Gage

by Jessica Joy

  “Fuckin’ Cheaptrick,” I grumble, running my hands through my hair as I lean back in my barstool and start laughing.

  “What?” Tessa asks, chuckling along with my laugh but not catching on to what I find so funny.

  “Nothing. Apparently realizing I love the leprechaun makes me think of 70's song lyrics,” I laugh, shaking my head.

  “So what now?” she asks, her tone trying to be light but clearly weighed down by the chaos of these last few hours.

  “That’s the million-dollar question isn’t it?” I reply, thinking out loud. “I think it’s time we heed the advice of the sage St. Roxy. We wait, we listen, and we find the right time to tell our men when they are being stupid.”

  Chapter 21

  Gage

  Sawyer and I follow DiMarco through the loft and to Lexi and my wing of the penthouse. As we walk down the hall I point to my room when DiMarco raises an eyebrow in question of where to go. My fingers itch to get back to Lexi, to get back to my woman and get her as far away from here as possible. But I can’t leave Sawyer to deal with this, good intentions or not, he doesn’t know how to deal with DiMarco. We should have never come to Chicago, nothing good has ever come from the DiMarco family, and now my woman has had to pay the price of their services. Taking a life isn’t something that you just move on from, it leaves a permanent black mark on a person's soul and I lay that cost at the feet of one Salvatore DiMarco.

  DiMarco steps in the room and stops to consider the now face up body of Leo. As he kneels down next to the body, I move to the other side of the room and pull a duffel out of the closet to start packing up my shit. A string of Italian comes from the other side of the bed and the retort is out of my mouth before I can think better of it. “Believe me now ye bloody gowl?”

  DiMarco stands, straightening his jacket in that ridiculous way of his. “Vai a quel paese Patrick,” he says coolly, straightening his cuffs like he isn’t standing over the body of one of his men.

  “Aye, I’ll see ye there, ye feckin’ gobshite,” I grumble, shoving another handful of clothing into the bag. There is no way I’m setting foot again in this penthouse once I leave it. I’ll have to go pack Lexi up too, I for sure am not going to let her set foot near this room.

  “Believe it or not, it was never a matter of believing you Gage. I simply needed to see for myself,” DiMarco explains, sounding bored.

  “You’ve seen it. What now,” Sawyer clips from his post in the doorway.

  “Clearly, my organization isn’t as air-tight as I would like to believe,” Salvatore is doing his best to sound unaffected, but I’ve known him too long. I can hear the rage boiling just beneath his carefully controlled surface. He turns to me and tosses a phone on the bed. I hold his gaze for a long moment, assessing him, trying to read his play. The fucker’s a vault. Fine, I’ll play his game.

  Reaching for the phone, an unintelligible string of curses falls from my lips directed at everything and nothing in particular. Fuck this night and the horse it rode in on. The text screen is pulled up on the cheap burner phone when I look down at it, and I let out yet another colorful string of curses at what I see.

  “Motherfookin’ arsehole, son of a motherless whore!”

  “Not exactly the phrase I’d have gone with, but I share the sentiment,” DiMarco says.

  The most recent text conversation is pulled up, with the last message sent by Leo to an unknown number which simply says, ‘Solving your problem tonight. Pay me.’ The timing puts it just before he came up to the loft tonight.

  “Well, I gave the little fecker too much credit. Thought he was doin’ this to catch the eye of the almighty Boss on High. He was just the hired help,” I say, tossing the phone toward Sawyer. He just folds his arms across his chest and leans against the doorjamb, keeping a watchful eye on DiMarco.

  “Gentlemen, it appears that you weren’t the only ones betrayed this night. As distressing as this new development is, I assure you it will be handled swiftly and decisively. In the meantime, I will personally arrange transport and accommodations for the five of you.” DiMarco explains. The fucker sounds like he’s reading us the stock market updates, not addressing the fact someone in his inner circle tried to kill me tonight.

  “Relocated? Yer a feckin’ eejit if ye think we’re trustin’ ye fer one more second Sally boy.” I grind out through clenched teeth, barely hanging onto the last threads of my restraint.

  “Gage. Take a breath Brother,” Sawyer says calmly from his post at the door.

  “Take a breath? Take a feckin’ breath? Jaysus Sawyer. Someone just tried to kill me. Again! I’m not takin’ a feckin’ breath ‘til I get some feckin’ answers!” I snap.

  “And we’ll get them. Salvatore, I might have a way to solve both of our problems at once if my gut is right. I trust you will be amenable to a plan of our devising considering the events of tonight?” Sawyer says, calm as ever.

  DiMarco inclines his head toward Sawyer, crossing his hands in front of him in a subtle show of deference. “Of course. You all are guests in my home and explicitly under my protection. That protection was violated, and I owe you all a debt. Any help I can offer is yours.”

  “Feckin’ mobsters. The only thing ye can count on with ye lot is yer ridiculous code of honor. What a load of utter shite,” I grumble, needing to vent. Deep down though, DiMarco admitting he owes us a debt is huge. One does not simply have a debt owed from the mob. I give him a nod to soften my words which he returns. We’re all running a little hot right now and calm is what we need. Sawyer shoots me a warning look but I wave him off, I’m too close to this to run point so I’ll just have to trust my Brother.

  “Maybe we should take this to the living room, have a chance to talk through the next steps?” Sawyer suggests while stepping back from the doorway and gesturing back down the hall. DiMarco straightens his jacket and tugs at the cuffs nonchalantly for a moment before looking up and nodding. “As I said, whatever help I can offer is yours. If my purposes can be served through this as well, then all the better.”

  Sawyer nods at him before turning to me. “Gage?”

  “If it gets me the feck outta here and home? Yeah, I’m listenin’.”

  “Good. Let's get out of here and I’ll tell ya what I’m thinking.”

  * * *

  Two hours later, Leo’s body has been picked up by a couple of DiMarco’s men, Sawyer and I have packed up all the shit the five of us have with us, and we’re ready to fill Lexi and Tessa in on the plan. Fuck, they were gonna lose their fuckin’ minds.

  The three of us settled on a plan at the kitchen table while we were waiting for the cleanup crew, Sawyer mainly leading the discussion and filling us in on his plan. It’s too coincidental that someone from within Sal’s organization tried to take me out while we were dealing with the same shit from the Club. Sawyer’s hunch is that they’re connected and honestly, I agree. There’s no way the universe just hates me that badly. I know I can be an arsehole, but come on, this is getting a bit excessive. If all goes to plan, Sal will know who got to Leo and we should have all the evidence we need to prove our suspicions about Axel to the rest of the Club. While Sal was still with us, we called Tink and filled him in on the plan. You would think we told him that Marvel announced another Avengers film, he was so excited. After entirely too much back and forth and technical talk, most of which I frankly couldn’t follow, we had our plan and Tinker said he would keep us posted.

  My understanding is that Tinker’s going to spoof Leo’s burner phone and send a message to the mystery boss telling them that he finished the job. Now here is the part I got lost on, apparently through some kind of technical hacking magic, Tink has access to every cell tower and provider around Proctor and can track all data and phone traffic coming in and out of our area. On top of that, he has access to all the Club members phones thanks to some back door software crap he installs on them all before giving them to us, ‘for our protection.’ Sneaky fucker. But all that techy magic he doe
s day in and day out is giving us a perfect storm of Big Brother surveillance and should help us nail Leo’s contact. I honestly don’t care how it works as long as it does. If it does end up being Axel, no amount of goodwill he’s earned in the past will save him from my righteous anger. But that plan was the easy part, the hard part is going to be convincing the women that it’ll work.

  DiMarco, that chicken shit, ran off as soon as we had settled on a plan stating he had arrangements to finalize for our move. Logically I know that’s true but fuck me, I’m not looking forward to the epic shit fit we are in for when we fill in the ladies in on the plan. We take the elevator down to the rec room and find Tessa and Lexi curled up on one of the couches together watching a movie, with Evan sleeping in a nest of blankets and pillows at their feet.

  I squeeze Lexi’s shoulder as I round the end of the couch, making my way to a lounge chair across from them, Sawyer taking the chair next to me. The girls look at each other before turning back to us as a unit, staring us down.

  Whelp, this just got harder. When the hell did they join forces again?

  “Just tell us.” Tessa says, pinning Sawyer with a look. Lexi raises an eyebrow at me, as if daring me to give her bad news.

  This feels like a trap. Why does this feel like a trap?

  Sawyer clears his throat and shifts in his seat. Good, at least I’m not the only one who feels like the women are about to eat us alive. “So…” he clears his throat again, “So Tinker and DiMarco are working on a plan to find out who Leo was working with. We should have an answer soon.”

  Tessa raises an eyebrow at him, mirroring the look Lexi threw me earlier. I’m struck by just how alike they look right now. It’s rather unsettling if I’m honest.

  “Cut the shit Sawyer. We all know that isn’t what has you looking like you’re worried I’m going to chop your dick off,” Tessa challenges. I have to stifle a laugh at that, but when her glare shifts to me, my dick shrivels and tries to hide. She’s scary as shit when she wants to be.

  “We’re leaving. DiMarco has a safe house outside the city. One only he and his second know about,” Sawyer says, preempting Tessa before she can interrupt.

  “You’re kidding right?” Lexi scoffs.

  “Lex, hear ‘im out, love,” I urge. To my surprise, Lexi settles back into the couch, arching an eyebrow my way but pursing her lips shut. Why does her silence feel worse than her shouting?

  “We aren’t staying here. I don’t think I have to convince anyone of that after tonight,” Sawyer says, looking at each of us in turn. Finding no immediate resistance, he continues. “DiMarco will be here in an hour to take us to the house personally.”

  “So we’re trusting him… again?” Lexi barks on a sarcastic laugh.

  “Believe me Lex, I don’t like this any more than ye do. But we don’t have any other options right now. We don’t have good connections, the Club ain’t safe, and we need a safe place to plan our next steps. I hate to admit it, but it’s our best option right now,” I explain, knowing she’s completely right to not trust him, but lacking any other options at the moment.

  “And with what Tink is working on it should be temporary,” Sawyer adds.

  “Temporary?” Tessa asks, “this was supposed to be temporary and we’ve been here for weeks!” Sawyer goes to interrupt her but she holds up her hand, stopping him. “I know we can’t stay here. You couldn’t pay me enough to set foot up there again. I’m not arguing that. But what is this magical thing Tink is supposedly doing for us from 400 miles away?”

  Sawyer gives her a pained look, clearly wanting to give his woman the reassurance she needs, but he just shakes his head and says, “Club business Babydoll.”

  “You tell me one last thing Sawyer McGrath and you tell me right now or I’m taken my sister and Evan and we are going home.” Tessa seethes, pinning him with an icy “don’t you dare fuck with me” stare. “Who. The fuck. Was it.”

  “Leo, we…” Sawyer starts to respond.

  “Don’t you dare play dumb with me. You know exactly what I mean,” she snaps.

  Sawyer heaves a heavy sigh, dragging a hand over his face for a moment before meeting his woman’s stare head on. “Axel.”

  One word. All he says is one word, but it’s enough. I can feel the anger rolling off Tessa as she gives a single tight nod and the indignant hurt and confusion from Lexi. Combining that with the wave of guilt that crashes over me as I watch them process this latest blow, I can understand why the Brothers go so apeshit when they’ve found their Ol’ Lady. I would do anything to reassure Lexi in this moment and wipe the pained, confused look from her eyes. But to do that, she would be exposed to all the uncertainty and danger that we’re dealing with, and that is something I absolutely cannot abide. Every cell in my body is screaming out to protect her, to shield her from hurt, but keeping her from the business is hurting her too. The tension is enough to bring me to my knees.

  With that one single realization everything comes crashing down around my ears and bursts up through me all at once. I love her. This is the insanity everyone talks about, the bone chilling fear and utter elation all wrapped into the same moment of desperation to just be near her. Somewhere deep in my cave-man-lizard-brain I have the overwhelming urge to throw her over my shoulder and drag her off to my lair and having my way with her while keeping her safe from the rest of the world. It’s confusing, overwhelming, and the most calming, reassuring feeling I have ever felt.

  Fuck, I love this woman. I just hope I can make it out the other side of this mess without her killing me.

  Chapter 22

  Lexi

  Ever wonder how long it takes for cops to set up those crazy murder serial-killer walls you always see on TV? The ones with all the maps and pictures covering an entire wall with pieces of red yarn wrapped around push pins crisscrossing the whole thing, making it a giant web of crazy? Four days. Yeah, four days is how long it has taken “The Idiot Brigade” to create a full-blown serial killer murder wall out in the garage of the new safe house.

  Turns out DiMarco set us up in what I guess is basically his summer home. Our new safe house is a three bedroom, two bathroom, two car garage, modest home in an upper middle class neighborhood somewhere west-ish of Chicago. I honestly have no idea exactly where we are, but I know it’s absolutely nothing like what I was expecting. After the overblown display of wealth and power that was the loft, this house is surprisingly… homey. That is if you can ever really feel at home sharing a bathroom with the most notorious man in the Midwest.

  From the moment we got settled in the new house, Gage, Sawyer, and DiMarco have been holed up in the garage on almost constant video calls with Tinker plotting their grand revenge scheme. Initially, I wanted to be there guiding the vengeance, I was the one who killed fucking Leo after all, but Tessa’s words from the other night rang through my mind and I decided to be patient. Yes, I, Lexi the Impulsive, decided to wait. I have to trust that Gage will come to me if and when he needs me and I also have trust that things will be okay without me. After everything that has happened in the last few years, stepping back and letting go of the reins isn’t easy for me, especially since his ‘Club business’ might as well be my own. It’s hard for me to be actively aware that there are things going on that affect me that I have no idea about. It doesn’t sit well, but I know this is the price of being with Gage. Love the man, love the Club… hate every God damn second of it.

  In an attempt to distract ourselves while the menfolk are off letting their inner psychopaths run wild, Tessa and I have taken up the task of making sure they feed and water themselves regularly. Tessa calls it ‘taking care of her man.’ I call it keeping a pet. Either way, I’m pretty sure both of us are going to have to clean up some shit before this is all done.

  It’s my turn to bring them lunch and when I step out into the garage I stop and take in the ridiculous scene in front of me. Sawyer is staring up at the murder wall, his hands clasped on top of his head like he is surrendering
as he paces back and forth. DiMarco is slouched in an old office chair manspreading like nobody's business and looking more disheveled than I thought possible for someone still wearing a six thousand dollar suit. Gage, ever the ridiculous one, is laying on his back, his legs propped up against the wall, his feet in the air waving back and forth. As I watch, Sawyer paces within range of Gage and he kicks out with his good leg, his boot leaving a dusty footprint on Sawyer’s ass. From the thick layer of dust and dirt on that particular spot on Sawyer’s jeans, I’m guessing this has happened more than once and from the looks of it Sawyer no longer cares and has chosen to ignore my willful man-half. Maybe there is a lesson to be learned there...

  The pop-fizz of a soda can tab a pulls my attention to the corner of the room, and what I see there has me doubled over laughing so damn hard I can barely put down the tray of sandwiches before I drop them. “What’s wrong with Lex? Do you guys smell that bad already?” Tinker’s voice echoes out of the laptop in the corner. Straightening, I point toward the laptop, still laughing and struggle to form words to explain.

  “Don’t tell him lass,” Gage says, not moving from his awkward position but shooting me a toothy grin that speaks volumes.

  “Yes, leave us to our fun with the annoying little computer man,” DiMarco says in a bored tone, laying his head against the back of the chair and swiveling back and forth slowly.

  “What the… what the fuck did you guys do?” Tinker bellows through the laptop almost blowing the speakers. Apparently he is just now catching on that the guys have played a joke at his expense.

  Sucking in a desperate gulp of air through my laughter, I finally manage to wheeze out the most pressing question in my mind, “Where the… where the hell did that come from?”