Page 7 of Love in the Wild

Hadley lowered the brush in her hand to her side. Where was her optimism today? Her sister got a happily ever after, but she wasn’t holding out hope that things would work out that way for her.

A bang reverberated through the stables from Jess’s office followed by shouts. Yeah, Brett really needed to consider taking the day off tomorrow.

3

GAGE

Agray-haired female nurse looked up from her computer and rattled off Thea’s room number. Gage slapped his hand down on the counter before throwing a hasty thanks over his shoulder.

He hurried down the hallway, following the nurse’s directions. Every number he passed amped up his heart rate. Who knew what kind of state she’d be in? Thea had been here all night alone before he could get to the hospital.

The clinical smell tingled his nose as he sucked in deep breaths. It had been a quick minute since he’d been in a hospital, and the eerie silence of the early morning was enough to tangle up his nerves. Thea was here, and he was so close.

Pushing open the door next to the number he’d been told, Gage stepped into the dimly lit room. A woman lay on the bed, but that wasn’t the first thing that caught his attention. Brett Patton straightened from where he sat beside the bed, revealing a white button-up shirt covered in blood.

Thea’s blood.

Gage’s jaw locked as he took two steps, meeting Brett in the middle of the room. Every muscle in Gage’s body tensed and coiled, aching to be released at the threat to his sister that stood in front of him.

“I’ll kill you,” Gage spat as he pushed Brett’s shoulders, sending him tumbling back into the chair.

Brett scoffed and stood. “I’d love to see you try.”

Gage leaned forward, going nose-to-nose with Brett. “I should’a done it when I had the chance.”

“And when was that? I don’t recall you ever having the upper hand.”

Brett didn’t know what kind of danger he’d been in for the last five years. Gage might have hated his dad, but revenge still boiled his blood and got him out of bed every morning. He’d kept one eye on Brett and one ear to the ground this entire time.

The only thing that kept Gage from pulling the trigger was knowing he’d be suspect number one if Brett ended up dead. One threat against Thea would be gone, but Gage wouldn’t be able to keep her safe from the handful of others still running around.

“Did you do it?” Brett asked as he shoved Gage’s shoulders.

Gage regained his footing and set his stance. “Touch me again. I’d be happy to tear your hand off.”

Thea was the only thing keeping Gage from laying into Brett. If he got kicked out of the hospital or thrown in jail, how could he protect her?

“Did you do it?” Brett repeated.

“I didn’t touch her, but I don’t answer to you. You probably did this to her.”

Brett’s eyes narrowed. “I would never hurt her.”

That was rich. This guy was the reason Thea’s life was in danger, and he had the guts to play innocent.

“But you killed our dad. You didn’t have a problem hurting her then, did you?”

“I didn’t do it!”

A laugh bellowed from Gage’s chest. “I don’t believe you for a second.”

He’d heard the confession straight from Brett’s mouth five years ago. He might have gotten away with murder, but he was one hundred percent guilty.

Brett slammed the side of his fist against the stone wall beside them and pointed to where Thea lay on the bed. “Who did this?”

Wasn’t that the million-dollar question? Though, Gage was pretty sure he was staring at the guilty one. Brett had plenty of motives to hurt Thea, and he’d pay for what he’d done to her.

But not here. Gage needed access to Thea, and he’d get kicked out and probably hauled to jail if he rearranged Brett’s face right now.

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