Liability (Suncoast Society #33)(83)

Chapter Thirty-One


“ This f*cking sucks,” Mason said as he stared into the bathroom mirror. It was three months after the attack and he still had balance problems. He was supposed to use his walker, even in the house, but he hated it.

Cole knew it made Mason feel old and feeble, even though the physical therapists Mason saw two times a week insisted he was making progress and improving.

Cole and Kim didn’t want him worrying about work yet. With Mason’s condo now being rented out, and with their combined incomes, they were doing okay financially.

Still, Cole knew it grated at Mason’s core that he wasn’t able to help support them.

Even though it was three weeks before Christmas, and Kim and Cole had decorated the house to the nines, Mason was having trouble transitioning out of humbug mode.

Cole stood behind him and slipped his arms around Mason’s waist. He rested his chin on Mason’s right shoulder and met his gaze in the mirror. “I know,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

“Not as sorry as I am that I didn’t tell that f*cker off and cut all ties with him before I left Nebraska.”

Kim walked in, dressed in a robe. “We okay?”

Cole tipped his head at her, calling her over.

She walked over and stood on Mason’s left side, her arms around him. “We’ll be there with you, Master,” she said.

“I know. And I love you for it.” He kissed her. “Sorry you’ve been dragged into this. I’m just glad it was me he went after and not either of you. It creeps me out that he was hanging around the night before.”

That had come out as part of the investigation. Freddie had been spying on them, heard the three of them inside together as he lurked outside Mason’s condo.

The shadow Cole had seen Friday night.

Thankfully, Freddie hadn’t hurt either of the people Mason loved.

Cole knew Mason would have been the one wearing prison orange if Freddie had.

“We’ll get through this,” Cole said. “Then life will get back to normal.”

“I can’t believe the jerk is fighting it,” Kim said, her tone dark. “There’s video footage of what he did. There’s evidence. People saw it happen. What more does anyone need?”

Cole kissed Mason’s shoulder. “The state attorney said the trial should take less than two days. Depends on how fast it takes to seat the jury.”

“And then what?” Mason said. “I’m still a burden to you guys.”

“Not even,” Cole said. “We love you, you’re my husband, and stop talking like that.”

“Who’s going to hire me after this. After it’s all over the news?”

He turned Mason and made him look him in the eyes. “Stop. So far, the media’s been very kind. Nothing salacious.”

“Then why did they fire me?”

“Because they were *s,” Kim said.

“You’ll find another job,” Cole assured him.

“If I’m lucky.”

“Please don’t talk like that,” Kim softly said.

Both men looked at her, and Cole recognized her expression. He’d seen it enough times in their talks early on, about her experiences with Craige.

Mason let out a weighty breath. “Sorry, pet,” he said, pulling her in for a hug. “Dark thoughts, and all of that.”

“You should go see a counselor, Mase,” Cole said. “I know I didn’t put my foot down about it earlier, but—”

“Okay.” His quiet tone broke Cole’s heart.

“You have been through a lot,” Cole said. “And it’s not your fault.”

“Isn’t it?”

“No,” Kim said. “It’s that little *’s fault. You were being a nice guy.”

“Sweetest sadist there ever was, and look where it got me.”

“And I could have stood up to Craige a lot sooner than I did. I didn’t have to marry him. I could have chosen my parents over what I thought was my happiness. You could have cut things off with him and felt like a jerk over it and it could have changed you in worse ways from the inside out.”

Wow. Cole stared at her, her brown eyes full of pain.

“At any time,” she said, “Cole could have put the brakes on this whole thing with us. Could have reined me in. Said we were done with this, and I would have let him do that. It would mean the three of us weren’t together. Do you honestly think I would trade that for this? For you?”

She reached up and cupped Mason’s freshly shaven cheeks. “I’m still working on my fear. I’m getting stronger. Time for you to nut up, Master.”

Mason finally smiled down at her. “That’s five, pet,” he quietly said.

“If I tell you to go f*ck yourself, will it earn me ten?” She grinned.

He let out a chuckle and pulled her in for a hug, burying his face in her hair. “How about we call it fifteen and done?”

“Sure.”

He reached out for Cole, who sandwiched Mason between them.

“Thank you both for being so patient with me,” Mason said.

“That’s because we love you,” Cole said. “Nothing’s changing that. Ever.”