“Hope, what the fuck? Who the fuck is in there with you?” Gage roared from the other side.
“Oh my God. Gage, I’m sorry.” She opened the door, still holding the revolver, but he didn’t see it because he was too busy scanning the room for someone else. He looked around the room, eyes flaring with obvious concern.
When his gaze returned to her, he spotted the weapon in her hand. “Hope, what’s going on? Is there someone else in the house?” Hope nervously looked around him as if her father would pop up behind her husband. Panic flooded her bones that she hadn’t realized the way she looked. Her spaghetti strap top was hanging half off her shoulder and Gage came up to her fixing it.
“No. You startled me. I didn’t expect you to come back and your footsteps were so low.”
“I was trying to surprise you. Why are you so jumpy?” His brows narrowed as he peered around the room and then out the door. She shook her head.
She set the gun down on the desk and took a long pause before she said, “Gage…I received an email.”
“An email?” He looked even more confused than when he walked in. He took the gun off the desk and made sure the safety was on. He tucked it into the drawer where it belonged and then stared at Hope who was still shaking.
Gage’s mind was still trying to process what she meant when she added, “From Cummings.”
“What?” he snarled out, walking around to the desk. She left the email open to the letter. He read it and nearly lost his mind. He whipped out his phone and rushed out of the office and to the front door, checking the locks. Then he went to get his son out of his play yard. The thought of someone coming after them sent a chill down his spine.
Alex finally answered on the last ring. “What’s up, Gage?”
“We’ve got a problem. That bastard contacted her today.”
“Where? When?”
“She got an email from him.” The rage in his voice actually sent chills up Alex’s spine and raised the hair on his arms. They both knew that Gage was one step away from murder.
“When?” Gage walked back behind the desk, handing Ethan to Hope as she stood and watched with horror and fascination.
Once he found the time stamp, he said, “About twenty-one minutes ago.”
“He didn’t send—”
Gage cut him off. “What the fuck do you mean he didn’t send it?” Everything in the letter screamed Cummings. It had his name written all over it. Fuming with indignation, he began to distrust one of his oldest friends. Gage knew it was only becauseAlex didn’t take Cummings as seriously as Gage did, but then again, Alex had his own wife to be fretting over.
“Look, I’m not saying he didn’t write it or have someone do it for him, but he didn’t actually send it. He’s in the hospital. There was an attack on his life this morning. He’s in the hospital sedated at the moment.”
It took a few seconds before Gage could even get the one syllable out. “What?”
“He’s in the hospital. So, I have to ask you where you were this morning.”
Gage jumped back out of his chair, pacing the room. “What the fuck? You’re turning out to be a piss-poor friend, Savage.”
“Calm your ass down. I don’t think you did shit, but you’re one of the few people that would love to whoop his ass, and a half dozen people witnessed you nearly getting your hands on him outside my office.” Alex had a point, and Gage knew it. The police would look at him first.
“Fuck. I was here all day yesterday, and this morning I started working on the ranch at six, and I have my crew to prove it along with the surveillance cameras around the place, if needed,” Gage responded defensively. He shook his head, hating the need to defend himself at all because whatever happened to the old man, he deserved.
Alex released a harsh sigh. “Thank God. I knew you wouldn’t or at least I hoped to fucking hell you wouldn’t be that dumb. Still, they will be coming to visit you.”
Gage slammed his palm down on the railing, trying to calm down, but his temper was getting hotter than the temp outside. “So that fucker gets the police to help him when hedeserves to rot in hell, but nothing can be done to protect my family.”
“You know that’s not the case. Everyone gets the same damn treatment even if we’d wished someone finished the job. They’re not trying too hard.”
“It’s still fucking bullshit. I want the fucker to die. I know that’s the only way I’ll believe Hope is safe.” Gage had never wanted anyone to die more than that man.
“You might not want to go around shouting that shit out and definitely don’t go telling the investigators that either.”
“I know how this shit fucking works. I have to go. Are you going to look into it?”
“Of course I’m going to look into it. It’s clearly someone who is involved with the case in one way or another. I’ll have the forensic team over there in the next two hours.”