GUILT TOTALLY sucked, but that’s where Gage was at, and the damned crap wasn’t going away no matter how many times he tried to give himself a break. He’d let himself be led up to Forge’s room and gotten completely lost in him. His mind and body totally focused on Forge, which had nearly been disastrous for both of them. It couldn’t happen again. Gage was here to do a job. Forge was paying him to protect him, not take him to bed and fuck the living daylights out of him. What the hell had he been thinking, having sex when he was supposed to have been working? To top it off, Forge had been the one to alert him to the intruder before his own equipment and senses had kicked in.
He got out of the chair and went to the kitchen to pour a huge mug of extrastrong coffee. He carried it through the house, making sure all the doors and windows were secure and peering outside just to check that nothing looked out of the ordinary. Gage was too restless to sit back down, so he wandered from room to room, quietly padding over the carpeting and prowling like a restless tiger. No matter what he did or how he tried to justify what happened, he wasn’t able to forget the fact that his desire for Forge had, in effect, put him in danger. And to top it off, if he’d been on guard, he might have been able to apprehend the guy and they could have gotten something useful out of him.
“Shit… shit… shit…,” he groaned under his breath. “You’re fucking better than that.” Maybe he’d be better off turning this particular job over to Harv or one of the other guys and stepping back. He was obviously too close to Forge to think and act the way he should.
After a while, Gage climbed the stairs and went to Forge’s room. The door was open, with just enough light for him to see Forge lying on his side, rolled away from him, hopefully asleep and getting some much-needed rest. That’s how it should be—Forge asleep in his own bed and Gage staying awake to protect him. He turned and went back downstairs to check the house once more before gulping his coffee to stay awake.
He heard a creak on the stairs and froze.
“Are you trying to wear a hole in my carpet?” Forge asked as he joined him in the living room, once again in nothing but a pair of boxers—walking, talking temptation.
“I just need to stay alert in case they make yet another attempt on you and the house.” Gage yawned, trying his damned best to stop it and failing miserably.
“You have all the alarms set, and if anyone tried to get in, your phone will set off enough noise to wake the dead, right?” Forge took his hand as Gage nodded. “Then come get some sleep. You dead on your feet isn’t doing anyone any good.” Forge tugged him toward the stairs. When Gage resisted, Forge tugged harder. “Don’t argue.”
“God, you’re bossy.” Gage smiled crookedly with a glint in his eyes.
“That’s right, I’m the boss, the one you’re protecting, so I say you need to do that from much closer. I’ve been lying up there listening to you and wondering what the hell happened. Then I heard you pacing like a caged wolf and I figured it out… at least I hope so. If it’s guilt that’s bothering you, stop it now!” Forge halted and glared at him. “It takes two to tango, and if there’s any blame or guilt to go around, then we share it equally.” He smiled. “Just like with Nurse Ratched. Remember her?”
Gage smirked. “God, yes. Claire Goodwin. That woman had the coldest hands, and she could make a simple injection feel like cutting off a limb. We used to play the best tricks on her.”
“She hated them, of course, but that was the fun.”
“Remember her plant?” Gage asked and Forge howled. “That damned poinsettia that only got worse- and worse-looking as she tried to make it last through to Christmas.” They’d both gotten so sick of seeing it rot away outside the door of Gage’s room that they kept a fresh plant in secret and started supergluing green leaves on her old one each day so she thought it was returning to life. Gage shook his head. “She never did figure out who was behind that.”
“Nope,” Forge said, “but she accused you and me. I remember reminding her that you were paralyzed and there was no way you could have done it.”
“Then I swore it didn’t happen during the day when you worked because I would have seen it. She tried to work it out and eventually threw the damn thing away.” Gage smiled so broadly, his cheeks ached.
“Exactly. I’d have taken the heat if necessary, and so would you, so let go of whatever you’re thinking. We have a puzzle to solve, and we aren’t going to do it on a few hours’ sleep.” Forge tugged him up the stairs and into his room, leaving the door open. “Do you have your phone?”
“Yes.” Gage liked this side of Forge. So far, Gage had seen him take a back seat to what Gage instructed, but this was nice. A man who knew what he wanted.
“Then put it on the table beside the bed, get undressed, and let’s try to get some sleep.”
“You know, I’m a professional and I shouldn’t be sleeping with my client, even if he is someone I knew years ago and wished I never lost touch with.” Gage sighed. This was getting complicated.
“I’m not paying for you to sleep with me. That isn’t what this is. You’re here to protect me and do what you need to in order to keep me safe.” Forge turned around, his hands on his hips. “But dammit, I just found you again, and if you think I’m going to let you worry or guilt yourself into being stupid, you can think again.” He yawned, which ruined the effect. Then he turned out the light and climbed into bed. “You’ll probably sleep with one eye open, and that’s okay. But we both need the rest.”
“Fair enough.” Gage lay down and got comfortable. Forge wound his fingers into Gage’s and lay still. Soon Forge’s breathing evened out and he was truly asleep. After that, it didn’t take long for Gage’s mind to stop whirring, and he too fell to sleep.
“GOD, I slept hard,” Forge said as he walked into the kitchen, dressed and ready for the day. Gage had also, at least for enough hours that he didn’t feel like his ass was dragging on the ground.
“I slept well, and there were no issues, and I already worked the perimeter. Harv is on his way over and should be here any minute.” Gage’s phone dinged, and he saw the message from Harv. “We can go now. The house is in good hands… and eyes.” He deactivated the alarms, and they left the house through the garage and got into his car. Forge opened the garage door, and Gage backed out, waited for the door to close once again, then pulled away from the house in the opposite direction than the one they intended to go. He began taking a very circuitous route into town to throw off anyone who might be trying to follow them. Once he was convinced he wasn’t followed, Gage drove to the freeway and took a few unnecessary exits and on-ramps just to be sure.
The downtown building was massive, built at a time when banks created monoliths to demonstrate just how solid their foundation was. It was a show of might and power to hide the fact that they were really built on nothing more than air and whatever illusion of strength they could create.
Gage pulled into the underground lot and left it again immediately to park in the back of an open lot nearby. “It was too enclosed, and if we needed to get out, we could easily have found ourselves trapped.” He led Forge to the side entrance and into the massive bank lobby.
“I always love coming here, especially at Christmas.” Forge looked around at the various displays, keeping close, and Gage did his best to keep Forge behind him in case something happened, acting as a shield.
“Good morning, gentlemen,” Detective Coleridge said as he approached.
“Morning,” Forge said, and Gage did the same. “The safe-deposit boxes are downstairs.” Forge indicated the set of steps, and they descended, walking back in time. The walls were paneled in dark, rich wood, and all the desks were heavy and probably from when the building was built back in the twenties. They went right over to the safe-deposit desk, and when Coleridge showed his badge, the lady behind it scurried to get a manager.
“May I help you?” asked a man in his fifties, with slightly graying hair and dressed in an impeccable gray suit. His facial expression said he clearly wasn’t impressed.
Forge handed him the keys and told the manager his name, as well as provided Granger’s.
“He’s deceased,” Coleridge added in a tone meant to intimidate.
The manager went over to a computer and typed for a moment. “Yes. I have the records, and Mr. Reynolds is listed on the box.” He presented Forge with a paper to sign, then led the way into the vault. “Only the box holder is allowed inside. You can meet him in one of the private review rooms if Mr. Reynolds agrees.” He turned, and Gage and Coleridge stayed outside while Forge retrieved the box, struggling slightly. Then the three of them were shown into a small conference room with a table and chairs. The manager left the room, and Forge lifted the lid on the box.
“Holy shit,” he said as he took out a sleeve of gold coins, then another and a third.
“Where did those come from?” Detective Coleridge asked.
“I’m not sure.” Forge placed them to the side and fixed Coleridge with a stare when he reached for them. “We’ll do this my way. You may see anything that’s in here, but you can take nothing that isn’t specifically relevant.” Forge removed three more sleeves of coins and set them aside. Then he pulled out papers and looked them over before handing them to Coleridge.
“These look like notes of some sort, but I can’t read them.” He showed them to Forge and Gage. “Can either of you?”
“No,” Forge answered, and Gage shook his head.
“Why would he write notes in some sort of code?” Detective Coleridge leaned closer.
“They aren’t. It’s German,” Forge said. “Granger loved languages and spoke German and Italian fluently. His parents are Italian, and it was spoken in their home. He learned German in school. It should be possible to get these translated. We can make you copies, as long as you promise to share with me what they say. Regardless of the content.”
Gage smiled at Forge’s take-charge attitude. He liked that Forge was keeping control of what was now his.
Under the papers were stock certificates that Forge let Coleridge see. He made notes and then handed them back. “And you didn’t know about any of this?”
“Not that I can think of. Granger might have talked about some investments he was making, but he and I haven’t been on deep-discussion terms in months. He could have been squirreling things away so they didn’t become part of the divorce.” Forge cleared his throat. “What a jackass.” He gripped the edge of the table, arms shaking. “He and I did everything together for years. I helped him out when he started the firm and needed money to get it off the ground. I supported him in so many ways, and this is how he acts?” He sighed deeply. “Maybe I should have known. Granger always liked to win. No matter what, he was a lawyer and winning was everything.”
Forge shook himself as though trying to physically cast off what must have been deep betrayal and hurt. Frankly, the more Gage learned about Granger, the more he was coming to dislike him. He seemed selfish. It was obvious that Granger had plenty and that Forge had been part of the reason for his wealth. Hiding things seemed too damned petty and childish.
“Is there anything else?” Coleridge asked, and Forge slowly reached inside once more to the back of the large metal container. He removed another of those damned boxes, like the ones he had at home, only this one was smaller.
“Wow,” Forge said as he carefully set it on the table. “It’s jade, and from the look of it, Chinese.” He inspected it and smiled a little. “It’s another puzzle box, only this one is much older than the others.” He lifted and jiggled it gently. “There’s something inside.”
“Can you open it?” Detective Coleridge asked.
Forge shook his head. “Not right now. I need to look it over and see if I can figure it out. And don’t even think of breaking or forcing it. The quality of work is exquisite, and this is probably four hundred years old and worth as much as a house.” He set the box down once again, checked the safe-deposit box, waited for Coleridge to make his copies, and then placed everything back inside with the exception of the puzzle box, which Forge handed to Gage to hold. It was cold to the touch, solid, heavy, and incredibly beautiful. Forge closed the box, and as they left the room, the bank manager met them to escort Forge back into the vault to put it back into its slot.
Gage wished he had something to put the jade box into to protect it. He ended up ducking into the bathroom, where he unbuttoned his shirt and removed his T-shirt to wrap the box in it, then put his shirt back on before emerging. He cradled the wrapped box in his arms to protect it as he waited for Forge, then followed him up the stairs, watching everyone around them, with Coleridge behind him. All three of them left the building together.
“You will call me if and when you open the box and let me know what’s inside?”
“Of course,” Forge said. “And just so you’re aware, I went through the contents of the home safe again and all I found was a drive with the electronic copies of the will and other papers. I thought you’d like to know.”
Detective Coleridge nodded and made some notes.
“He also opened each of the puzzle boxes in the house and found nothing,” Gage offered, figuring it was best for them to be as honest and forthright as possible.
“I would like to know when I can clean up the office and put everything back together. It bothers me that there’s a room in my own home that I can’t enter,” Forge said.
Coleridge looked up from his notes, appearing thoughtful. “I’d like to come over tomorrow, and we can go through the office again. Then you can have the room back.”
That seemed to make Forge happy. “Then we’ll see you tomorrow and we can talk about the box as well. I hope I can get it open. Figuring them out was Granger’s expertise, but he taught me a lot.” He bit his lower lip.
“We’ll talk tomorrow, and I’ll see about having the German document translated.”
Gage was pleased to see that Coleridge seemed to be keeping up his half of the deal. Granted, Coleridge was best equipped to figure out what Granger was up to and why, as well as who had killed him. But Gage was becoming convinced that they were all going to need to work together in order to unravel this mystery.
“Thank you.” Forge turned away toward the street, but stopped and went back to where Coleridge stood. “Granger loved puzzles—I told you that. But what I’m starting to think is that whatever these files are, Granger might have protected them using a puzzle of his own device.”
Coleridge furrowed his brow. “I don’t understand.”
“Granger not only worked puzzles, but he used to love making them. When he read fiction, it was adventure novels, and he used to see if he could work out what the author was putting together for the hero to follow. He always said the good ones were those he couldn’t work out.”
“What makes you think he made his own puzzle?” Coleridge asked, his expression urgent, hungry.
“Gut instinct from what I know of Granger. The hard part is that we don’t know what the pieces look like or if there’s really a puzzle at all. But think about it—he put this puzzle box with something inside it in the safe-deposit box at the bank. He could have just as easily put it in the safe at home.”
“What if he was trying to hide it from you?” Gage asked.
“That’s possible. But what if he was trying to keep it and what’s inside from the people who killed him?” Forge raised his eyebrows. Coleridge nodded, and Gage admitted to himself that Forge might have a point. “As soon as I get it open, I promise to call you, but it could take a while.”
Coleridge rubbed at a spot above his left eye. “I’m not happy about this, but I don’t think I have any other choice. I don’t know anyone with any expertise in these.”
Gage knew Coleridge would much rather have control of everything. “We understand,” he said, tilting his head toward where he’d parked the car. “We’ll definitely be in touch tomorrow, if not sooner.” He handed Forge the wrapped box, guiding him to the car, got him inside, and started the engine as quickly as possible. He didn’t wait for seat belts and jumped out into traffic as soon as he had an opening.
Forge held the wrapped box tightly on his lap. “I hate to ask and it isn’t convenient, but I need to stop at my office to check in, and I should do the same at Granger’s.”
“That isn’t a good idea.”
“But do you want to have to come back?” Forge sounded agitated, so Gage passed by the freeway on-ramp as Forge told him the building his office was in. They made it with no incidents, and Gage was grateful for underground parking with multiple exits to different streets. Forge got out of the car, still carrying the box. “I can get a bag when we’re inside and give you your T-shirt back.” He grinned, leading Gage to the elevators and up to his floor.
“Forge!” the receptionist called at damn near the top of her lungs.
Forge handed the box to Gage just as every cubicle and office emptied out and surrounded him, twelve to fourteen people all talking at once, offering their support and any help he would need.
“Who’s this?” a women in her early thirties asked with a sly grin. “And where have you been hiding him?”
“This is Gage. He’s an old friend who’s helping to keep me safe. With everything that’s happened, my lawyer and I thought some extra protection might be in order.”
Forge was hugged by each man and woman as they filtered back to their desks. He was cared for a great deal, and that warmed Gage’s heart, knowing Forge was truly as amazing as he was coming to rediscover.
“Do you have time to go over a few things?” a young lady of about twenty-five with long, flowing mahogany hair asked. “I know this has all been really hard for you and I’m so sorry about it, but….”
“I know, Pam. The world doesn’t stop just because something bad happens.” Forge motioned them to an office with his name on the plaque, and they all stepped inside. Forge patiently answered a myriad of questions that went completely over Gage’s head, but Forge either knew the answer, had what sounded like a solid opinion, or was able to direct her to the person she could contact. It was a thing of logistical beauty to behold. “You can call me on my cell phone if you need anything. At the moment I’m sitting tight at home for my protection.”
“What about the funeral?” She closed the notebook she’d used to record Forge’s answers to her questions.
“Granger’s family is going to arrange it, but the police haven’t released his body yet. Hopefully fairly soon, and then who knows. His parents know things were rough between the two of us and don’t feel comfortable with me planning it. Honestly, I’m kind of relieved. I’ll send a message to you to post in the office with all the details once I have them.” Forge stepped behind his desk and pulled out a canvas tote bag in lavender. He passed it over, along with a piece of soft fabric. Probably a sample.
Gage waited for Pam to leave before rewrapping the box and placing it gently in the bag. Then he removed his shirt, put his T-shirt back on, and sat in one of Forge’s chairs as he worked at his desktop computer. “What about your boss?”
“He’s in Asia on a scouting trip for a client who wants to decorate her home in authentic antiques,” Forge answered as he typed rapidly. “I’m sending him an email update… now… and as soon as I go through all these…. Okay. I can handle the rest from home.” He stood and shut down the system.
Forge said goodbye as they left, and Gage scanned everyone, trying to appear nonthreatening even as he watched for any signs of unusual behavior.
“I don’t think going to Granger’s office is a good idea,” Gage said once they were in the elevator.
“I understand, but he has the same kind of desk at the office as he did at home. As far as I know, he didn’t use the compartment for his computer. So what else is in it? The firm is not going to allow the police anywhere near them without court orders up the wazoo, but I can get in without anyone thinking twice about it. I’ll simply say I need to collect some of his personal things.” He smiled, and Gage had to admit Forge had him. His curiosity was piqued.
“What do you suggest we do with the box?”
Forge made sure it was wrapped carefully in the bag and slid it under his seat. “No one will see a thing, and you can stay in the car with it if you want. I know it sounds reckless, but we need to see what’s there, and no one should know that we have this.”
“No. I’ll carry it. Hopefully no one will think twice about it.” How could a lavender bag not be conspicuous? This had to be the craziest idea, and yet he was going along with it because he wanted to make Forge happy. “Just follow my instructions and be prepared to get down or run like hell if anything happens. The bank and your office are one thing, but I wasn’t expecting to spend the day running around downtown.”
“I won’t be very long.” Forge sat back, seeming to know he’d won. Gage drove the six blocks to the high-rise that housed Granger’s law firm, parked in an open lot, and they checked in with the front desk. Forge was obviously known to them because they waved him right on through, and he took the elevator to the twelfth floor. It opened into a spacious lobby that screamed “success” and “money,” with an undercurrent of “we like to win.”
“Good morning, Deann,” Forge said as he approached the desk.
The professionally dressed lady greeted him with a half smile. “I’m sorry about your loss.” She didn’t sound sorry at all, but Gage kept that to himself.
“Thank you. I’m here to get a few personal things out of Granger’s office. I’m sure you’ve already secured the sensitive materials.” Forge didn’t wait for an answer and led Gage right through the lushly appointed space to a corner office. It wasn’t as big as he expected, but the paneled walls and massive, highly polished desk oozed money and luxury.
“Check for the hidden space,” Gage said softly as he lowered himself into a chair, and Forge went to the business end of the desk and sat down.
“Forge,” a man said as he breezed into the room, wearing a highly tailored suit that had to cost what Gage made in a week.
“Francis.” Forge came around and received a man-hug with little warmth. “I just wanted to pick up a few of Granger’s personal things.”
While they were speaking, Gage placed the bag with the puzzle box on the floor on the far side of the chair, hopefully out of sight, though he kept hold of the handle.
“I understand.” Francis sat in another of the high-backed visitor chairs and made himself at home before turning to Gage with a stare that must intimidate half the juries in the state. Gage stared right back. If the guy wanted a pissing contest, he’d get out his ruler. He’d met plenty of men like Francis. “And you are?”
“This is Gage. He’s an old friend who’s helping me through all this. There’s so much to go through, and I needed some help, as well as some extra protection.” Forge sat in Granger’s chair while Gage wished they could get on with what they came for. But he suspected Forge didn’t want to snoop while Francis was here. “This is Granger’s business partner, Francis Peterborough.”
“Well, as long as you’re safe. That’s what counts.” Francis stopped glaring at Gage to turn to Forge. “In the next few weeks, you and I will need to sit down and review a buyout of Granger’s share of the firm, which, with him gone, has been greatly diminished. It’s sad but true.”
Gage swallowed hard to keep from lashing out. What a slime! His business partner was dead and this guy was trying to stiff his estate of the fair value of one of his assets.
“Of course.” Forge shifted in the chair, appearing uncomfortable.
“Why wouldn’t you use a private firm to value the practice?” Gage offered, and Francis’s eyes darkened to near black, though Forge nodded.
“I think that’s fair.” Forge sat up straighter and leaned forward on the desk. “I know according to the firm’s bylaws that I can’t take over Granger’s ownership because I’m not a lawyer and that’s what’s required, but I’m also not in a hurry to settle anything. And since the fiscal year completes in six weeks, I’ll see that through and will expect Granger’s usual payout. Then I’ll either sell his portion to another qualified attorney or you can buy me out. Either way, there isn’t going to be a discount or a fire sale.” Forge ran his hands over the top of Granger’s desk. “This desk is fairly comfortable, so maybe I’ll decide to use it.”
Gage coughed slightly to cover up a chuckle. Francis looked about ready to swallow his teeth.
The surprise lasted only a few seconds, and then Francis covered it up. “No one is trying to do anything other than what’s fair.”
“I understand that, and decisions will be made in time without rushing. Granger always told me that decisions like this should be made with all due diligence.” Forge smiled, and Francis stood, a little shakily.
“Let me know if there’s anything any of us can do for you.”
“I will. Thank you. Once we have the schedule, I’ll send you the funeral details.” Forge didn’t move until Francis left, and then he motioned for Gage to close the door. As soon as the latch clicked, Forge slid back and pulled open the drawer like the one in the desk at home.
“Intentionally pissing him off?”
“Yeah. He’s nosy as hell—always has been. Francis is a great lawyer, but he has to know everything that’s going on and stick his nose in it. Granger metaphorically bloodied it more than once.” Forge pulled out the contents of the drawer, and Gage opened the lavender bag. Forge slipped the papers inside and closed things up, relatching the drawer in place. “Let’s get out of here. I’m tired and I want to be home.”
Gage picked up the bag and opened the door, letting Forge lead the way out. Unlike Forge’s office, where everyone seemed happy to see him and acted like Forge was part of their family, here it was staid. Gage kept a close lookout until they reached the elevator, which they rode back to the garage.
“Let’s go quickly.” Gage handed Forge the bag, paid the parking, and took off out of the garage, going as quickly as he could around the block, then taking a zigzagging route toward the freeway.
“What is it?” Forge asked. “You keep looking in the mirror.”
“Lower your visor and use the mirror. See the dark blue sedan about three cars back? It got behind us two blocks after we left the office, peeled off, and it’s back now.” Gage made another turn, slowing down, and sure enough, the blue car did the same.
“I see it.”
“Excellent. You watch them and I’m going to try to lose them. Make sure you have a good hold on something and are buckled in well.” Gage shifted lanes and then, at the last minute, swerved and made a left. A car honked at him, but he didn’t give a damn. The blue sedan didn’t make the turn, but they were far from out of the woods. He made a quick right down an alley, then another left, continuing on. He made another turn, emerging from the alley and onto the street. He decided that rather than make for the freeway right away, it would be better to use surface streets and smaller roads that wouldn’t be expected, at least for a while.
“Martin Luther King will take us north,” Forge said, watching the mirror. “I don’t see the car, but if they truly were following us, they’re going to be looking.” He looked in both directions and in the mirror as Gage drove as quickly as he dared. He didn’t see anyone either, and once he reached Locust, he hurried to the freeway for the trip north.
“The stupid thing is that if we are being followed, they have to know we’re most likely going to your house. Why act like this?” Gage said, then called Harv. “Anything at the house?”
“All is quiet. Why?” Harv sounded miffed through the Bluetooth connection.
“We believe we picked up a tail. So I was wondering if you’ve seen anything,” Gage said as he picked up speed, going with traffic and doing his best not to stand out. Instinct told him to go as fast as he could, but his training overrode that. They’d lost the tail, so he needed to blend in.
“I’ll call if I do—wait…. Yes, we have a car that just pulled up down the block.” Harv grew quiet for a moment, then said, “They’re sitting inside. I’ll watch them.”
“Description…?”
“Black, late-model Toyota from the look of it.”
“All right. Keep me informed.” Gage disconnected, his mind racing. Whoever they were up against was escalating. “We sure pissed someone off somehow.”
“I guess. But where? Was it someone at the bank, my office, or Granger’s office?”
“Maybe none of the above. We could have been followed all morning and I just happened to notice them now, and since we’ve shaken the tail, they’re waiting for us at the house, not realizing that we’ve got that watched.” Gage’s mind ran in a number of directions, ticking off possibilities. “One thing is for sure. We aren’t going to the house.” He exited at Brown Deer Road and drove west, working his way around to his office, where he could park out of sight and they could regroup to figure out what their next move was going to be.
“The blue car behind us is getting….” Forge yelped as it banged into them. The rear of their car skidded, and Gage pressed the accelerator to the floor, flying down the wide street. He made a turn and then another, trying to shake them. “Jesus!”
“Hold on.” Gage braked and turned, the rear end fishtailing, but the front-wheel drive pulled them out and the car leaped forward. The black car behind them didn’t make the turn, and Gage watched for a second as the car went up on its side and continued rolling, over and over, before coming to rest in the parking lot of an empty bank building. Gage didn’t stick around to see if the driver was okay. “Call Coleridge and let him know what’s going on and that he needs to get people out to the accident. Hopefully they aren’t injured enough to keep them from talking.” He sped up once again and drove the rest of the way to the office. Using his remote to open the door, he pulled right inside and closed it behind them. They jumped out of the car and rode the elevator up to his floor.
“Margie,” he called. “Make sure we aren’t being followed.” He continued through to his office.
“I don’t see anything,” she said as he passed her desk. “I take it you had a little problem?”
“Yes. We’ll be staying here for a while.”
“The kitchen area is stocked with the basics, and you know we’re alarmed more than Fort Knox. What happened?”
“Apparently we’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest and we have no idea why. Persons unknown think we have something they want, and dammit all if we know who they are or even what they’re looking for.” It was so frustrating. He turned to Forge, who was standing right behind him. He led him through to the temporary living quarters. “Are you okay? Did you get banged up?” Gage sure as hell hoped not. “Sometimes when I get into evasive mode—”
“I’m okay, and you were amazing.” Forge beamed at him. “You knew exactly what to do, and when that car hit us, you….” He kicked the door closed, set the bag on the floor, and kissed Gage with enough heat to set the place on fire.
Gage forgot about boxes and papers, as well as puzzles and damn near anything else, as he wound his arms around Forge and returned the kiss that had both of them shaking. Gage wasn’t sure if it was the postchase high, but he wasn’t going to question it. He devoured Forge’s lips as he tugged at his shirt, getting it off and dropped to the floor so he could have access to all that luscious skin.
“You make me safe,” Forge groaned when their lips parted.
“As long as you’re okay.” Gage kissed Forge again just as his phone rang. He pulled away with a deep growl and yanked the phone out of his pocket.
“They’re still waiting,” Harv said. “What do you want me to do?”
“Scare the ever-loving shit out of them. The bastards here rear-ended me and tried to kill both of us. How you do it is fully up to you.” Gage chuckled. “And have fun.”
Harv signed off, and Gage smiled as he put his phone back in his pocket.
“I take it they’re still at the house.”
“Harv will take care of it.”
Forge nodded. “So I heard.” He seemed amused as he picked up his shirt to pull it back on. The moment seemed to have passed… at least for now. Once he was fully dressed again, Forge picked up the bag and carried it to the sofa, sat down, and took out the papers. He set them in a neat pile before removing the box and placing it on the table. “This really is exquisite. The light color is the most desirable, and the quality of the carving is mind-blowing. You expect the dragons to begin to move at any second.”
“What will you do?” Gage asked, sitting next to him.
“We need to identify the various pieces of stone, and then we might be able to see how they’ll move.” Forge turned the box around in his hands, but Gage couldn’t see where there were any pieces. It looked solid, and yet there was definitely something inside. “See, this is one piece, right here, and this is another.”
“How can you tell?”
“They made the joins in the stone part of the design, but these lines are a little more defined than some of the others. What I need to find is the initial piece. None of those will move. So I have to find the lock, the one part that starts everything.” Forge moved his fingers over the various parts of the dragon design, carefully studying it. “I’m not seeing anything more.” He set the box back on the table and picked up the papers. He glanced at them and handed some to Gage. “Take a look. Even I know who these people are.”
Gage took the pages and skimmed through them. “Holy crap! How did he get involved with these people? They break legs for looking at them the wrong way.” Gage read through each of the papers, which were contracts and details of various bank accounts.
“Yeah.” Forge looked over the rest of the pages and handed them to him. “I think we know who’s after us… at least who might be after us. But—” Forge stopped, the page he was holding fluttering as his hand shook. “You need to see this.”
Gage took the page, read it over, and it wasn’t until he took a second look that he noticed the name at the top of the document. Harrison Livingston, his father. It couldn’t be, and yet the document contained his father’s name and address, as well as the same phone number he currently had in his phone directory. The document also listed financial transfers, dates, and amounts, as well as vague reasons for the money. “What the hell?”
“Bribes and payoffs that the Lucci family was making. I’m willing to bet these are only some of what Granger had, and he was keeping them in the desk as a kind of insurance.”
“But to my parents?” Gage swore under his breath.
“Well, to your dad….” Forge let the thought hang.
“My mother and father are like half of one person. If he did anything without her, she’d have his nuts for lunch. And my mother is just as dependent on my dad. They’re like a well-oiled machine. So if this is true, then my holier-than-thou parents—the ones who don’t understand me being gay and the ones who most likely intercepted your letter all those years ago—are up to their ears in some pretty shady shit.” He kept looking at the page, hoping like hell it wasn’t true. Even in the back of his mind, he wondered if this could be something fake. Maybe it was designed to blackmail his parents or something, though why would Granger hide a fake document in a secret compartment in his desk? In case someone stumbled on it? That didn’t seem likely.
“This is turning out to be a huge mess.” Forge continued scanning each document and handing them to Gage, who reviewed each one and set them aside. Some of the documents lacked context, and neither of them knew what they meant, but Gage looked them over, filing away the information for later reference. “What do we do with all this?”
Gage breathed as evenly as possible. They were sitting on a potential powder keg. “Let me think. If we go public with this….”
“My gut is telling me to hold on to them. If Granger kept them as insurance, then we’re going to need some too… and more. After all, Granger’s dead.”
“Okay.” Gage stood, pacing the floor. “What do we do with it?”
“When we get back to the house, hide it in Granger’s desk? They didn’t find it when they looked before, so they aren’t going to find it now. If something were to happen to me, Detective Coleridge knows about the desk drawer, and maybe we can make sure he would get notified.”
“That’s possible. We can certainly set up a nuclear bomb type thing. I’ve done it many times in the past. Mostly I work with wives needing protection on their husbands, and they tend to know things the men don’t want made public. I set up an automatic information release if a set of circumstances are met. The second piece is a little trickier in our case. With a divorce we simply make sure the other party knows to behave and is aware of the consequences. That’s harder in this case.” Gage scratched his head and stacked the papers together, retrieving an envelope from his office and sliding the papers inside. “Let’s think this through before we decide on anything. Maybe the contents of the box will help us figure out what we want to do or can help the police.”
“But I can’t get it open,” Forge said.
“You will. I have faith in you.” Gage smiled and sat back down, putting his arm around Forge’s shoulders. “Just give your mind a chance to work on it.” The high-powered energy from earlier had dissipated, and though Gage missed it, sitting quietly next to Forge was pleasant and surprisingly satisfying. Gage was an action guy, had been most of his life, so being quiet with someone was a relatively new experience for him, at least as part of his recent experience.
“Gage,” Forge whispered, leaning against the arm of the sofa.
“Yeah…?”
“You aren’t going to disappear in a puff of smoke or something, are you?” Forge sounded like a small child at that moment, asking about his worst fear.
“Why would I?” He’d gotten the one thing he’d always wanted and dreamed of, a chance to reengage with Forge.
Forge turned to him, sitting upright. “I thought Granger would be with me forever. We had promised to be there and live our lives together. Then he decided I wasn’t good enough and stepped out with some twink. The grass was greener somewhere else. And to make it worse, Granger didn’t even care about the guy. He just messed up everything we had for nothing.”
“You know none of that was your fault.” Gage could almost see the hurt gathering around Forge like a deep shadow growing darker around him. “You didn’t deserve to be cheated on, and you didn’t do anything to make Granger want to leave. Whatever happened, and whatever he did, was his issue.”
“But I wasn’t enough for him. I should have known what he wanted and been able to keep him happy.” Forge frowned.
Gage groaned softly. “I see this with my clients all the time. You can never be responsible for someone else’s happiness. Most people don’t understand that happiness is internal. It’s like a spring from within, and if Granger’s spring ran dry and he thought he needed to look somewhere else, other than you, then that was his problem. Yes, other people can make us unhappy, but our happiness or ultimate lack of it is our own. We own it.”
Forge turned and leaned a little closer. “But he said I wasn’t what he needed anymore.”
“He decided that, and he was the one who walked away from the relationship. But he did it for his own reasons, and contrary to what he wanted you to believe, it was his decision, his fault, and he owns it. Even though he’s dead, Granger doesn’t get a pass unless you give him one.” Gage shifted closer, and Forge leaned against him. Gage pulled Forge a little closer. He had no idea if Forge understood what he was trying to say, but it had to be said.
“What are you going to do about your family?” Forge asked.
“I don’t know.” Here he was giving Forge advice about happiness when a piece of his own potential happiness had been chipped away by those documents. “But whatever happens, I’m not the one to blame.” Still, when something happened that was good in his life, something else went to hell.