Terms of Surrender (28 page)

Be patient. Listen carefully
.

He hated the first few hours of a situation. Waiting, praying no one got hurt before he could move and take action. Especially when that someone held the ravaged pieces of his heart.

Why had he wanted to stay separate from her again?

Terror. Fear. Trepidation. All put there—not by him—but by another man.

His brain couldn’t decipher the sense of that right now. All he knew was that the reason he’d tried to cut this woman out of his life no longer made any sense. “Mike, let her go. This is between you and me, bro.”

His brother tightened his hold around her waist and backed up a couple of steps, dragging her with him. “I’m here for my girls. Hand them over and I’ll leave quietly.”

Gage planted one foot on the first step leading into the kitchen and focused all of his attention on his younger brother. “You know I can’t let you take them, not like this.”

A growl of rage escaped the other man and he tightened his hold around Harley’s ribcage. “They’re all I have left. Everything else is gone.”

Stay calm. Be cool.

Gage took another step up. One more to go. Slow and easy. No fast moves. “What are you talking about, man? You have your home, the ranch—”

Mike’s voice cracked. “They mean nothing. Not without Hannah. Not without my family.”

“You’re right, Mike. A house isn’t a home until it’s filled with the people you love.” As he stole another step, sorrow enveloped him. He finally understood the depth of his brother’s agony. He softened his voice, softened his demeanor. “Please, Mike, let her go. I don’t want to lose Harley like you lost Hannah.”

A noise in the hallway caught his attention, and he looked without turning his head.

Laura. Funny how he hadn’t been able to tell the twins apart before. Now he’d be able to recognize them just by the tone of their voice, the way they formed their sentences, their body language.

The older twin stopped in the entryway, her hands clasped beneath her chin. “Daddy?”

With Mike’s attention diverted, Harley pushed free of his arms and dashed toward the frightened girl. Gage launched himself across the room, his only thought to protect his family, and tackled his brother around the waist.

Metal flashed in the evening sunlight. He was ready for it.

Mike hit the ground flat on his back, Gage on top, his body weight adding to Mike’s fall. With the icy rage of a man who’d almost lost the most precious gift of all—the woman he loved, the child he’d sworn to protect—he smashed his fist into his brother’s face.

Christ, he hadn’t felt this angry since he was a teen and he’d stopped his dad from beating on his mom.

But he didn’t want to frighten Laura, didn’t want to scare Harley.

With one hand pressed against his brother’s chest, the other one holding back the arm with the knife, Gage cleared his head.

He needed to be calm, cool, reasonable…like he’d been all week with the twins underfoot.

Gage locked down his anger and slammed the back of his brother’s hand against the floor. “Drop the knife, Mike.”

The weapon clattered to the floor. Mike tried to buck him off, his words slurred by alcohol. “You’re no better than I am, you son-of-a-bitch. You’ve stolen my family, my life. Get the fuck off me.”

Gage kicked the knife out of reach, jack knifed to his feet, and jerked his brother up. “What the hell are you doing, man? You could have hurt Harley or the twins or Mom.”

“I need my girls.”

“Not like this, man. You need help and I’m going to see that you get it whether you like it or not.” Shoving him toward the front door, Gage felt compassion hit. His younger brother wasn’t a terrible person. He needed help and understanding and maybe some tough love. Gage softened his voice. “You’re getting sober and straightening out, or I’m laying charges and you’re going to jail. Those are your options. If you don’t get your life together, I’ll make sure you never see your girls again.”

A heartbeat passed. Then another and another. Hatred poured from Mike’s gaze as he struggled to break free, and the fury that filled the narrow space between them threatened to shred the tiny bit of control Gage held over his anger.

He wouldn’t lose it. There was only one thing he never wanted to control again.

His love for his family.

Without saying another word, Gage herded Mike out the front door.

Pulling open the back door of the cop car, startling the officer behind the steering wheel, he shoved his brother into the back seat. “Get him out of here. Lock him up for the night. Sober him up. Give him a goddamn shave and a shower. Maybe by morning he’ll listen to reason.”

The anger in Mike deflated and he cradled his head in his hands. “So what’ll happen to me now?”

Resting his hand on the roof of the car, Gage remained calm. “It’s simple. You get help. Only then will you be able to go home to your family.”

Slowly, Mike raised his head. Defeat ravaged his posture. Sorrow rode his features. “The girls? Laura and Lisa? What’ll happen to them?”

Without hesitation, he replied. “Harley and I will take care of the twins.”

Mike’s expression crumbled and a tear tracked down his face. “Christ, Gage, I’m sorry everything went wrong, and you and Harley and the girls got stuck in the middle of it.”

Gage hunkered down by the open door, watchful and cautious in case this was a ploy to escape. “Why the violence? I never understood it. I didn’t think you did either.”

“Dad taught me that the only way to maintain control was with his fists, and without Hannah there—” His brother’s voice broke and he turned away. “Do you think the girls will ever forgive me?”

He clasped one hand on his brother’s shoulder and squeezed. “They love you, man. You’re their daddy.”

“What about Harley? I’ve treated her like crap. Christ, I could’ve killed her.”

“In time, she’ll forgive you, too.”

He knew she would because Harley Jane Davis didn’t have a single grudge-bone in her body.

As he turned toward the house, he hoped she had it in herself to forgive him for bailing out on her and the girls.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

As the squad car pulled away from the curb, Gage saw the front door open, and Harley came out, Laura’s hand tucked in hers.

Four years old, and already his niece had been through so much. She’d lost her mom, and if Mike didn’t get his act together, she’d lose her dad, too.

But she wouldn’t lose her aunt and uncle, of that he’d make certain.

Gage started toward them. Laura tugged free, and as she ran down the steps toward him, he knelt down on one knee.

In the distance, a siren sounded, but all that mattered were the people he loved as much as Mike loved his family.

Hope and dread mixed together in his gut.

What he was about to do scared the freaking bejeesus out of him.

He focused his attention on the older twin. “Are you okay?”

She stopped and nodded, her sun-lightened curls bobbing up and down, her worried gaze following the squad car as it disappeared down the street.

“Good, because I was scared.” His voice was hoarse, filled with a need he no longer wanted to hide. “It’s okay to be scared, isn’t it?”

It was as if a dam broke and the floodgates opened. As Laura turned her attention back to him and rushed forward, he opened his arms and braced himself for the impact of her tiny body. He closed his arms around her and held on tight.

Laura squeezed her arms around his neck and hiccupped a sob. “Is my daddy a bad man now, like Grandpa?”

“No, sugarplum, your daddy is very, very good. He misses your mommy so much, he doesn’t know how to act without her.”

The front door opened again and his mom came out, Lisa’s hand tucked into hers.

Laura tugged on his chin, bringing his gaze back to her. Her bottom lip trembled and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Where is Daddy going?”

Gage’s stomach got tight. “Somewhere safe. He’s sick, sugarplum. But now we can get him the help he needs. And as soon as it’s possible, I’ll make sure you can see him every day until he’s ready to come home.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, laid her head on his shoulder so her soft breath warmed the side of his neck. “T’ank you,” she whispered and kissed him on the cheek.

Holding tight to his precious package, he clambered to his feet and met Harley’s gaze. “Are you girls okay?”

Harley glanced over her shoulder at Lisa and his mom, then back at him. “Yes.”

As relief burst through Gage, he risked a step forward and cupped the side of her face against his palm. “I’m sorry for leaving, for not being here when you needed me the most. But I’m here now and I’m never leaving you again.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

The heartfelt honesty in Gage’s gaze brought tears to Harley’s eyes and an ache to her throat.

Tall and strong and loved, he towered above her, Laura tucked securely in his arm.

But with emotions running high, it would be far too easy to get her hopes up and believe anything he said. Better to keep things light and easy tonight. “I didn’t think you’d get here in time.”

“You know me, Harl. What’s a day without a little excitement?” His attention dropped to her throat and a concerned frown crossed his brow. “You’re bleeding.”

“I am?” She raised her hand and felt dried blood where Mike’s knife had nicked the skin. “It’s nothing.”

“Not to me.” He dropped his hand from her face, set Laura down on her feet, and gave the older twin a wink. “Looks like it’s our turn to play doctor, sugarplum.”

“Really, Gage, I’m fine. I’ll wash the blood off and—”

He put his big hands on her shoulders, and the gentleness of his touch as he turned her toward the house silenced her.

Frances came down the steps, grasped Laura’s hand, and said one word. “Mike?”

Gage’s reassurance filled the cavity of Harley’s chest. “I promise you, Mom, he’ll be okay. Whatever it takes, however long it takes, we’ll get him back on his feet and home.” He slashed a look Harley’s way and his voice turned gruff. “Mom, why don’t you take the girls and make tea for everyone. I think there’s a box of herbal stuff in the back of the cupboard.”

Frances put her arms around the girls’ shoulders. “A tea party and then bedtime. It’s been a long day, hasn’t it, girls?”

The twins nodded, still mute, their grief apparent. But they were surrounded by people who loved them, and Harley knew they’d be okay.

And so would Mike.

Gage was here now, and he’d take care of his brother like he took care of everyone around him…with thoughtful care and compassion.

As she passed Frances, she grabbed hold of the older woman’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m glad you’re here with us.”

Blue eyes shone bright with unshed tears. “I am, too, my dear.”

And then Gage was pushing Harley up the front steps, into the house, and down the hallway. For the first time since Mike had broken into the house, she felt safe, secure.

She sat down on the edge of the tub and watched the man she loved fuss at the sink. “Really, Gage, it’s nothing.”

He grunted in response, and a moment later turned, antiseptic and gauze in hand, and approached her. Nudging open her knees, he crouched down in front of her, his big body radiating heat, banishing the chill of the last few hours.

And while she wanted to give in to the desire to touch him and kiss him, she didn’t want to scare him away.

It was his turn to make the next move.

Her breath caught in her throat and her heart beat triple time.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Gage resisted the urge to haul Harley full body against him. There were things to be taken care of, important matters to discuss without the distraction of sex.

And as much as he wanted to make love with her, to reassure himself that she was alive and unhurt, he wanted to make her a permanent part of his life even more.

In the kitchen, the girls sang a merry tune with their grandma.

But here in the bathroom, the only sound was the heavy thump of his heart as he forced himself to focus on cleaning the wound on her neck. “How long do you think it will take to get the munchkins into bed?”

“Hours. Days. Maybe weeks.”

He frowned, unwilling to wait hours to tell her he was ready to move their relationship to the next level, the one that would commit his heart and body to this one woman alone. It was time to step out of his comfort zone, to accept that he wasn’t a monster capable of hurting the people he loved.

He blew on the antiseptic to dry it, saw the slight shiver she couldn’t quite contain, and fixed his attention on her lips. Leaning forward, he covered her mouth with his own and kissed her, soft and careful and regretful.

This was only the start of where he was headed…forever with her in his arms.

He lifted his head and gazed into eyes filled with desire and something more. As much as he wanted her naked against him, he wanted to explore the something more.

And there was no point waiting till the girls were in bed and fast asleep. He knew it would be hours before he had Harley to himself. He blew out a breath of air and took the plunge. “I wonder if you might consider spending the rest of forever with me?”

The girls danced into the bathroom, filling the cramped space, and Gage had to shift out of the way to avoid getting knocked about. As they sang their merry tune and raced away, they disappeared into the living room, where their sweet voices turned into blood curdling screams.

Lisa no doubt frightening the hell out of Laura with tales of monsters behind every dark corner.

Harley started to push to her feet. “The twins—”

“I’ll get them,” he grumbled, and he gained his feet and headed out of the bathroom.

“Girls, come here,” he called out. He barely had enough time to brace himself before the girls tackled his legs and clung like they were climbing a rope. He peered down at their cheerful faces, and realized that while he’d probably never get used to their shrill screams, he’d fallen in love with them. Fallen in love with their aunt, too. Hopelessly, heart on a platter, in love.

With a girl on each leg, he lurched around and came face to face with Harley.