’s a chip,” she said quietly.
Cage frowned. “A chip?”
“It’s a pet tracking chip.”
* * *
Whitney paced the floor. This was wrong. It was so beyond wrong.
She looked back at the screen. No matter how many times she looked at the scanned chip, it still came up the poodle.
“Is there a chance it’s a mistake?” Cage asked.
She shook her head. “No,” she said. “I just can’t understand what it’s doing outside the dog.”
Cage shrugged. “Maybe the dog was rechipped.”
She shook her head again. “It’s not like that,” she said. “Most vets won’t even think about taking these out.”
“Why?” he asked and settled on the stool in front of the computer.
“It’s complicated,” she said but could see he wanted more. “The procedure is difficult, and that’s just hoping that it’s there right under the skin.”
“And if it’s not?” Cage asked.
She swallowed. It wasn’t something she wanted to think about.
“If not, then they have to dig. It can be painful and might cause muscle damage.”
Cage grunted. She knew he would understand the gravity of the situation.
She jumped when he suddenly stood and took her hands in his.
“We’ll catch this guy,” he said quietly. “I don’t know what his game is yet, but we’ll catch him.”
She nodded. Tears prickled her eyes, and she struggled to keep in control.
As if he couldn’t take it any longer, Cage wrapped her in is arms.
Whitney breathed in deeply and tried to get her emotions in check. She was safe. They all were.
“Let’s get you home,” he rumbled in her ear.
She nodded, still against his chest. It took a few more moments for her to step away, and when she did, all she wanted to do was return to the safety of his arms.
Cage shuffled her to the front door and walked quietly to her car. She liked that he didn’t feel the need to fill the silence. Sometimes she just needed to have quiet.
When they came to her car, her heart started to pound.
It hadn’t even occurred to her that he might kiss her again.
Whitney opened the door but stopped to turn and look at him.
Cage scanned the area constantly. Watching him ready to protect her made him even more amazing. Whatever his past with women, when it came to his job, he was a consummate professional.
He looked down at her, and all the desire from the last few days bubbled inside her.
“Goodnight,” he said.
She closed her eyes, expecting a kiss.
He softly kissed her lips, never going further than a sweet goodbye.
When he pulled back, Whitney opened her eyes.
“Tomorrow,” he whispered.
She knew what he meant. It was what she had been waiting for since Sunday. She just hoped there was more than chemistry between them.
She stepped into her car and watched as he got in his.
Tomorrow. She still couldn’t quite decide if it was a promise or a threat.
Chapter Eleven
Cage checked himself in the mirror for about the millionth time. He looked like his old self, and that was more than he could say for the last few months. Still, it was strange to see himself like this: hair combed to the side with a crisp butto
n-up shirt and nice jeans. He’d thought about wearing slacks, but it just wasn’t something he would normally do on a date. It wasn’t his style.
He could do this. This kind of date was something he’d done tons of times before. All he had to do was charm her and show Whitney that he was someone she wanted to get to know better.
Cage came out from the bathroom and found Trent sitting on the couch going over material. Nothing about Whitney’s case made any sense. The poodle, chip and collar had been traced two states away. That was a long ways for such a little dog to travel, though admittedly not impossible. What seemed odder was that both the chip and collar would make their way to Whitney of all people.
There was no two ways about it. Something was going on. He just hoped the next move wasn’t a dead dog outside her door. He wondered if this case involved the owner of one of Whitney’s former patients. People could get attached to their animals for sure, but still, it seemed weird to go through such elaborate trouble, and even if Whitney couldn’t save someone’s pet, her dedication would have shown through, so Cage had trouble accepting the scenario.
“Any luck?” Cage asked Trent and sat next to him on the couch.
Trent shook his head.
“Not really,” Trent said and looked over at him. “The owner of the poodle said it’s been missing for a few days.”
Cage frowned. That wasn’t near enough time for a little dog to travel hundreds of miles.
“When I started to dig, I found there has been an upswing in the number of missing dogs in several of the states around us,” Trent said. He set down the pages and leaned back on the couch. He rubbed his eyes and frowned.
“What do you think is happening to them?” Cage asked.
Trent shrugged. “Maybe sold for science to shady outfits or just being sold off as pets.”
Cage frowned. There were so many things that could be going on. They needed more information.
He sighed and stood.
“Well, the best we can do is keep an eye on the place,” Cage said. “Whoever is leaving this stuff for Whitney knows what’s going on. I just can’t figure out what they are trying to say.”
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