times. Jesus, I’m a Federal Agent, didn’t you think I’d be smart enough to figure it out?” He looked away in disgust. “I bust whores for a living. I just didn’t think my wife would be one of them.”
Brooklyn ’s mouth dropped open as she stepped back, nearly tripping onto the bed. She stared at him as if he’d just punched her in the stomach before finally sucking in a ragged breath. She steadied herself, set her shoulders, and pushed past him, grabbing her robe off the chair. “How stupid of me to think I could actually outsmart you. Not you. Not the mighty Gage Matthews, Special Agent! You’re right. I have seen Peter a dozen times this past month, and that’s not all. I’ve seen Sam behind your back, too.” She smiled as the mention of his partner twitched the muscle in his jaw. “That’s right. I’ve been seeing both of them, and you never suspected a thing.” She pulled the robe around her body, cinching it tight. “Do you want to know why?”
He clenched his jaw, his reply nothing more than a deep rumble.
“I’ll tell you why. Because next Thursday is your fifteenth anniversary with the Bureau, and I was arranging a surprise party for you. I wanted all your friends and family to attend, not just your work buddies, so I phoned Peter, and he offered to help. Sam did the same. I even got Director Henderson to concoct some lame-ass assignment to keep you busy that day, but would conveniently bring you to O’Toole’s at seven o’clock. Congratulations, Gage, you’ve caught me red-handed.” She slipped on a pair of socks and headed for the washroom.
Gage lunged at her as she tried to brush past him, and grabbed her arm, spinning her to face him. “If that were true, then why were you only meeting with Peter?”
“Because Sam called and cancelled at the last minute. He said he couldn’t break away.” She placed one hand on her hip and glared at him. “Call him if you want. He’ll back my story.”
“I’m sure he will… darling .” There was no mistaking the sarcasm in his voice and he knew Brooklyn understood the message behind it.
“Go to hell.”
She backed away, but he grabbed her again, his grip harder than before. “Nice try, lover, but I’m not buying it. Peter was holding your hand and I saw him kiss you.”
“Don’t touch me!” she shrieked, pulling away from him, toppling against their dresser. “Peter always holds my hand. And he kissed me because I’d just showed him the first copy of Sarah’s Secret .” She bent her head, tears once again falling from her eyes. “I’m not sleeping with him. How could you even think I’d do that to you? I love you.” She looked back up, the hurt in her eyes staking through his heart. She waved her hand at the bed. “So is that what tonight was all about? Wanted to take me up the ass before another man had the chance?” She wiped the tears from her face, cringeing as more took their place. “Tell me, did hurting me and treating me like a whore make you feel like a man?” She cut off his reply with another wave of her arm. “Save it. I don’t want to hear it.” She marched into the bathroom and slammed the door.
Gage opened his eyes, his heart racing, the sound so loud it echoed in his head. He sat up and looked around, finally settling on Brooklyn’s silhouette. She was sleeping, her body hidden beneath the thin cotton blanket he’d placed across her earlier. He got up and walked over to the bed, gently taking her hand in his. Except for the past two days, he hadn’t touched her since that night. He’d been wrong. Sam had gone ballistic when he’d confronted him the next day, and Peter hadn’t spoken to him since, except to tell him what a jerk he was. Brooklyn had attended the party, a smile plastered on her face. She’d even given him the present she’d bought for him—a custom-built, nine-millimetre Glock with his anniversary date engraved on the back. It’d been a bizarre gift by most standards,
Brooklyn ’s mouth dropped open as she stepped back, nearly tripping onto the bed. She stared at him as if he’d just punched her in the stomach before finally sucking in a ragged breath. She steadied herself, set her shoulders, and pushed past him, grabbing her robe off the chair. “How stupid of me to think I could actually outsmart you. Not you. Not the mighty Gage Matthews, Special Agent! You’re right. I have seen Peter a dozen times this past month, and that’s not all. I’ve seen Sam behind your back, too.” She smiled as the mention of his partner twitched the muscle in his jaw. “That’s right. I’ve been seeing both of them, and you never suspected a thing.” She pulled the robe around her body, cinching it tight. “Do you want to know why?”
He clenched his jaw, his reply nothing more than a deep rumble.
“I’ll tell you why. Because next Thursday is your fifteenth anniversary with the Bureau, and I was arranging a surprise party for you. I wanted all your friends and family to attend, not just your work buddies, so I phoned Peter, and he offered to help. Sam did the same. I even got Director Henderson to concoct some lame-ass assignment to keep you busy that day, but would conveniently bring you to O’Toole’s at seven o’clock. Congratulations, Gage, you’ve caught me red-handed.” She slipped on a pair of socks and headed for the washroom.
Gage lunged at her as she tried to brush past him, and grabbed her arm, spinning her to face him. “If that were true, then why were you only meeting with Peter?”
“Because Sam called and cancelled at the last minute. He said he couldn’t break away.” She placed one hand on her hip and glared at him. “Call him if you want. He’ll back my story.”
“I’m sure he will… darling .” There was no mistaking the sarcasm in his voice and he knew Brooklyn understood the message behind it.
“Go to hell.”
She backed away, but he grabbed her again, his grip harder than before. “Nice try, lover, but I’m not buying it. Peter was holding your hand and I saw him kiss you.”
“Don’t touch me!” she shrieked, pulling away from him, toppling against their dresser. “Peter always holds my hand. And he kissed me because I’d just showed him the first copy of Sarah’s Secret .” She bent her head, tears once again falling from her eyes. “I’m not sleeping with him. How could you even think I’d do that to you? I love you.” She looked back up, the hurt in her eyes staking through his heart. She waved her hand at the bed. “So is that what tonight was all about? Wanted to take me up the ass before another man had the chance?” She wiped the tears from her face, cringeing as more took their place. “Tell me, did hurting me and treating me like a whore make you feel like a man?” She cut off his reply with another wave of her arm. “Save it. I don’t want to hear it.” She marched into the bathroom and slammed the door.
Gage opened his eyes, his heart racing, the sound so loud it echoed in his head. He sat up and looked around, finally settling on Brooklyn’s silhouette. She was sleeping, her body hidden beneath the thin cotton blanket he’d placed across her earlier. He got up and walked over to the bed, gently taking her hand in his. Except for the past two days, he hadn’t touched her since that night. He’d been wrong. Sam had gone ballistic when he’d confronted him the next day, and Peter hadn’t spoken to him since, except to tell him what a jerk he was. Brooklyn had attended the party, a smile plastered on her face. She’d even given him the present she’d bought for him—a custom-built, nine-millimetre Glock with his anniversary date engraved on the back. It’d been a bizarre gift by most standards,
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