So this guy was another one of Ronan’s men. What the hell kind of group was the doctor running?
Vincent had mentioned Brody. I’d learned in the past two days that Brody was Nathan’s twin brother and that he’d been injured in an attack that had been about Nathan. But how the hell had Everett’s son ended up with Brody?
God, I hated feeling so fucking clueless.
“And this is Everett Shaw,” Ronan said as he motioned to Everett.
“Mr. President,” Gage said as he extended his hand. “I’m sorry, I know how difficult this must be for you. But your son is one of the strongest men I know. He’ll beat this.”
Everett gave him a nod and took his hand. It wasn’t until their eyes connected that I felt the first shimmer of jealousy go through me.
And something else that I didn’t quite understand.
Something else that I really didn’t want to understand.
My gaze drifted between Everett and the good-looking Gage and an unbidden image of tangled limbs flashed in my head.
But not just Everett’s and Gage’s limbs.
What the fuck?
I tried to ignore the voice in my head, along with that image, and focus on the conversation, but I only heard bits and pieces. Apparently, the suspect in the attack on Brody and Reese had been caught and Vincent was going to question him. I knew as an officer of the law I should be protesting, but I couldn’t find it in me. Whoever had hurt Brody and Reese had fucked with Everett too.
So I did my best to tune out the conversation completely.
Up until Vincent gave all his attention to Everett.
“You going to be okay?”
Everett swayed slightly as he nodded, and I barely resisted the urge to put my hand at his back. “Fine,” he said quietly.
“Ev, you need to get some rest. Let Nash take you to a hotel.”
Vincent’s eyes met mine and I nodded. We were definitely on the same page. Everett needed to get some fucking sleep.
“Can’t. My boy might need me,” Everett murmured, his words uneven.
“Mr. President,” Gage cut in. “You won’t do Reese any good if you make yourself sick. He may not act like it, but he’s going to need you, sir. He’s going to need you to be strong for him when he can’t.”
Everett didn’t look up at Gage as he held there for a moment before finally nodding. “Okay, maybe for a few minutes.”
Ronan sent me a quick nod, but it wasn’t necessary. I was already reaching for Everett’s elbow. My gaze was inexplicably drawn to Gage and I felt a shiver skate over my skin when his eyes held mine.
Like he knew something he shouldn’t.
I drew Everett away from the group, but he stopped after a few feet and said, “Thank you, Gage. Call me Everett.”
“You’re welcome… Everett,” Gage said warmly, a gentle smile gracing his handsome features. I felt another shimmer of jealousy, but it was mixed with something else.
Something a lot like gratitude.
As much as I hated to admit it, Gage had known exactly what to say to get Everett to agree to leave the hospital for a while. And that look between him and Everett right before Everett had told him to call him by his first name?
I didn’t know what to make of that look.
I just knew I didn’t like it.
But I didn’t exactly hate it, either.
Chapter 6
Gage
It took me longer to get back to the hospital than I’d wanted, but the delay had been well worth it since I’d gotten to watch the man who’d nearly killed Reese pay for his crimes. I wasn’t the one who’d gotten to pull the trigger, though. That honor had gone to Ronan. Despite having technically retired from the group he’d founded, it didn’t surprise me in the least that the man had stepped back in the ring long enough to do the deed.
There was one thing I’d learned about Ronan pretty early on in the year since I’d met him.
You didn’t fuck with his family.
And there was no doubt that he considered every single person who worked for him family.
There’d been no question about whether or not we could leave the man alive, since he’d already proven how far he was willing to go to get revenge against Nathan for crimes that had actually been perpetrated by Nathan’s father. The man, Clint, and his own father had killed Nathan and Brody’s parents, and from the arsenal we’d found in Clint’s trunk after we’d located his car in the ditch on a rural stretch of highway in Dare, Montana with Clint passed out behind the wheel, he’d been planning to take out more than just Brody. Ronan had suspected that Clint had been headed either toward the ranch where Brody’s lovers worked or the police department where two of Brody’s friends were sheriff’s deputies.