6. Gage

6

GAGE

G age walked out of the garage and into the break room, checking the time on his phone. If he clocked out now, he'd have time to get some work done on the barn at Silver Creek Ranch before dark.

He washed his hands in the industrial sink, sending hours of grease down the drain with the heavy-duty scrub. He punched his timecard and texted Mr. Benson that he was on his way.

The extra work the Bensons had been giving him lately was great for his bank account, but keeping the side job a secret was a pain in the neck. If Bruce found out Gage had a third job, he'd want a piece of the pie.

His uncle could want all day, but Gage didn't share his own income. Just because the moonshine revenue was split didn't mean every penny he earned was up for grabs.

Business was slow at Bruce's garage for a dozen reasons. The top one being that Bruce was a terrible mechanic. He'd been working on engines his whole life but still hadn't mastered the critical thinking side of repairing machines.

On the other hand, business was booming at Beau's. If Gage could sneak away from his uncle more, he'd grab as many hours at Blackwater Automotive as possible. At least Beau knew how to run a business and keep customers happy.

Beau walked into the break room just as Gage was drying his hands.

"You heading out?" Beau asked.

"Duty calls."

"How's Thea?"

Wouldn't Gage like to know. He'd gotten a one-word answer from Brett earlier, but at least it had been "good."

"As good as she can be, considering."

Considering she'd been beaten within an inch of her life. Gage wasn't a stranger to injuries, but the bruises and cuts on Thea's face still turned his stomach. Seeing her in pain only poured gasoline on the fire he kept burning in his chest for Thea.

It was his own fault. He should have been there to protect her. She should have stayed gone. Blackwater never did her any favors .

"How's your mom?"

Man, the hits kept coming. "Same."

For someone who liked to be in control of every situation, Gage was getting tired of having his hands tied behind his back. He couldn't help Thea. He couldn't help his mom. He couldn't cut ties with Bruce and still stay close enough to know what the family had planned for Thea.

Everywhere he turned, doors were closing in his face. The helpless feeling was getting old.

"Anything I can do to help?" Beau asked.

"Not a thing."

Beau slapped a hand on Gage's shoulder. "Let me know if something comes up. I'm here for you."

For a guy who only spoke when something needed to be said, Beau was a fountain of words today. "I appreciate it."

Gage's phone buzzed with a text as he walked out to his truck. His cousin, Emerson, wasn't the one he wanted to hear from right now. She knew Thea was here, and that meant he had to constantly remind her not to let it slip that Gage knew too.

Emerson: That Patton is still with Thea. If you don't tell Dad, I will.

Emerson woke up and chose violence most mornings, and reining her in was taking too much time. Most days, Gage flipped back and forth between letting her dig her own grave and talking her off the ledge .

Today, he wished he could tape her mouth shut until Thea got out of Blackwater.

Gage: Don't say a word.

He started the truck as another message came in.

Bruce: Be at the shop in fifteen.

Gage tossed his phone in the passenger seat and gripped the steering wheel. He set his jaw and focused on breathing through the frustration building in his chest.

Bruce might act like he ran the show, but the men they dealt with only did business with the Howards because of their ties to Gage. Bruce was just the one who got the messages. Half the men who purchased Howard moonshine trusted Gage and knew Bruce didn't have two brain cells to rub together.

Gage texted Mr. Benson that he wouldn't be working this afternoon and set a path for the garage. If Bruce didn't drop the ball all the time, Gage could actually hold down a full-time job or at least manage the two side-jobs he had. His life was a series of putting out Bruce's fires.

Doing Bruce's bidding was a necessary evil. Gage would play his uncle's game until he could find a way out without putting a target on his or Thea's backs.

He had to get Thea out of here again.

Gage grabbed his phone from the seat beside him and pressed the number he'd saved for Brett. It was listed under a series of numbers and letters that didn't mean anything.

Brett answered on the second ring. "Hello."

"What's the update?"

"She's fine. Discharged this morning."

That was news Gage could have used sooner. He'd been slightly appeased to let Brett stay with Thea as long as he knew she was under a doctor's care and there were witnesses around. "Where is she now?"

"She's safe. I'll keep her protected until she's able to go back home."

Home. Thea's home was in Alabama now. Halfway across the country. He liked it better knowing there were hundreds of miles between his sister and the rest of their family.

"Where is she?" Gage asked again.

"Safe. I promise. I'd never let anyone hurt her."

Gage twisted his grip on the wheel, wishing it was Brett's neck. "This wasn't part of the deal."

"Thea doesn't want you to know where she is. She says it's better if you have no idea. You're too close to them."

"For good reason," Gage added. "I'm trying to help her too."

"She knows that. I think."

"I'm her brother. "

"Trust me, her safety is just as important to me. Put your teeth away, big dog."

It sucked being at the mercy of someone else. Relying on a Patton was about the worst thing Gage could imagine.

"Who else knows where she is?" Gage asked.

"Just me and one other friend."

"Who is it?"

"She doesn't even know who we are, and she doesn't have a dog in the fight. Just know I trust her with Thea's life, which is much more precious to me than my own."

"That's rich, Romeo." It was still a stretch to think a Patton could care about a Howard at all, much less put their safety first.

"I mean it. Despite what you think, I care about Thea, and I'd do whatever was necessary to protect her. That won't change, whether you believe me or not."

"For yours and Thea's sakes, I hope you're telling the truth. Does this woman who knows about Thea have any idea what she's getting into?"

"She's aware of the risks, but she wants to help. I have no doubt that she'll take care of Thea."

"You better not screw this up. I'll hand you your head on a silver platter if Thea gets as much as a scratch."

"You know, a little thank you goes a long way."

Gage barked out a laugh. "You won't be getting any thanks from me yet. I'll send you a card when Thea is safely over the state line."

"I love greeting cards. I'll text you my address."

Shaking his head at this guy who thought it was a good idea to make jokes when Thea's life was in danger, he said, "Call me as soon as she's out of here."

"Yes, boss," Brett barked.

Gage ended the call and pulled into the dirt lot in front of Bruce's garage. He locked the truck before heading inside, but it wouldn't do much good if one of his stupid cousins decided they wanted something inside. He'd busted his knuckles on them before for taking what didn't belong to them.

He might not be on the right side of heaven, but Gage didn't take unless circumstances warranted it. Cain liked to steal for the fun of it. Taking a hunting knife when Gage needed to feed his family was a little different from jacking cars and guns.

The scent of mildew greeted Gage at the door. He'd only noticed the smell since going to work at Beau's. The difference almost tickled Gage's gagging reflex. He was used to grease and metal, but there was something different here he didn't like.

Tommy and Cain's voices drifted through the garage, guiding Gage to the last bay where the two men rested their backs against broken-down cars they were supposed to be repairing.

That wouldn't fly at Beau's. Everyone on shift kept busy the entire time. No wonder his shop was booming and Bruce's was failing.

"Success tryin' to kill you?" Gage asked.

Tommy's hearty laugh died, changing his worn features into a menacing glare. He snapped out a quick "Shut your mouth," followed by a mumbled curse as he turned back to the vehicle.

Cain stared at Gage, chewing on a candy bar without blinking.

"Get back to work!" Tommy shouted at Cain who didn't move to obey.

Gage shook his head. "Can't fool me, old man. Neither one of you has a speck of dirt on your hands. Can't get back to work if you never got off your–"

"You got somethin' to say to me?" Tommy said, bowing up and puffing his chest out.

"Not anything I haven't already said. Jimmy is gonna have your head if you don't get his car running."

"Jimmy can jump off a bridge for all I care. It'll be done when I say it's done, and I don't want to hear another word come out of your mouth."

Tommy left his pudgy finger pointed at Gage. With his brows lowered over his dark eyes, a lesser man might have cowered. Tommy had thirty years and a hundred pounds on Gage, though none of it was anything other than weight to throw around.

Gage didn't sit on his hands hoping he could take the next man who wanted to throw fists. He got off his butt and trained, worked out, and made sure he was ready to brawl.

Gage tossed a rag at Cain. "Where's Bruce?"

"Out back," Cain said, keeping his gaze locked on Gage.

Gage tilted his head as he met Cain's stare. "You got something to say?"

Cain slowly shook his head and narrowed his eyes. A slight grin spread across his lips.

The guy was a puddle of gasoline just waiting for a spark. He'd only made it this far on dumb luck, but he'd probably go out in a blaze of his own making. He was the kind who might shoot up a place before putting a bullet in his own head.

Gage headed down the hallway to the back exit. There was only one thing Bruce could want from him if he was hanging out behind the garage.

The cold hit Gage for a split second before he quickly covered the three steps to the shed. It was a metal building with a heavy door and a lock that weighed as much as a truck battery.

He pulled out his key and swiftly unlocked the door. The dim light inside wasn't much brighter than the twilight outside, but he could make out Bruce's silhouette in the back.

"Took you long enough," Bruce mumbled.

"Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum were too busy catchin' flies in their mouths to tell me where to find you."

Bruce picked up a gallon jug and handed it to Gage. "It's go time."

Gage took the jug from Bruce and picked up two more in the same hand. "Where?"

"The other side of Silver Falls." Bruce pulled out a scrap of paper and handed it to Gage. "You've been there before."

Gage studied the address and handed it back to Bruce. "I know where it is."

Bruce pulled a lighter out of his pocket and set fire to the corner of the paper. "He wants forty."

Gage picked up three more gallons and moved them closer to the door before jogging through the garage. He backed his truck up to the shed where Bruce was waiting to load the moonshine into the bed.

The cold seeped deeper into the collar of Gage's shirt with each minute, pushing him to get the drop loaded faster.

They had five jugs to go when Emerson burst out of the back door. Her long hair whipped in its ponytail, and she shoved her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. Making a beeline straight for Bruce, she whispered something to him over the howling wind.

Bruce shook his head and turned away from his daughter, dismissing her without a word.

Emerson's chest heaved as she stared at the back of Bruce's head, following his every move. Her jaw ground from side to side for a second before she turned and stomped back into the garage.

Gage loaded the last jugs, shut the tailgate and cover on the truck bed, and followed Emerson without looking back. "I left something inside."