Relentless (Mason Family 4)

That’s Boone.

Rather, it was.

Maybe I am the one now?

I scoff at my thoughts and flex, watching my muscles pop in the reflection.

“Don’t lose your shit,” I chastise myself, letting my arms drop to my sides. “Stay calm. This, too, shall pass.”

Even though I’m the one who uttered the phrase, it makes me smile. It was one of my grandma Annabelle’s favorite sayings, and something about hearing it out loud helps me re-center.

I start toward the door to make a sandwich when my phone buzzes. Confused, I climb across my bed and grab it from under the comforter.

A text from an unknown number is on the screen. I sit and unlock the phone.

My heart thunders in my chest as I try to override my hope that it’s Shaye with the likelihood that it’s a bot text about my nonexistent car warranty.

I press the green text app and hold my breath.

Hi, Mr. Mason. This is Shaye Brewer. It’s late, but I wanted you to know that I will be calling human resources in the morning to accept your offer. Thank you for the opportunity.

“Fuck me,” I groan and fall back on my bed. A million thoughts scatter through my mind. I hold the phone above my head and read her words over and over again.

I will be calling human resources in the morning to accept your offer.

The knot in my stomach that I’ve battled all day loosens. Maybe it’s just because I’m now focused on the text and the fact that a decision has been made—she’s my new EA—and not on the what-ifs or what-will-bes.

Or maybe it’s just that I get to see her again.

I shove to a sitting position. My finger hovers over the audio button.

“I have to call her,” I rationalize. “I need to welcome her to the company and see if she has any questions.”

It’s enough of a justification for me.

My thumb hits the audio button, and the line begins to ring.

“Who needs human resources?” I joke as I wait for her to pick up.

My heartbeat pounds as the phone rings once, twice, three times. I pull the phone away on the fourth ring to make sure I called the right number. Just as I look at the screen, the line clicks.

“Hello?” Her voice is sweet, albeit kissed with a tinge of confusion.

“Hi, Shaye. It’s Oliver.”

She clears her throat. “Oh. Hi, Mr. Mason.”

“Please, call me Oliver.”

I jump to my feet, my body unable to contain the need to move. I don’t overthink me asking her to call me by my first name—something I only allowed my first secretary to do, and that was because she knew me as a kid when she was working for my father. I just go with it.

“I got your text,” I say. “I just wanted to reach out and see if you had any questions.”

Lies. All lies.

She hesitates. I hesitate.

This is not going well.

“Well, since you reached out,” she says, choosing her words carefully. “What time do you normally start? Or what time would you want me there?”

“I’m there way too damn early. I can’t sleep, so I always just roll in around four or so. But if you could be there around eight o’clock, that would be terrific. Toni gets there around then too, so I’m sure you could just meet her there in the morning. I need you to start as soon as possible.”

“Eight is great. That rhymes.”

I think she smiles. I can’t see it, but somehow it translates through the line.

“I’m really excited,” she says, an ease in her voice that I’m happy to hear. “I went to your company’s website and googled you a little. You’re involved in a lot of really interesting things.”

I lift my chin. “I think so. We’re slowly expanding into other areas of the country, but Georgia and the southern United States will always be our home. My grandfather started Mason Limited out of his garage, and it’s really important to my family to keep our roots here.”

“I love that.”

My lips part into a proud smile. “I love it too.”

“So it looks like there are a lot of Masons around the office.”

“Yeah. My older brother Holt and I are co-CEOs. Our youngest brother, Boone, works in the office too. You’ll meet them both tomorrow. Wade doesn’t work for Mason Limited but is in and out of the office all the time. He has an architecture firm that falls under the Mason umbrella. And our other brother, Coy, is starting a label.”

“A music label?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh. Okay.” She laughs. “I’ll never keep you all straight. Your pictures look almost identical.”

“It’ll get easier. Just wait until you meet them all. You’ll see. I’m the handsome one. And the smart one. And the charming one.”

I can’t say it without smiling, and her laughter makes me smile even harder.

I sit on the edge of the bed again. My muscles relax, and the need to pace and move diminishes. It’s a let-down of a day’s worth of adrenaline.