Gage (THE GOLDEN TEAM #3)

6. Lori

6

Lori

My heart nearly stopped when I saw Gage and Gideon in Russia. It was surreal—seeing them here, of all places. But that moment of disbelief turned to rage when I saw Ivan hit Gage while he was restrained. The sight made my blood boil. If I hadn’t been trying to keep the situation from spiraling, I might have jumped on Ivan’s back right then and there.

The tension didn’t ease after we got out of there. Ivan was unpredictable, and I knew better than to trust that he wouldn’t spring an unexpected visit on us.

When I reached the hotel, I knocked before unlocking the door. Inside, Brian rushed to his brother’s side, his face pale with concern.

“What did they do to you?” Brian asked, his voice shaking.

“Brian, what does it look like? They beat the hell out of me,” Matthew groaned, his voice hoarse. “If Lori hadn’t found me, they would’ve come back to finish the job. Thank you, Lori. I know God showed you the way to me—I was praying so hard.”

“I’m just glad I found you,” I said, my voice softening. “But we need to leave. The Russians ordered us to be out of the country tonight, or we’ll all end up in jail. And I know you won’t like this, but I have to disguise you as a woman.”

Matthew’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? Haven’t I been through enough? Do I really need to be humiliated, too?”

“It’s just until we’re on the plane,” I said gently. “I have a wig and a sweater—that’s all you’ll need unless Gage or Gideon has spare pants for you.”

“They’re here too?” Matthew asked, incredulous. “Jeez, I don’t want them to see me in a wig.”

I held back a laugh as I adjusted the wig on his head and tied it into a ponytail. “There, not bad. You’re still too manly, though,” I teased with a grin.

“Let me see,” Matthew said, heading to the bathroom. When he reappeared, we couldn’t help it—we all burst out laughing at the sight of him.

The laughter was interrupted by a knock at the door. Brian cautiously cracked it open, then swung it wider. Gage and Gideon walked in, their expressions curious.

“Do either of you have a pinkish shirt Matthew can wear?” Brian asked, still chuckling.

They both shook their heads, smirking. “What’s going on?” Gage asked, his gaze shifting between us and Matthew.

I quickly explained. “We can’t let Ivan know Matt’s here. I told Ivan that Matt was fighting in the Russian war, so he can’t just show up. I’m sure Ivan has eyes on us, so the smart thing to do is disguise him.”

Gage seized the chance to change the subject. “Did I tell you Lori saved the day when we had to make an emergency landing? She rewired the plane, and we made it safely to Greece.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Brian said with a small smile. “I remember my dad calling Lori to set up our computers and fix anything with wiring when she was eight. I used to follow her around with the biggest crush on her.”

I laughed. “Yeah, right. You used to gather all the neighborhood kids and preach to us, pretending to be on stage. We all knew you’d become a pastor one day. I even won twenty bucks betting on it with Katherine Marie back in high school.”

Brian grinned, his face lighting up with the memory. “Oh, I knew about that bet. Katherine begged me not to become a pastor so she could win the twenty dollars. She said you always won bets against everyone.”

I shrugged, smirking. “That’s because I never bet on something unless I’m certain. And since I lived next door and had to listen to you preach, I knew I’d win.” I turned to Matthew, gesturing. “Now, look at him—adorable, right?”

Matthew groaned, throwing his head back. “This reminds me of when Sammy and I used to find broken kitchen gadgets for you to fix. I got grounded once for giving you a toaster to work on.”

I chuckled. “Those were the days. Being an adult isn’t nearly as fun. All right, Matt, let’s go. But you can’t walk with the guys—you’re too big. No one will believe you’re a woman. Walk in front of me, not beside me. Wait, I have a better idea. Let’s get a ride to the airport so we can avoid drawing attention.”

As we headed out, Gage fell into step beside me. “So, how long have you all known each other?”

“Since we were born,” I replied. “We grew up next door to each other. My dad still lives there, and so do Brian’s parents.”

Gage opened the car door for me, a soft smile playing on his lips. “Here you go, my sweet Lori. We rented this. I was going to call you when we returned, but I’ve been overseas since the last time I saw you.”

I paused, turning to him with a raised eyebrow. “Why were you going to call me?” My voice was casual, but my heart beat faster at the thought. Truthfully, I was glad he’d been overseas— it gave me a reason not to stay angry that he hadn’t called after that kiss.

“I wanted to take you out for dinner—or better yet, cook dinner for you,” Gage said, his voice low and sincere. His gaze held mine, and I could feel the warmth in his words. “After that kiss, I couldn’t get you off my mind.”

Matthew smirked, clearly enjoying the exchange, and I couldn’t help but grin. “You just asked me on a date in front of everyone,” I teased, letting out a soft chuckle. “But you know what? I’d love to have dinner with you.”

“Great!” Gage said, his smile lighting up his face. “I don’t have to be anywhere for a month. What about you?”

“I don’t either,” I replied, leaning back with a small smile. “I’m wrapping up a story, but since I freelance, I can finish it anytime.”

“Perfect. How about I pick you up on Saturday?”

“Saturday sounds… perfect,” I said, my heart skipping a beat.

Matthew, never one to stay quiet for long, raised an eyebrow and smirked. “How come you’ll go out with him and wouldn’t go out with me?”

I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Because you’re like my brother, and Gage isn’t like a brother,” I said, shaking my head.

Matthew clutched his chest dramatically, feigning hurt. “Don’t you know you’re never supposed to tell a guy he’s like a brother? Now my feelings are crushed—shattered, even.”

“Crushed, huh?” I teased, narrowing my eyes playfully. “This coming from the same guy who followed a woman to Russia in the middle of a war zone? Don’t tell me your feelings are hurt.” I stepped forward and wrapped him in a tight hug, my voice softening. “I’m just so relieved we found you.”

“Me too,” Matthew admitted, his tone quieter now. “But how did you even know about me?”

“I was on the phone with Brian when he was arrested,” I explained. “As soon as I heard, I knew I had to come. Of course, I flew over here.”

Gage tilted his head with a curious smile. “Why do you say it like that?”

I frowned slightly as I turned to him. “Because my brothers needed me.”

His eyebrows rose slightly, his gaze steady. “Wouldn’t you think of getting someone… more able to handle it better?”

My eyes narrowed, my lips twitching in amusement. “Do you mean you? No, you couldn’t mean you because you were arrested. And let’s not forget, I had to get all three of you out. Oh, and I found Matthew, too.” I crossed my arms, mock indignation written across my face.

Gage let out a chuckle, holding up his hands in surrender. “Okay, point taken.”

“Good,” I said with a smirk. “Because I almost changed my mind about our date.”