Chapter 16 #2
Gage shoots him some side eye. “You? Give me a fuckin’ break.”
Teasing, Chase ribs him. “Haven’t you heard? Minnie and I are friends now, alright. Deal.”
“You’re delusional, since when?!”
Apparently, Chase never told Gage about his little visit to Minnie on his behalf.
With a shy grin, Minnie tilts the large tray to the side slightly, giving them a look at the goods. “Sweet and sour this time. I hope you like tart, frosted lemon bars and gooey brownies…”
She squawks when the two men surround her in an instant, eager to break into the desserts she’s brought.
Marlin groans in dismay, still holding his hand of cards. “Ya’ll better eat those pub burgers Imma ‘bout to grill. Else, there will be some ass whoopings.”
No pub burgers or desserts survive the day, because even Red can’t deny he likes the treats she brings.
Chaos, as it were, always finds a way to get its mess to shatter peace. It just comes in the most unexpected of manners one afternoon while Minnie and Gage walk through the park near her library, weeks later.
Minnie is still trying to understand how Marlin and Chase don’t blame her for their own incarcerations, the way Red clearly does. She’s still shocked by the fact that both men have readily accepted her without reservation.
“That’s easy; you aren’t the reason we went to prison.
” Gage brushes a strand of pale hair out of her face.
His thumb caresses her cheekbone softly.
“We were career criminals, princess. We had plenty of things to atone for. You were just in a list of acts that put the nail in the coffin. That is why we don’t blame you.
” His mouth plants into a firm line. “Except Red. He’s just. He’s just a shit.
You’re from Uptown Gold and he’s from Harrow’s Row.
He takes it personally for whatever scummy reason.
Jealousy, probably. He’s always been that way, hating people for what they have. ”
She opens her mouth to argue. But still-
He shakes his head. “Don’t worry about that anymore. Even if we did go to prison because of you, we fuckin’ deserved it. We deserved to pay for the emotional trauma we caused you. And the other people that day.”
He has his hands in his pockets, looking up at the sky as they pause by the pond. There are a pair of swans, hovering in the middle of the water. Minnie uses her phone to take a picture of them, smiling.
“Hey,” Gage says out of the blue, sounding wary.
His hazel eyes are keen on her face now, searching.
His look travels over her body briefly before he seems to come back to himself.
His expression is difficult to read, as if guarding his emotions.
“There’s, uh. Somethin’. I need to talk to you about somethin’ serious, Minnie. ”
His tone puts her on edge.
“You’re creeping me out,” Minnie replies, putting her phone away. A breeze shifts through her hair. “Don’t be creepy.” A breath of laughter touches his lips at her words, but his eyes remain shadowed like an autumn forest at dusk.
“The other day, I got a visitor. Not a good one.” The words tumble out with a distinct level of discomfort. “Your father. He must have gotten my address from that Police Captain he’s buddies with. Go figure.”
Minnie’s eyes widen in shock and more than a little bit of horror. Her father, in the Harrow’s Row neighborhood? In his Jaguar? She places a hand at her throat the way her mother does when she clutches her pearls, saying wryly, “Good heavens. Was he looking to get his car stolen?”
Gage scoffs and rolls his eyes. “I’m sure his cop pal would have gotten it back for him in no time. But nah, that’s not why he came around.”
A thought occurs to her, making her heart lurch. “Red didn’t answer the door, did he? Oh, goodness, he wasn’t shirtless, was he? That inked shrimp.” She covers her face in secondhand embarrassment. “He’s horrid. I can only imagine the things he would have said to Daddy.”
With his voice drier than a desert, Gage says, “I mean. I think your father deserves Red, honestly. And that’s sayin’ somethin’, ‘cuz I don’t think most people do.”
The loyal daughter in Minnie rises up in the defense of her father.
“He’s not a bad man, Gage. My father simply worries about me.
Especially after what happened. Can you imagine how he must have felt like a failure back then?
His daughter was abducted in his car when he stepped into a store, for only a few things…
a lot of men might take that personally. ”
Gage’s jaw shifts about, as if he’s stubbornly trying to think around what she’s just said.
She knows he doesn’t agree with her. He isn’t a fan of her father, and she can’t say she blames him, based on what her father has done up until this point.
“Look, I think once he warms up to the idea of you, things will get better-”
He makes a bitter little crooked smirk, gazing out at the water. “I think you might need to hold onto that thought.”
Minnie watches him, feeling unsettled by this sudden shift in mood. “…Gage, what did he do?”
He looks uncertain, as if chewing on words he doesn’t want to say aloud. “Your father came to my place and offered me money. A lot of it. He brought a check and a pen. He was ready to do business right then and there.”
Her mouth goes dry. What does he mean, her father offered him money?! This isn’t leading anywhere good fast. “…and why would he do that?”
Gage’s jaw works roughly. There’s a harsh tilt to his mouth, belaying his displeasure. He curses under his breath, rubbing a hand over his face. “Minnie, don’t fly off the handle.”
“Why did he offer you money, Gage?” Panic begins to settle in. He’s acting so out of character, and it’s scaring her.
Cursing again, he finally meets her gaze.
“He came to pay me to stay away from you. Permanently. In case you still don’t understand it, your father hates me.
If sendin’ the police after me didn’t work and tryin’ to make you hate me didn’t work, well, he figured money would work. And I can’t say I blame him.”
Minnie stares at him, mouth now dropping open.
The nerve of Daddy! How could he do this to her?
A nervous laugh slips past her lips as she processes this new development.
She doesn’t want to ask the next question, but she can’t stop herself from opening herself up for more pain.
“And, what did you do when he offered you his ridiculous money?” Please, don’t break my heart, Gage.
He scoffs, crooked sneer taking over his mouth, a flash of his teeth. “Well, what do you think? I took his fuckin’ money.”
Agony drives its knife into her gut, twisting.
For a moment, Minnie can’t breathe, can’t even find the will to inhale again.
She’s mentally knocked over, feeling like a skyscraper being bashed with a wrecking ball.
What did he just say to her? “My father paid you to leave me, and you took it? Just like that?”
“I mean, I was insulted. But yeah.”
“That’s all we mean to you? Nothing?” Her eyes burn, filling with tears about to spill forward. The swans drift further from them in the pond, unsettled by her loud voice. “He waves money at you and you just give me up?”
He doesn’t stop her when she levels him with a brisk, emotional slap. “I can’t believe you!” Minnie shouts, her voice sounding shrill even to her own ears. “After all that bullcrap about wanting to be a better man, you pull this on me? Maybe he was right about you-”
There’s a red handprint blossoming on his cheek. “Yeah, princess. I took the money. I’m a professional thief, aren’t I?” His mouth is in a firm, hard line. His voice, self-depreciating and cold. “It’s what I do.”
This can’t be happening. She’s not ready for him to break her heart like this again. Maybe she’s not cut out for a happy ending after all.
“What was I?” She snaps wretchedly, voice taking on near hysteria. “Still just a meal ticket?! A momentary entertainment? Just like I was thirteen years ago. Someone to use and benefit from.”
For a moment it looks like her words have struck him deep, as if she’s slapped him again.
He takes in her broken expression, the tears about to spill down her cheeks.
He reaches out for her, the black ink on his hand glaring at her menacingly.
“Listen to me before you start bawling and swinging those little fists, Minnie. Listen.”
Shaking her head, mouth twisting up in emotional pain, Minnie steps back. “I don’t want to listen. I’m done with listening to anything you say! It’s all poisonous lies. How could you do that? To me? I thought you cared about me? I thought I meant something to you-”
She never meant anything, never, she’s just The Abducted Girl. Not worthy of a normal life or a normal love.
The scowl on his face deepens and his voice rises up, above hers. “Minnie! Holy fuck, hold your fuckin’ horses! Yeah, I’m a fuckin’ asshole, but I took that money because I want us to buy a house with it, that’s why. It’s a hell of a nice down payment.”
Minnie stares at him in shock, all her words caught in her throat. She blinks, dumbfounded. “You want to what now?”
Shrugging those powerful shoulders, Gage says, “Well, he was so damn eager to pay me off. I’m not a good man, I didn’t sign some contract agreeing to how I wouldn’t see you anymore.
There’s no contract to break. I took his money.
I’m gonna use it for you. For us. I’m a thief.
I took his money and I’m gonna use it how I want. For you.”
All the pain and shock and misery slowly oozes out of her veins. The hysteria, turning into something else. “You’re terrible,” Minnie breathes out in absolute awe and disbelief. “Gage. Daddy is going to be so mad at you.”
He pulls her to him, holding her close. “Yeah, well, he’ll just have to get over it, won’t he?
I’m takin’ care of you and I intend to do the best I can.
If he wants to toss dough at me, I’m gonna take it, I ain’t no saint.
I won’t give you up though, not even for cash.
He should have made me sign something. I thought your dad was supposed to be smart. ”
His arms are comforting and Minnie sighs against him, inhaling the warm scent of his cologne. “Couldn’t you have warned me before you told me that story?”
“Ah…well. There’s something else.”
Oh lord. “Honestly, I’m not certain I want to hear what else there might be. Gage, I’m too old for these surprises. Think of my heart.” Now she’s really starting to sound like Mother Marla…
He grins and drops down into the grass, kneeling in front of her. “Your heart is just fine.” He pulls out a small box from his pocket with a hint of nervousness hovering around him. Why would he be nervous? He opens the box.
Oh.
Oh, goodness.
Minnie shrieks and does a little dance in the middle of the park, scaring the birds.
“You didn’t! You didn’t!” There’s a ring within the soft little blue box, shining up at her.
A lovely, modest solitaire, perfect for her delicate hand.
Her world whirls as she stares down at this clear visual of devotion being laid bare.
“What…and…just…why?!” Her eyes get watery, and Minnie wipes at them furiously.
“I wasn’t kidding when I said I wanted to take care of you, Minnie.” Gage holds the ring closer to her, eyes hopeful. “My actions thirteen years ago may have changed your life, but I intend to keep changing it for the better this time around. If you’ll let me.”
Words are stuck in her throat as elation and disbelief consume her thoughts.
“So?” Gage momentarily looks unsure as his intense hazel eyes stare into her face. “Are you gonna be mine, Minerva Fray? Just you and me?”
Never did she imagine they would end up here. Not in a million years. Not the rough and tough man she met in her library, the man who gave her an adrenaline rush in her veins. The man who changed her life thirteen years ago and taught her what horror could be.
The same man who taught her what pleasure could be.
What love could be.
Giving him a narrow gaze, Minnie lifts one brow and says, “A long engagement, perhaps, would be wise?”
His mouth quirks. “If that’s what you want. Figured you didn’t want your folks to say you’re livin’ in sin or some shit. They seem the type.”
Oh, he’s right, he’s nailed her family down by this point.
She throws her arms around him tightly, afraid he might just vanish into thin air. “Yes, yes.” Then, she utters, “But Daddy might kill you.”
Gage laughs. “He can try.”