Cage Read online

  Whitney winced. Lisa was right. It wasn’t like the thought hadn’t crossed her mind. She was just looking for a good chat, but Ted was looking for a wife.

  Her shoulders slumped forward, and she nodded.

  “I know,” she said and looked down. “I’m just tired of being alone.”

  The front door dinged, and Lisa went to the glass to peek out.

  “There’s someone to not be alone with,” Lisa said with a grin.

  Whitney stood on her tippy toes to look through.

  “Shit,” she breathed out.

  What the hell was Cage Allen doing there? It wasn’t supposed to be him standing there at the counter looking like some sort of brown-haired sex god. She licked her lips.

  Had she really just thought of him as a sex god? Lord help her, that was about all she could think of him as. His fit body seemed to strain against his t-shirt.

  A sour taste attacked her mouth. He was more a sex expert than a sex god, and that was really just from experience. Even his sister had said that Cage slept around a lot. That was really no surprise though. With his looks, he could pretty much have who he wanted. Maybe Whitney was wrong to only want Ted to chat with, but Cage just wanted someone to warm his bed for a few nights.

  She stepped back from the door and straightened herself.

  “You take him,” Whitney said.

  Lisa dragged her eyes away from the door to look at her.

  “What?”

  Whitney moved back to the cat chart she was looking at. “It’s fine. Harley is just in for a check-up. Get me if you notice anything.”

  Lisa sighed and shook her head.

  “You know,” Lisa said, her eyes narrowed, “sometimes I think you’re a coward.”

  * * *

  Cage waited inside a little room with a table and prayed that no one was going ask him to lug that big dog up on the table. He stared at the mastiff, who was resting his head on Cage’s sore knee.

  He wanted to laugh. Even the damn dog seemed to want to protect him from getting hurt.

  Maybe Harley understood what he was going through. Cage looked over the dog’s remaining three legs. Harley knew what it was like to be hurt trying to take down bad guys.

  “I’m fine,” he said to Harley.

  Harley’s black ears twitched a little, and he snorted in reply.

  Cage pressed his lips together. “You sound like Meg.”

  Harley’s ears perked up at the mention of his human mother, and Cage couldn’t help but smile. Having a conversation with a dog might make him crazy, but at least he could win that one.

  A few short raps came from the door.

  Despite himself, his palms started to sweat. He didn’t want Whitney to see him this way. Well, that wasn’t totally true. He had fought with his sister to even take Harley in, but he didn’t want the pretty red head to think he was weak.

  His knee didn’t define him. Cage was far from weak, and he’d do what he needed to in order to prove that.

  Of course, to prove anything, he’d need to convince her to give him the time of day. The last time he’d tried, she totally shot him down. That wasn’t exactly something he was used to. Then he went and got his knee blown out by a bullet, and he couldn’t even attempt to talk to her for a long time.

  A taller woman with long brown hair stepped in, and he suppressed the frown that tried to come up.

  “Cage?” The woman said and stuck out her hand. “I’m Lisa. Doctor Carter asked me to check on Harley while she deals with another patient.”

  He forced down his frustration. It wasn’t like he could be mad at a veterinarian for saving some other animal’s life. After the amazing job she did with Harley when he had been shot, he could only imagine that she was in high demand.

  “Thanks,” he said and took her hand without standing.

  Luckily, Harley seemed to take over, knowing that he was the star of the show.

  “And you must be Harley.”

  Lisa squatted down and grinned at the large dog.

  Harley panted at her as she scratched his head with her nails.

  “How is he doing?” Lisa asked.

  Cage gave the big dog a pat. “Good. Meg said he’s getting around great. No issues with the stairs now.”

  “Good boy,” she said and laughed when the dog stood a little taller.

  There was something about her that seemed familiar. He just couldn’t place it. Sweat beaded on his brow as he tried to think. Lord help him if he’d slept with her. His only hope was that he’d remember before she did. Otherwise, his chances with Whitney were shot.

  “How’s the wound looking?” Lisa asked and touched the scar where Harley’s left front leg used to be.

  Harley leaned hard on him, and Cage grunted as the large dog shifted his weight to press hard against his damaged knee. He knew the feeling. The tissue there was still very sensitive.

  “It’s looking great,” she said and pulled back her hand. She spent a few long moments checking his vitals.

  Lisa smiled at Harley and stood.

  “That’s it,” she said to him. “I think we’re good to wait another six months.”

  He nodded and stood, doing his best to keep any sign of pain out of his face. The strain on his knee was killing him, but he could make it.

  Lisa walked to the door and stopped. When she turned, her face paled a little.

  “Cage Allen?” she said. “Of course. I don’t know why I didn’t make the connection between Meg Allen and you from the chart.”

  Here it came. The moment of truth. Cage opened his mouth to respond but instead nodded, unsure of what to even say.

  “Oh. You’re probably confused.” She held up a hand. “I know your bother Kace. Well, kind of know.”

  She shook her head as if she were shaking out some bad memory. He could only hope that she knew Kace in a personal and not professional way. Kace might have left the cop life behind, but he had been a police officer for a long time, and there were all sorts of unfortunate ways she might have run into him when he was wearing the blue.

  “It’s been years though,” she said with a smile. “Small world.”

  Cage nodded. Whatever had happened between her and Kace was years ago. Maybe they’d briefly dated in high school or something. It wasn’t like Cage had carefully paid attention to every girl his brothers went out with years earlier.

  “He’s married with a kid on the way,” he said, somewhat testing the water.

  She smiled warmly. “That’s great. I’m glad to hear it.”

  Cage nodded. “Should I tell him hi from you?”

  Lisa shook her head. “Best not to.” She smiled and patted Harley on the head. “You be a good boy, handsome.”

  Cage watched as she hurried off and wondered what the hell that was all about. Slowly, he made his way to the front with Harley and stopped at the counter. The nasty receptionist glared at him. He’d hadn’t been in for two months, but she apparently hadn’t forgotten him either.

  “I’ll just have Meg schedule the appointment,” he said to her.

  The plump older woman scowled at him. “That would be best,” she snapped.

  He ignored her and made his way outside, where Trent was waiting in the car.

  “Well?” Trent said as Harley took his place in the back seat.

  “No go,” he said. “She didn’t come.”

  “Why don’t you just show up and ask her out?” Trent asked.

  Cage looked back to the office.

  “Maybe,” he said and sighed. “I think first thing we need to drop off this guy if we plan on going out tonight.” He looked over to Trent, somewhat hoping he’d changed his mind. “Are we going out?”

  “Oh, don’t even try to get out of this.” Trent grinned and shifted the car into gear. “Your ass is getting out of the house.”

  Cage looked out the window as the office disappeared from sight.

  “I thought I was out of the house,” he grumbled.

  Chapter
Three

  Several men groaned as the large dog entered the security firm’s building, but Cage didn’t give a shit. They could all go to hell as far as he was concerned. The dog saved his sister, and that was more than he could say for some of them. If anyone had something to say about it, they could say it to him first.

  “Somebody hide the doughnuts,” Kace shouted up the stairs. “Meg’s beast is here.”

  Harley tilted his head at the mention of doughnuts and looked around for his favorite treat. Cage sighed. It wasn’t like the big dog could help it if idiots left something yummy out where he could get to it. If they wanted to eat the damn things, they should have thought about it.

  “Oh,” Meg said from the top of the stairs. “Is Kace being a dick to my little man?”

  Harley pulled a little on his leash and thumped his tail hard against the floor, just like every time he saw her.

  Cage let go of the leash before the dog pulled him over.

  Meg stooped to meet him as he bolted up the stairs, moving without much trouble, despite his three-leg handicap

  “How was the appointment?” she asked. Her longer hair made her look a little sweeter than normal, but he could sense the venom behind her words.

  “She was busy,” he said and turned away. It wasn’t like he wanted to be given the third degree by everyone.

  Meg stared at him for a moment before going on.

  “So what did they say?”

  Cage turned back to her. Worry clouded her expression.

  “He’s doing great,” he said with a smile. “They said they don’t need to see him for six months.”

  Meg nodded and pulled the dog closer. The whole ordeal had taken a bit more out of her than she liked to let on, but he knew the truth. She was his sister after all.

  “Good,” she said and stood. Harley popped up next to her. “Thanks for taking him,” she said. She started to turn but stopped. A grin split her face. “And thanks for not getting me dropped as a patient.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  She snorted. “Sexually harassing my vet would be a good way to get her to kick me to the curb.”

  Cage rolled his eyes. He knew he was going to have to deal with this from the others. They just didn’t understand that he’d changed. Hell, half the time he didn’t even understand it himself, but he couldn’t keep going like he had been before the mountain and the death of Carlos.

  Cage wanted more from life. Or more than he’d been getting. He needed something meaningful, not just sex with women he barely cared about.

  He watched as Meg took the large dog upstairs and disappeared around the corner. Suddenly, the stairs seemed far more daunting than before. Trent brushed past him and quickly made it to the top.

  “Show-off,” Cage grumbled to himself.

  Cage slowly climbed the stairs. He looked over at the rail and glared at it. He'd be damned if he used that thing like some old man.

  "Don't be a dumbass," Reed said from the top of the stairs. "Use the fucking rail."

  Cage glared up at his older brother. Reed might be the owner of the security firm, and his boss, but he'd be damned if he was going to let Reed tell him what to do.

  He ignored the disapproving grunt and made his way up. When he finally reached the top, Reed sighed and clapped him on the shoulder.

  "You know, sometimes you can be a real idiot," Reed said.

  "Try staying with him," Trent said from around the corner.

  "Whatever," Cage said and glared at the two men. They might be well-meaning, but the last thing he needed was another lecture. It wasn't like his mother wasn't already on him to use the cane she bought.

  It didn’t help that the damn thing was shiny green and made him look like a pimp. All the men at the firm had a good laugh over it, and there was no way he’d be caught dead with that thing. "We doing this meeting or what?"

  Reed nodded to the door down the hall.

  "The others are already in there," he said to Cage and then turned to Trent. "Any word from Johnny?"

  Trent nodded. Cage knew he was keeping in close contact with their childhood friend. He only had a few more months before he would be out of the Navy like Trent.

  "They are giving him shit about wanting out," Trent said. "I've told him he doesn't have to leave because they don't want my sorry ass, but he's not hearing any of it."

  Reed nodded as they walked down the hall.

  "It's a big move," Reed said and ran a hand across his five-o’clock shadow.

  Trent wrinkled his nose. "You're telling me."

  They stopped outside the conference room.

  "You could still go back," Reed said. "They would take you."

  Trent shook his head. "Not as a SEAL, and what's the point if I'm not doing the job I was trained for?”

  Cage could understand that. He had been feeling a little low since being shot. This was the only job he was good at. What the hell else would he do? It’s not like he was good with computers like Meg.

  "Well," Reed said, smiling at Trent. "We're damn happy to have an ex-SEAL."

  "Yeah, well, now you just need to figure out where the hell I'm going," Trent said and grinned at him.

  Cage frowned. "I thought Texas was a sure thing."

  Reed shook his head. "Lot of things going on around here," he said. "I want to know what the hell is going on before I make a decision. With Finn and his men getting out of the black market business, things have gone all to shit. And with the Russian mafia and the Los Malos setting things on fire or blowing stuff up, we can't be certain what's going to happen."

  Cage nodded. They really hadn't had a moment’s rest recently. It seemed like their mostly quiet city had come alive, and, unfortunately, the recent action wasn’t exactly being pushed by good people who cared about others.

  "Let's get in," Reed said. “We’ve got a lot of shit to go over.”

  Cage groaned. He had a feeling this was not going to be a short meeting.

  * * *

  “You never mentioned he was an Allen boy,” Lisa said as they fed the last dog. The CLOSED sign had already been turned over, and they were just about ready to go.

  Whitney looked over at her friend from the computer, where she was logging the day’s final notes.

  “Who?” she asked.

  Lisa crossed her arms and tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder. She raised a brow. “We going to play that game?”

  Whitney snorted and went back to her computer screen.

  “Fine,” she said. “So his last name is Allen. You saw the chart. What’s the problem?”

  Lisa grabbed the broom from the wall and started to sweep.

  “No problem,” she said quickly. “Not just any Allen, though. Those Allens. I just didn’t know. Their family is kinda known.”

  “In what way?” Whitney turned to look at her friend.

  Lisa smiled and shook her head. “I’m surprised you didn’t know, especially given what happened to Harley. The Allens sort of deal with things,” she said and sighed in a dreamy way that made Whitney frown.

  “What do they deal with?”

  Lisa snapped out of her dazed state. “Oh, you know. Kidnappings, money laundering, shoot-outs. That kind of stuff.”

  Whitney sat up quickly and stared in shock at the lackadaisical way Lisa described the Allens. She acted like shootings were something common place.

  “Why would they be involved with that sort of stuff?” Whitney said with a frown.

  “They do security contracting.” Lisa shrugged and put the broom back. The dustpan slipped off the wall. “Maybe because of those mob guys they know. You know, the Kellys?”

  “What?”

  Whitney nearly choked on the words. No wonder their dog had been shot. The Allens were trouble with a capital T, and she wanted nothing to do with that.

  “Look,” Lisa said quietly, “they aren’t bad people. They’re the good guys, and he seemed really disappointed you weren’t there.”
r />   “No,” she said simply. Whitney shook her head. “He’s the last type of person I want to get involved with.”

  Lisa knelt down to push the pile of dust into the pan. “What? Super-hot and sexy?”

  Whitney pushed her red hair behind her ear and looked back at the computer screen.

  “That’s the problem.” She sighed. “You know I just can’t. I don’t want that.”

  Lisa stared at her as she dumped out the pan and placed it on the wall.

  “Just make sure you aren’t cutting off every chance for happiness because you aren’t certain,” Lisa said solemnly. “Life is too short to spend playing it safe. You already aren’t satisfied with the perfectly safe type of guy. Just ask Ted.”

  Whitney knew Lisa was right, but the situation just wasn’t something she could deal with. Before she thought Cage was just a playboy, but now she suspected he was some sort of adrenaline junky as well.

  Men like Cage didn’t stay. They didn’t want boring, safe vets as girlfriends, and she didn’t want to have to pick up the pieces like her mother did. It didn’t make him bad, but that didn’t mean she wanted to take the risk, no matter how much she wondered what his abs looked like under his shirt.

  “You about ready to get dressed?” Lisa said.

  “What?” The stool Whitney was sitting teetered a little. She tried to right herself.

  “Oh, I don’t think so,” Lisa said and crossed her arms over her chest. “You are so not getting out of this.”

  Whitney sighed. She really hadn’t meant to put it completely out of her mind, but the idea of going dancing now seemed really bad.

  “Come on,” Lisa whined a little. “You’ve got to get out and have a little fun.”

  Whitney frowned. “I have fun.”

  Lisa raised a brow. “When?”

  Whitney pressed her lips together as she thought. Was it really that hard for her to think of the last time?

  “Oh,” she nearly shouted. “Every Sunday.”

  Lisa snorted. “When we volunteer? I don’t think that really counts.”

  Whitney frowned. “Why? I like volunteering.”