Page 4 of Silver Secrets

“Well, as you can see, I’m in one piece.” Her eyes dropped to her watch. “But I do need to get going. My lunches for the week aren’t going to make themselves.”

“Red, I?—”

Sloane fought the urge to roll her eyes, slap her hands on her hips, and stick her tongue out at Gage. He knew she found the nickname ridiculous, but he still continued to use it.

“You could have given me literally a million different nicknames, and you chose to give me one based on the color of my hair? Do you know how many years I had to go to school to work in my chosen field?” Sloane grabbed the brightly colored box of cereal, wrapping her arms around it like a shield. “Why does Stone get to keep the nickname ‘Doc’ when I’m the one who has a doctorate?”

“Why do you think the guys call you ‘the good doc’? Besides, I like it when you’re feisty,” he said, completely dodging her small rant. “I would not have pegged you as a Fruity O’s fan, though.”

“I’m a grown woman, Gage. I can be strong, and demanding, and still enjoy a little of life’s whimsy.”

He held his hands up before brushing past her, missing contact by only an inch, to grab a box of chocolate rice puffs. She didn’t hold back the eye roll then.

“Looks like I’m not the only one who prefers children’s cereal.”

Gage’s face fell as he looked down at the box in his hand. “These were my son’s favorite. I like to eat them on the mornings when I’m really missing him.” There was no malice in his words, just truth.

“Gage…”

He turned his back and placed the box into the cart. “I’ll see you around, Sloane. Get home safe.” The cart moved past her in the opposite direction she was walking in. “And if you really don’t like the nickname, I’ll make sure I don’t use it again.” His whispered words were gone almost as fast as he took off.

Three

Fuck. Figuring out the issue inside the simulator coding for The Trident was going to be the death of him. Every time he fixed one problem, he ran into fifteen more.

The guys had successfully launched the training facility before the holidays, and from the feedback they’d gotten in the months since the doors opened, it was a huge success. They were swamped with SWAT and FBI teams coming in to use the simulator, which happened to be the first and only of its kind in the nation. Not everyone had a rich ass boss that could sink a few hundred million dollars into completing a project as quickly as they had with The Trident. Never mind what it must have cost Sebastian to get access to the kind of technology they were using to create realistic tactical simulations for the trainees. And it wasn’t just the simulator bringing clients to Silver Springs. They had requests from nearly every law enforcement agency in Texas asking to book out their shooting range and teaching classrooms. Although work on The Trident wouldn’t truly be complete for another year or two, the spaces they had operational were really helping to make a name for the business.

Gage was swamped making sure that all the scenarios each group requested could actually be performed on the simulator floor, on top of making sure all the security measures for the company were tamper-proof.

Seb had hired out an entire team of cyber-security guys to help get not only The Trident on complete lock down, but also Montgomery Defense and the building as a whole. Sloane’s office was the only other business in the complex, but the guys all lived in the apartments above, and safety was always going to be their top priority. Was it a little overboard to besosecure in the sleepy little town of Silver Springs? Yeah. But who was Gage to argue with Cap? The guy had gone through the worst situation with his fiance, Emma. Whatever he wanted to do to feel like his friends and family were safe, Gage wasn’t going to begrudge him. Hell, if he’d been able to throw money at saving his family… he’d have spent every last penny and then some to make sure they were okay.

His eyes dropped to the bottom of his screen. A program was running in the background, one that he always kept open since a beautiful redhead walked into his office almost a year before asking for a favor. The cursor hovered over the icon as he tried to resist checking on her.

Not surprisingly, he failed. A second later, the program was up, front and center, on his monitor. The worry in his chest eased as he watched the beacon flash from inside the building. She was safe at work.

“Yo, Tracker.” Hawk strolled into the office with a shit eating grin on his face.

“What’s got you so happy?”

“Just saw Jessie. She’s been my server the last couple of times I’ve been to Dolly’s. Can’t say I mind.”

Gage took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm.

“You’re going to get yourself in trouble with her. She’s barely legal.”

“She’s twenty-five, grandpa. I’m not crossing any lines I shouldn’t.”

“I don’t want Dolly coming in here trying to beat your ass for messing with her daughter. Christ! You’ve met Jessie’s brothers. You think Beau or Colt are going to take kindly to you messing around with their sister? I’m not standing between them and you if they come in here looking to defend her honor.”

“You’re fucking wound up this morning. It’s nothing more than a little harmless flirting.”

“Right. Look, have fun, but please don’t get us banned from the diner. You know her rhubarb pie is my favorite. And it’s not like we’re going to be able to convince Rudy that pie needs to go on the menu at Davney’s.”

“Gage, you’re such a suck up, I have no doubt even if Dolly did get pissed at me, she’d still let you have your pie.” Hawk brought his coffee cup up to his mouth and took a long sip.

“Why are you in my office? Just to gloat about chasing your girl or what?”

“Nah. You know I’m not really chasing her. It’s just fun to flirt. To know I still got it. Not like I want to settle down just yet. I’ve still got some wild oats in me to sow.”

---