6. Wyatt

Chapter Six

WYATT

I hadn’t planned on sticking around, but Loretta could tempt a man like no other.Before I knew it, I was wandering the long halls of Eden House, lured by the scent of coffee and freshly baked bread.My stomach was growling. I downed a pre-workout shake before hitting the gym every morning, but it had already worn off before I’d even picked the girl up from the hospital.Besides, no one could pass up Loretta’s home cooking.If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have eaten a decent meal since my folks moved to Florida.

The house felt peaceful in the early morning quiet, but I couldn't shake my uneasiness.There was a lot I didn't like about Ivy's case.Darkness had taken root in Devil’s Garden, and the Dead End seemed to be its locus.That dive bar was like the wild west, so dangerous most deputies refused to respond unless they had backup, and by the time that backup arrived, the suspects had usually fled.A teenager had no business anywhere near that place.

I was frowning and lost in thought when I rounded the corner into the kitchen—and stopped dead.

Gage was there, leaning against the counter, fingers drumming on the tile as he stared down at a brewing coffee pot.His hair was falling messily over his forehead, and a pair of rumpled jeans were slung low on his hips.He looked like he’d just rolled out of bed.

I couldn’t look away. I tried; I swear I tried.But there wasn’t enough willpower in the world to keep me from drinking in every inch of that bare, golden skin.Time had chiseled away every ounce of boyishness.His chest was sculpted and every ridge of his abs was perfectly defined, mouthwatering despite the medical tape spanning his ribs.I’d spent enough time in the gym to appreciate the dedication and self-discipline it took to forge a body like that: sculpted, honed, and exuding raw sex.He was beautiful. The kind of reckless beauty that could ruin a man.

My throat was so dry it made a clicking sound when I swallowed.I’d been strong enough to walk away from him once.But now? God help me, he was driving the good sense right out of me.

I forced myself to blink and finally managed to tear my gaze away.

“You dropping off the girl?” Gage asked, looking up at me with eyes still heavy with sleep.

I had to clear my throat before I could answer.“She’s getting settled.”

His expression relaxed, like some weight he’d been carrying had lifted a little.“Good,” he muttered under his breath, nodding once.“That’s good. She’ll be safe here.”

“I need to ask you some more questions.”

Gage didn’t bother responding, at least not right away.He moved slowly, waking up on his own time and pouring himself a cup of coffee.He took a long sip and leaned against the counter, watching me over the rim of his mug.Either he was mulling over his answer or taking his sweet time just to annoy me, but my patience was wearing thin regardless.Then he cocked his head toward the coffee pot and said with just a hint of amusement, “Help yourself.There’s bacon and biscuits over by the stove.”

He didn’t budge an inch as I reached into the cabinet over his head for a mug, forcing me to brush against him.He chuckled, and I gritted my teeth, doing my damndest to ignore the warmth of his skin and the herbal, woodsy scent of his body wash.He was doing it on purpose, the dick.

“You’re not gonna make this easy, are you?” I asked, letting my irritation slip.

His gray eyes sparkled with mischief.“Since when have I made anything easy for you?”

He was playing with me just like he used to, only this time, if he kept it up, I wouldn’t feel guilty calling his bluff.We stood there, locked in a silent standoff, both daring the other to make the first move…until a loud clatter and laughter from the other end of the house snapped the moment.Gage blinked and gave me a slow, lazy smile.The kind that said: just kidding.

Without missing a beat, he grabbed a sheet of paper towels and wrapped some biscuits and what must have easily been half a pound of bacon into a protective pouch.“Come on,” he said, holding his coffee with one hand and tucking the food in the crook of his elbow.He jerked his head toward the door.“I’ve got somewhere private we can talk.”

I followed a barefoot and damn near half-naked Gage down the hall, coffee in hand, up two flights of narrow stairs to the attic.

It was the first time I’d ever been past the ground floor.The slanted ceilings were a tight fit for men our size, and I ducked to avoid a low beam.The place was an asthmatic’s nightmare.Sunlight filtered through a row of tiny circular windows, lighting up a thick cloud of swirling dust motes.Steamer trunks were stacked against the walls, leather straps brittle with age, and an ornate mirror leaned against a pile of boxes, its glass so cloudy it barely cast a reflection.A row of cracked porcelain dolls sat on a shell beside the window.Something about their chipped, painted faces creeped me out.

“This place is really something,” I muttered, pausing to examine an oil painting of a black-eyed priest in red robes.

Gage followed my eyes and laughed.“We call him Monsignor Misery.”

I raised my eyebrows, taking in the stern, ghostly face staring back from the canvas.“It’s a miracle growing up here didn’t drive you all insane.”

“Who says it didn’t?” Gage asked flippantly.He didn’t sound like he was kidding.

Before I could respond, he was climbing through a hatch in the back wall, making it look easy despite his injuries.I followed less gracefully, focused on keeping every drop of coffee where it belonged in my cup.

We emerged into full morning sunshine, and I realized we were on the roof.The main house had steep gables, but this section must have been added during a different time period.It was flat and lined in sturdy slate tiles that would stay cool beneath the sweeping branches of an enormous oak.The air was already thick with humidity, but up here, the fresh, green-scented breeze kept it bearable.Pleasant, even.

“Hell of a view,” I admitted, taking in the spread of emerald lawns, moss-draped courtyards, and mature oaks.Past the furthest tree line, I caught a glimmer of dark water.The bayou was never far away around here.But this high above it all, the world seemed almost peaceful.

Gage sat with his back against a chimney and unwrapped the breakfast in his lap.“Always liked it up here,” he said breezily.

I settled awkwardly beside him.“You know, she asked about you.”

Gage turned his head and gave me an unreadable look, chewing slowly.“Who? Ivy?”

I nodded. “You made a big impression.”

“Just trying to keep her alive,” he muttered, looking away and tearing into his buttermilk biscuit.

“You’re her hero now,” I continued, throwing out a little tease.“You should’ve seen her face when you didn’t rush out to greet her the second we got here.She thinks you hung the moon.”

He grimaced. “Just what I need.”

I leaned back, propping myself on my elbows with my coffee resting between us.Just soaking in the view. “It’s not so bad,” I said idly.“Reminds me of someone else I used to know.”

Gage’s eyes flashed a warning.“Don’t start.”

“Just saying,” I went on, forcing my tone to stay light.“I know what it’s like to be on a pedestal.You latched onto me pretty hard back in the day.”

“Yeah, well, we both know how that turned out.”

There wasn’t much to say to that.Nothing that led anywhere good, at least, so I kept my mouth shut.I stretched my legs out in front of me and crossed them at the ankle, aiming to look more at ease than I felt.It was impossible to fully relax with Gage lounging beside me, close enough to touch.It was infuriating how he drew me in so effortlessly.He’d tried so hard back when he was a teenager, and I'd refused him every time.But he didn’t even have to try now.I wanted him so badly that just sitting beside him, breathing the same air, left me aching.

“So…where’d you go?” I finally asked, keeping it casual when I felt anything but.

“Here and there,” he replied with his gaze fixed on the horizon.

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one you’re getting.”

I wasn’t letting him off the hook that easy.Not after I'd spent years replaying that last night in my head, second guessing every word, every gesture.I couldn't give him what he wanted back then, but that didn't mean I hadn't cared.I cared so damn much it left me gutted when he took off without a trace.I wasn't about to let that go.

“You vanished without any warning,” I said through my teeth.“Left me with nothing. Not even a 'go to hell.'”

“Why would you care?” He glanced at me sideways, catching my eye with the faintest flicker of a smile, like he found the whole thing funny now.

I didn’t realize how angry I was until I saw that damn smirk.It lit a fuse in me that burned so fast and hot, I didn’t even feel the fire.I just exploded. “Because—you asshole —Boone was the only thing that kept me from dredging the swamp for your body!”

The smirk faded, but I kept going, unable to quit now that the raw nerve was exposed.“You think I don't know how much that night messed you up?Watching Ben kill your old man right in front of you?Doesn’t matter how bad he was.That’s not something you just walk off.How Boone could’ve thought sending you away was the right call is something I’ll never understand.I cared, Gage. More than I should have.Hell, I’ve watched over you ever since you were a kid.Did you expect me to just flip it off like a switch?”

His hand shook as he reached for his coffee.I noticed the bruises on his knuckles, the veins that crawled up the backs of his hands like road maps to his heart.He took a long sip and seemed to weigh his words carefully.That was something new. He never considered his words when he was young.

“Why does it matter now?” he asked.“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“So, that’s it, huh?” I shot back angrily.“You just roll back into town like nothing ever happened between us?”

His eyes snapped to mine, and something dangerous flickered through those pale irises.“Nothing happened,” he said stonily.“Nothing worth mentioning.”

My chest felt tight, but I wasn’t sure if it was anger this time.It felt worse. More like grief.I clamped down on it hard and drawled obnoxiously, “That’s where you’re wrong, son.”

Gage’s jaw tightened. His whole body clenched, and for a moment, I wondered if he might hit me.“We’re not talking about that,” he growled.

“Why not?” I leaned close, so close I could feel his coffee-laced breath against my face.“You’re the one who put it all out there.You came on to me that night.”

“I shouldn’t have,” he said in a voice rough as sandpaper.

The regret in his words made my heart twist.I’d done that; I’d put that shame in him.

He was damn near out of his mind the night I arrested Ben.Gage was battered and bleeding, clearly in shock, and his father was lying in a body bag.But his concern was only for his brother.Even though I was the one who’d hurt him, the one who’d forced his brother into the back of my squad car, he’d still come to me to make it better.Make it right for him. Just like I'd always done.

He found me in the parking lot behind the sheriff's department, wild-eyed, demanding answers he already knew I couldn’t give.Not just reckless, but broken in a way I’d never seen before.His breath was hot and damp against my face when he grabbed my shirt and pinned me against the wall.Then he kissed me. He was panting, barely in control.A plea for help disguised as seduction.And I kissed him back. God help me, for one depraved moment, I kissed him back.

It wasn't until Gage's hand slid down my body, groping me through the fly of my uniform pants, that I realized what I was doing.Reality crashed over me like a bucket of ice water.

I didn’t go easy on him. I wasn’t gentle when I shoved him off me, and I sure as hell didn’t offer a hand when he stumbled backward, tripping over a curb and hitting the ground.Nausea was stinging the back of my throat.I deliberately wiped my mouth with the back of my hand until I couldn’t taste him anymore.

“Go home, Gage,” I ordered furiously.“You’re mixed-up right now. Whatever you’re looking for...it's something I never offered."

He staggered to his feet, hands scraped and bleeding, hurt so badly by others and still somehow looking for me to make it better.Still hoping I could ease the pain.“I’m not stupid,” he said, thrusting his chin out defiantly.“You want me. You’ve wanted me for a while now.I’ll give it to you—anything you want.Just let Ben go.”

It shook me. My anger and revulsion were so strong, I took an instinctive step back before I did something I’d regret.“Don’t bring this shit to my doorstep,” I said, low and angry.“I’m not your friend, and I’m not your goddamn safety net.I charged Ben because the sheriff ordered me to.Because it’s my job. Same reason I tried to be a good role model for you.If you twisted that into something else, that’s on you, kid.”

He flinched like he'd been slapped.

I’d seen thatkidsurvive more than most men could ever imagine.He’d pulled himself out of hell, dragging his own broken body from the bayou, and he’d come out the other side unbroken.But the way he looked in that moment, standing with me under the dirty streetlights?The pain and betrayal in his eyes were worse than I'dexpected.Like I’d just ripped out his heart and stomped onit.

He left without a word afterthat.Didn’t even look back. When I finally worked up the nerve to go looking for him…he was already longgone.