Page 77 of Love in the Wild

“How long have you known about this plan?” Brett asked.

“Five minutes. Answer the question.”

Brett’s hesitation only served to amplify Gage’s nervous energy. Finally, he answered. “Hadley was with her.”

Gage halted and gripped the phone against his ear, not even trying to hide the panic in his voice. “Is she okay?”

“Yes, she seemed okay when I talked to her.”

Heart beating out of control, Gage gripped the doorframe leading into the back rooms. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. She was upset about the wreck and Thea, but she said she was okay.”

Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. Hadley was out there, and he knew the extent of the evil she’d just encountered. They’d leave her for dead without a second thought.

“Buddy, they took Thea. Remember what they did to her?” Brett asked. “I promise Hadley has help on the way, but Thea is much worse off right now. Focus.”

“Are you sure?” Gage managed to ask.

“Of course I’m sure. I’ve already sent help her way. I talked to her. Trust me on this.”

Great. The moment of truth. Did he trust Brett enough when it came to Hadley? Was it enough to keep him from burning up the roads to find her and see for himself?

“They have Thea, Gage,” Brett said.

How could he protect Hadley and Thea from different places? He had the best chance of helping Thea once his family got back to the garage. “I’ll take care of Thea, but if you’re headed this way, you better have a lot of backup.”

Brett chuckled. “I have one guy, but I’m pretty sure he counts as three.”

Gage sighed. “Is that all? I thought you said you had friends.”

“The police are on the way too. Just tell me how to get in.”

Focus. If Brett was going to be any help, he needed clear information. He rattled off everything he knew about the layout of the building. When Bruce’s truck came into view, Gage positioned himself in the office where he could hear which entrance they were going to use.

He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath. God, I don’t know how to ask for help, and I know it doesn’t look good to start things off wanting something from You, but I could use some help here. Send help for Hadley, and show me how to get Thea out of this.

The back door creaked open, and grunts and kicks came from down the hallway. Gage closed the office door and paced back and forth in front of it. He could storm out there now and grab Thea, but he’d probably have to kill both of his uncles and his cousin to get her out of this. If he waited for Brett and backup, they had a chance of facing this battle in one-on-one instead of three-on-one.

Thea’s squeals were muffled. They must have tied her mouth. From the rustling going on, she was putting up a good fight.

Gage reached into the holster on his side and readied his pistol. One certainty gave him a small amount of comfort. He’d do anything necessary to make sure he got Thea out safely.

The noises seemed to die off on the other side of the door. The only room left down that side of the hallway was the storage room. He stepped into the hallway and almost collided with Tommy.

“Where have you been?” Tommy asked.

“The office.” Gage jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “The finances are a wreck again.”

Tommy jerked his chin toward the storage room. “We just brought Thea in. We found her with Brett Patton. She’s back in town and those two are planning something. Get in there and see if you can get it out of her.”

Doing his best to react in the correct way, Gage frowned and glanced down the hallway. “Thea is back? Since when?”

“Not long ago. Brett’s been quiet for a while, but he came by this morning. Said they’re gonna be together. Bruce got the feeling it was a trap, so we need to do whatever we can to get the truth out of her. She knows too much about what we do here to go telling the Pattons or the cops.”

Gage ground his teeth. “I’ll do it. Where are you gonna be?”

“I’m watching the entrance. We need to get her to talk before her little boyfriend shows up.”

---