Guarding Forever (Police and Fire Operation Alpha)

by Steele, C. M.

  For the next hour she worked on dinner, taking time to feed Johnny before settling him back in his high chair. She put some toys on there to keep him occupied and he giggled as he reached for the squishy colorful blocks.

  The sound of the front door brought a smile to her face. “Where’s my woman?” Gage hollered, roaming through the house until he reached the kitchen. “Ah, there you are. I’ve missed you.” He crossed the distance, dragging her into his arms and slamming his mouth down onto hers. He pulled back, gripping her waist. “So, beautiful. How was your day?”

  “Lazy.” She hadn’t known how much she needed the rest.

  “Really? That’s good. You need easy days.” Gage tasted her lips again and then let go to play with his boy. “Missed you too, little man,” he whispered on the sleepy baby’s head.

  “Thank you. It looks like Johnny needed it as well. Dinner’s about done.” They knew that he would be up late tonight. They learned early on that babies kept their own schedule.

  “Okay, I’ll go clean up and be right back.” He left her with one more kiss to wash up.

  When he came back, Hope had the table set up and dinner served. “Damn, it smells so good.”

  “Thank you. Eat up.” They had a pleasant dinner, but tension in Gage’s shoulders told her there was something bothering him. As she stuffed the dishes into the dishwasher and he picked up the suddenly bright-eyed Johnny, Hope asked, “What’s going on? You seem different, tense and edgy.” She waved a knife she was about to put in the machine as she asked.

  “First, put that in there, crazy woman. I am going to be gone all day again tomorrow. My mother is going to come over and spend the day with you.”

  “Why? What’s going on, Gage? You’re not telling me something.”

  “What? She can’t visit her grandbaby and her daughter-in-law?”

  “The diner is super busy all the time. There’s no way she has the time to visit while it’s open. Try again.”

  “Fine. Let me put our boy in his play yard while you take a seat.” She started the dishwasher as he walked out of the room. Unable to sit and wait, she wiped down the kitchen table and then swept the floor. A hundred thoughts entered her mind. Something was wrong and she worried that somehow he’d betrayed her.

  As he came back into the room, she blurted out her fears. “Did you meet someone else? Are you leaving me?”

  “No. What the hell has gotten into you? Of course not! Are you out of your ever-loving mind?” He stared at his wife like she’d lost her mind, closing the distance between them, sliding one hand around her waist and with the other, he took the broom from her hand and leaned it on the edge of the counter.

  “No. It’s just the baby and then another on the way. You seem upset.”

  “Listen. I want a house full of babies and only with you. Fuck, I was deep inside of you this morning when I should have been sleeping, but I can’t get enough of my wife. I’m not my father. I married you because you’re the one for me. Face it. We’re in this together. I’m not letting you go no matter what. The day they put me in the ground is the day you’ll be free of me.”

  “I never want to lose you. I just freaked out. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to accuse you of being your father.”

  He put his finger on her lips to stop her from apologizing so he could tell her what she needed to know. “I know. I know, but speaking of fathers…”

  “Oh, no. Please tell me they didn’t drop the charges.”

  “Calm your ‘jump to conclusions’ ass down. He’s going to be tried in five months as scheduled, but Dax called and told me that they approved bail for him. He will be released first thing in the morning.”

  She stepped out of his grasp and spun around, putting her own hands on her lips. She faced him again with wide, frightened eyes and said, “Oh, no. Do you think he’s going to come after me? Johnny?”

  He dragged her back into his arms. “He’d be the stupidest motherfucker in the world to try it.” The fiery look of rage spread across Gage’s face. Tipping her chin, he promised, “I’ll kill that son of a bitch if he comes near you.”

  “I know. It’s probably the only reason I’m not freaking out like crazy.”

  “Good. Let’s just relax for the night. I’ve already secured the house like a fortress over the past year, but I’ll hire more security to keep tabs on Cummings.”

  “Thank you. I love you.”

  “I love you more. I want you to know I’d do anything for you. I’d lay down my life for you. Come on, now. No more heavy talk tonight. Let’s go give Johnny a bath and then watch a movie.”

  “Sounds wonderful.” In the back of his mind, Gage wasn’t thinking about anything else but getting his hands on Cummings. With all his experience, he knew that Cummings wasn’t the kind of guy to take losing sitting down. Gage would have to be on guard, ready to protect his family at all costs.

  “Hey, my little cowboy. You ready for your bath?”

  He cooed and clapped his hands, so Gage scooped him up as Hope started the bath. He took it in their large tub with a small tub inside for him, although soon they’d have to work on trapping him in because he was getting too big.

  For the next twenty minutes, they played and scrubbed their little boy. Laughing and splashing water around with his chubby hands, Johnny took away the stress of their conversation, if even for just a small moment. Once washed and dried, they dressed their little man before feeding and burping him. They lay down their sweet sleeping boy, turned off the light, and turned on their monitor for his room before walking out.

  Settling down in their living room, they clicked on the television to see an episode of Cake Wars just starting. “Ooh, I want to watch this.”

  “If that’s what you want. I could always go for some cake.” Gage rubbed his rock-hard stomach before kicking his feet up onto the coffee table. Hope nestled her head on his chest and her feet under her bottom. Twenty minutes later, Hope looked up to find her husband sleeping.

  She sat up straight, unhooking herself from his grasp. “Come on, big guy.” She nudged his shoulder. “It’s time for bed.”

  “Ah, man, who won?”

  “No one. It’s only the first round of eliminations. You fell asleep.” He stood and walked to the door to check the locks one more time.

  “Satisfied?”

  “Yes.” They slipped quietly inside their bedroom and went to bed, hoping that little Johnny would stay asleep at least until Gage had to wake up at four.

  Chapter 3

  “What the fuck is his problem?” Gage roared, slamming his fist down on Dax’s desk. He’d come to discuss what they could do to put Cummings back in his cell so that he could get some peace of mind, but as soon as he walked into Dax’s office, all he could think of was killing Cummings.

  “What do you mean?” Dax asked, unfazed by Gage’s emotional overreaction. He'd met many angry victims that were pissed at the system for moving slowly or just flat out failing them.

  He shook his head and fell back onto the chair behind him. “He hasn’t tried anything. He lives in a hovel in Austin, scraping by with little to no outside contacts for the past two weeks.” He thrusted his hands into his hair, tugging at it violently.

  “I'd quit doing that or you'll go bald. As for Cummings, I can’t tell you why, but let it be our saving grace. Do you really want him to come after Hope again?”

  Gage nearly hopped out of his chair. Instead he leaned forward and snarled, “Of fucking course not. You know damn well he’s not done with Hope. He’s going to want revenge on all of us. I can’t let him get to my family. The thought of him hurting her drives me nuts.”

  Dax could see that without a doubt. Long gone was the cool, calm, collected friend he knew, and in his place was a man on the edge. Love had a way of doing that to a man, especially when danger lurked on every corner. “I don't think he's done with Hope, but you’re just letting him mindfuck you.”

  “I can’t be caught sleeping.” Gage ran his finger
s through his hair again, adding to his look of a mad man.

  For weeks, Cummings hadn't even hinted at any reprisal. Having been a lawyer, he'd seen witnesses disappear, especially when murder one was on the menu. Cummings wasn't fit for life in prison and would do anything to stay out of it. The thought of him coming after Hope or Johnny kept Gage from sleeping more than a few hours a night.

  He couldn't wait until winter came so that he could take time off with his family. There would still be lots of work to do on the ranch, but it wasn't as busy when the cattle had more time to roam.

  “It doesn’t look like you’ve slept at all since he’s been out on bail.” The long wait for the trial would test Gage’s strength, but he refused to take it easy when it came to his family. He waited a lifetime to find someone who made life worth living, and he'd do anything to keep her.

  “I haven’t gotten much sleep, but you forget I’m a new dad," Gage added.

  Dax scoffed and shook his head. “Bullshit. This is all about Cummings. If I didn’t think you needed to know that he was out on bail, I would have kept it from you in the first place. I love my wife too, so I understand what you're going through, but you'll be useless to them if you don't get some rest."

  Gage nodded, knowing that it was easier said than done. "I've got to get back home." He stood and extended his hand out to Dax. They shook, but Dax wasn't anxious for his friend to leave just yet.

  "She's safe, but I understand why you have to hurry. Are you going to come to the poker game tomorrow night?" From the look in Gage's eyes, Dax knew he'd be short one guy.

  "I'm not sure." Since Gage had returned to ranching, hang outs with his law enforcement buddies had been few and far between.

  "I can send an extra guard to sleep on the front porch," Dax teased. He lifted up his coffee mug and then took a drink.

  "No, I don't want any strangers on my land or near my wife," Gage growled out like the possessive animal that he'd been when he met Hope.

  Setting his mug back down, Dax let out a loud, barking laugh, exposing the lines around his eyes. "Ah, there's the jealous husband I thought disappeared."

  "I'm not jealous. I'm possessive. She's mine, and there isn't a soul I'd let come between us."

  Dax stood and walked around his desk to escort his friend out. "Good man." He clapped Gage’s back with a chuckle. "Take it easy."

  "Always." They shook hands, and Gage left the station. The second he stepped into the fresh spring breeze, a violent frenzy came over him. Standing not three feet in front of him was Baxter Cummings.

  "What the fuck are you doing here?" he roared, closing the distance within seconds.

  "Whoa, stay back there, cowboy, or I'll have you arrested," Cummings’s lawyer, Dallas Sparks, said, dashing between the two men and shoving at Gage’s chest.

  Cummings leaned around his lawyer to goad Gage. "What's the matter, Gibson? By law, I'm not allowed to leave the state. It just so happens Texas is a big fucking state."

  He winked at Gage, nearly sending him over the edge. Dax Chambers rushed out just in time and grabbed his friend's shoulders. "Calm your ass down. He's not worth it."

  "He's not worth the air he breathes." Gage's voice dripped with venom. He'd gladly choke the life out of Cummings in broad daylight if he could get away with it.

  Other officers came running out of the building to keep it safe. "We all know that, but it's not good to be arrested and give this fucker a reason to have the case dismissed. I'm sure that's what he's looking for."

  Brushing past Dax, Cummings turned toward Gage; smiling, he continued his antagonizing. "On your way back to the ranch? While you're at it, say hello to my daughter and grandson. I'd love to meet the boy." Gage lurched forward only to be stopped by Dax and two other officers and they could barely hold him back.

  Cummings laughed, loving the fact that he could get to Gage so easily. He stood at the top of the stairs just outside the door and added, “You better control your temper. I see a domestic violence charge in your future. Poor Hope. Mixing herself up with a violent man.” He winked at Gage and then walked inside the sheriff's office.

  "Damn it, Gage. You need to cool it," Dax ground out through his teeth as he held his buddy back. Their little spat caught the attention of a reporter who lurked outside of the office, hoping for a scoop. Dax whispered, “There’s a reporter in a car just across the street. Get your ass together.”

  Through clenched teeth, he grunted, "You heard that fucker. He's going to come after them." Gage had never been so full of rage that he actually considered murder in public, even if it was broadcast around the world.

  "I heard, but he didn't actually make a threat, so there's nothing we can do." He knew Dax had a point, no matter how much he wanted to smash Baxter Cummings’s head in. As soon as he left, Gage would hit the gun range.

  "Forget about tomorrow unless we have it at my place,” he told Dax. There was no way in hell he felt it was safe to leave Hope unprotected so he could go out and gamble.

  "That could work."

  "Let go of me. I'm all good. I need to go home to my family." Despite having Cummings feet from him, he wouldn’t risk being arrested just to get only a punch in because he was certain they’d stop him before he got in more than one.

  "Are you sure?" the other officer asked. He felt the seething hatred running through Gage.

  "Yes. I promise to behave." When they released their grip on him, Gage straightened his clothes and took a deep breath. Dax and the other officers stepped back to give him a little room, but they kept their eyes on him. The two uniformed officers moved to the door, guarding it just in case Gage wanted to run back up the stairs toward Cummings.

  "Let me know if you want to have it at your place. We'll need room to bunk up, but I'm sure the guys will be up for it."

  "Nah, keep the game at your place. I'm not going to disrupt the gathering with my foul mood. I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the game anyway.”

  “Yeah, you’d make an easy mark. You should host,” Dax teased.

  “Nah. Besides, I need some time to seduce my wife." He wagged his brows, trying to calm himself down before he took off, but it didn’t work. Driving when pissed was never a good idea, and he was most definitely pissed.

  "Seduce? Isn’t baby number two still in the oven?"

  "Yep, and I want another ten more." He winked at Dax. The thought of filling Hope up with more babies turned him on more than most would understand. Gage felt a primal, feral need to procreate.

  "I'm thinking she won't go for that."

  "Probably not, but I'm not going to stop trying." Gage leaned in and added, "Let me know what's going on with that bastard."

  "Of course," he whispered back. The men gave each other a one-armed hug and then parted ways, neither feeling any better about the situation.

  The entire drive home, Gage wondered what Baxter's plan was. There had to be something up his sleeve. Gage had seen it all before when he was a prosecutor, so he became more paranoid about Cummings. "Damn it. Get a hold of yourself. You can't go home and scare Hope with your insane need for blood."

  Chapter 4

  Another month passed without any incident. From the information that Gage was able to gather, Cummings established a legitimate business while waiting for trial. While he seemed to be thriving and acting like he was free and clear, Hope had pretty much been locked in the house with Johnny while Gage worked on the ranch, taking out his frustration in the form of backbreaking work.

  The weather heated up as summer hit and Hope ached to go outside more. She began to feel trapped again and all because of her father. He managed to have a hold on her even when she was no longer under his roof. Hope didn’t put the blame on Gage when he demanded she stay inside. Hope understood that she was in danger and so were her babies. It was the only thing keeping her trapped inside. Sighing, she cleaned up the baby's toy area as he took a nap.

  "What's with that sigh?" She spun her head around to see Gage staring do
wn at her.

  "It's nothing. Cleaning up toys is a wonderful chore." She rolled her eyes at him. Most of her days were so monotonous that she was losing her mind. Even her work in the office as Gage’s assistant had become efficient and took her less time to complete each and every week.

  “Do I sense sarcasm in your tone?" he questioned, a small smile creeping up the sides of his mouth that caused one of her own.

  "No. Not at all. I love spending all day cleaning." She rolled her eyes again, which caused Gage to drag her into his arms and crush his mouth to hers.

  "Sometimes, Mrs. Gibson, you need to be spanked."

  "Promises, promises." He spun her around with her back pressed firmly against his front to see how turned on he was.

  "Just for that, I'm going to have to show you I'm a man of my word tonight." He bit her earlobe gently and then swatted her ass. "Sweetheart, come on. I want you to get ready. I’m taking you out.”

  She turned back to face him and asked, “What? Why? How? What about Johnny?”

  “Don’t ask all those questions and waste our time. I want to take my gorgeous wife out.” He swatted her ass again to get her moving.

  Hope ran up the stairs, causing Gage to have a mini-stroke. “Be careful, woman,” he called out after her, shaking his head. He waited until she was out of sight before he made some calls. He wanted his security around the area he was taking Hope.

  Then he called his mother to find out how long it would take for her to get over here. "I'm on my way. Relax. I had to handle the payroll."

  "Thanks, Mom. Bill will be here with Chris and James doing a grid search every other hour."

  "I'm not going to say I think you're overreacting, but that does seem like a lot of trouble."

  "My family is worth it. And if taking my wife out puts a smile on her face, I'll do everything I can to make it happen."

  "You're a great husband. I'm at the gate now." She entered her code and drove up. Bill hustled toward her vehicle, helping her out of it. The usual guard I hired to follow Hope would keep his distance, but he’d always be looking out.