26. Mason
Mason
The two agents stand in the middle of the small motel room like they own the place, their dark suits looking too crisp and out of place against the worn carpet and faded wallpaper.
The taller one has his phone pressed to his ear, speaking in low, clipped tones to Stevens.
I can hear the faint murmur of my boss’s voice on the other end, cold and authoritative, cutting through the quiet hum of the air conditioner.
The shorter agent watches me with narrowed eyes, arms crossed over his chest, like he’s waiting for me to explode.
I knew this moment was coming. I’ve been bracing for it since the call last night.
But knowing doesn’t make it feel any better.
It doesn’t stop the sharp twist in my gut or the way my hands itch to pull Riley behind me and tell these suits to go to hell.
She’s standing beside me, her small hand gripping the back of my flannel shirt, her body pressed close like she’s trying to disappear into me.
I can feel the slight tremble in her fingers, the rapid beat of her heart against my side.
She’s scared. And that fear makes something dark and violent rise up in me, the same protective rage that’s kept me alive through years of missions and blood and loss.
Stevens’s voice comes through the phone loud enough for me to catch the final order. “Hand her off. Now. Protocol is clear. She goes with the field team. Cole, you’re relieved of primary protection duty.”
The taller agent lowers the phone, his expression smug. “You heard him. Time to step back, Cole.”
Riley’s breath catches beside me, a small, broken sound that cuts straight through my chest. I pull her closer, my arm wrapping around her waist, holding her against my side like I can shield her from the world with nothing but my body.
Her hair brushes my chin, soft and still carrying the faint scent of the soap from the cabin.
She smells like home. Like everything I didn’t know I needed until she crashed into my life.
I knew this was coming. I knew the rules.
But standing here, feeling her tremble against me, it doesn’t feel right.
How am I supposed to let her go? How am I supposed to watch her walk out that door into a life where I don’t exist?
The thought burns like acid in my veins.
She belongs with me. In my cabin. In my arms. Not handed off like a package to men who see her as nothing but a witness to be filed away.
Riley blinks. “Mason…”
Her voice breaks on my name, and that’s all it takes.
I turn to her fully, cupping her face with both hands, my thumbs brushing away the first tears that spill down her cheeks.
Her skin is soft and warm under my rough palms, and I can feel the rapid flutter of her pulse at her throat.
She’s crying now, quiet sobs shaking her small frame, and it tears something open inside me.
“I’ve got you,” I murmur, pulling her into my chest. My arms wrap around her completely, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other pressed against her lower back.
She buries her face in my shirt, her tears soaking through the fabric, hot and wet against my skin.
“This isn’t goodbye, Riley. Not forever. I’ll find a way. I swear it.”
She clings to me, her fingers fisting in my flannel like she never wants to let go. “I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want any of this. I just want to go back to the cabin. With you. With the cookies and the chessboard and the way you make me feel safe.”
Nothing has ever cut through me like her words do right now.
I hold her tighter, my chin resting on top of her head, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair.
The other agents shift impatiently near the door, but I ignore them.
Kane stands off to the side, watching with a grim expression, but he doesn’t intervene.
The taller agent clears his throat. “Time’s up, Cole. We’ve got our orders.”
I feel Riley stiffen in my arms, a fresh wave of sobs shaking her.
I kiss the top of her head, my lips lingering against her soft hair.
“You’re the strongest person I know, little one.
You’re going to be okay. I’ll make sure of it.
Even if I’m not right beside you, I’ll be fighting for you. Always.”
She pulls back just enough to look up at me, her eyes red and shining with tears. “I love you,” she whispers, the words breaking something deep inside me. “I know it’s fast and crazy, but I do. I love you, Mason.”
I kiss her then, hard and desperate, pouring everything I can’t say into it.
Her lips are soft and salty from her tears, and she kisses me back like it’s the last time.
Because it might fucking be. The agents move forward, one of them grabbing her arm.
Riley cries out, reaching for me, but they pull her away.
I lunge forward, but Kane’s there, his strong arms locking around me from behind, holding me back.
“Easy, brother,” Kane mutters in my ear, his grip like iron. “Don’t make this worse. Let them do their job.”
Riley’s dragged toward the door, her eyes locked on mine, tears streaming down her face. “Mason! Please! Don’t let them take me!”
The sound of her voice, broken and terrified, rips through me. I fight against Kane’s hold, muscles straining, but he doesn’t let go. The agents pull her out of the room, the door slamming shut behind them with a final, devastating click. The silence that follows is deafening.
I roar, the sound raw and furious, shoving against Kane with everything I’ve got.
He staggers but holds firm, pushing me back against the wall.
The cheap motel wallpaper scrapes against my back.
My chest heaves, breath coming in harsh gasps.
Rage burns through me, hot and blinding.
I want to tear the door off its hinges. I want to chase after them and take her back.
I want to burn the whole system down if it means keeping her safe in my arms.
“Get off me,” I growl, voice shaking with fury. “I need to go after her.”
Kane doesn’t let go. His hands are firm on my shoulders, his face close to mine. “This is the job, Mason. You know that. She’s safer this way. You can’t protect her if you’re dead or locked up. Stevens made the call. It’s done.”
I slam my fist against the wall, the impact jarring up my arm. Pain flares, but I welcome it. It’s better than the emptiness spreading through my chest. “She was never truly mine,” I say, the words tasting like ash. “I knew that. But it doesn’t feel good. It feels wrong. Like I’m abandoning her.”
Kane’s grip loosens slightly, but he stays close, his voice steady. “You’re not abandoning her. You kept her alive. You got her this far. That is what matters. She’s going to be okay. And you will be too. Eventually.”
I slide down the wall until I’m sitting on the floor, head in my hands.
The carpet is rough and smells like old cigarettes and cleaner.
My hands are shaking. I’ve faced down enemy fire, lost brothers in the field, buried friends, but nothing has ever hurt like this.
The thought of Riley out there without me, scared and alone, makes me want to tear the world apart.
Kane sits down across from me, his back against the other wall. “She’s strong, man. Stronger than you think. And she knows you care. That has to count for something.”
I don’t answer. I just sit there, staring at the closed door, the rage slowly cooling into a deep, aching emptiness. Riley’s gone. And I don’t know how I’m supposed to live with that.