Nick UnCaged (Santuary #4) - Abbie Zanders Page 0,2

me to stay a week, but I can’t imagine it taking that long.”

Toni’s fingers tapped away at the wireless keyboard in front of her. “That’s near the Poconos. Beautiful area. If you finish up early, you can do something fun, maybe go hiking or boating.”

“Have you met me?” Bree asked, smirking.

“Right. Well, New York City is only a couple hours away. You could hit up Fifth Avenue and do some shopping or ...” Toni realized what she was suggesting and backpedaled. The day they’d left, Bree had sworn never to step foot in the city again. “Scratch that. I’m sure you’ll find something to keep you occupied. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even meet the man of your dreams.”

Bree laughed. “Yeah, sure I will.”

Chapter Two

Cage

“Pizza,” Nick “Cage” Fumanti replied firmly and without hesitation. “New York style.”

He and his partners—Hugh “Heff” Bradley, Steve “Smoke” Tannen, Cole “Doc” Watson, Chris “Mad Dog” Sheppard, and Matt “Church” Winston—lingered in the Sanctuary dining room after breakfast, as requested by Kate.

Kate Handelmann, their newest addition and head chef-slash-cooking goddess of Sanctuary kitchen, scribbled into the notebook in front of her as they offered meal suggestions. Everything Kate made was good, and they weren’t picky, but she looked so earnest that he felt the need to say something.

“Old Forge style’s better,” Heff drawled. He leaned back and wrapped his arm around his fiancée’s shoulders.

“What the hell is that?” asked Smoke in a deep, growly voice.

“It’s phenomenal. Rectangular instead of circular. Comes in trays, not pies. Light, thick, fluffy, crisp, deep-fried flavor with lots of onions and cheese ...”

Smoke snorted.

“Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it. It’s orgasmic. And you know how fond I am of orgasms.” Heff grinned wickedly at Sandy, making her cheeks flush.

“I can do both,” Kate said, nodding, ignoring Heff like a seasoned pro. “Maybe a calzone, too. I’ve been wanting to try one of those.”

“Is it any wonder I love this woman?” Mad Dog murmured.

If there were such things as soul mates, then Kate was definitely Mad Dog’s. Just as Sam was Smoke’s and Sandy was Heff’s.

Cage wondered absently if he would ever find someone to put a dopey smile on his face like that, then pushed that thought away. It wasn’t likely, especially since he wasn’t looking. Nor did he want to. He was content with his life, just the way it was—peaceful, rewarding, and surrounded by good friends who didn’t meddle and appreciated his obsession with digital toys.

That reminded him; he needed to drive down to Pine Ridge and pick up the sweet new components Ian Callaghan had set aside for him. Now that Mad Dog and Kate were off nesting in their own cabin, Doc had moved into Mad Dog’s trailer, and Cage had the place all to himself. He was well on his way to filling every last inch of it with sexy custom tech.

“Thanks, guys,” Kate said, closing her notebook. “Great ideas. I’m going to make a list and talk to Sam about placing an order.”

Kate pressed a quick kiss to Mad Dog’s cheek and scampered away. Mad Dog watched her go, his expression morphing from adoration to concern.

“What’s going on?” Doc asked. “Kate seems off today.”

“Maybe Mad Dog isn’t satisfying his woman.” Heff smirked, earning a scathing glance from Mad Dog.

“I’m satisfying my woman just fine.”

“Luther and Kylie publicly announced a date,” Sandy explained. “They’re tying the knot next month.”

Cage grimaced, feeling a pang of sympathy for Kate.

Luther Renninger was Kate’s ex, a sneaky little weasel who had “invested” thousands of dollars from local businesses in shady funds and was currently being investigated by the IRS.

And Kylie was Kate’s younger sister. Despite the fact that Kate’s family’s business was one of those Luther had “borrowed” money from, her family had stood staunchly by the weasel—and turned their backs on Kate in the process.

Now, Kate was living at Sanctuary with Mad Dog and hadn’t seen or spoken with her family for months. For someone with a heart as big as Kate’s, who’d put her family first for years, it was a hard pill to swallow.

“Next month? That’s fast,” Doc mused aloud. “They just announced their engagement a few weeks ago, right? Think he’s trying to protect his assets before the IRS takes everything?”

Cage shook his head. “Doesn’t work that way.”

Heff sat back, looking amused. “My guess is, there’s at least one shotgun involved.”

Mad Dog’s scowl deepened, which suggested that Kate was probably thinking in a similar line. Criminal activities aside, Renninger was a narcissist and a playboy—not exactly