Page 4 of Love in the Wild

He pulled up at Bruce’s garage and let the fury propel him forward. His palm hit the door leading into the hallway behind the garage, sending it crashing against the wall as he barreled into the lion’s den.

Rhythmic thuds and grunts came from the back room, and he set a course for action.

Focus. Get Thea. Vengeance can wait.

Gage stormed in just as Cain swung another fist at the punching bag. The guy was all brawn and no brain and had a good thirty pounds of muscle on Gage.

Cain still hadn’t landed a punch on Gage in the last ten years. Apparently, his brainless cousin had enough self-preservation to stay out of his way. Cain might be dumb and desperate, but Gage was cunning and calculating.

“Does anyone around here have enough sense to answer a phone call?” Gage asked.

Bruce looked up from where he sat on the weight bench and lifted a bottle of whiskey. His sparse hair scattered thin over his wide head, and a bulging beer belly stretched a faded shirt.

Instead of the string of expletives Gage expected, Bruce just stared at him with cold, hard eyes as he tipped the bottle and gulped the liquor.

“I’m not your dog. I don’t come when anyone calls,” Cain said, landing another punch on the bag.

Gage crossed his arms over his chest and locked his stare with Bruce. “Can you put your dog to good use and see if he can get my truck loaded? Saul wants his run early.”

Cain mouthed off and lit up Gage’s last nerve. He pushed Cain’s shoulder, turning him so they were face-to-face.

Cain’s eyes narrowed as a grin spread over his mouth. The guy was ready to fight, and Gage was happy to oblige.

“You better be glad I’ve got somewhere to be,” Gage sneered.

Cain gained his balance and spat tobacco onto the floor. “Let’s brawl, cuz. I hate your stupid lectures.”

Gage took another step forward. “Where were you when I called?”

Cain shrugged. “I went grocery shopping.”

Gage’s teeth ground together as his hands clenched into fists. One hit. It would only take one hit to land Cain on his back. Built like a rock or not, Gage had training his cousin didn’t.

Bruce stood from the weight bench and tossed the empty bottle into a barrel in the corner of the room. “Lay off. We’ve been here. Just didn’t hear the phone.”

Each breath Gage exhaled was a huff through his nose as he tried to rein in the anger. Bruce and Cain’s silence was as good as a confession, but he was still no closer to finding Thea.

After loading twenty gallons of moonshine into the bed of his truck, Gage pulled out a second phone and called Beau. The call rang once, and Gage had barely made it to the main road when his boss picked up.

“How is she?” Beau asked in greeting.

“Don’t know. Any chance you could find out for me? It’ll be a while before I can get there.”

Gage had friends in low places and dozens of people who owed him favors, but none of those IOUs would come in handy now. Beau had more friends than Gage had scars, and that was saying a lot.

“I’ll call you back when I know.”

Gage tossed the phone to the side and stared at the road ahead. Thea was injured and stuck with the man who killed their dad, and Gage hoped Beau had quick friends or else he might lose his mind before he got to Cody.

2

HADLEY

Hadley brushed a curry comb over Star’s jaw. The Palomino’s golden coat had a shine to it that women often paid the big bucks for at salons. “You’re so pretty. Do you know that?” Hadley whispered.

She had just enough education about the horses to be helpful, but someone still needed to be around to answer her never-ending questions.

Jess marched from the tack room to her tiny office in the stables and slammed the door. Star jolted at the thud, and Hadley rested a hand on the horse’s side.

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