Page 41 of Hushed

Jake scoffed. “In your dreams, buddy.”

Gage looked at Evie. “Do you want to tell him, or should I?”

Evie huffed. “I would listen to him, Sir. Gage doesn’t bluff, and he has the connections to do it.”

Jake pulled away from her. “Gage as in your ex-boyfriend, Gage? The fucker you still seem hung up on?”

Gage laughed and gave her a look of pity. “For fuck’s sake, Evie. We spent two weeks together.”

To Jake he said, “I want him fired or I won’t rest until this place is closed for good. It’s been a disgrace to the community since the day it opened.”

Jake had clearly had enough. He stepped away from Evie and squared his shoulders, making himself taller as he stepped toward Gage. “Listen, asshole. I can’t say what the hell Evie ever saw in you, but you don’t get to dictate who works for me. Now you and your girlfriend should leave.”

Gage took a step forward too, and it was all Kenzie could do not to stop him. She held her breath, fully expecting fists to fly.

“I’m not done,” Gage said in that same quiet, yet menacing tone. “You’re going to lose Kenzie’s information. I don’t want a single record that she was ever here. She overheard your girlfriend sharing her private details with another attendee in the bathroom. Completely unprofessional. I would demand that you fire her, too, but since you’re fucking her, I don’t see that happening.”

The disdain dripping from his voice was thick, and for a moment, the four just stood staring at each other.

Evie looked at her boyfriend with enormous eyes. “Please, just give him what he wants. Chris is an ass, and we all ignore it. Maybe it’s time to let him go.”

Turning to Gage and Kenzie, she said, “I’ll shred your paperwork right now.”

“Wise of you to cooperate,” Gage said, still staring at Jake. “Not sure your boyfriend is going to be as smart.”

“Get the fuck out of my club,” the angry man snarled, pointing at the door.

“Gage, maybe we should go,” Kenzie said, not wanting to tempt fate and keep pushing.

He looked at her and smiled. “Sure thing, babe. Let’s get out of here. I’ve got some phone calls to make anyway. Something tells me the health department will be interested in this place.”

He took her hand again and together they walked out the front door. Gage seemed completely unfazed, but Kenzie was trembling on the inside, wishing she had half the courage he had.

“Sorry about that,” he said as they got back to his truck.

“Are you really going to have them shut down?”

He glanced over at her with a grim expression. “Most likely. I’ll monitor it for a few days to give them a chance to do the right thing, but if Chris works another shift, I’m putting all my resources into making sure they get shut down for good.”

“Well, the bathroom alone has to be reason enough to shut them down for a health violation.”

Gage tossed his head back and laughed as he pulled her door open, then leaned in and kissed her before helping her climb up.

“Thanks for wanting to defend me,” she murmured, putting a hand on his chest.

“I’m sorry if I ever made it seem like I didn’t want to. Staying away was stupid of me. I won’t be making that mistake again.”

She didn’t argue with him. It was stupid that he blamed Reggie for not pursuing something with her, and she was glad he was finally starting to see things the right way.

Gage drove them back to her part of town but didn’t go to her apartment. Instead, he took them to a restaurant for dinner where they laughed, talked, and got to know each other all overagain. The conversation ranged from reminiscing about the time Gage spent with her family, to careers, to kink. It was completely natural and didn’t seem at all like a first date.

“What time is your gig tonight?” Gage asked, pushing his plate away.

“Ten.” She wiped her hands on a napkin and took the last bite of her meal.

He looked at his watch. “OK. We should go home and nap then.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t really do naps very well.”

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