Guarding Hope

She shook her head, reached over, and turned up the radio to stop their conversation as well as hear the song that played while they drove. Gage smiled and let the subject drop for the time being.

“We’re almost there.”

Hope fidgeted, grabbing at the edge of her T-shirt and twirling it with her fingers and letting it go. Her heart raced, and her stomach did flips. She gasped when she felt Gage grab her hand.

“Relax. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. No one is going to take you from me, so let’s go have some fun, shop, and get something to eat.”

They entered Austin city limits, then he pulled into a large strip mall. Gage knew it would be too busy for her hunters to find her, plus they had several stores they needed, including a phone store. The first department store resulted in three outfits and two pairs of shoes. She shocked him when she pulled out her wallet and paid for the clothes in cash. Unwilling to bring it up in front of the store clerk, he waited until they exited the store.

“Where did you get all that money?”

“It’s money I saved up over the years. You’ve done everything for me. I don’t want you to pay for all of my clothes too.”

“Well, how about you save that money and let me take care of it?”

“I just… Well, it’s nice to do this for myself.”

“Fine, but when we buy your cell phone, I will be buying it. I don’t want your name on anything, so they can’t search for it.”

She nodded in agreement. He took her bags and carried them in one hand and led her to the next store. She paid for herself until they purchased the cell phone.

“Are you hungry?” Gage asked her, holding all her bags in one hand. He heard her stomach growl in the last store but decided not to mention it. One lesson he learned working with women was that you never bring up accidental bodily functions.

“I’m starving.” She exaggeratedly rubbed her belly.

“What do you want to eat?” He didn’t care where they ate, but his stomach was about to sound like a tuba if he didn’t eat soon.

“Can we eat in the mall?”

“Sure. Which place do you want?”

“Hmm…Panda Express.”

“Okay. Let’s go over there and get some food.”

They picked out their dishes and laughed at how they both selected completely different entrees. As they ate, he offered a taste of his food and vice versa.

“These were all good.”

“It’s definitely nice to get out like this and have dinner with the most enchanting woman in the world.”

Chapter 11

“We’ve got nothin’, boss,” Jimmy informed Cummings as they stood in his office.

The older man pretended to be calm, his face stoic and his body relaxed as he undid his suit jacket. “Well, you ain’t trying hard enough.” Before either John or Jimmy knew it, Cummings pulled the trigger, shooting Jimmy right between the eyes. The deafening shot sent John jumping backward.

Three of Cummings’s men rushed into the room with their guns out, assessing the situation.

“Clean this mess up, or you’ll be next,” he told his men. With a pointed glare, he bared his teeth and warned John, “Find her or you’ll be with your friend, here.”

“Yes, sir.”

Helping the men dispose of his less-than-a-human buddy, John remembered Cummings’s words. He had no idea where to find her and would soon end up just like Jimmy.

John stood up and left the dump site with Jimmy’s SUV. After parking it on the estate, he hopped into his Cadillac and fled the estate before Cummings summoned him. He had somewhere to start looking for her.

Just as they finished up their meal, Gage received a message from Dax.

We’ve found an insider.

Gage dropped his fork onto his tray involuntarily. He typed the message without even looking up to see the curious expression on Hope’s face.

What do you mean? That was fast as fuck.

He just showed up.

Gage typed furiously into his phone, wondering why someone would cave so easily. Had they been listening to my conversation with Dax? It was possible that we’d been wiretapped without knowing it. Shit.

He replied: I don’t trust it.

He’s got valuable information on him.

Be safe, and don’t let him get you alone. Let me know when and what you need from me.

Hope looked on as Gage typed away on his phone without looking up or speaking. She sat quietly and ate, biding her time. Once he set down his phone, he blurted out, “Dax says that someone is talking.”

Her eyes darted open widely. The thought of someone snitching on her father seemed unfathomable. They knew that he had ways of getting to people and how ruthless he could be. “So soon? Didn’t we just ask on the ride in?” she questioned.

Gage flailed his hands and shook his head lightly. “I know. It’s nuts. He claims the guy just walked into his office.”