3. Gage

3

GAGE

A gray-haired female nurse looked up from her computer and rattled off Thea's room number. Gage slapped his hand down on the counter before throwing a hasty thanks over his shoulder.

He hurried down the hallway, following the nurse's directions. Every number he passed amped up his heart rate. Who knew what kind of state she'd be in? Thea had been here all night alone before he could get to the hospital.

The clinical smell tingled his nose as he sucked in deep breaths. It had been a quick minute since he'd been in a hospital, and the eerie silence of the early morning was enough to tangle up his nerves. Thea was here, and he was so close.

Pushing open the door next to the number he'd been told, Gage stepped into the dimly lit room. A woman lay on the bed, but that wasn't the first thing that caught his attention. Brett Patton straightened from where he sat beside the bed, revealing a white button-up shirt covered in blood.

Thea's blood.

Gage's jaw locked as he took two steps, meeting Brett in the middle of the room. Every muscle in Gage's body tensed and coiled, aching to be released at the threat to his sister that stood in front of him.

"I'll kill you," Gage spat as he pushed Brett's shoulders, sending him tumbling back into the chair.

Brett scoffed and stood. "I'd love to see you try."

Gage leaned forward, going nose-to-nose with Brett. "I should'a done it when I had the chance."

"And when was that? I don't recall you ever having the upper hand."

Brett didn't know what kind of danger he'd been in for the last five years. Gage might have hated his dad, but revenge still boiled his blood and got him out of bed every morning. He'd kept one eye on Brett and one ear to the ground this entire time.

The only thing that kept Gage from pulling the trigger was knowing he'd be suspect number one if Brett ended up dead. One threat against Thea would be gone, but Gage wouldn't be able to keep her safe from the handful of others still running around.

"Did you do it?" Brett asked as he shoved Gage's shoulders .

Gage regained his footing and set his stance. "Touch me again. I'd be happy to tear your hand off."

Thea was the only thing keeping Gage from laying into Brett. If he got kicked out of the hospital or thrown in jail, how could he protect her?

"Did you do it?" Brett repeated.

"I didn't touch her, but I don't answer to you. You probably did this to her."

Brett's eyes narrowed. "I would never hurt her."

That was rich. This guy was the reason Thea's life was in danger, and he had the guts to play innocent.

"But you killed our dad. You didn't have a problem hurting her then, did you?"

"I didn't do it!"

A laugh bellowed from Gage's chest. "I don't believe you for a second."

He'd heard the confession straight from Brett's mouth five years ago. He might have gotten away with murder, but he was one hundred percent guilty.

Brett slammed the side of his fist against the stone wall beside them and pointed to where Thea lay on the bed. "Who did this?"

Wasn't that the million-dollar question? Though, Gage was pretty sure he was staring at the guilty one. Brett had plenty of motives to hurt Thea, and he'd pay for what he'd done to her.

But not here. Gage needed access to Thea, and he'd get kicked out and probably hauled to jail if he rearranged Brett's face right now.

Instead of letting his fist fly, he stepped back into Brett's space, staring him down with a threat. "You don't have any business here. Get out."

A soft grunt pulled his attention to the bed where Thea was slowly trying to sit up. She looked awful. Bruises in various shades covered her face, and the skin split in a few spots.

Forgetting the argument he was having with Brett, Gage scrambled to Thea's bedside. A hollowness in his gut reminded him that he'd failed her.

Thea jerked as he approached, and her eyes widened despite the swelling around them. A grunt escaped, followed by a hiss as she gritted her teeth.

It tore up his insides to see her like this. Heat and darkness rolled strong in his chest, and he gripped the bed rail to release a fraction of the tension.

Brett called out for a nurse above the beeping monitors, but Gage's attention was transfixed on his sister. She didn't deserve this. She was innocent.

He'd make them pay. Whoever was responsible, he'd find them and make them sorry they'd ever laid a finger on his sister. Gage had been in his share of fights, but never in his life would he touch a woman.

"Thea, are you okay?"

She was definitely not okay, but his addled brain was having trouble processing Thea's state. It was worse than he'd imagined .

A heavy hand fell on Gage's shoulder and pulled, sending him stepping backward as Brett moved closer to Thea.

This guy. Gage was trying not to get kicked out of the hospital, and Brett was asking for a broken nose.

"Get away from me." Thea's hoarse command was soft in the quiet room.

Who was she talking to? Gage or Brett? She'd looked at both of them.

Brett hastily moved to the other side of Thea's bed and leaned over her. "You're safe. I promise." He looked up to meet Gage's stare, and his narrowed eyes shot a silent accusation.

"None of us are safe," Thea whispered.

Brett turned back to Thea. "If your brother feels froggy, he can jump whenever he's ready."

Gage gripped the bed rail and leaned over Thea. The band holding back his fury was about to snap. His hands tingled with the promise of fresh blood.

Patton blood.

"Stop!"

Thea's voice was louder than before, and Gage and Brett looked at her. A stern expression had replaced the fear from just a few seconds ago. "Get out."

Brett leaned over her. "Please don't make me leave. You had a partially collapsed lung, and it scared the life out of me."

Collapsed lung. That was serious. What had they done to her? Gage sucked air in deep pulls, trying to calm the racing of his heart.

Brett gripped Thea's hand, and she didn't pull away. Good grief, she was already falling for this guy's lies again. Gage had to get Brett out of here and have another serious talk with his sister.

"I don't know why you left, but I've been looking for you ever since," Brett whispered.

Panic gripped Gage's neck, refusing to let him take a full breath. He'd let his guard down on Brett, thinking his silence meant he'd given up the fight. No, Thea had been in danger all along.

Brett sighed, looking about as helpless as Gage felt. "I would never hurt you. Ever. Despite what your brother would have you believe, I didn't hurt anybody."

Gage scoffed, fed up with the lies. "My jaw begs to differ."

Street fighting, sparring, just messin' around, Gage had taken dozens of fists to the face. Brett got lucky and landed one. One. But they'd both left black and blue that day.

It was easy to remember the day Brett showed up at Gage's front door looking for Thea. He'd gotten the chance to let out some of his anger on the one who caused it, and boy had it been fun.

"You know what I mean. I didn't have anything to do with what happened to your dad. I'm sorry."

Sorry wouldn't cut it, but Thea's expression was starting to soften. It wouldn't take much more for this guy to convince her to let her guard down and trust him.

Gage crossed his arms over his chest. Brett was laying it on thick, and Thea was teetering on the edge of believing him. The puppy dog look he was giving her was working its magic. "You gonna keep looking at her like that, or am I gonna have to escort you out of here?"

Brett rolled his eyes. He never understood the very real threat to his health. He leaned over to whisper to Thea, "His bark has always been worse than his bite."

If Brett only knew. Gage wasn't the type to pull punches, and he would enjoy letting every fist fly at this guy's face.

Thea grinned for half a second before she gritted her teeth through the pain. "If you two are going to dance, can you take it to the parking lot? And maybe send a nurse this way while you're at it?"

Seeing Thea in pain had a dangerous battle warring in Gage's head. He hadn't been there when she needed him, and now he couldn't take away the hurt. Failure after failure was a swift reminder that their family and this fight would destroy anything good in their lives.

Brett stood and headed for the door. "I hollered for someone when you first woke up."

Gage took the opportunity to move to Thea's side, and she flinched when he approached. Her cut and bruised face were even worse up close.

"Do you know who did it?" Gage asked low.

Thea searched his gaze before barely shaking her head. "I don't know."

"Come on, Thea. Was it us or them?"

"Why would it be a Patton?" Brett asked. "I had no idea Thea was even in town, and I guarantee you the other Pattons never give her a second thought when Tommy, Bruce, and Cain are out there."

Gage stood to his full height and gave Brett his attention. The Howards and Pattons didn't need logic. They ran on revenge and violence. Only blood would calm their cravings, but not for long.

That's what happened when you were raised to hate. The need to destroy whatever stood in your way kept growing and morphing to satisfy the darkness inside.

"It wasn't me or any of the minions I could have at my beck and call. I'll tell you that for free. The only ones you need to worry about are either dead or in prison. I'm here because I care!" Brett said. "You'd have to be stupid to think I did this."

"At least I'm not stupid enough to hang out on the wrong side of the battle line," Gage shot back.

"What are you even doing here? Did you get orders from the dark lord, or are you here to finish what you started?"

Thea sighed. "Can you both leave? Please? "

Brett piped up as soon as the last word left her mouth. "I don't want to leave you. I'm sorry we were fighting. I can sit quietly in the chair. Please."

A nurse walked in sporting a cheerful smile. "Hello, Miss Howard!" She stopped at the foot of the bed and propped her hands on her wide hips. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." The word was soft with little effort behind it.

Thea. His only sister. She was in pain, and Gage was just as much to blame as whoever landed the punches to her face.

You failed. Again. You always fail.

Brett whispered to the nurse, and her eyes widened.

"Wait. You're a Patton, and she's a Howard? No way. I'm here to take care of the patient, not play referee. Everybody out."

Great. It seemed news of the family feud had spread all the way to Cody. Things had been quiet for five years, but the last fallout was a big one, and the news stations had covered it extensively.

Gage made one last effort to get through to Thea. "Why did you come back?"

"Emerson told me about Mom."

Gage had suspected Thea would try something like this when she found out about Mom's cancer diagnosis, but she should have come to him first. At least he could have been there when she needed him.

"That was stupid. They could have killed you."

"I know. Looks like I made my bed, and I have to lie in it, presumably until the doctor discharges me."

Gage leaned closer, lowering his voice. "You have to leave."

" You have to leave," the nurse said behind him. "Don't make me call security."

Gage stopped to give Thea one last look before turning for the door. Hopefully, she'd listen to him this time.