Liability (Suncoast Society #33)(57)

Need to get a new one. This one’s kind of old and heavy. And getting heavier.

That made him smile.

He didn’t pay any attention to the headlights coming toward him as he closed the trunk and turned to make the walk back to the driver’s door.

He didn’t have time to register the pain, the sensation of falling, immediately followed by more pain.

Then his world shifted to black.





Chapter Twenty-Two


Mason’s car wasn’t in the lot at Sigalo’s when Cole pulled in at five ’til six. Kim practically bounced and vibrated in the passenger seat next to him.

And she didn’t even have any insertable vibrators in place, either.

He smiled. “Calm down. We’ll have all night and tomorrow with him.”

“He said the L word!” She grinned. “To both of us!”

Cole knew all about this because he’d read about it. NRE, or new relationship energy, as the poly people dubbed it. He felt it, too.

This was like when he and Kim first started seeing each other all over again and had bridged that step to the next level, the stage when both of them knew it was serious and that they didn’t want it to end.

Neither of them wanted this to end with Mason.

“Do we wait for him?” she asked.

“It’s okay. Let’s get inside and grab our seats. We can reserve one for him.”

He sent Mason a quick text. We’re here, going inside. See you soon. Love you.

They weren’t the first arrivals. Tilly and Cris were there, although Landry was absent. “No big guy tonight?” Cole teased.

Tilly wore her leather collar, the one even Cole knew meant Cris held the reins tonight. “No,” Cris said with a smile. “He offered to stay home and do baby duty tonight. I think he’s worn out from work this week and wanted to stay home.”

“How goes the property search?” Kim asked as she took the cloth napkin from the place setting on her other side and draped it over the back of the chair next to her to hold the seat for Mason.

“Working on it,” Tilly said. “Ideally, I’d like some property maybe out in east Venice, not too far from the gang.” That was her nickname for their three friends she worked with.

Ross and Loren showed up then, nearly at the same time as Ed Payne and his wife, Hope. Tony and Shayla soon followed, and others.

By now it was a quarter after, and still no Mason.

Totally unlike the man to be that late and not text.

“Did he text you?” Cole asked Kim.

Frowning, she dug her phone out of her purse and looked. “No.” She realized now what time it was. “I hope everything’s okay.” He watched her text Mason.

“What’s wrong?” Tilly asked from across the table.

“Oh, probably nothing,” Cole said. “Mason’s apparently running late.”

Tilly smiled. “Master’s prerogative.”

Cole hooked a thumb at Kim. “Her Master, not mine. He’s my boyfriend.”

“At least someone else finally gets the ‘it’s complicated’ designation around here,” Gilo teased from the other end of the table.

Cole laughed at that, but sent Mason another text at twenty after. You’re starting to worry me. Everything okay? Where are you? Do you want me to order for you?

Instead of slipping the phone back into his pocket, he laid it on the table in front of him, next to his plate where he could see it.

It was 6:35, and still no text.

Cole couldn’t help the fear starting to congeal in his stomach.

Kim looked down at his phone, then up at him, her brow furrowed with worry.

He reached out and gently squeezed her hand and seized the only thing that he could think of that would make Mason leave them hanging like this.

“I’d bet that something blew up at work again.”

“What?” Tony asked, his ear catching the tail end of that.

“Mason was telling us something about the downtime they had on Thursday giving him a massive headache. A process or something kept fouling up. He was dealing with it yesterday, all the way into the afternoon, and even late last night on a conference call. He had to finish some reports this afternoon.”

Tony knowingly nodded. “He might be driving here now and talking on his work phone. Mason’s a good guy. He wouldn’t stand you up without a serious reason like that.”

That Tony immediately thought that reassured Cole.

Of course it had to be that.

It was 6:42 and they were already eating their entrees. Cole picked up his phone and sent another text.

Should I order a to-go for you? Love you.

When Cole’s phone rang almost immediately from Mason’s number, Cole decided to tease him a little. “So, do I need to bring your food to you for another night at home while you work, or will you make it here to eat with us, buster?”

“Who am I speaking with, please?” the male voice asked, chilling Cole.

Cole was already rising, hurrying away from the table.

He didn’t recognize the male voice, but he recognized the tone. Professional. Courteous.

Like a cop.

“This is Cole Singleton. Who are you, and why are you calling from my boyfriend’s phone?”

“Mr. Singleton, my name is Captain Charles Borreantz from the Florida Highway Patrol. You’re Mason Lange’s boyfriend?”