A shirtless Gage swore and tore out of the cabin, his bare feet flying after Kate who was already halfway across the lot.
“Kate!”
Gage rushed after her, even as he heard Jeremy holler, “Brand!”
A member of the security team suddenly appeared, blocking the entrance, his expression at a loss. “Gage, man. Calm down. You can’t be chasing after a woman …anyone could see you. And look man; you don’t even have a shirt on. Just let me call it in and we’ll take you to wherever you need to be.”
Growling, Gage shook his head. “Get out of my way, Brand.”
Angrily, he shoved past the huge security guard, and then sprinted out the door in search of Kate.
* * *
“Kate!”
He yelled her name again and again, his eyes scanning the parking lot as his voice echoed through the night. Gage ran through an open side gate and he could see that many of the equipment trucks were gone; the tour was over.
The sound of a car engine a few hundred yards away caught his attention, and he quickly turned in its direction. He heard a car door slam and he moved faster.
“Kate!”
The cab’s headlights turned on and Gage twisted away from the powerful gleam of the lights.
He saw her face, pale and distressed, her hair wild and he felt his heart breaking in his chest…bleeding in agony. Gage knew he was acting crazy, but he couldn’t stop. Couldn’t keep his heart from racing as fear and panic set in.
“I love you…” he heard himself groan, just as the car tore away with a screech of tires on the cool pavement.
Gage was running. Chasing after the cab even though it was no use. It headed out of the parking section and vanished around the corner.
Fuck. Fuck. His legs stopped, his body doubling over from the stitch in his side. Trying to catch his breath, he leaned his hands on his knees.
“Fuck!” he cursed through clenched teeth as Brand stood in the shadows, watching the scene unfold.
He knew what she had needed from him, and he hadn’t given it to her. His chest ached and the pain only intensified as he realized that she wasn’t coming back. He ran his fingers through his hair, gripping his scalp in frustration, a growl rumbling into the night. He sucked in a deep breath, willing the pain to subside just long enough so he could breathe…and plan. He needed a plan. She’d walked away before and he’d let her go. This time, he wouldn’t make it so easy. He’d been a fighter his entire life, fighting for respect, for glory, for fame. Now there was only one thing worth fighting for and he wouldn’t give up until she was back in his arms where she belonged.