Chapter 6
PARKER
The next morning, I dress in slacks and a sweater, then haphazardly put my hair up in a half bun at the top of my head. When I descend the stairs with my bag and rifle tossed over my shoulder, Mason is waiting anxiously in the kitchen. He’s already broken my rule.
“You’re supposed to always be on the same floor as me. Remember?”
“Will I be safe here?” Mason asks, voice a little frantic.
I nod, because it seems to lessen his anxiety. “Yeah, this place is Fort Knox. But if you want, I can take you to the house on my way to campus?”
Mason shakes his head furiously. “No, I need to be in my own home.” He laughs awkwardly. “Although, I have no work to do now that I’m not hacking for my uncle.”
“Do you need a job?”
Mason shrugs. “Not really. We’ve enough money from the wrongful death settlement to never have to work a day in our lives. Our parents would be happy about that at least, I think.”
“Well, I only have two morning classes, then I’ll be back. I can talk to Hayden to see if he can use your hacking abilities, but Robin is kind of strict about people helping us unless they’ve approved of you.”
Mason waves his hand in a dismissive way. “Go to class. I’ll be here. Not going anywhere.”
I take a step forward, to do what I don’t know, and Mason takes a step back with wide eyes. We stand awkwardly for a few moments, both unsure of what I was about to do. I sigh, then flee the house to head to school.
What is wrong with me? Jesus. I rub my eyes with one hand while carefully steering with the other.
Why did I step forward to touch Mason, attempting to calm him with my touch?
When I know he doesn’t even want to be touched.
I’m going crazy. The predictable steadiness of my morning classes slightly calms my already frayed nerves though.
By the time I’m done, I feel like I’m going to spiral.
Instead of texting Dante after class, I call him.
“Uhm, are you dying?” Dante asks when he picks up after the first ring. We never call each other, so I don’t blame him for being curious.
“No.”
“Uh.”
“Will you go to the range with me? I need to let off some steam.”
“Yeah. Give me ten minutes and I’ll wait for you out front. Do you want Jacob to watch over Mason?”
I let out a sigh. “No, he doesn’t need it. I’ll give access to the security cameras to Hayden so someone can check in every now and then.”
“Sure.”
And then Dante hangs up. The ten-minute drive to the house calms me a little more, especially with the promise of going to the range to let off some steam.
When I pull up, Dante is waiting outside with a bag slung over his shoulder just as he promised, dressed in all-black with a pair of bright red Chucks on.
He slides into the car with a Cheshire grin that immediately sets me on edge.
“The point of this outing is for me to relax, not to goad me.”
“I never goad anyone,” Dante replies, willfully lying through his teeth.
We stare at each other for a few moments until Dante sighs and rolls his eyes.
“Okay, I do sometimes, but not you unless you start it. What’s this about?
Hayden grabbed me on the way out of the house and told me there’s a mission tomorrow night, by the way.
I’m surprised we’re not keeping a low profile considering everything. ”
“Did Hayden talk to Robin about Mason?”
Dante shrugs, eyes on the road. “Not that I know of, but he keeps all of that so hush-hush. Why do you need to go to the range so badly?” Dante wiggles his eyebrows salaciously. “Got some frustration you need to let out?”
Instead of answering, I gun the engine so that Dante jerks back, then slam hard on the brakes so he jerks forward.
The look he sends me is lethal, but I just grin in the face of his fury.
That’ll teach him a lesson. The range we go to is out in the suburbs, and it’s membership only, so there won’t be anyone there on a day pass just learning how to handle a gun, like you’ll find at a public range.
Also, no cops allowed, which is always a plus.
We don’t need cops sniffing around. Hopping out of the car, I swing my rifle over my shoulder, glad that I stashed it in the car earlier so I didn’t have to run back to Mason’s house and explain myself.
Not that Mason would ask, but I’d feel the urge to tell him, which is almost worse.
“Reid is still begging me to teach him to shoot,” Dante grumbles beside me.
I shoot him a curious look. “I don’t know why you won’t let him at least have knowledge. What if he’s on a mission with us, something goes wrong, and he needs to defend himself? It’s only logical to teach him the mechanics at least.”
Dante sighs and rubs a tired hand over his face. “I just want to keep him innocent in this one single way.”
The idea of Reid being innocent in any shape or form sends me into a fit of mild hysterics. I grab Dante’s arm to stop him in the parking lot of the range while I bend over with painful laughter. Oh my god, it actually hurts.
“Sorry, that was just so funny.” I stand and wipe away pretend tears from my eyes. “Hearing you mention the words innocent and Reid in the same sentence is just fucking hilarious.”
Dante rolls his eyes. “You know what I meant. The taser is enough.”
“It is certainly not enough,” I argue while swinging the door of the range open. “Not when we deal with the kinds of people we deal with.”
Dante grumbles something undoubtedly sarcastic behind me that I can’t make out.
We pass by the sales counters, waving at the normal guys, before using our passes to swipe into the secure back.
The stillness of the range settles me. Dante and I pick stalls side by side and go about getting ready.
The last stall has a setup for my rifle so that I can get on the ground for sharp shooting, despite the target being at too close a distance to make the practice skillful.
Earmuffs first, then eye protection, and then I set about readying the rifle.
“Want to place a bet?” Dante calls out, loud enough to be heard through the ear protection.
I snort as I lie down on the ground on my stomach, setting my rifle up. Ignoring him will only fuel him on.
“I don’t want to embarrass you,” I shout back, just before leaning down to adjust my sights.
The target is in view, and I take a deep breath, pulling the trigger as I release the inhale.
Right in the center. Perfect. Dante’s predictable pops rend the air as he shoots less for aim and more for maximum damage.
Since the room is empty, I go about moving around to take aim at all the targets scattered down the concrete wall.
Dante’s shots quiet as he no doubt watches me angle until I’ve hit the mark on all ten targets.
Rolling over onto my back, I stare up at Dante standing over me with his arms crossed. Grumpy and sullen, just the way I’m used to him.
“You’ve always got to show me up.”
“Your skills lie elsewhere,” I tell him, meaning every single word.
The corner of his mouth lifts in a hint of a smile.
We pack up the guns, careful to ensure they’re properly stored, before heading out of the range.
The air outside is pleasantly chilly after working up a sweat in the heat of the range.
We settle into the car quietly, mutually deciding to skip lunch.
“Does Reid talk about Mason much?” I ask, trying to sound casual, sound cool. But per usual, Dante notices my question exactly for what it is.
Dante chuckles soft and low while sending me an I see through your bullshit sort of look.
“Oh, Parker, Parker, Parker.”
“Cut it out,” I say with an annoyed groan.
“I don’t think I will actually.” Dante tosses me a scary, gleeful smile. “Why yes, Reid does speak about Mason. Mostly in a glowing sort of way.”
I clear my throat awkwardly, keeping my eyes firmly on the road as I drive us back home. “Has he ever dated before?”
“Mason?”
“Shut up. I’m trying to gauge… things.”
“He’s not dated that Reid is aware of but that doesn’t say much. They had a really tense relationship for a few years.”
I nod because I at least knew that much. Dante is unusually quiet the rest of the ride. When we pull up to the house, I go to jump out to be social, but Dante lays a firm hand on my arm.
“Mason needs a gentle hand,” Dante murmurs softly.
I stare at him in confusion. “What’s that even mean?”
“I mean that he just killed his uncle, his parents died in a traumatic fashion from an airplane crash, and he is a childhood cancer survivor.”
Now, I’m irritated. “What are you saying?”
Dante removes his hand and scratches at his slightly stubbled cheek.
For the first time I notice the lack of bags beneath his eyes, how his hair is cut a little shorter to highlight the way it slightly curls at the ends.
He looks better—happier—since he’s been with Reid. Maybe being in love has done him good.
“I’m saying you can be a bit of a playboy, and Mason doesn’t need that energy. He doesn’t need you figuring yourself out with him.”
I glare at Dante hard enough to have him shrinking back a little in the car. “I’m not a playboy. I hook up way less than you used to and only when I have an itch. I can’t help it that I get unwanted attention.”
“No, I know that, Parker…”
“Then what?”
Dante rubs a hand over his face again, then hops out of the car.
He dips down to look at me, this time pinning me with his hard gaze.
I’ve stared down scarier men and shot them between the eyes, so his look really does nothing to scare me.
But it does remind me that I can’t be impulsive when it comes to Mason.
I’ve got to figure out these feelings myself before I approach him with them.
No matter how much Mason with wet hair, barefoot, and a shy gaze makes my insides squirm with some emotion I can’t name.
“Just give it time, Parker. Give it time.”