By nightfall, both Hunter and Em were completely wiped out. There weren’t going to be the normal challenges of getting them to sleep that evening. Sophia left for home directly from the theater, and Rhonny scooted off to meet Gary for a late dinner, which left Gage and Trent to take the kids home together. Both tuckered tikes crashed on the ride home, sound asleep before they’d reached the driveway.
Trent carried Hunter inside, while Gage carried a sleeping Em. Gage hadn’t been a part of his nightly parenting duties before, and Trent wasn’t sure it was a good idea to involve him now, but it did make things easier with both the kids passed out.
“If you can put her in bed, I’ll be there in a minute to get her in her PJs,” Trent whispered, taking Hunter into his room. The boy never woke as he undressed him and put on his pajamas. As he passed by Em’s bedroom door, he heard Gage talking quietly to her. She laid in her bed, changed into her pajamas, and Gage sat on the edge of her bed, reading to her. Her little eyes drifted closed again, and he knew Gage wouldn’t be in there too much longer.
Leaving the doorway, he went to get Gage’s duffle bag from the entryway where he’d left it this morning. He assumed Gage would be spending the night. Gage’s car sat parked in the driveway where someone had dropped it off at some point during the day. As he picked up the bag, he started to put it down again, wondering if he were reading the situation correctly—maybe Gage didn’t plan to stay. A sudden movement caused him to turn with a start and Gage stood behind him.
“Shit, you scared me,” Trent said with a grin, putting the bag down.
“What are you doing?” Gage demanded.
“I was gonna put this in my room, then I thought you might not be planning to stay,” Trent said, looking Gage over. Something was clearly wrong. His smile faded and he felt the crease begin in his brow as he tried to work through the change he saw in Gage. Gage’s face was masked in anger. Trent stepped toward him, concerned at what might have happened in the last thirty seconds to upset Gage. “What’s wrong?”
Gage stood there staring at him, the anger radiating in waves, but Gage said nothing. Gage finally moved, walking around him, grabbing his duffle, slinging it over his shoulder in a possessive move. The gesture clear. Nothing lost in the translation of the action, but it was still one Trent didn’t understand at all. Gage put miles of distance between them in that one move. The ache forming in his heart threatened to win against the confusion crashing through his brain. Trent then noticed the framed picture Gage held.
“What are you doing with Em’s picture?” Trent asked, but took a step back. Everything Gage put out to him told him to back the fuck off, so he did.
“Who is this, Trent?” Gage said, thrusting his hand forward, showing Trent the photo.
“It’s my sister and her husband; it’s Em’s parents,” Trent said, and crossed his arms over his chest. The pain there crushed him as he looked at his sister on this day, the day of her death, and up at this man who made everything better until this very moment. What had happened?
“These are Em’s parents?” Gage said, turning the picture back around to look it over. A sneer formed across his face.
“Yes, Gage, what’s going on?” Trent asked, almost pleaded, as he spoke.
“You tell me,” Gage demanded.
“I don’t know,” he said quietly back, and took another step back in sheer protection mode. The man in front of him wasn’t the one he’d spent the day with; this man was threatening, and he had no idea what was going on, what had upset Gage so badly.
“Who are you?” Gage stalked toward him, getting in his face.
“What?” Trent asked.
“Did you draw me here on purpose? Did you forget to put this up? Have I walked into a trap?” Gage demanded, stepping in farther, directly into Trent’s personal space, just short of bumping his chest.
“What are you talking about?” Trent said and took another step back. His own anger starting to surface.
“Am I being recorded? Are you being paid? Don’t fucking lie to me anymore, Trent.” Gage yelled the last sentence, and Trent heard the kid’s rustling in their beds.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Gage,” Trent said, glancing down the hall to see if either was up yet. A sound beeped on Gage’s phone, and he finally backed off, going to the front door.
“You can tell whoever the fuck you’re working with I have you completely surrounded. When I walk out this door, I’m being watched. All my men are being watched. Take me down, and it won’t save him.” Gage didn’t wait for a response as he pushed through the door, leaving it open, and jogged to his car, the lock clicking open as he ran. The framed photo still in his hand. He took off in the car, pealing the little Prius out of the drive, and two cars started in the neighborhood, following behind him. Trent went out on the front porch and stood, staring after them. Nothing about what just happened made any sense. Why would he record Gage? Record him doing what? Trent looked out into the night, took several steps out on his porch and looked around. Was he being watched? Had Gage lost his mind? Why would he be watched?
****
Gage wasn’t out of Trent’s driveway before he had his head of security on the phone. He’d sent a Code Red via text while standing in Em’s room after seeing the picture, in order for him to get out of the house as safely as possible. Code Red indicated the highest possible alert for his security team. Everyone went on lockdown the moment it was given. Over the years, they’d only had three Code Reds. Hopkins answered on the third ring, and Gage knew his entire team would be in a frenzy of work right now.