The Price of Mason (Forbidden Men 10)

Her defense caused a longing ache to tear through me. I had a bad feeling this girl already owned my soul. Spotting a stray piece of silken dark hair that had fallen into her face during her impassioned speech, I reached for it and tucked it safely behind her ear.

“You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met before,” I admitted without meaning to. “Where did you come from, Reese Randall?”

She blinked at me once, obviously not expecting my reaction, then she said, “Ellamore, Illinois.”

I grinned, my chest filling with both joy and pain because I knew this moment couldn’t last. Deciding to make the best of it before it was over, I hauled her back into my arms and hugged her back to me.

I buried my nose in her hair, inhaling her sweet pea scent, even as my fingers wandered, finding the scar on the back of her neck. Then I leaned around to kiss the spot.

“Thank you for being my friend. But Mercer was right. I do know better than to pant after you. You should never have to deal with any of my shit.” I stepped back before picking up the Harry Potter book Eva had tossed to the floor. After grabbing my bag as well, I sent her one last farewell glance. “I’ll see you around.”

Except we both knew I wouldn’t. I was really going to stay away this time.

At least, I hoped I could, even as another part of me cheered for me to fail…again.

Confession #21: So, yeah, I’m never drinking again.

Patricia waited a week after her threat to ruin Reese before she struck again.

It was the Saturday evening after my encounters in the library with Reese, Eva, and Monica. For once, neither Mom nor I had to work, so she, Sarah, and I had landed in the living room after we actually ate a meal together at the dinner table, and we were watching old episodes of Hawaii Five-O, all shows Sarah had already seen and kept trying to give us spoilers to, when my phone sounded from my pocket, alerting me to a new text message.

These days, I didn’t dread the sound as much as I once used to. Before Reese, it usually only meant a client wanted service. But now… Now, sometimes it was Reese sending me a cheerful little note, letting me know we were still friends, even though she blatantly told me I was being an idiot for staying away.

Sarah has been nestled in my arms where we both sat lounging on the couch with our legs stretched out and bare feet resting on the cushions. When she glanced up at me with worry, as if she sensed snuggle time was over, I sent her a reassuring grin and kissed the end of her nose. No client could drag me away from quality time with my mom and sister tonight, and Reese only ever talked, so I didn’t plan on moving a muscle.

Until I read the message.

Landlady: I just learned something very interesting about your little REESE. If you don’t want it exposed to the world, you’ll come over tonight and ask me what my fantasy is.

I snorted and deleted the message. When I tucked the phone back into my pocket, I sent Sarah another reassuring grin and ruffled her hair, letting her know I wasn’t leaving. Her expression relaxed, the worry draining from her eyes, and she settled back against me, just as Mom asked something about the show from her chair across the room.

As Sarah answered, however, my mind shifted back to the message. My initial instinct had been to blow the whole thing off and ignore it. But then I started to worry. I had no idea what Patricia thought she had on Reese. Not a molecule inside me believed it could be that bad, but still… What if it was private to Reese? What if it hurt her if it was exposed? And why had Patricia typed her name in all caps as if that were some kind of clue?

I didn’t know, but my anxiety grew. Patricia sometimes made empty threats. But not always. If she actually knew something that Reese didn’t want publicized, she would share it with the world without a single qualm.

My apprehensions won, and I shifted under Sarah, clutching her waist to lift her off me. “Actually,” I said, wincing in apology, “maybe I do need to go after all.”

“But what about the show?” Sarah said, her eyes begging me to stay.

“I’ll finish it tomorrow, I promise.”

Her gaze filled with disappointed censure. “Before or after my party?”

Shit. That was right. Her big thirteenth birthday party was tomorrow. “Either,” I said. “Both.”

Mom finally glanced over, frowning in confusion. “What’s going on?”

I set my sister back on the couch, trying to arrange her so she’d be just as comfortable as she’d been on me. Glancing distractedly at Mom, I explained, “I got called into work.” When she lifted her eyebrows, I added, “At the Country Club,” so she wouldn’t think I was going to a client.

But she didn’t seem to believe me anyway. Her expression flooded with judgment before she went back to watching the show. “Okay. See you later.”

Sarah focused on the television, moodily refusing to look at me again.

I kissed the top of her head, anyway, promising her again that we’d finish the show tomorrow, then I dashed away. When

I pushed through the back door, I glanced toward Patricia’s house. She had the porch light on for me to see my way to her place. Rolling my eyes, I walked right past the gate that led from my backyard to hers. Then I hopped into my Jeep and started the engine, speeding to the apartment Reese was staying in above the Mercer’s garage.

I had to check on her, make sure she was okay. Patricia was malicious enough that she would exact the bad terms in her ultimatum before she even issued them, so she could have her cake and eat it too, just as Monica had done when she’d tricked me into sleeping with her after she’d already told Patricia about Reese’s identity.