Page 5 of Hushed

“I’m not sure how I am yet. Numb. It doesn’t seem real.”

“Yeah. I’m in the same boat. It’s going to take a while for it to sink in. Never expected him to go out like that.”

Gage let out a bittersweet laugh. “No. Reggie should have been shot because he slept with the wrong woman while undercover.”

This made Peter snort, and for a brief moment Gage felt a sense of normalcy.

“Has anyone called his little sister yet?”

Gage closed his eyes as the normalcy vanished, and Kenzie’s face flashed in his mind.

“Doubtful. And they don’t have any other family. Reggie had me down as next of kin instead of her. I objected when he did it but couldn’t talk him into adding her as well.”

“He didn’t like to worry her or put a lot of extra stress on her after their parents died, so that doesn’t surprise me,” Peter said.

“I’ve got her phone number. I’ll call her. Then again, it’s not a terrible drive. Think I’ll just go talk to her in person. Getting that kind of news over the phone isn’t cool.”

Peter scoffed. “Don’t take your big ass truck to New York, Gage. Take the train.”

Gage scowled. “I’m from Texas. I’m not taking a damn train. We drive in Texas.”

Gage could picture Peter rolling his eyes in his hospital bed.

“First of all, you’ve been in D.C. for more than a decade. It’s time to evolve. Second, the train will get you there faster. Not to mention you’re pissed off right now, and you’re going to have road rage. New York is not Texas.”

Peter was the voice of reason in their group. They all hated and loved him for it. No one more than Gage at this moment.

“Fine. I’ll take a fucking train.”

“If you need someone to come take your truck for a walk and feed it while you’re gone all you have to do is call.”

It seemed crude to be joking at a time like this, but sometimes that was the easiest way to deal with pain. Gage laughed and swiped an unwanted tear away.

“Seriously,” Peter said in a more sober tone. “If you need anything, I’m here. Same goes for if Kenzie needs anything. We all want to help.

“Thanks, Peter. Let Carrie take care of you for a few days before you try to go back to work.” Gage admonished.

“I haven’t told her yet, but I’m leaving the Secret Service to open my own security firm. And I plan to propose soon. So, keep your head above water and get home soon. I need a best man at my wedding.”

Gage’s heart swelled at the news that Peter wanted to marry the woman he’d been seeing. She was feisty, and kept him on his toes, and made the health nut in Peter twitch. They worked as a couple.

“It would be my honor,” he said, not caring that his voice sounded hoarse with unshed tears.

They said goodbye, and he opened a web browser to check the train schedule. Peter’s joyful news dulled the pain of losing Reggie, but he still had a promise to keep, and keeping that promise started with breaking someone’s heart.

An hour later, he found himself at the train station, boarding the train to New York City. His hands and legs shook as he made his way up the steps and into the passenger car. When he’d settled in his seat, he looked up Kenzie’s contact information and dialed her number. All the nausea, rage, and grief from earlier in the morning came rushing back, knowing that after this call her life would never be the same, but he tamped it down as he waited for her to pick up.

“Gage?” Confusion laced her tone, which was to be expected. Gage couldn’t remember the last time he’d called Kenzie Reginald.

“Kenzie, darlin’. Are you going to be home in a few hours?”

“Yeah. Why? What’s up?”

He wanted to punch the back of the seat in front of him, but someone occupied it.

“Just… text me your address. I’m on a train to you now. We need to talk.”

“Gage, you’re scaring me. Is Reggie all right?”

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