Page 19 of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Gage.

I answer.

“Hey, beautiful,” he says. And I can hear the smile in his voice.

“Hey,” I whisper back.

Do I tell him about that creepy, what had he told me his name was? Michael, maybe? I’m thinking Michael. Do I tell Gage about that creepy Michael guy?

No. Better not. At least not yet.

“You’re never going to believe it. Duke’s got himself a woman.” That smile in his voice grows into full-on laughter.

“I’m sure he has many.” Not enough energy to cook, I grab the ring bologna and block of Colby-Jack from the fridge. Then the box of whole wheat crackers from the cupboard. I pile all that on a large platter along with a steak knife, then grab my beer and walk into the living room, where I plop down onto the sofa.

“No, I mean he has an old lady. And she’s the doctor. The one who delivered baby Gun,” he says, making me choke on the sip of beer I’d just taken. “At least that’s what the brothers report.”

His response strikes me as curious. “What the brothers report? You aren’t at the compound?”

He stays quiet.

“Gage?” I prompt.

“Can’t be there without you. Your shampoo just isn’t cutting it anymore. Everything reminds me of you,” he admits softly.

Those words couldn’t have hurt any more if they’d been delivered with a punch to the gut. I’ve run him from his club. His family. I feel nauseous. “Where are you at?”

“Been out riding for a while now. Your brother and Boss have been keeping me company.”

“That’s nice.” But we both know it’s not nice. Boss should be home with his family. And Gage should be here with me. I stare at the plate of food wishing he was here for snack dinner with me.

“Liv?” he calls to my silence. “You still there, baby?”

“I’m here. Was going to have snack dinner tonight.”

He goes quiet again, too. “Remember the last time we had snack dinner, we were watching that movie in bed. You laughed so hard, you flipped the plate. We were brushing crumbs out of the bed all night.” Then, all humor gone, he asks, “You were just pretending then, weren’t you?” That breaks my heart. But I can’t correct him.

“When are you going to give up on me?” I don’t know where the words come from, but they needed to be said and suddenly need to hear the answer.

“Never, Liv. I’m never giving up on you. When I’m ninety-five, senile and living in a home, I want it to be your face that I turn to look at and can’t remember.”

I start to laugh but break out in tears.

“Hey… Shh… baby. No tears. It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay, Gage. I’m keeping us apart and I miss you so damn much. But I can’t go back. I can’t. He’s there.”

“Baby,” he says, then pauses. “Let me come to you, then. I won’t try to force you back. We’ll stay where you are until he’s caught. Please.Please, Liv.”

“Is that my sister?” asks a voice in the background. Then the phone rustles. “Quit dicking around and come home, Liv,” My brother says into the line.

I gasp, then quickly bite my bottom lip to attempt to keep Raif from hearing me cry. I don’t think it works. He definitely doesn’t care. Hasn’t that been the story of our lives?

“My boy’s balls are blue and he’s mopey. Chaos is never mopey. Do something. Come back or let him go—ouch.”

The phone rustles again. “Sorry, baby. Don’t listen to him. This is between you and me. I will come to you.”

“Would you be able to lay low? Could you keep our location from your brothers? These are questions you need to ask yourself. Bikes call attention wherever they go. I don’t want Houdini to find me. Could you give up the biker life until he’s found?” I cry even harder now. When he doesn’t answer, I’m sure of his answer. “Bye, Gage. I love you,” I say and abruptly disconnect.

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