Red Zone

by Sherri Hayes

  Squashing the feeling quickly before it had time to take hold, she hurried across the room to her closet. Her hand hovered over one of the many pairs of jeans Charlie had brought over for her, the ones she’d been wearing without thought for the last week and a half, but she stopped herself. She needed distance, something that would make her feel as if she were in charge of her life again. Without second-guessing herself, she pushed the designer jeans and sweaters aside and reached for the navy blue pantsuit she’d brought with her from home.

  The fabric felt good against her skin, almost like a security blanket. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed as much normalcy as she could get. Maybe that made her weak, but it was what she needed.

  Looking in the mirror, she gave herself a once-over. She’d left her hair down, and debated putting it up in a ponytail or a bun, the way she used to wear it. Gathering her hair, she pulled it up behind her head and held it for all of five seconds before releasing it to fall back down to brush against the lapels of her suit jacket.

  She contemplated for another five minutes before she finally decided to leave her hair as it was. No man was worth all this drama—she’d learned that a long time ago. Grabbing her gun and holster, she strapped her weapon to her ankle and headed toward the door.

  The hallway was empty when she emerged from her room. Gage’s bedroom door was open, but she hadn’t closed it when she made her escape earlier. She was tempted to sneak a look inside to see if he was sleeping, but she was almost afraid of what she’d find. What if he was still in there and woke up the moment she peeked in to check on him? She wasn’t ready for a confrontation like that . . . especially not in his bedroom.

  Tentatively, she walked down the stairs onto the main level. No one was visible, so she decided to go straight to her sister’s room first. Before she reached the end of the hall, however, she heard voices coming from downstairs. A few moments later, she heard it again—two distinct voices—one male, one female. Changing direction, she walked back to the staircase.

  She paused before she reached the bottom of the stairs. Whether she liked it or not, she needed a few extra seconds before coming face-to-face with Gage again. She had no idea how he’d react. Her defenses had been down, and he’d taken advantage. One side of her was angry that he’d crossed into territory he knew she had no intention of crossing, when she was at her most vulnerable. The other reminded her of the mixed signals she’d been giving him for the last two weeks, one moment pushing him away, the next welcoming his kisses. It had to stop. Tugging on the bottom of her jacket, she thrust her shoulders back and took the final steps.

  Gage came into view first, his broad shoulders hunched over slightly and shaking with laughter. His face was in profile, a broad smile lighting up his handsome features. Of its own volition, her body reacted. She felt a tightening in the pit of her stomach, a tingling in her fingers.

  Fortunately, her sister took that moment to notice her standing on the other side of the room. “Hey!” Megan hopped down from the stool she’d been sitting on, laid down the cards Rebecca had missed in both their hands, and walked toward her sister.

  Rebecca planted what she hoped was a sincere smile on her face as she greeted Megan. “Feeling better?”

  “A little,” Megan said, sobering.

  Reaching out with her right hand, Rebecca brushed the hair out of her sister’s eyes. Megan needed her bangs trimmed, it seemed. Normally, her sister kept up her appearance, liking her short, no-fuss hairstyle. When it came to relationships, however, her sister got distracted. She’d put everything into making it work, even if the guy on the receiving end wasn’t so generous.

  Rebecca felt a wave of sadness wash over her. She wanted to help her sister. She just didn’t know how.

  “Do you want to join us?” Gage’s voice pulled her out of the fog. Her gaze rose to meet his for a split-second before going back to Megan. Rebecca couldn’t look at him. Not yet. If she looked at him, she was afraid she’d crumble.

  “Yeah,” Megan said, chiming in, the smile beginning to return. “We’re playing cards. I wanted to play poker, but Gage didn’t think you’d approve.” As Megan spoke, she pulled her sister toward the table where they’d been sitting.

  The urge to glance over at him was there, but she resisted, keeping her focus solely on her sister. “Why would I object to you playing poker?” Rebecca asked, confused. Yes, she was protective of her sister, but—

  “Strip poker. I said I doubted your sister would approve of us playing strip poker.”

  Megan pouted playfully. “That’s the only fun way to play poker. The regular way is just plain boring.”

  Ignoring her sister’s comment, she addressed the drink Megan had obviously been nursing. “Have you eaten anything?”

  “Yep. Gage made me a sandwich,” Megan said, taking a sip of her beer.

  “Do you want to play with us?” Gage asked again.

  Rebecca glanced down at the table. “UNO?”

  He smiled, and Rebecca felt her stomach do a little flip. “I figured that was safest.”

  “You want us to deal you in, Becca?”

  “No. I need to go back upstairs for a little while,” she said, already moving back toward the stairs. “I’ll be back down later. If you’re still playing, I’ll join you then.” She gave her sister a weak smile and then raced upstairs. This was going to be much harder than she thought.

  Gage watched as Rebecca disappeared up the stairs. He didn’t like seeing her back in her stuffy old suits, but he couldn’t say he was surprised. She’d been more open to his affections that morning than she’d ever been. He should have known she’d try to compensate. The fact that she’d left her hair down, made him smile. Whether she realized it or not, he’d broken through some of those sky-high walls of hers. Maybe broken through was a little much. Maybe chipped away was more accurate.

  “What’s going on between you and my sister?” Megan asked, pulling him away from his thoughts.

  “I’m grabbing a water. Want some?”

  “No. I’m fine. And stop trying to avoid the question,” Megan said. The look on her face at that moment reminded him of Rebecca.

  He chuckled and squeezed behind the bar for a glass. “I’m not avoiding, but maybe you should ask your sister that question.”

  “Maybe I will.”

  “Good,” he said, sitting back down at the table. “We gonna finish playing this hand or what?”

  “Yeah.”

  Throughout the rest of the hand, she continued to watch him speculatively, like if she could look hard enough, she might find the answers she wanted.

  Megan was the exact opposite of her sister in many ways. She was a lot more outgoing, dressed more like a teenager than a twenty-three-year-old woman, and she was extremely comfortable with her sexuality. Like her sister, however, she also appeared able to beat a subject to death if it would get her what she was after.

  Deciding maybe a change of subject was best, he played his next card and asked, “Your sister seems really worried about you.”

  “Yeah,” Megan said, picking at invisible lint on her fitted T-shirt. “Then again, Becca always worries about me.”

  Even though Gage didn’t want to get into the drama, he was interested in learning more about what made Rebecca tick. “And why’s that?” he asked, trying to keep it casual.

  “Because men suck.”

  He laughed.

  “Sorry,” she said, not appearing to be that remorseful.

  “It’s okay,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “So you’ve had a lot of trouble with men, then?”

  Megan took another long pull on her beer, emptying it. “You got another?”

  “Yeah, behind the bar in the fridge.” He motioned over his shoulder.

  She slid off her chair, causing the skirt she was wearing to ride up to indecent places. Other than acknowledging the event, his body didn’t react. Megan was an attractive woman, and she’d already made it clear that she’d have no p
roblems having a little fun if he was willing. He wasn’t. For reasons he didn’t quite understand, Rebecca was the only one his body seemed to be interested in, and she was too busy trying to rebuild those walls of hers.

  “I always pick the wrong guys.” Megan’s voice floated up from behind the bar. She reappeared a minute later with another beer in her hand. “I trust them too easily, and they break my heart every time,” she said, retaking her seat at the table. “Sometimes I wish I could be more like my sister, but then again, I don’t think I could be a monk.”

  Unfortunately for Gage, he’d chosen that same moment to take a drink of his water and nearly choked. “Your sister’s not a monk.”

  “And how would you know?” Megan asked. Her eyes were wide, innocent. He knew she was anything but.

  “Not a chance,” Gage said, getting up. “I’ve got some calls to make. Make yourself at home.”

  Megan laughed, and he joined in, shaking his head. The next few days should be fun.

  On the way to his room, Gage noticed Rebecca’s door was open, her room empty. He hadn’t seen her on the main level, so he assumed she was outside doing whatever it was she did out there every day. That, and avoiding him, of course.

  Shaking off those thoughts for the moment, he shut his door, picked up the phone, and dialed. It rang several times before someone answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Ma. How are you?”

  “Busy as always. Your father is outside trying to help Trent with some sort of pruning he insists has to be done before winter. I don’t know. You know me. I’ve never been the one with the green thumb. That’s all your father and brother.”

  “I’m sure Trent can handle anything Dad comes up with,” he said, smiling. He missed his family more than he’d care to admit most of the time. Trent, who was four years older than him, lived just outside Cincinnati where their parents lived. Out of the four brothers, Trent was the one who typically helped around their parents’ house the most, since he lived closest. Gage, being the farthest away, was home the least. He didn’t let it get to him often, but there were times such as these when he wished he could be closer to his mom and dad.

  “Is everything okay, Gage? You’re still coming for Thanksgiving, aren’t you?” He could hear the worry in her voice.

  “Yeah. I’m still coming, don’t worry.”

  He heard her release a breath she’d been holding. “Good. I’m so looking forward to having all my boys here this year. Elizabeth will be joining us, too. I can’t wait until the wedding. She’s perfect for Chris.”

  “Wedding?”

  “Your brother didn’t tell you?”

  “No.” He frowned. Even though he hadn’t talked to his brother on the phone for about a month, he would have thought that would be something important enough to warrant a phone call.

  “Oh.” She paused. “Maybe he was waiting to tell you in person since he knows you’re coming home for the holiday.”

  “Maybe.” Gage tried not to let it bother him too much. His mom was probably right. Chris was most likely waiting until he could make the announcement in person. It made sense.

  “Ma, the reason I called . . . ”

  “Yes?” she prompted when he didn’t continue right away.

  “I’m going to be bringing a girl with me. Two girls, actually.”

  She was silent for several long heartbeats. “Gage Lucas Daniels, I don’t usually say anything about how you live your life, but I will not have you bringing any of those women you . . . you do what you do with into my house for family time, do you hear me?”

  He lowered his head, shame hitting him full force. His mom never said anything about all the women he went through on a regular basis, but he’d known on some level she was disappointed in him because of it. “It’s not like that. Rebecca . . . she’s my . . . girlfriend, and her sister showed up last night. It’s a long story. I don’t really know it all, but it looks like she’s going to be sticking around for at least a little while. I was hoping to bring Rebecca with me, and I didn’t think it would be a good idea to leave her sister here alone.” There. He’d said it.

  His mother was quiet for a long time, and he began to get nervous. He had no idea what he’d do if she said no.

  “You have a girlfriend?”

  “Yes.” He felt bad lying to his mom, but it couldn’t be helped.

  “Is it serious?” Gage could hear the excitement in her voice.

  “It’s still pretty new, but . . . I like her.” To most people that would have sounded lame, but his mother knew him better than most.

  “I can’t wait to meet her, Gage. I’m happy for you.”

  “Don’t get your hopes up, Ma, okay? I mean, we’ve only been dating a short time and—”

  “I don’t care. You haven’t brought a girl home since high school. Of course she’s welcome. And her sister. All the bedrooms will be full, but I’m sure we can figure out something. The couch folds out. I was thinking maybe you and Trent, but—”

  “You don’t need to do that. I can get us hotel rooms.”

  “Nonsense. You’ll all stay here and that’s that. I won’t hear of anything else.”

  He chuckled. “Okay, Ma. Whatever you say.”

  A few minutes later, he hung up with his mom and placed the receiver back on the nightstand. Thanksgiving should be interesting. For the first time in years, the Daniels clan would all be back under one roof.

  Chapter 15

  Rebecca was on her way to her sister’s room when Gage ambushed her. She’d just come from another patrol of the outside. Normally, she only went out once a day, but she found being outside in the cooling temperatures a better alternative to being in the house trying to avoid him. All her efforts were moot, however, when she turned the corner, and there he was.

  “Hi, beautiful.” He smiled, causing her insides to do somersaults again.

  She put on her game face. “Hello, Mr.—”

  He moved fast, wrapping his right arm around her waist, pulling her front flush against his chest. “Oh no you don’t. You’re not starting with the whole Mr. Daniels thing again.”

  Palms flat against his torso, she tried to push herself off him or at least gain some distance. She didn’t get far, and he followed her step for step until her back was against the wall. “I need to go check on my sister.” Rebecca hated how weak she sounded, how much power this man had over her. She steadied herself and tried again. “I need to make sure she’s okay.”

  “Megan’s fine,” he said, crowding her more. He held her firmly in place with his arm while he took his other hand and ran his fingers down the side of her cheek, her neck. She closed her eyes, trying to resist. She needed to resist, get back onto stable ground with him.

  “Everything’s set for this weekend. I talked to my mom and let her know you and your sister were coming with me,” he said, his lips brushing against her cheek.

  “What . . . what did you tell her . . . them . . . your family?” It was difficult to concentrate when he was this close.

  She felt his lips curve into a smile against the side of her face. “I told her I was bringing my girlfriend and her sister. She’s very excited to meet you.”

  “Gage—”

  He chuckled and leaned back. “See. That wasn’t so hard was it?”

  It took her a moment to grasp what he was saying. When she finally did, it reaffirmed what she knew she had to do. She took a deep breath, her chest brushing against his, distracting her from her purpose. “I think . . . I think we need to go over some guidelines . . . for the weekend.”

  Ignoring her, he asked, “What did you tell your sister about why you’re here with me?”

  He shifted his position a little to give her some breathing room. Not much, but she’d take what she could get. “She knows I’m here on assignment. I didn’t go into detail. She didn’t ask.” When he didn’t say anything more, she took her opening and slid out from between him and the wall.

  Once she was
a few feet away, she chanced a look back at him. He was standing there with a huge smirk on his face. His cocky grin told her he’d been waiting for her to do just that.

  He stood his ground, hands casually in his back pockets, and said, “This weekend . . .”

  “Yes?” she asked when he didn’t continue.

  He chuckled and walked away, leaving her standing in the middle of the hall feeling like a fool. She should have known better than to try to establish rules of conduct with a man like Gage. He’d made it perfectly clear on any number of occasions that he wasn’t interested in her rules, especially ones that would create professional distance between them.

  Sighing, she walked the remaining steps to her sister’s room and knocked, hoping she was loud enough to be heard over the music coming from inside.

  Quicker than she thought possible, the volume of the music was lowered, and the door opened. Megan stood in the doorway looking very different than how she had just over an hour ago playing cards downstairs. The woman before her had red, bloodshot eyes from crying, along with a few fresh trails of tears on her cheeks. She also had a smudge of chocolate running from the corner of her mouth where she’d probably stuffed a huge piece in. Megan always went for chocolate when she was feeling down.

  Seeing her sister so disheveled, Rebecca opened her arms. Megan fell into them silently, the tears resuming. They stood there for several long minutes before Rebecca maneuvered them back into the room and over to the bed. She brushed the twenty or so mini candy wrappers out of the way and sat them both down.

  “You want to talk about it?”

  “Not really,” Megan mumbled into Rebecca’s shoulder.

  “Okay.” Rebecca continued to hold her sister, trying to comfort her as best she could. She hated seeing her like this.

  They were quiet for a long time before Megan began talking, as Rebecca knew she would. “They always seem so great and then . . . am I so horrible? Why can’t they love me the way I love them?”

  “You’re not horrible, Megan. You have a big heart, that’s all. One day you’ll find someone. The right someone,” she clarified.