Page 26 of Shaded Amethysts
A more sensible woman probably would have been frightened, or at least mildly concerned, when Gage tossed her over his shoulder and carried her toward his apartment. But I couldn’t manage any emotions other than pretend outrage and giddy anticipation as I squealed Gage’s name.
22
Avery
Scamp pounced at Gage’s feet as soon as he tried to carry me through his apartment’s door. He nearly fell in his efforts not to drop me or step on the playful kitten. Once he righted himself, he gently placed me on my feet and closed the door behind us.
“There’s my fierce, little protector,” I cooed as I scooped the tiny animal into my arms.
After batting at my necklace for a moment with his sharp little claws, the puffball squirmed for release. As soon as I put him down, he took off at a run as if his tail had been lit on fire.
Gage grinned down at the silly animal before he said, “I wish I had his energy, but he’ll tire out and be asleep within minutes.”
“He’s much cuter now that he’s clean. I had no idea he was gray,” I revealed.
After returning my wide smile, Gage’s expression turned serious before he said, “Please forget everything you just heard out there.”
“That’s not going to happen,” I told him honestly.
“Then promise me you won’t ever tell anyone what you know. Please?”
The desperation in his tone was heartbreaking. I longed to reach out to him, but I had some things I wanted to say first. “Haven’t you sacrificed enough for Noah? We could clear your name, and you could hold your head high in town. I don’t know what he did, but whatever it was, he is the one that should be punished for it, not you.”
“You don’t understand,” Gage said before turning and walking away from me.
I moved to sit on the threadbare brown sofa and said, “Then explain it to me.”
When I patted the cushion beside me, Gage came over and sat down. His long, strong body radiated heat, but I tried not to focus on that as he launched into their story.
“Noah’s dad, Jack, was an abusive bastard when he was drunk, which was most of the time. He rarely hit us boys––especially after we became big enough to hit back––but he liked to beat our mom. We always tried to defend her, but she would get mad at us if we went after him. The beatings kept getting worse and worse, but she wouldn’t let us stick up for her or turn him in. She always refused to press charges and forgave him when he offered a teary apology. It was a messed-up, lose-lose situation for all of us.”
It was obvious by Gage’s pained expression that this was incredibly difficult for him to talk about. I placed my palm on his shoulder, hoping to provide him at least a small amount of comfort. I couldn’t imagine growing up in that kind of heartbreaking situation.
“One day, I came home from my job at the motorcycle repair shop and found Mom unconscious on the floor. Jack had hit and kicked her to a bloody pulp. Noah was standing over his dead father with a baseball bat still clutched in his grip. He’d finally had enough of standing by while that asshole beat our mother, so he snapped and did something about it––something that I, as the older sibling, probably should have done a long time before that day.”
I chose my words carefully, not wanting to upset Gage any more than he already was. “It sounds like Jack got what he deserved. Noah should have told the police exactly what happened. They probably would have let him off easy.”
Gage shook his head. “No, he was already eighteen by that point. He would have been tried as an adult.”
“Well, you were, too, right?” I couldn’t see how Gage going to prison for something he didn’t do was any better than Noah being forced to face the consequences of his rash, but possibly justified, actions.
“Yes, I was in my early twenties at the time and had a rap sheet that included a few minor crimes. Those other offenses were probably why the judge decided to make an example out of me and send me to prison for so many years. He thought I was a bad seed that needed to be redeemed.”
This simply wasn’t adding up. “But you didn’t do it. Why did you cover for Noah like that?”
“Noah was a brilliant child. We knew from the time he was a few years old that he had a bright future ahead of him. I was nothing. I never did well in school and chances were that I would have ended up in prison at some point anyway. My life was going nowhere, while Noah was on the fast-track to success. I had nothing to lose, while he had everything going for him.”
Understanding dawned on me as I realized that Gage had taken to heart the vicious things his stepfather had said to him. When paired with his insecurities over his inability to read, he had considered his future already doomed. He’d sacrificed himself to give his half-brother the chance to shine.
“I understand if you want to go,” he said sadly before adding, “But please promise me that you won’t say anything to anyone about Noah’s involvement in my stepfather’s death. It won’t do anything now, except ruin his life, too. The price for that crime has already been paid.”
I wanted to shout that the price had been paid by the wrong person, but instead, I answered, “I won’t say anything, but only out of respect for your wishes––not his.”
My voice adopted a husky tone when I added, “And I’m not going anywhere.”
Surprise was etched into his features when he turned to look at me. “After all of the awful things I’ve shared with you tonight, I figured you’d run fast and far from me without ever looking back.”
“Just the opposite, actually,” I said sincerely. At his questioning gaze, I added, “I’ve never been more attracted to anyone in my entire life.”
