Page 33 of Forbidden Secrets
“You good?”Gage moved to the French door that opened to the patio, his gaze searching the area behind the house.Bushes bordering the yard, garden area, barn, but no sign of Nike.
“I’m fine.Where are you?”
“Your office.One subject came in through the slider.He’s down and tied up in the entryway.The rest of the house is clear.The other subject’s outside so that’s where I’m going.Stay where you are.”
“Dammit.Okay.”
“Good girl.”
“Shut up.”
He barked out a laugh.“Fair enough.”
There was a pause and he thought she’d hung up.
“Gage?I know you’re trained, but don’t be reckless.I don’t want you hurt.Let him go if it comes to that.I mean it.”
“I’ll be careful.”
He pocketed his phone and eased open the door to step outside.The wail of sirens echoed off the mountain.Backup was close.
Nike must have come to the same conclusion.He broke from the trees between their properties and fled down the driveway.Taking off in pursuit, Gage reached the road just as Nike reached his car.
Gage didn’t break stride.He launched forward, slamming into the suspect and driving him to the ground with a bone-jarring tackle.
By the time the sheriff’s vehicles got there, Gage had his suspect with his face in the dirt and his arms behind his back.
Sawyer exited an SUV and tossed Gage a pair of handcuffs.“What’s the situation?”
After securing the cuffs, Gage and a deputy pulled the suspect to his feet.The deputy did the pat down and netted another knife and a pack of Lucky Strikes.No ID.
Gage narrowed his eyes as recognition clicked.“This is the guy driving the Tundra.He was up on the ridge watching Mel’s house.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about.Never been on any ridge.”The guy’s voice rasped like he smoked a couple packs of those Lucky Strikes a day.
“It’s him,” Gage said flatly.“He was taking pictures of her.”
“I want a lawyer.”
Sawyer snapped a quick photo of the guy and directed the deputy to take him to the station.
“Come on,” Gage said, motioning Sawyer and another deputy up the drive.“Melanie locked herself in the bathroom.The other intruder’s detained inside.House is clear.”
They approached the open slider.A thump and a sharp voice echoed from inside.
“I told you not to move, jackass.That’s on you.”
Gage sprinted through the house.
The little table in the entryway was overturned.Black Hat had managed to flip himself to his side, legs awkwardly bound in yarn.It wasn’t clear where he thought he was going, but Melanie stood over him with a thick hardback in her hand like she meant business.
Relief hit Gage hard, sharp and unexpected.Long legs, ruffled hair, and brown eyes that sparked with enough heat to start a blaze hit him as crazy sexy.
He crossed the room and caught her arm, drawing her away from the intruder.“You hit him with that book, sweetheart?”
“I saw from the bathroom window you had the other guy.You said this one was restrained.”She lifted her chin.“When I walked past, he kicked at me.Tried to knock me down.So yeah, I hit him.”
“I told you to stay put.”
