Page 38 of The Flame of Carson
“Do it.I have faith that you and Jimmy and Cain’s guy have enough contacts to help us.”Ethan said.
Tony nodded and picked up the phone.Gage and Ethan turned and walked out of the tech lab.Gage finally felt a spark of hope that maybe now they would have a way to find the fucker who had been targeting Stacey.
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Stacey sat at her deskreading a new manuscript that had just arrived.So far it seemed promising.It had the makings of a wonderful story but would definitely need more polishing.Sitting the manuscript aside, she opened her email and shot off an email to her boss along with copies of the manuscript and query letter she had scanned earlier.She hoped her boss would agree to pursue this.After hitting send, she sighed and leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms over her head.Her lunch with Alora and Krista was fun and relaxing but she still couldn’t shake the possible new theory she was developing.She was brought out of her thoughts by her desk phone.
“Stacey Carlin.”
“Hey Stacey.”
“Walt!Oh, it’s so good to hear your voice.”She sighed in relief.“How are you feeling?”
“Like I got the crap kicked out of me by a bulldozer.”Walt chuckled lightly.“Apparently, I’m doing well enough that they’re releasing me in the morning.And before you ask, no I’m not going back to my place.I’m going to be staying with Eliza at her place for a while.”
Stacey let out a relieved breath.Eliza was Walt’s longtime girlfriend.She was also a NYC cop and a fellow martial artist.“Good.I would be going crazy if I knew you were staying alone after what happened.Has Sherman told you what’s going on?”
“I know this guy shot up Gage’s house and has started with the flowers and e-mails again.”
“That’s about it.I’ve decided not to read the emails anymore and when I get one, I just shoot them off to Blackout and the Feds.It’s keeping me from losing my mind trying to figure out who this asshat is and where I know him from.”
There was silence on the other end for a few moments before Walt spoke again.His voice gave away the nervousness about what he was saying.“Stacey, have you considered that you don’t actually know this guy?”
Stacey sighed, “I’ve been starting to think the same thing.I’m going to wait another day or so before I say anything to Gage.God, I hope I’m wrong.If this is someone that I don’t know...that is an even more dangerous problem for me.It means that he picked me at random and that’s a scary thought in itself.”
“It is, but in this day and age anything could happen.Besides this creep, how are things going in Austin?”Walt said, changing the subject.
“Things are going well.Everyone here has been very welcoming.I’m in love with my assistant Judith.Krista’s new book is coming along swimmingly and if things keep going like this, it will be finished ahead of schedule.I’m loving my house too.I can’t wait for you and Eliza to come out and see it.”Stacey beamed, leaning back in her chair.
“Me either.How are things with Gage?Is he as happy about you moving here as you are?”
“Oh yeah.Things with Gage are going great.”
Walt chuckled,“Sounds like you might be in love Stacey.”
Stacey laughed.As she kept talking with Walt, she couldn’t help but think about what he said.Was she in love with Gage?Oh yes, she knew she was falling deeper and deeper every day, but would she call it love?She was pretty sure it was, but hearing someone else point it out made it hit home more.Maybe it was time to stop beating around the bush and just flat out tell Gage what she was feeling.Stacey just hoped she wasn’t jumping the gun.It would devastate her if he wasn’t on the same page.
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Gage was surprisedto find Stacey’s car sitting in his driveway.As he pulled in beside her, the woman in questioned opened her car door and slid out.Gage drank her in for a moment as she walked around the hood of his truck to the driver’s side door.Today she was dressed in a knee length dress of sapphire blue that hugged her body like a second skin.Her hair was down and framed her beautiful face.It didn’t look like she was wearing any make-up, but that wasn’t surprising.Stacey rarely wore any to work.When he had asked her why, she simply stated it would be rubbed off by the end of the day anyway, so why bother.The look was topped off with a pair of black knee-high heeled boots.Gage would love nothing more to take her inside, go upstairs to his bedroom and screw her brains out as she wore only those damned boots.
Pushing those thoughts away, Gage killed the engine, grabbed his bag from the passenger seat and climbed out of the truck.“Hey babe.This is a surprise.”
“I figured I’d surprise you.”Stacey smiled with a shrug.
Gage reached out and pulled her to him and kissed her.Oh, he didn’t miss the look in her expressive eyes.Something was on her mind.He slowly broke the kiss and keeping his arm around her, led them to the front door.He would be patient and let her speak up first.One thing he had learned about Stacey over the last two years was that once something was on her mind, she usually didn’t keep it to herself for too long.Once inside, he dropped his bag on the table in the entry way along with his keys.
“Care for a beer?”he asked.
“A beer sounds good right now.”She answered, relaxing a little.
“How was your day?”Gage inquired as they entered the kitchen.
“It was productive.I received a book with potential and sent it to my boss.I really hope he takes it on.Oh, it needs a little work sure, but I think it would be a perfect fit for our romantic suspense line.”Stacey said, leaning against the kitchen counter.“Krista said you finally got the bullet holes and stuff patched and fixed upstairs.”
