Page 18 of Love in the Wild

“Probably discharging in the morning.”

“Okay, I’ll be ready.”

“And listen, we can’t tell anyone she’s with you. The people at the ranch can know, but we can’t tell another soul.”

“My lips are sealed,” Hadley promised.

Hopefully, she hadn’t just sealed her fate, too.

6

GAGE

Gage walked out of the garage and into the break room, checking the time on his phone. If he clocked out now, he’d have time to get some work done on the barn at Silver Creek Ranch before dark.

He washed his hands in the industrial sink, sending hours of grease down the drain with the heavy-duty scrub. He punched his timecard and texted Mr. Benson that he was on his way.

The extra work the Bensons had been giving him lately was great for his bank account, but keeping the side job a secret was a pain in the neck. If Bruce found out Gage had a third job, he’d want a piece of the pie.

His uncle could want all day, but Gage didn’t share his own income. Just because the moonshine revenue was split didn’t mean every penny he earned was up for grabs.

Business was slow at Bruce’s garage for a dozen reasons. The top one being that Bruce was a terrible mechanic. He’d been working on engines his whole life but still hadn’t mastered the critical thinking side of repairing machines.

On the other hand, business was booming at Beau’s. If Gage could sneak away from his uncle more, he’d grab as many hours at Blackwater Automotive as possible. At least Beau knew how to run a business and keep customers happy.

Beau walked into the break room just as Gage was drying his hands.

“You heading out?” Beau asked.

“Duty calls.”

“How’s Thea?”

Wouldn’t Gage like to know. He’d gotten a one-word answer from Brett earlier, but at least it had been “good.”

“As good as she can be, considering.”

Considering she’d been beaten within an inch of her life. Gage wasn’t a stranger to injuries, but the bruises and cuts on Thea’s face still turned his stomach. Seeing her in pain only poured gasoline on the fire he kept burning in his chest for Thea.

It was his own fault. He should have been there to protect her. She should have stayed gone. Blackwater never did her any favors.

“How’s your mom?”

Man, the hits kept coming. “Same.”

For someone who liked to be in control of every situation, Gage was getting tired of having his hands tied behind his back. He couldn’t help Thea. He couldn’t help his mom. He couldn’t cut ties with Bruce and still stay close enough to know what the family had planned for Thea.

Everywhere he turned, doors were closing in his face. The helpless feeling was getting old.

“Anything I can do to help?” Beau asked.

“Not a thing.”

Beau slapped a hand on Gage’s shoulder. “Let me know if something comes up. I’m here for you.”

For a guy who only spoke when something needed to be said, Beau was a fountain of words today. “I appreciate it.”

Gage’s phone buzzed with a text as he walked out to his truck. His cousin, Emerson, wasn’t the one he wanted to hear from right now. She knew Thea was here, and that meant he had to constantly remind her not to let it slip that Gage knew too.

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