Gage Read online

  Gage would have to postpone that fight.

  After he had Lynette far away from this place.

  “We can use the Hummer,” Gage instructed.

  He took Lynette’s hand and got her moving down the stairs. That way, if Ford or someone else did start shooting, the bullets wouldn’t be able to get to Lynette. Of course, that meant pulling Dalvetti’s body out of the vehicle first, and it wouldn’t be a pleasant task with Lynette right there to watch. Gage wished there were another way because Lynette had already seen enough death for one night.

  Kade hurried to the driver’s side of the Hummer, and he looked in. His brother cursed. “Get away from the vehicle!” he shouted. “Now!”

  Gage didn’t ask why, and neither did his other brothers. All of them started to run.

  Nate and Kade raced back outside and Dade ran deeper into the hall. Gage headed back upstairs with Lynette and braced himself for whatever the hell was about to happen.

  Behind them, the Hummer burst into flames.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Lynette caught just a glimpse of the fire before Gage put her back down on the steps and flattened himself over her.

  “Dalvetti rigged the fire,” she heard Gage say.

  So, that’s why it had simply burst into flames. Maybe the man had done that to destroy evidence. Or considering it was Dalvetti’s vehicle, maybe it was meant to kill them. A way to reach out from beyond death and make sure they all died with him.

  If they’d gotten inside, it might have done just that.

  “The gas tank could explode,” Gage told her.

  Lynette hadn’t exactly started to breathe easier, but she had thought for a moment that at least one threat was gone.

  Apparently not.

  Gage caught on to her again, pulling her to her feet, and they raced up the remainder of the steps together. She had just a glimpse of Nate and Kade, both outside, and both were hurrying across the parking lot and away from the Hummer time bomb. She couldn’t see Dade, but she prayed he was doing the same.

  When they reached the top, Gage slowed and looked around. First at the long stretch of offices just behind the balcony to their right and then at the equally long corridor on their left. Both were pitch-black, and he pushed up the light switch on the wall.

  Nothing happened.

  Lynette wanted to curse. “Someone’s cut the power,” she whispered.

  Maybe Dalvetti or one of his men was responsible. Maybe her father. But she doubted it was a power outage. No. Someone had done this to give him or her an advantage for either escape or attack.

  She figured with their luck, it was the latter.

  “We have to find a way out,” Gage insisted. “Keep watch behind us.”

  She managed a nod. Managed to make brief eye contact with him, too. Gage was focused on the situation, on getting them out of there, but he took a second to brush a kiss on her cheek. Then, he was all cowboy secret agent again.

  Behind them, at the bottom of the stairs, there was a thick blast, a lot louder than the one that’d disabled the cruiser. It rumbled through the building, shaking every inch of it.

  Oh, mercy.

  Lynette had braced herself for the gas tank to explode, but she’d had no idea that it would be that loud. Framed pictures tumbled from the walls and crashed to the floor, and bits of the acoustic ceiling hailed down on them. But the walls held.

  Thank God.

  Now, she only hoped that Gage’s brothers had gotten far enough away from the blast so they weren’t injured. She hated every moment of this. The fear. The worry. The realization that Gage and his brothers could die because of her. Because of her father.

  “There’s a fire escape at the back of the building,” she let Gage know.

  Basically, it was a metal landing with stairs leading down to the ground. Maybe Ford hadn’t managed to block it somehow. Also maybe the fire department was already on the way because she was certain that by now someone had called them. Especially since the gas tank explosion had no doubt started a fire.

  The back of the building wasn’t really that far. Only about sixty feet. But between the fire escape and them were offices.

  Lots of them.

  Plenty of places for someone to hide.

  Lynette prayed that all of Dalvetti’s men were gone or dead, and she added to her prayer that her father had retreated, as well. Of course, that left Patrick or Nicole. Her father could have told one or both about this meeting. In fact, he could have arranged the get-together so that either Patrick or Nicole would be the triggerman to kill Gage.

  That way, her father could get someone else to do his dirty work.

  The anger slammed through her, along with the fear that they were still in danger. Always would be. As long as her father drew breath. Because even though he’d failed tonight didn’t mean there wouldn’t be another episode.

  When the black smoke began to coil its way up the stairs, Gage and she picked up the pace and started down the hall. Lynette put her back to Gage and kept her gun ready. Even though she’d missed the henchman when she’d fired, she tried to keep her hand steady. Tried to be ready for anything.

  They passed the first office. The door was closed, and she checked to make sure it was locked.

  It was.

  Of course, someone could have locked it from inside, but at least she might be able to hear the person when or if they tried to open the door and attack.

  She repeated the process with the next office. And the next. Until they’d made it nearly halfway down the hall.

  The sound stopped both Gage and her.

  She lifted her head, listening.

  Was it the crackling noise from the fire? Yet something else falling from the blast?

  Or was it something worse?

  There were a lot of things that could fit into that something worse category.

  “See anything?” Gage whispered.

  Lynette looked around, but it was too dark to see much. There was smoke, thready streams near the stairs, but she didn’t see anything else. However, she did hear something.

  Sirens.

  The fire department was on the way, though they might not just go bursting into the building until they’d assessed the situation. It was also possible they couldn’t get in the building and might have to try to extinguish the fire from outside.

  “Let’s go,” Gage insisted, and he started to move again.

  An icy chill went through her, and even though she hadn’t seen anything, Lynette sensed that something was wrong.

  She heard the soft click on her left and pivoted in that direction.

  But it was already too late.

  Someone threw open one of those office doors and knocked the weapon from her hand. It clattered onto the floor.

  And before she could retrieve it, there was someone pointing a gun right at her.

  * * *

  GAGE DIDN’T MISS the small gasp that Lynette made.

  He turned just in time to see her gun go flying. He also saw the person who’d caused the gasp and the fallen gun.

  Ford.

  But while Lynette was no longer armed, her father sure was. And he had his firearm aimed at Lynette. And not just at her. Toward her stomach.

  Hell.

  This was about to get ugly fast. Especially since his brothers were no doubt trying to make their way to Lynette and him. There were a lot of possibilities for mistakes, distractions and especially bullets.

  “Drop your gun,” Gage warned the man, and he went closer, even though he knew he didn’t have much bargaining power with that gun pointed at Lynette.

  “You move another foot, and there’ll be no more baby,” Ford warned right back.

  Lynette shook her head, motioning for Gage to stop. He did. But he couldn’t stop the rage at this monster threatening an unborn child.

  It took a special piece of slime to do that.

  “I guess this means no more stalemate,” Ford said with victory in his voice. “We
ll, there won’t be after you drop your weapons. And you will drop them. Put them on the floor and slide them against the wall.”

  Gage debated it. He hated to surrender both of his guns, but he couldn’t risk Ford shooting Lynette. Of course, once Gage was unarmed, he would try to shoot her anyway.

  Well, maybe.

  Lynette lowered her hand to her pocket. Ford reacted. Man, did he. He shoved the gun closer to her.

  “You said put down the weapons,” Lynette clarified.

  She fished around in her pocket and came out with a small police-issue handgun. No doubt something one of his brothers had given her. She eased it onto the floor and kicked it away from her.

  Too bad she hadn’t held on to it.

  Because they might need it before this was over.

  Whatever this was.

  Outside, he heard the fire engines screech to a stop. Good. They’d put out that fire, but it would be a while—too long—before they could climb up those stairs. That meant Gage had to buy them some time.

  “What’s this all about?” Gage demanded, looking straight at Ford. “Are you working with Patrick or Nicole?”

  Ford made a mock huffing sound. “No. Neither of them knows anything about this. They were just convenient tools. Or so I thought. I told them Lynette had found something incriminating, but sadly they didn’t do anything about it except make threats and get angry.”

  “You thought you’d incite one of them to kill me,” Lynette said. Her voice was surprisingly strong, and there was rage in it.

  Not good.

  Rage usually meant a person was willing to do something risky. Gage didn’t want her taking any more risks.

  “I thought Patrick and Nicole would scare you,” Ford corrected. “So that you’d come to me for help.”

  “To you for help?” Lynette questioned. “And why would I do that?”

  “I was your last resort. Well, after Gage. But I’d planned on Dalvetti getting him out of the picture tonight. You just can’t get good help these days, not even when they’re so-called bloodthirsty drug lords out for revenge. That idiot made a mess of things downstairs.”

  Gage had to fight back rage, too. How dare this SOB act so cavalierly about something so deadly. He wished he could beat Ford to a pulp. And he just might before this was over.

  “Your guns,” Ford reminded Gage. “Put them on the floor now.”

  Gage laid down his primary and kicked it in the direction of Lynette’s gun, but he took his time taking out the weapon from his slide holster in the back of his jeans. What he needed was a way out of this, and he wanted to hang on to his weapon as long as possible to make that happen.

  “Are you saying you had no plans to kill Lynette?” Gage asked. Yeah, it was a distraction question, but he really did want to know what was going on inside that sick mind.

  “No plans for that,” Ford assured him. “Still don’t have any. The hit man was just supposed to fire shots at her, that’s all.”

  “He didn’t listen,” Gage said through clenched teeth. “He fired into her dark bedroom.”

  Ford shrugged. “Disappointing, yes. But you took care of him for me. And Lynette. I appreciate that.”

  “Thanks,” Gage growled. But he damn sure hadn’t saved Lynette so he could hand her over to Ford like this. “What happens now? How are you not going to kill Lynette this time?”

  “Easy. When we’re done here, she’ll go back to the mental institution in Mexico for some experimental drug therapy. I’ve heard it does wonders for personality adjustment...and some memory loss. In a few months she might be ready for a return trip home.”

  Gage nearly broke his fingers with the hard grip he had on his backup weapon. He judged the angle, hoping he had a shot, but he didn’t. Ford had moved so that Lynette was essentially his human shield.

  “You’re going to brainwash me,” Lynette concluded.

  Ford lifted his shoulder. “I suppose you could call it that.”

  Yeah, it would be exactly that. God knows what those drugs would do to Lynette’s mind and the baby. Plus, Lynette wasn’t just going to submit. She’d fight back.

  And lose.

  Downstairs, Gage could hear the firemen entering the building. If that made Ford nervous, he darn sure didn’t show it. The man was cool and unruffled.

  “The stairs are impassable,” Ford remarked. “Don’t count on your firemen friends or your brothers to get up here to help you out.”

  Oh, but they would.

  But Gage rethought that when he studied the hallway and Ford made a sound deep within his throat. It sounded smug, or something.

  “What did you do?” Gage demanded.

  “I blocked the fire escape. No one’s coming in that way any time soon.”

  Gage didn’t bother cursing out loud, but that was not good news. Still, his brothers were resourceful, and they’d figure out a way to get in eventually. Gage got busy with some time-buying.

  “We’re really supposed to believe you don’t want

  Lynette dead?” Gage asked.

  “A shot to my stomach could kill me,” Lynette pointed out.

  Oh, man. She was shaking all over now, including her voice, and not from fear, either. If Gage didn’t do something soon, she was going to launch herself right at her father.

  “Then don’t take the risk,” Ford warned her. He used the barrel of his weapon to motion at Gage again. “Your gun, on the floor. If I have to repeat it again, Agent Ryland, I will pull this trigger.”

  Gage didn’t doubt it. And that meant he had just one shot at this. He would lean down. To the side. So that Lynette was no longer in his line of fire. Gage would pretend to put the gun on the floor.

  Then, he could yell for Lynette to get down.

  And Gage would fire.

  The plan sucked, and there were so many things that could go wrong. Too many. But their odds weren’t so hot with Ford calling the shots, either.

  “Can I say goodbye to Lynette?” Gage asked the man. It would be a fake goodbye, but he wanted to say it anyway. Every word might buy them some time, because he might be able to distract Ford.

  Or goad him into doing something he hadn’t planned—like aiming that gun at Gage instead of Lynette.

  If that happened, Ford was a dead man.

  Ford hesitated. “Make your goodbye quick.”

  Lynette’s back was to him, but she looked over her shoulder at him.

  “I’m glad I had you in my bed tonight,” Gage said. Words meant to set Ford’s teeth on edge. “It was like old times.”

  Lynette smiled. A forced one. But hey, if Ford could see it, it would still get to dear ol’ dad. “Gage, you’re the only man I’ve ever loved.”

  Okay.

  That didn’t sound like words for Ford. But for Gage.

  Years ago, she’d told him that she loved him. Too many times to count. But that was years ago. Before they’d broken each other’s heart and gone their separate ways. Before her father had ripped them apart.

  Something he was still trying his damnedest to do.

  Lynette’s fake smile faded, and even though he couldn’t see them, Gage thought there might be tears in her eyes. “And I’ll love you and this baby until the day I die.”

  Ford made a sound of utter disgust.

  Gage still had hold of his gun, but he wasn’t in position to fire because Lynette was in front of her father.

  But time had run out.

  The risk of staying put was far greater than the risk of doing what he had to do. Gage pushed Lynette out of the way and came up ready to fire. He did.

  So did Ford.

  Both shots blasted through the air.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Lynette shouted for her father to stop. But she knew it wouldn’t do any good.

  He fired at Gage anyway.

  It missed, thank God.

  The shot slammed into the wall next to Gage.

  But her father immediately ducked into the dark office, and he re
aimed. Fired.

  She watched the whole nightmare unfold. In slow motion. As she tumbled to the floor. Helpless to do anything to stop another bullet from slamming into Gage.

  And it did.

  The bullet tore through Gage’s right arm.

  Lynette landed hard on her shoulder, out of harm’s way. But not Gage. He was in the worst place possible—out in the open and in a direct line of fire. Her father was ready to pull the trigger again.

  And she couldn’t let that happen.

  Heaven knows how badly Gage was already hurt, and she couldn’t risk another shot.

  She kicked at her father and barely made contact with his shin. It was just enough to distract him. He looked down. Her father aimed the gun.

  At her.

  Gage made a feral sound, and despite his gunshot wound, he dived right at Ford. They collided and went flying back deeper into the office.

  Lynette didn’t know if her father had managed to hang on to his gun, but if he had, it was only a matter of time before he’d fire it again. She scurried across the floor and retrieved the handgun that Dade had given her before they left the sheriff’s office.

  She took aim.

  But couldn’t shoot.

  The darkness was only part of the problem. Her father and Gage were in a fight for their lives, their bodies tangled around each other, and it would be impossible to fire and not risk hitting Gage.

  She saw Gage’s fist slam against her father’s face. But she also saw something else.

  The gun in her father’s hand.

  Her heart sank. Because his finger was still on the trigger.

  She wanted to shout to Gage to be careful, but at this point, her warning would only be an unnecessary distraction. Lynette tried to remind herself that he was a trained federal agent. He’d no doubt been in situations like this. But he was hurt and unarmed.

  He needed her help.

  Lynette inched forward, waiting and looking for any chance to kick her father or even shoot. The chance didn’t come. Ford angled the gun.

  Fired again.

  And Lynette watched in horror as the bullet slammed into Gage’s chest. He flew back, gasping for air.

  Maybe dying.