Fiance Next Door

Mason says nothing. He just stares at me with sad eyes. Eyes that make me want to throw myself into his arms. But I can’t.

We’re done. I just ended us.

To make it official, I take off my wedding band and leave it on the chair. Then I turn on my heel and walk away before he can see the tears in my eyes.

That’s the worst part – realizing that I love Mason after all as I walk away from him.

And now, he’ll never know it.

Chapter Eighteen ~ Is It Over?

Mason

I should have known this wouldn’t work. I should have known that I wouldn’t be able to keep Aster from leaving.

I thought I could. I thought I could make Aster forget why she agreed to marry me or that she wanted a divorce. I thought I could give her a reason to stay. I thought I would be enough.

I thought. I hoped. I failed.

Now, she’s gone. I couldn’t very well lock her up – even though a part of me wanted to do just that – so I let her go home to Eastport. I even offered her my chopper, though of course she refused. The only thing I was able to convince her of was to bring a nurse with her to help her take care of her father. They should be home by now.

And here I am, a lone wolf again.

“Mason, are you still there?” Jack’s voice drifts out of my phone, which I’ve put on speaker mode on my coffee table.

I forgot that I was in the middle of a conversation.

I sit up on the couch. “I’m here.”

“So as I was saying, Owens shouldn’t be a problem anymore, right? He’s already in FBI custody. He won’t bother you anymore.”

That’s some good news at least. “Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me,” Jack says. “It was your photo that unlocked everything.”

Then I guess I should thank Noah. Too bad I don’t have that chance anymore.

“As for Duncan, he’s thrice divorced, been in jail twice – for fraud and then for a DUI. He also got in trouble for punching a referee, but that got settled. He’s in a bit of debt, too. Yeah, not a nice guy. But no ties to Owens except that Owens just happened to be a major sponsor of his team.”

Leander didn’t mention that.

“Do you want me to dig deeper?”

“No,” I answer. “It’s fine. Anything else?”

“Well, I’m not sure I should mention this, but while I was doing some digging on Owens, your brother’s name came up a few times.”

My eyebrows crease. “How so?”

“It seems like Owens sent money to his bank account a few times. As much as five thousand dollars.”

There could be a number of explanations for that, especially if Owens used to sponsor his team.

“Also, he and Owens were on a few flights together.”

I shrug. “Like you said, Owens was a sponsor of Leander’s team, so that’s not surprising.”

“But here’s the thing. The flights, the bank activity – those started happening after Leander got injured, after he stopped playing for the team.”

My eyebrows arch. That is unusual. Why would Owens have anything to do with Leander if Leander wasn’t part of the team anymore? And if they knew each other outside of football, why did Leander deny it? Then there’s the matter of Leander knowing about the bomb. I’ve tried calling him a few times to ask him about it, but he hasn’t answered.

“Do you want me to get more information about your brother?” Jack asks me.

“No,” I tell him.

I’ll do it myself. That way, if Leander’s in some deep shit, no one else will know and I can try to help him. I owe him that much after he saved my life.

“Thanks, Jack. I’ll send your fee in the next hour.”

“No problem.”

A click and a few beeps signify the end of the conversation. I turn off the speaker mode on my phone and sink into the cushions.

So it seems I’ve emerged the victor in the battle against Owens. I don’t feel like celebrating, though, not when the only way I want to celebrate is no longer an option.

I close my eyes as I let out a sigh. A few moments later, I hear footsteps approaching.

“What is it, Frank?” I ask.

“Nope. Not Frank.”

Moments later, the cushions beside me sink. I turn my head towards my sister and give her a puzzled look.

First, Leander shows up. Now, Giselle.

“Aren’t you supposed to be saving lives?” I ask her.

“It’s nice to see you, too, Mason,” Giselle tells me. “And I’m fine, thank you.”

I look at the ceiling. “Seriously, aren’t you supposed to be in the hospital? Don’t tell me you abandoned your internship even though I helped you get in?”

“No. I did not abandon my internship,” she says. “What would make you think that?”

“Because you abandoned your groom at the altar,” I answer.