Page 3 of Love in the Wild

Beau’s hand landed on Gage’s shoulder, but he continued staring at Olivia. There was no way Brett Patton was with his sister. Everything bad that had ever happened to Thea was Brett’s fault. Gage would burn the streets down if Brett touched a single hair on Thea’s head.

Brett Patton. Man, it had been a hot minute since Gage had given that waste of air a thought.

“Just go.” Beau pushed Gage’s shoulder, turning him toward the exit.

“Wait. What can we do?” Panic wrapped its claws around Olivia’s words.

Gage homed in on the door at the end of the hallway and barked over his shoulder, “Nothing.”

“Beau, we have to help,” Olivia said low behind Gage.

Gage turned as he reached the metal door leading out into the side parking lot. “Seriously, don’t do anything. It’s dangerous.”

Beau rested a hand on Olivia’s back. “He’s right. Stay out of it.”

At least someone was smart around here. In this situation, helping could only hurt.

Gage couldn’t keep his sister safe. He’d risked his own skin to get her out of here. Now, she’d come back to Blackwater without warning, and he was starting his search ten steps behind.

The freezing wind hit his face as he pushed out into the night. He hadn’t even bothered to grab his coat before running off after Thea.

Who cared about frostbite when Thea was injured. What had they done to her?

Who had done this? Thea was as pure as fresh snow, but she had half a dozen enemies. Where to start?

Gage shut the door of his old truck with a metallic thud that echoed in the night. The Pattons hadn’t given much trouble recently. He kept tabs on Brett, just in case he got a wild hair to start trouble, but the rest of them had been relatively quiet over the last five years.

Despite the war history, the Pattons weren’t Gage’s first suspects. His and Thea’s own uncles, Tommy and Bruce, were at the top of the list. Their cousin, Cain, was also a possibility, but he wasn’t the mastermind. He was a sidekick who followed orders and got a weird high off making people bleed.

Cain was definitely involved, which meant Bruce was probably the leader on this one.

Gage gripped the steering wheel and choked the leathery material until his palms burned. The headlights illuminated the short path in front of him, leaving the rest in pitch black. Tiny snowflakes fell slowly in front of the truck as he drove–too small and gentle for the turmoil rioting inside him.

They touched Thea. He’d kill them all and not lose a wink of sleep. She was the only one with clean hands, and they’d taken out their anger on her.

Big mistake.

Visions of revenge had Gage leaning into his foot on the accelerator. He grabbed his phone from the passenger seat and called Bruce. Every unanswered ring earned the idiot another injury.

He tried again with no answer. Cain was next, and those calls went unanswered while Gage’s anger stewed to boiling.

Gage threw his phone against the passenger door and let out the scream that had been pushing up his throat.

Thea. He had to find her. Had to be smart.

He didn’t want smart. He wanted punishment.

Thea. Focus. He couldn’t find her if he went in with his fists flying.

The phone dinged again, and he grabbed it.

Beau: Dawson said she’s on her way to Cody Memorial Hospital.

Great. Now Gage knew where he was headed.

His fist hit the steering wheel. He’d forgotten about the run he had to make to Silver Falls tonight. If he told Bruce he couldn’t do it, he’d know Gage knew about Thea.

Slamming on the brakes, he whipped into the first drive he passed and headed back toward Blackwater. He needed a plan. He’d run the moonshine early, then head to Cody. If he had to go by Bruce’s garage to get the shine, he could listen for any news about Thea.

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