Chapter Six
The middle of July brutally swept through Texas with a massive heat wave and still no contact from Cummings. Unfortunately, with the constant intense heat, many of the cameras glitched, so the security company was coming up to install cooling systems and heat-resistant housings.
Many of the fields were feeling the burn as well, limiting the pastures. Gage had forgotten all of the little nuances that could turn a good day into a bad one on a cattle ranch. Lately, he had a lot of bad ones to handle.
To Hope’s dismay, Gage found himself working longer hours out in the field. She wanted her husband home more often, but that wasn’t in the cards at the moment.
This morning, she decided to work on her computer in the office to keep herself busy. As soon as Gage left with Bill, she fed Ethan, played with him, and then set him up in his play yard with the monitor next to her desk. She would bring him into the office, but she needed a few minutes alone.
Hope checked her email at eight thirty, most of it spam or bills, but one caught her attention. It came from an email address that looked personal, although she didn’t recognize the sender. Foolishly, she decided to open it.
Dear daughter,
It’s so wonderful to see you filling out with my second grandchild. I miss you terribly. I wish you the best. Your mother would be pleased. Let’s do lunch one day.
Love always, your father.
She gasped at the brief message. Her hand gripped the mouse so tightly that the hardened plastic cracked. She hadn’t realized it until the plastic pinched her palm. “Ouch.” The mark was small, but she had a blood blister building up under the skin. Ignoring it, she went back to the email.
Hope read it again and again, looking for some reason, some rationale for it. Was this a mind fuck? She knew of the confrontation with Gage at Alex’s office and Cummings’s instigation. Did he do this to get at her? Had the old bastard lost his mind?
The sound of the front door swinging open startled her out of her seat. No one should be in here. She reached for the hidden gun, ready to fight. Soft footsteps crept closer to the door. Someone turned the handle slowly, opening it. She let out a squeal and kicked it closed.
“Hope, what the fuck? Who the fuck is in there with you?” Gage roared from the other side.
“Oh my God. Gage, I’m sorry.” She opened the door, still holding the revolver, but he didn’t see it because he was too busy scanning the room for someone else. He looked around the room, eyes flaring with obvious concern.
When his gaze returned to her, he spotted the weapon in her hand.
“Hope, what’s going on? Is there someone else in the house?
” Hope nervously looked around him as if her father would pop up behind her husband.
Panic flooded her bones that she hadn’t realized the way she looked.
Her spaghetti strap top was hanging half off her shoulder and Gage came up to her fixing it.
“No. You startled me. I didn’t expect you to come back and your footsteps were so low.”
“I was trying to surprise you. Why are you so jumpy?” His brows narrowed as he peered around the room and then out the door. She shook her head.
She set the gun down on the desk and took a long pause before she said, “Gage…I received an email.”
“An email?” He looked even more confused than when he walked in. He took the gun off the desk and made sure the safety was on. He tucked it into the drawer where it belonged and then stared at Hope who was still shaking.
Gage’s mind was still trying to process what she meant when she added, “From Cummings.”
“What?” he snarled out, walking around to the desk.
She left the email open to the letter. He read it and nearly lost his mind.
He whipped out his phone and rushed out of the office and to the front door, checking the locks.
Then he went to get his son out of his play yard.
The thought of someone coming after them sent a chill down his spine.
Alex finally answered on the last ring. “What’s up, Gage?”
“We’ve got a problem. That bastard contacted her today.”
“Where? When?”
“She got an email from him.” The rage in his voice actually sent chills up Alex’s spine and raised the hair on his arms. They both knew that Gage was one step away from murder.
“When?” Gage walked back behind the desk, handing Ethan to Hope as she stood and watched with horror and fascination.
Once he found the time stamp, he said, “About twenty-one minutes ago.”
“He didn’t send—”
Gage cut him off. “What the fuck do you mean he didn’t send it?
” Everything in the letter screamed Cummings.
It had his name written all over it. Fuming with indignation, he began to distrust one of his oldest friends.
Gage knew it was only because Alex didn’t take Cummings as seriously as Gage did, but then again, Alex had his own wife to be fretting over.
“Look, I’m not saying he didn’t write it or have someone do it for him, but he didn’t actually send it. He’s in the hospital. There was an attack on his life this morning. He’s in the hospital sedated at the moment.”
It took a few seconds before Gage could even get the one syllable out. “What?”
“He’s in the hospital. So, I have to ask you where you were this morning.”
Gage jumped back out of his chair, pacing the room. “What the fuck? You’re turning out to be a piss-poor friend, Savage.”
“Calm your ass down. I don’t think you did shit, but you’re one of the few people that would love to whoop his ass, and a half dozen people witnessed you nearly getting your hands on him outside my office.” Alex had a point, and Gage knew it. The police would look at him first.
“Fuck. I was here all day yesterday, and this morning I started working on the ranch at six, and I have my crew to prove it along with the surveillance cameras around the place, if needed,” Gage responded defensively.
He shook his head, hating the need to defend himself at all because whatever happened to the old man, he deserved.
Alex released a harsh sigh. “Thank God. I knew you wouldn’t or at least I hoped to fucking hell you wouldn’t be that dumb. Still, they will be coming to visit you.”
Gage slammed his palm down on the railing, trying to calm down, but his temper was getting hotter than the temp outside. “So that fucker gets the police to help him when he deserves to rot in hell, but nothing can be done to protect my family.”
“You know that’s not the case. Everyone gets the same damn treatment even if we’d wished someone finished the job. They’re not trying too hard.”
“It’s still fucking bullshit. I want the fucker to die. I know that’s the only way I’ll believe Hope is safe.” Gage had never wanted anyone to die more than that man.
“You might not want to go around shouting that shit out and definitely don’t go telling the investigators that either.”
“I know how this shit fucking works. I have to go. Are you going to look into it?”
“Of course I’m going to look into it. It’s clearly someone who is involved with the case in one way or another. I’ll have the forensic team over there in the next two hours.”
“Good. I expect to get the same damn treatment as that fucker.”
“I’m sorry that you doubt me, Gage, but you’ve got to know that I wouldn’t do that to you. I want him as far away from all of us as possible.”
“I’ve really gotta go.” Gage ended the call and walked back into his office where Hope was pacing with their son.
Opened up the surveillance system on his computer and took a seat behind his desk and then patted his thigh for Hope to sit on his lap.
She cradled the baby to her chest as she sat on Gage.
“What are we going to do?”
“I’m not going to let him get to either of you, no matter what has to happen. I live for you, Hope. He can pull this bullshit, but I’m not falling for it.” He rubbed circles on her back, trying to get her to calm down. He explained what happened to Cummings and the conversation with Alex.
“Do you think he’s faking the attack?” she asked.
“It’s a possibility. Or he crossed the wrong people.
He’s the type of person to steal from a crook, and that never ends well.
Considering he got out on bail, I wonder if he made a deal with the wrong people.
Either way, it’s not my problem unless he comes after my family.
Speaking of, I need to check the feeds.”
“Thank you for being my hero, Gage. Regardless of whether he dies or goes to prison, I just want a life with you and the family we’re making.” Careful not to squish the baby, she leaned down and kissed Gage’s lips.
“Same here. I just want you. Until they come, let’s play with this little guy and forget that Cummings may or may not be after us.”
“Wait, what’s this?” She pointed to the one camera out in the fields, and it was nothing but woodgrain. “What is it? Something’s blocking the camera.”
“No. I think the camera fell. That’s the fence post. Shit. I don’t have time for this. How the hell could it have fallen? I’m sorry, but I need to call Bill and deal with this. We didn’t have a big storm last night. Damn it, I’m going to contact Cavanaugh and complain about his equipment.”
****
The nurse entered the isolated, well-guarded room after getting cleared from the officer outside the door while others listened in. “Mr. Cummings, how are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been run over by cattle.” He quietly laughed, which caused him to wince in pain.
“Well, it looks like you have. I’m sorry, but this will make you feel better.” She injected a dose of morphine into his IV to ease his pain. Just then, Alex Savage came to speak with the barely lucid man. He’d seen everything from the door just in case the nurse needed any assistance.
“Ah, Savage, come to help me?” The sneer in his expression showed that he had no intention of stopping the shit talking.
“Not on your life, but I need to know how you were injured.” Alex pulled up a chair next to Cumming’s bed.
“I was beaten. Didn’t you hear?” There was humor in his voice, but he groaned since the pain meds hadn’t kicked in yet.
“That’s what you say, but the beating seems too perfect.” Cummings read the accusation in his voice and narrowed his eyes.
“Too perfect? That makes no damn sense. I could have died,” he roared, although the drugs had started to work and dulled his bark. Alex had known this man better than any of the other officers and he wasn’t fooled. Cummings was up to something and he’d figure it out before his friends were hurt.
“More’s the pity you didn’t, but I need answers.”
“You won’t get them.” Alex turned to the voice at the door.
“I think you remember me, Ranger Savage, and you know my client has nothing to say to you. Please leave, or I’ll file a harassment case against you and your department.
” He hated that smug prick in the suit almost as much as he hated Baxter Cummings, but he was right, and Gage didn’t need his main ally causing trouble.
Alex stood up and glared at the lawyer who had won this round, but he was a crook and they’d be after him too. “Fine, but we’ll be keeping an eye on you.”
“Good. Then you can find the one out there trying to kill me.”
“Yeah, I’ll get right on that.” Alex left the room with a load of questions for the Emergency Department staff who received Cummings. From the appearance of where the attack happened, nothing seemed out of place. No real scuffle took place.
An hour after leaving the hospital, Alex was called in on another incident, forcing him to take all he learned and put it on the back burner.