22. Mason
22
MASON
S am’s call came through first, and I hit accept. “I’m fine.”
“What?” she asked.
I stopped walking. “You’re calling to make sure I’m okay, right?”
“No, but now I’m wondering why I would’ve been doing that. Are you okay? What happened?” She made a frustrated sound. “Never mind. You need to come home.”
I picked up my pace again. “That’s where I was heading. What’s going on?”
As soon as I got into the Escalade and the phone transferred over, I could hear noises in the background. “Is that—is someone yelling?” I drove through the gate and looked over. There was no guard. I made a mental note to have someone look into all four of those guards—and fire them if they were still breathing somewhere. Actually, that seemed imperative, so I pulled over and sent Channing a text to see if he could look around the place.
Sam huffed. “I don’t even know what I’m seeing.”
Channing: What am I looking for? Aren’t you there?
“Try to explain,” I clipped out, typing on my phone at the same time.
Me: Four bodyguards. Did my daughter not contact you?
Channing: She called, but I couldn’t answer. She didn’t leave a message.
Channing: Like their bodies ?
“So you know Mark and Cass broke up last summer?” Sam was saying.
“I didn’t.” My phone buzzed again.
Channing: Mason. Wtf?
Me: Emergency at the house. I’m still trying to figure it out. Lmk.
I tossed the phone and gunned the engine.
Sam had quieted. It took me a full block to realize that. “Sam?”
“Sorry. I got distracted. This is—I can’t really believe this, but I think it’s happening for real this time.”
“What is happening?”
“Mark and Cass are breaking up.”
Who the fuck are… It took me a second. Mark . Sam’s stepbrother. Malinda’s biological son. And Cass. I wished I could forget about her again. “They’re still together?”
Sam snorted, lowering her voice, “Well, you know things have been rocky for the last few years. Cass was really trying to win over Mama Malinda, and we thought Mark would pull out a ring. I mean, he’s like bachelor age at this point—”
“Sam.” I had whiplash from all this—and what happened to Maddy? “Is Maddy home?”
“Maddy?”
“Yeah. She left the office a little while ago. Is she okay?”
Sam quieted for a beat. “Why are you asking if our daughter is okay?” Her voice rose. “Did she do something again? We just grounded her a day ago.”
I huffed out a laugh. “She’s home?”
“Yeah. She got here about twenty minutes ago, said you had to stay back to talk to some KB person. She said he was a shareholder, and that’s when Mark showed up with his bags. He announced he was moving in for a while—”
I groaned. “No. No more people.”
“—like this house isn’t built as a hotel. It’ll be fine.”
“He’ll bring his shit to our house. Like what’s her name.”
“Cass.”
“What?”
“You asked what her name was.”
“No,” I bit out. She was distracted, and I was trying to come down from having a goddamn threatening heart-to-heart with a fucking crime lord. Not a good combo. “It was a phrase—never mind. Maddy is okay? That’s my whole point.”
“She’s fine. Mark came in, dropped his hockey bag, which reeks, and went straight to the liquor cabinet. Your daughter immediately began popping popcorn. No joke. Mark was here for five minutes before Cass showed up. They’ve been going back and forth, and they do not care that we’re here. Apparently Cass is done with waiting for a ring and wants to get pregnant. I’ll be honest. Cass is our age. I’m shocked she’s waited this long. I’m kinda Team Cass right now, but also, what the fuck? Why didn’t she leave him if she wanted a ring and kids? Has she met my stepbrother?”
I…had no idea what to say to that or if I fucking cared.
“Okay. I’m going to break this down for you. Mark apparently has commitment issues. Although, there could be an argument that maybe it’s Cass. She’s never been a nice person, but moving on from that, they had a pregnancy scare last summer. I did not know that.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Mark panicked. Cass wanted to keep it, and she seems destroyed about it.”
I heard from the background, “Not helping, Sam!”
She moved away from the phone. “Sorry, Mark. Mason’s on the phone. He wanted to know what was going on.”
I shook my head. “I might argue with that statement.”
She snorted and returned to whispering again. “Okay, and now they’re—oh! They broke up last summer. Cass dated someone else. Wait. Did Mark?”
“Really not helping, Sam!” That was Mark again.
I heard shuffling movements. A slight squeak. The yelling quieted a little.
I frowned. “You’re hiding in the pantry?”
“Shh. I want them to forget I’m here.”
“Where is Maddy?”
“She’s at the kitchen counter. She and Logan are eating the popcorn, and they’re transfixed.”
“What about Taylor and Sammy?”
“Sammy’s with David and Malinda, and Taylor is upstairs packing.”
“Matteo left this morning?”
“Oh my God! That was what started this whole thing.” Her voice hitched. My senses were scrambled. I couldn’t tell if she was excited, horrified, or whatever else she could be feeling. “My whole thing with putting Matteo in the pool house backfired. He did hook up with someone, but guess who?”
I had decided. I officially didn’t care about any of this. “I’m guessing it wasn’t Mark.”
“It was Cass! He doesn’t know her the way we know her. And Mark’s not always around, you know? Anyway, during their break, she got with Matteo. They met randomly at a bar in town. It was during one of his visits here. Then she told him.”
“Matteo?”
“No. Mark. She told Mark that she’d hooked up with Matteo. She didn’t think Mark knew who Matteo was, but how could he not? Then again, you and him had a weird thing going for a while and Matteo wasn’t around in high school. Mark was never around in college. Plus, he doesn’t hang out with us that much. But Matteo and Cass saw each other at the funeral yesterday and well, now this is happening. Hold on. They’re talking again.”
Her phone buzzed.
“Why is Heather asking why Channing has to go look for bodies where you are?” She gave up whispering, going straight to high-pitched and not happy.
I turned on to the road that led into our neighborhood. “It’s nothing to talk about right now. I’ll be home in five minutes.”
“Are you sure?”
“Did Cass murder Mark yet? Do I need to send Channing to our house to look for a couple more bodies?”
“Har har. You’re so funny.”
“I’m a riot.”
“I think they should both cut their losses.”
“Channing or the bodies?”
“What?” she hissed. “What’s with the bodies talk? And no. Cass and Mark. I mean, I don’t think she and Matteo are a love match. I don’t think Matteo will hook up with her again, but it’s time to move on. Meet someone else. Marry. I wonder if Cass froze her eggs? Probably not if they had a pregnancy scare last summer.”
I really did not care, but I was at our gate and hit the button to open it. We had a large courtyard, and most of the time we could easily park six vehicles. Tonight we had a couple more, but the last white Vespa was parked diagonally, so I couldn’t get around it. I growled. That likely wasn’t Mark’s car.
Slamming my Escalade to a stop, I left it where it was and stalked for the house. As I got to the door, I could hear the shouting. It got decidedly louder when I opened it, and I took a second to scan where everyone was.
Sam came out of the pantry, and Logan smirked at me.
Maddy met my gaze and smiled. She held a hand up to hide her mouth and pointed at Cass. “She’s an HBOTC.” Her eyebrows went up and held for dramatic effect.
I scowled. “Way to be real worried about me.”
Her grin fell flat. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“Wait. Dad. What? You said you were okay?”
She was right. I had.
Logan was now eating his popcorn slower, and his eyes were volleying between my daughter and me. Mark and Cass had momentarily paused in their fighting.
“What happened?” Logan asked, his frown deepening.
I shook my head, deciding that I needed a drink. “Nothing.”
Maddy was chewing her bottom lip.
I crossed to her and brushed some hair from her forehead. Giving her a kiss there, I said, “I’m sorry. I’m all good. I’m glad you came to the office today.”
“Are you sure, Dad?” She twisted around to look up at me from her chair.
I nodded. “I’m sure, sweetie.”
Sam was continuing to frown at me, but I ignored her and Logan for a moment. I kept scanning, finding Nolan and Nash at the top of the stairs. When confrontations happened, they could always be found on the stairs. It had been their perch since they were three.
I headed for them. As I did, Taylor was coming from behind them.
Mark and Cass picked up their fighting, but I tuned them out except I heard Mark huff, “Don’t bring my mother into this.”
I watched in real time as Taylor clued into the drama. She gripped the stair rail and stopped behind my twins. Nash scooted over for her, but she met my gaze, seemed to consider her options, and then sat down beside him. Immediately, he melted into her side.
Nolan, though, was fighting back tears. As soon as our gazes met, she flew down the stairs and launched herself at me. “Dad!”
I caught her. She was all gangly legs and skinny arms. She shuddered in my arms. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
She shook her head, unfolding her legs and slid down to stand on the ground. She kept her arms wrapped around my waist, her face pressed into me.
Sam came over to join us, running a hand down her hair. “Honey? What’s wrong?” She whispered to me, “What happened earlier with you?”
Nolan just hugged me tighter, but she looked up, her eyes bouncing between us.
I met Sam’s gaze over her head, but I couldn’t answer. Not here.
“Nolan, honey.” I bent down and nudged her a little. “You need to give us a clue what’s going on or your mom and I are going to have a heart attack—”
Sam slapped my shoulder, and she glared at me. “Are you kidding me? You pick that choice of words?”
She was under the impression the kids thought their grandpa died from a heart attack. I took her hand in mine and whispered, “They know.”
“What?” Sam went rigid.
I nodded. “They’ve known since before we told them anything. Nolan knew.”
Sam sucked in her breath, comprehension dawning. Then remorse. “Oh, honey.”
Nolan detached completely from me and wrapped her arms around her mother.
“Sweetie. Is this about that—”
Nolan looked up at Sam and then me. “I just had a bad dream. I was napping.”
Movement caught our attention from the stairs.
Nash came down with Taylor behind him.
I frowned. “Wha—”
She reached out, touching my chin. “What did you do to yourself? You and your brother.”
Sam winced. “I tried my best.”
My bruises. Sam had bandaged me up last night. Taylor did that for a living.
I was a bit slow with everything going on. “I’m fine,” I said.
She ignored me, turning to Sam. “You did great work. It would still be a good idea to go in. A couple of these could do with a stitch.” She reached up to my face.
I swatted her away. “No one touches me except my wife and my children.”
Taylor didn’t care. She pressed her finger into one of the cuts.
I grimaced. That hurt.
She rolled her eyes. “You don’t scare me anymore. I don’t think you ever did.”
I shot her a dark look. The fuck?
Sam was still holding Nolan and rubbing a hand over her back, but she started laughing.
Mark and Cass continued arguing, but Logan meandered over to us, holding one of the bowls of popcorn. He held it out to me. “Hungry?”
I growled.
He snatched it back, shooting me a look. “Fine. No popcorn for you. I’m never offering you popcorn again, big brother.”
Nash grinned. He idolized his uncle. “I’ll have some popcorn.”
Logan immediately turned the bowl toward him. “Of course, anything for my favorite godson and nephew.”
Nolan giggled as Sam ran a hand over her forehead. “He’s your only nephew, Uncle Logan.”
Logan grinned at both of them, his adoration evident. “That’s true. Don’t tell the other kids who think they’re my nephews.”
Taylor looked over to Cass and Mark, still yelling. “Do I want to ask?”
Logan opened his mouth.
Sam’s hand shot out, clamping on his arm. “Please. Let me.” She gave him a meaningful look. He nodded, giving her the floor. “You, me, and Heather need to have girls’s night tonight,” she told Taylor.
“Again?” Taylor asked, but her smile said she was down for it.
There was a moment of peace from the other room, and I used the quiet to regroup. Kai Bennett was not the threat that took away my dad. I believed him. I had no idea why Logan had called me earlier, but we only had the night to handle the hacker because there was no way I was going to deal with him by myself. Fuck . That meant I had to relay everything to Logan and Sam, and all of the sudden, I was really fucking tired.
Nolan chose that moment to tell me, “The bad guy left, Dad. You cannot let him come back.”