Chapter 28 Gage
Gage
“We are going where?” Leo asks from the backseat. Les looks over at me with a grin.
“To get pedicures,” I answer with a shrug. Our girl wants to get her nails and toes done, so that’s where I’m going to take her.
“Why are we,” he motions between him and me like I don’t know who he’s talking about, “getting pedicures?”
“Because it feels amazing,” Les answers, pushing her sunglasses up on her head and turning in the seat to look at him.
Leo gives her a doubtful look. “I’ll pass.”
She shrugs, turning back around and covering her eyes again. “Suit yourself.” I squeeze her thigh where my hand has been sitting since we got in the car.
I’m still replaying what happened with Leo in his room then watching her squirt for Holden last night, and can’t get the images out of my head. It was hot as fuck.
“I met with Zane today,” she says, staring out her window.
I jerk my head toward her before looking back at the road. “Why?”
“I gave him the tip on the foster house because we can’t be near a bunch of kids going missing.”
“You went alone?” I don’t know why that crawls under my skin, but I hate when he comes sniffing around her. Plus, she has a fucking stalker.
“Yes,” she answers, finally looking at me, “I can take care of myself.”
“Wait. Who’s Zane?” Leo asks, confused.
I look at Les and raise my eyebrow; no way am I telling him. “He was a friend of the family,” she lies, and I snort before I can stop myself.
“He’s a detective that Les used to fuck,” I tell Leo, looking at him in the rearview mirror. I see his eyebrows drop down in a frown.
“Seven years ago,” Les adds, shooting daggers at my head; I can feel them even through her sunglasses.
“You used to fuck a cop?” Leo sits up between the seats, putting his arms on the console.
“He wasn’t a cop then. Can we drop this? It’s ancient history.”
“Then why did you go alone?” I wonder.
“Because I can get him to do more for me when you guys aren’t fucking glaring at each other,” she answers, pushing my hand off her leg. Shit. “You seemed to have forgotten I don’t need your permission to take care of business, and I don’t need your protection.”
“I’m not saying you need my permission or anyone else’s.
But you shouldn’t go alone because, Pretty girl, you might not fucking need our protection, but you’re going to get it,” I say hotly.
I’d never tell her what she could or couldn’t do, but it’s our job to protect her.
It’s even more imperative now that she worked her way into my heart even further.
“In case you’ve forgotten, I’m the Boss, and I say when I need you and when I don’t,” she says, just as pissed off as me. “And I didn’t need you today.”
I grit my teeth so hard it hurts before I slam on the brakes, jerk the car to the curb, and throw it into park.
I turn in the seat to face her and jerk my sunglasses off.
“We’re here to fucking protect you and take care of you.
Why can’t you just let us do that? Instead of being fucking stubborn.
You have a fucking stalker, Les. Did you forget about that? ”
She pushes her sunglasses on her head again, and I wish she didn’t. Her eyes are narrowed, and she’s fucking pissed. “Who the hell do you think you are talking to, Gage? You get a little taste of my pussy, and you think you own me?”
Leo’s eyes are ping-ponging between us, but he’s smart and keeps his damn mouth shut.
“That’s not what I meant, Les, and you know it. You know you shouldn’t go alone to those meetings. That’s how it was before I got a taste of your pussy.”
“I make the decision whether you go or not. That’s how it’s always been, and it was just Zane.”
“It doesn’t have to do with Zane!” I yell and then take several calming breaths when her eyes turn hard. “It has to do with going anywhere without backup. You aren’t invincible.”
“I never said I was,” she grits out before jerking the door open, climbing out, and slamming it behind her. She struts her ass down the street four doors down from where I’m parked, jerks the door open to the nail salon, and disappears inside.
“Fuck!” I explode, slamming my hand down on the steering wheel.
“What the hell was that?” Leo asks, staring at me with concern.
“That was me being a fucking idiot,” I answer honestly. I overreacted. Big time.
“I’m guessing this has to do with the fact you are with her now?”
I nod. “She used to go alone all the time before, no questions asked, and she can take care of herself.”
“But you don’t want her to have to?” I shake my head. “Then why didn’t you just tell her that?”
“Because I’m a jealous bastard, apparently.
” I know it sounds stupid, given she is sleeping with or almost sleeping with four other guys, but this is different.
Those guys I trust, Zane, on the other hand, is the literal enemy and got a taste of Les way before we did.
He knows what he’s missing out on, and he’s not above trying to steal her back.
“You have to trust her, Gage,” Leo says gently.
“I do trust her. I don’t trust him.”
“Then you need to tell her like that, man. Just because there are feelings involved doesn’t mean she’s automatically going to know. You need to tell her that you know she doesn’t need protection, but you want to protect her.”
I run my hand through my hair. “I will. I just got pissed.”
He shrugs. “I get it.” He slaps me on the shoulder. “Let’s go make our girl happy.”
We climb out and make our way into the nail salon. Les is already in the back of the shop, waiting for her pedicure. She looks up when we walk in and looks right back at her phone.
Damn it.
“Gage!” Staci, the shop owner, greets. “You must be Leo?”
I nod, answering her question. “We’re here for the appointment with Alessa.”
“Follow me. Pick any chair. We’ll be with you shortly.” She bustles away. We each take a chair on either side of Les, kicking our shoes and socks off.
“Pretty girl, I’m sorry.” She won’t even look at me. Leo gives me a look to get me talking. “I know you don’t need my protection, but I want to. I can’t stand the thought of something happening to you.”
“I get that,” she says quietly, still sounding pissed. “But you can’t suddenly dictate how I run my life.”
“I don’t want to dictate it. I just want peace of mind knowing you have someone at your back. All of us do. Can you give us that?”
She finally turns her eyes on me. “Maybe start like that next time,” she grumps, then softens, grabbing my hand. “Gage, I’ve done this on my own for a long time. You have to be patient with me.” She leans over and gives me a sweet kiss.
“Oh my God. It’s about time,” Staci says, sitting in front of Les’ station; two other girls sit in front of Leo and me. Leo gives his girl a dubious look before letting her put his feet in the water.
Les smiles at me. “Yeah, it is.”
Staci’s eyes land on Les’ other hand holding Leo’s, and her mouth forms an ‘O,’ her eyes huge. “Him too,” I confirm with a shrug.
“What?” The blonde girl in front of me jerks her head up, looking between the three of us. “Sorry,” she apologizes when she realizes she just butted into our conversation.
“It’s fine, Amanda,” Les tells her softly when the girl looks seconds from running out the door.
“So, you guys are like in a relationship together?” Candy, the redhead fussing with Leo, asks.
“Yeah,” Leo answers.
“That’s so cool,” Candy breathes, staring at Les like she hung the moon.
“Ryder, Dex, and Holden too,” I add, watching all their eyes widen as big as saucers in amusement.
“Gage!” Les laughs, smacking my chest.
“Wait. Wait. Wait,” Staci says, waving her hand around before picking up Les’ other foot and massaging it.
This is my favorite part. I look at Leo, and I can tell he’s already sold.
“Ryder? Tall, dark, hot as fuck, Ryder?” Les nods.
“And Mr. Tattooed sex god on two legs?” Les nods again and laughs at the descriptions. “Who’s Holden?”
“You’ve never met him,” Les tells her before pulling out her phone and pulling up a picture of her and Holden that looks like it was taken this morning. She turns it around to the girls, and I swear they all fucking sigh at the innocent-looking little fucker. If they only knew what I know.
“So, you have five walking wet dreams for boyfriends?” Candy asks, and Les throws her head back and laughs.
Les looks between Leo and me. “I sure as fuck do.”
I breathe a sigh of relief that the disaster of earlier is averted. I’ve always had trouble controlling myself, or more like controlling my words. They tumble out before I can stop them, but I know how to control it with Les. She doesn’t need me going all caveman on her.
She has Ryder for that.
“That was fanfuckingtastic,” Leo says when we get back in the car.
I pull away from the curb. “I told you.”
“So, does that mean you’re going with us next time?” Les asks with a smile.
“Uh, fuck yeah, and every time after that.” He leans up between the seats. “I’m digging that gold, Baby.” She picks up her hand and lets the glitter in the gold polish sparkle when the sun hits it. “Where are we going?” he asks, noticing I missed our exit to take us home.
Where it all began. “The cabin.” I look at Les. “Do you have anything else to do today?”
She shrugs. “Nothing that can’t wait”
“Good.” I have another plan in mind, and I think all we need is the place that brought us all together.
“Aren’t you going to ask me?” Leo jokes, acting offended.
“Sure, Pretty boy,” I laugh. “Do you have anything to do today?”
His face flushes at the nickname. “I’ve just been set free from a kidnapping. Maybe my plans are booked.”
“Unbook them,” I tell him, looking at him in the rearview mirror, letting my intentions broadcast all over my face.
He takes a shuddering breath, then nods. “Done.”
Les looks over at me with a raised brow, and I nod. She’ll know what I’m planning without me saying a word. She wraps her hand around mine on her thigh and squeezes, her silent way of letting me know she understands.