Fallen Crest Home (Fallen Crest High #6)(29)

I searched his eyes, trying to read his next move. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to hurt him first.”

“You already did.”

Mason didn’t reply. Maybe that was the problem? Mason had already knocked him down, and Caldron just attacked again. If he kept coming, what could be done? I chewed on the inside of my cheek, keeping all those questions to myself. If I was thinking them now, I knew Mason had already processed them.

“What are you going to do?” I asked.

“I’m going to cut off his knees so the fucker can’t walk.”

I let out a shaky laugh. “That sounds like a good plan.”

Mason chuckled, his eyes softening as he drew me against him. He folded his arms around me, and I felt his lips graze my forehead, tenderly, before he found my lips. I closed my eyes and let myself melt into that kiss until we heard the office door open.

“Well, kid, you talked me into keeping your girl around.”

Mason tensed and lifted his head.

Keifer stood in his office doorway, arms crossed over his chest and a smug grin on his leathery face. Petey stood behind him, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

“You start in the beer garden tomorrow night,” Keifer told me. “Eight o’clock sharp. Petey’s going to be working with you.” He turned, clapped Petey on the shoulder, and disappeared back inside.

Mason’s plan had just backfired on him.





Every morning for the next week, I got up.

Every morning I went for an hour-long run, sometimes an hour and a half.

Every morning I stretched, then crossed the street to Malinda’s house, and she met me with coffee on the porch.

Every morning we sat and stared at the gate two houses down.

And every morning that gate remained shut, so I would start another day with knots in my stomach, tense about the moment I’d see her.

At the end of each day, I finished my shift at the beer garden and slipped into bed with Mason. Then I’d wake the next morning, reach for my running shoes, and begin the process all over again.





MASON


“James is free to see you now.”

I gave my dad’s receptionist a cursory look as I passed by. He was the one who’d called me in, so yeah, he’d better be free. But the new girl seemed overwhelmed, despite her professional greeting.

“Mason.”

My dad started to stand, but I shook my head and tossed some papers on his desk.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“Those are the promotional ideas and plans Adam Quinn and I put together for the hotel’s opening, and sorry, Dad…” I dropped into the seat across from him. “I hate to tell you this, but in all the time I’ve spent with him, I haven’t gotten a whiff of anything illegal. He’s annoyingly pleasant to work with, and happily in love with his woman. That’s all I’ve got.”

He frowned, leaning back with the papers in hand. He scanned them. “Nothing?”

“Nope.” I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “But I don’t know what you were expecting me to do. Quinn and I are not close.” And remembering last night’s fiasco at the carnival’s beer garden, I added, “And that’s never going to happen.”

“Why not?” He dropped the papers back on his desk. His mouth flattened into a disapproving line. “I need something to get in with the mayor. You have to dig deeper on Quinn.”

“I’m not a private investigator. You have an entire team of those at your beck and call. Use one of them.”

“You don’t think I haven’t?” His voice rose.

So did mine. “I’m your son, not your whore.”

His hand slapped the desk, and he pushed up from his chair. “You owe me, Mason. You and Logan both. My investigators haven’t found anything, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. Stephen Quinn dotes on his son.”

I frowned. That wasn’t what I remembered. “Are you sure? Sam saw an exchange between Quinn and his father a few years ago. There was no love between them, or that’s how she described it.”

He waved a hand in the air, dismissing the notion. “He had a heart attack last year. Apparently, he saw the light, and now he can’t wait for his son to officially join his company. The boy is supposed to get married, too, as part of the deal.”

“Wait. What’d you say?”

“What?”

“You said he’s supposed to get married as part of a deal? A business deal?”

“I believe so. Why?”

“Because he just proposed to his girlfriend.”

“Hmmm…”

My dad didn’t look surprised.

“You don’t think it’s genuine?” That couldn’t be. “I know when he gets laid. He comes to work whistling, and I could tell the two times they’ve had an argument. Those were the only two times I haven’t wanted to punch him for being annoying. He’s in love with Becky Sullivan.”

“Where are you two working?”

“Why?” Sudden caution rose up.

“Because Maxine called and asked if you and Adam needed anything. She’s under the impression you’re done with your planning because you haven’t been there for the last week.”