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I leaned forward, though he still had my foot, and touched the side of his face. “I don’t think I could love you any more than I do right now,” I whispered.
His hand rested over mine. “You’re not going to tell me?”
“Yes,” I breathed out. “I will, but not now. When I’m ready.”
“You have to tell me.”
“I will. I promise.”
My fear was real, but when Mason stood and lifted me with him, I knew I’d been granted time. I wound my arms and legs around him, kissing him as he carried me through the house to our bedroom.
It was a few hours later when he left the bed. I rolled over, able to see his silhouette as he dressed in the darkness. I didn’t ask where he was going. I already knew.
He came over, dropping a kiss to my forehead. “I love you.” His hand rested against the side of my face.
My hand covered his. “Just be safe.”
“Always.” He left, and a moment later, I heard Logan and Nate’s voices outside. Headlights came on, and I heard the sounds of a vehicle leaving the driveway.
Whatever was going to happen had been set in motion.
MASON
My dad hadn’t wanted the meeting at his house, where Analise was, and that had been fine with us. We’d met at his office instead. I’d handed over the copy of the files I made for him, and he’d said he’d take care of the rest. I hadn’t asked what would go down or how he’d use it. I knew he would, and I also knew James Kade had questionable connections. Probably better not to know.
With the meeting over, Logan, Nate, and I traipsed back outside, all quiet. I glanced at Logan as he bypassed me for the front passenger seat. We’d learned a year ago how far on the other side of the law our father could travel. He’d helped keep a crime boss off our backs. But this—something was nagging me.
I reached for the door handle on the Escalade and was about to open it when someone stepped out of the shadows.
“I can see I didn’t do my job very well.”
Caldron and a bunch of his guys surrounded us.
I stepped away from the door. “Excuse me?”
He held a bat in his hands and gestured with it to the office building. “That was you taking that copy of Quinn’s files to your dad, right?”
“What makes you think that?”
These guys were here to stop us. I don’t know how Caldron knew, what business it was of his, but if they were going to stand against us, I knew my dad wasn’t safe either. I caught Logan’s gaze and jerked my head toward the building. He nodded and began easing his way backward. He’d get James to safety—or try.
“No.” Caldron pointed at some of his buddies. “Block him. We don’t want the rich daddy dearest to get away scot-free, not after we wipe the floor with his sons.”
“This is getting old.” Nate growled, stepping toward some of the guys.
I did a quick count and stopped after I hit more than twelve.
“You came out in full force, Caldron.” I turned back to him. He was the leader. He had all the answers. “Why don’t you show some decency and say why?”
“Yeah.” Logan stepped back toward us, but four guys hurried around to block him from getting to us. “How do you know about any of this? What do you know about Quinn? And why the fuck are you here?”
“That’s right. Your rich prick of a father was supposed to ‘take care of me,’ wasn’t he? Well, he did. He transferred me out to another job location. I was there last month when suddenly I got a call saying I was fired.”
Logan and I shared a look. James wouldn’t fire Caldron. There’d be no point.
He saw the look. “Oh yeah. That right there says I’m right. I got ‘handled’ just like I’m here to ‘handle’ you guys.”
“Who fired you?”
Caldron looked at me, his arms folding over his chest. The bat hung down at his side. “The person who hired me to go after your asses.” He pointed the bat at everyone around him. “That’s what we’re doing here—what I was hired to do in the first place.”
“And that was?” I was getting tired of his chatter. A deep anger began to boil inside of me.
“Yeah.” Logan shoved at the guy closest to him. “Get to the fucking point.”
Caldron smirked, and I smirked back, but I glanced over at Nate. All the attention had been focused on us. Even the guys who were “watching” Nate hadn’t been watching him. I caught a quick flash of light from his phone. He stashed it back in his pocket and nodded to me.
He’d called the cops.
It was the old system we had in place for times like this: Logan and I drew everyone’s attention, and Nate called for backup. Sadly, our backup had to be actual law enforcement this time. These guys weren’t just here to hurt us. They were here for blood.
We needed to hold them off long enough, or we were dead.
Logan rolled his shoulders and gave a small dip of his head. He was ready.
I squared off against Caldron. I wanted to fight, but I wanted answers, too. “Who really hired you? You’re not after us because of Budd, are you?”
Caldron started laughing, tipping his head back like a hyena. “No, no. You guys did me a favor with him. Since he’s out, I’m the guy in charge. With him gone, I’m on top.” A serious look settled in his eyes, and I knew I was looking into a murderer’s gaze. “Quinn hired me the same day he and your daddy had a meeting. He knew I was already working for your dad. We were supposed to do the landscaping for that hotel they’re opening. Quinn thought I could keep an eye on you, but your dad messed that up. He postponed the landscaping. We don’t start until this next week, now that everything’s almost done with the hotel. But it doesn’t matter, because this is the real job he hired me for. I was supposed to keep you from getting too close to his son.”
“To Adam?” That was why he kept trying to attack us. “That’s why you went after Sam so much?”
Caldron nodded, swinging the bat like he was warming up for batting practice. “Yep. She’s your weakness. Keep going after her and you wouldn’t be able to concentrate on whatever your daddy put you up to. You’d be too focused on keeping your girl safe.”
He paused a moment. “My guess is your dad stuck you with little Quinn to watch him, right?”
I didn’t offer a response, and he shrugged.
“Doesn’t matter if you don’t confirm it. I know it’s true, just like I know I got a call an hour ago to be on the lookout if you made a move. I’m thinking you coming to your dad’s office at midnight was the move. Am I right? I know I am. I also know there was a breach in security at some offsite location Quinn uses. I know your girlfriend had a cozy chat with Quinn Jr.’s fiancée, and that same fiancée broke down crying to Quinn Jr. earlier this afternoon. Now,” he spread his arms, “I have no clue what you made a copy of, but that’s what I was told to get from you. Since we got here too late and it looks like you’ve already delivered it, we’re going to have to do this the hard way.”
“You mean the bloody way.”
“Whichever way you want. Either your daddy brings it out to save your asses, or we step over your bodies to get it. It’s up to you.”
I heard sirens in the distance, but they were almost coming too soon. I wanted this guy’s blood on the ground. I wanted it all over, and I wanted to be the one who broke him in half. We’d had enough. I didn’t need to hear any more to understand what had gone down.
“I would’ve thought you’d get tired of this, Caldron.”
“What do you mean?” His eyes twitched, just briefly.
“This. You. Me. Fighting.” I grinned, knowing it didn’t reach my eyes. “You losing.”
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “That’s what you think is going to happen?”
Logan and Nate shifted. They were ready to fight.
I stepped away from the Escalade. “I know that’s what’s going to happen. I always beat you, Caldron. I always will; no matter how many guys you bring with you.”
His hand rested over mine. “You’re not going to tell me?”
“Yes,” I breathed out. “I will, but not now. When I’m ready.”
“You have to tell me.”
“I will. I promise.”
My fear was real, but when Mason stood and lifted me with him, I knew I’d been granted time. I wound my arms and legs around him, kissing him as he carried me through the house to our bedroom.
It was a few hours later when he left the bed. I rolled over, able to see his silhouette as he dressed in the darkness. I didn’t ask where he was going. I already knew.
He came over, dropping a kiss to my forehead. “I love you.” His hand rested against the side of my face.
My hand covered his. “Just be safe.”
“Always.” He left, and a moment later, I heard Logan and Nate’s voices outside. Headlights came on, and I heard the sounds of a vehicle leaving the driveway.
Whatever was going to happen had been set in motion.
MASON
My dad hadn’t wanted the meeting at his house, where Analise was, and that had been fine with us. We’d met at his office instead. I’d handed over the copy of the files I made for him, and he’d said he’d take care of the rest. I hadn’t asked what would go down or how he’d use it. I knew he would, and I also knew James Kade had questionable connections. Probably better not to know.
With the meeting over, Logan, Nate, and I traipsed back outside, all quiet. I glanced at Logan as he bypassed me for the front passenger seat. We’d learned a year ago how far on the other side of the law our father could travel. He’d helped keep a crime boss off our backs. But this—something was nagging me.
I reached for the door handle on the Escalade and was about to open it when someone stepped out of the shadows.
“I can see I didn’t do my job very well.”
Caldron and a bunch of his guys surrounded us.
I stepped away from the door. “Excuse me?”
He held a bat in his hands and gestured with it to the office building. “That was you taking that copy of Quinn’s files to your dad, right?”
“What makes you think that?”
These guys were here to stop us. I don’t know how Caldron knew, what business it was of his, but if they were going to stand against us, I knew my dad wasn’t safe either. I caught Logan’s gaze and jerked my head toward the building. He nodded and began easing his way backward. He’d get James to safety—or try.
“No.” Caldron pointed at some of his buddies. “Block him. We don’t want the rich daddy dearest to get away scot-free, not after we wipe the floor with his sons.”
“This is getting old.” Nate growled, stepping toward some of the guys.
I did a quick count and stopped after I hit more than twelve.
“You came out in full force, Caldron.” I turned back to him. He was the leader. He had all the answers. “Why don’t you show some decency and say why?”
“Yeah.” Logan stepped back toward us, but four guys hurried around to block him from getting to us. “How do you know about any of this? What do you know about Quinn? And why the fuck are you here?”
“That’s right. Your rich prick of a father was supposed to ‘take care of me,’ wasn’t he? Well, he did. He transferred me out to another job location. I was there last month when suddenly I got a call saying I was fired.”
Logan and I shared a look. James wouldn’t fire Caldron. There’d be no point.
He saw the look. “Oh yeah. That right there says I’m right. I got ‘handled’ just like I’m here to ‘handle’ you guys.”
“Who fired you?”
Caldron looked at me, his arms folding over his chest. The bat hung down at his side. “The person who hired me to go after your asses.” He pointed the bat at everyone around him. “That’s what we’re doing here—what I was hired to do in the first place.”
“And that was?” I was getting tired of his chatter. A deep anger began to boil inside of me.
“Yeah.” Logan shoved at the guy closest to him. “Get to the fucking point.”
Caldron smirked, and I smirked back, but I glanced over at Nate. All the attention had been focused on us. Even the guys who were “watching” Nate hadn’t been watching him. I caught a quick flash of light from his phone. He stashed it back in his pocket and nodded to me.
He’d called the cops.
It was the old system we had in place for times like this: Logan and I drew everyone’s attention, and Nate called for backup. Sadly, our backup had to be actual law enforcement this time. These guys weren’t just here to hurt us. They were here for blood.
We needed to hold them off long enough, or we were dead.
Logan rolled his shoulders and gave a small dip of his head. He was ready.
I squared off against Caldron. I wanted to fight, but I wanted answers, too. “Who really hired you? You’re not after us because of Budd, are you?”
Caldron started laughing, tipping his head back like a hyena. “No, no. You guys did me a favor with him. Since he’s out, I’m the guy in charge. With him gone, I’m on top.” A serious look settled in his eyes, and I knew I was looking into a murderer’s gaze. “Quinn hired me the same day he and your daddy had a meeting. He knew I was already working for your dad. We were supposed to do the landscaping for that hotel they’re opening. Quinn thought I could keep an eye on you, but your dad messed that up. He postponed the landscaping. We don’t start until this next week, now that everything’s almost done with the hotel. But it doesn’t matter, because this is the real job he hired me for. I was supposed to keep you from getting too close to his son.”
“To Adam?” That was why he kept trying to attack us. “That’s why you went after Sam so much?”
Caldron nodded, swinging the bat like he was warming up for batting practice. “Yep. She’s your weakness. Keep going after her and you wouldn’t be able to concentrate on whatever your daddy put you up to. You’d be too focused on keeping your girl safe.”
He paused a moment. “My guess is your dad stuck you with little Quinn to watch him, right?”
I didn’t offer a response, and he shrugged.
“Doesn’t matter if you don’t confirm it. I know it’s true, just like I know I got a call an hour ago to be on the lookout if you made a move. I’m thinking you coming to your dad’s office at midnight was the move. Am I right? I know I am. I also know there was a breach in security at some offsite location Quinn uses. I know your girlfriend had a cozy chat with Quinn Jr.’s fiancée, and that same fiancée broke down crying to Quinn Jr. earlier this afternoon. Now,” he spread his arms, “I have no clue what you made a copy of, but that’s what I was told to get from you. Since we got here too late and it looks like you’ve already delivered it, we’re going to have to do this the hard way.”
“You mean the bloody way.”
“Whichever way you want. Either your daddy brings it out to save your asses, or we step over your bodies to get it. It’s up to you.”
I heard sirens in the distance, but they were almost coming too soon. I wanted this guy’s blood on the ground. I wanted it all over, and I wanted to be the one who broke him in half. We’d had enough. I didn’t need to hear any more to understand what had gone down.
“I would’ve thought you’d get tired of this, Caldron.”
“What do you mean?” His eyes twitched, just briefly.
“This. You. Me. Fighting.” I grinned, knowing it didn’t reach my eyes. “You losing.”
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “That’s what you think is going to happen?”
Logan and Nate shifted. They were ready to fight.
I stepped away from the Escalade. “I know that’s what’s going to happen. I always beat you, Caldron. I always will; no matter how many guys you bring with you.”
