Page 15 of Hidden Resolution (Stonebrooke #2)

A larm set and locks engaged, Shonda descended the stairs to meet the Uber waiting out front.

One glance at the parking lot confirmed Mason’s Lexus hadn’t moved since yesterday.

Holding up a single finger to stall the driver, she veered toward the familiar vehicle and leaned down to peer through the tinted glass.

Empty.

“Looking for me?”

A scream tore from her throat.

“Asshole!”

“I’ll—” Mason began.

“Don’t you even think about saying you’ll let me sniff you. Not if you want to live.”

“Sorry. I forgot you’re not much of a morning person.”

He leaned casually against the car, sipping from a to-go cup as if her near-heart attack amused him. Caffeine remained elusive this morning, and his steaming cup practically called her name.

She reached for it.

Of course, being the contrary bastard that he was, he held it up and away as he waved a finger. “Uh, uh, uh.”

The temptation to rip off his arm and beat him with it was hard to resist. Instead, she graced him with a black look and tried again, with the same result.

“When did you get coffee, and why didn’t you bring me one?” she demanded.

The smug bastard lifted the drink higher, forcing her to press closer. His infuriating grin spoke volumes about how much he enjoyed the body contact. To be contrary, she backed off fast.

“I had a friend drop it by,” he said with a shrug and another swallow.

Friend. Code for a woman.

“Friend, huh? Well, now I understand why only one drink. Can’t have your scores of women thinking you aren’t the great lone wolf.”

Spinning on her heel, she stalked to the waiting vehicle.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” he called.

“Not that it’s your business, but I’m heading to Erica’s surprise party.”

“Without your coffee? I mean, you’re the woman I’m sleeping with who takes it with two creams, no sugar, right?”

His sin-worthy smile made a comeback, and a second cup appeared, hinting Mason might be a magician or her keen observation skills were sadly lacking. He wiggled it back and forth, dangling the prize.

With narrowed eyes, she considered her options.

One: she could accept the coffee as a very sweet gesture on his part and ignore who had procured it.

Two: get in the hired vehicle, run through a drive-thru, visit Zack and Erica, then finally go car shopping.

Three: knee Mason in the nuts for making her stand in a parking lot like an idiot while debating her hopeless caffeine dependency.

Four: murder him on the spot, guzzle both cups, and take her chances with the law.

Three moved up the ranks the fastest, with four close behind. For the moment, she’d tuck murder in her back pocket.

Mason, apparently recognizing her internal war, approached, handed her the coffee, and kissed her brow like he had a right. She grudgingly allowed him to lead her back to his car.

The jerk even held her cup while she buckled up.

“Toasty, huh?” he asked, not bothering to hide his smirk.

The feel of buttery leather seats was miles ahead of whatever her hired driver could offer.

“I don’t know the etiquette on sending him away,” she confessed.

“I’ll take care of it,” he said. “We’ll work it out.”

His thoughtfulness ranked near the top of the list of things she appreciated about him. Well, right after those abs and the unfair perfection of his ass.

The second he settled behind the wheel, she cleared her throat. “For the record, we are not sleeping together. Not anymore.”

“If you say so,” he said flatly, noncommittally, as if the conversation bored him.

Her irritation spiked. “I do!”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.” Her lips curled into a sneer. “Asshole.”

“Now you’re just begging to sniff me. No means no, Shonda.”

She turned to the window to hide her smile. But it faded almost instantly.

Getting sucked in by Mason’s charm again would be a rookie mistake. And today, he poured it on thick as pancake syrup.

Her mind wandered to where he’d slept last night. Probably at Deirdre’s. Her neighbor in 2B had never met a man she didn’t want to bang, and more than once, she’d propositioned Shonda’s dates. Managed to snag a few of the less scrupulous ones, too.

“Where did you sleep last night?” The question escaped before she could slam the lid on her suspicions.

Filter, Shonda. Filter!

“A nice redheaded woman offered to put me up.”

She nearly ground her molars to dust, barely holding back a throat-punch with his name on it. After all, he was driving. Safety first.

“I didn’t take her up on it. I stayed awake outside your door like I said I would,” he said conversationally. “I’m really rather surprised you’d leave me to freeze after I saved you from a fiery death.”

Curious despite herself, she asked, “What did you do to stay warm?”

“At half-hour intervals, I cranked up the heater in my car.”

“And this morning’s coffee kindness is what? You’re suddenly reformed and decided to repent the error of your ways?”

“I considered the possibility.” He grinned before sobering. “But what you see is what you get, love.”

Yeah, her main problem was wanting exactly what she saw. Badly.

The low hum of voices faded as Mason stepped onto the patio. Standing over the grill, Zack stared into the flames as if they held answers.

“I thought I smelled something burning.”

He jolted and glanced down at the meat before flipping him off. “Nice, asshat.”

“Oh, someone has it bad.” Mason chuckled, giving his brother a light shake by the back of the neck.

“Shit, man, have a care.”

Amused, he opened his mouth to fire back, only to freeze when movement caught his eye.

Shonda was preparing to leave.

Where the hell did she think she was going? If she believed he’d let her leave when someone was out there planting bombs in cars, she was?—

“You should apologize,” Zack said, cutting him off mid mind-rant.

“The fuck I will.” He already had, but there was no need for his brother to know.

Zack scoffed, visibly annoyed. “Don’t be an ass. You obviously have chemistry. Why not see where it leads?”

“Piss off. Did I ask you?” Mason’s anger wasn’t warranted, especially since Zack meant well. But he felt too wound up for reasons he couldn’t clearly define.

“The fuck I will. You’re being stubborn.” Zack reclaimed the plate of burgers he held. “Go ask her to stay for dinner. No one is saying you have to marry the woman. But you can get your feet wet again by dating a nice girl. And she is nice. I knew her in school, and Erica speaks highly of her.”

His brother disappeared inside, leaving Mason standing in the heavy quiet.

Maybe he had a point. Starting slow didn’t sound terrible, did it?

Slow was safe. Hell, if he were honest with himself, he’d admit his life was godawful lonely.

Shonda chased the loneliness away. Her sass, her smile, those warm, dancing eyes…

He stepped inside, angling toward her, but froze mid stride.

Tension rippled throughout the room. Zack stood rigid, staring at his phone as if fearing it might detonate in his palm.

“Zack? What is it?” Erica’s voice barely rose above a whisper, uncertainty trailing every syllable.

He didn’t move.

“Hey, man? What’s going on?” Mason snatched the phone and read the message for himself.

“Enjoying your party? It will be your whore’s last.”

“Jesus Christ!”

The stillness fractured, and the room buzzed with movement, whispers, cries, or hands reaching. As one, their collective gaze landed on Erica, who was eerily silent until Zack reached for her.

“Daddy, is Erica going to be all right?” Jacob tentatively asked.

Mason’s gaze found Shonda. Pale and stunned, she looked moments from bolting. He had no idea how to calm her, but he wanted to mimic Zack’s hold on Erica and pull her close.

He understood the need. It echoed his own after yesterday’s explosion. Shonda hadn’t mocked how clingy he’d gotten. And her kindness set her apart.

Zack abruptly released Erica and rushed to the trash can, barely making it before he retched. Mason made a move to follow, but their mother waved him off.

“I’ve got this,” she said.

Silence followed. Mainly, no one knew what to say. All of them were locked in their own prison of turmoil.

When Zack returned, fire lit his eyes. The fury shimmering off him could’ve scorched the walls.

Mason stared in awe, barely recognizing the change. His brother didn’t lose control. Ever. He avoided conflict unless absolutely necessary. But the stalker had created a warrior hell-bent on protecting what was his.

“No!” Erica’s voice cracked. “Somebody stop him!”

Spinning around, Zack threw up a hand to prevent his brothers from intervening. “Don’t you dare touch me. I’m ending this.”

“Whoever it is doing this is probably long gone, bro.” Dane’s was the voice of reason. Always calm. Always logical.

“I don’t want you going out there, Zachary.” Their mother’s tone left no room for argument.

“You don’t understand. None of you do!” Zack drove a fist through the wall beside him, cracking the drywall on impact. “Goddammit!”

“Zack, look at me.” Erica’s soft, persuasive voice had the ability to bring his pacing to an end.

“Currently, she’s fixated on me. But I’m worried if you confront her, going on the assumption I’m right and it is a female, she might snap.

In her mind, she thinks you’re hers, but if you deny her, that puts a target on your back as well as mine. ”

“What do you propose we do? I’m done with waiting for the police department to find a fucking clue.” He resumed pacing again. “What the hell are they even doing? Sitting on their asses, eating donuts? Because they sure as shit aren’t working to find out who it is.”

“Please.”

One utterance. Spoken low, filled with pain, brought him back to himself.

Zack held out his hand. “Who has my cell? Give it to me, please.”

Mason slapped it into his palm. “Don’t do anything stupid,” he warned. Previously, their roles would have been reversed, with his brother the levelheaded one of the two. But whoever the enraged person was in front of him, well, he wasn’t anywhere close to reasonable.

“Fuck off,” Zack muttered, already dialing a number. He spoke, then listened, finally ending with, “I don’t want excuses, Buck. Find her, or I will. I can promise you, if I do, it won’t be pretty.”

He disconnected the call with a jab of his thumb and hurled the phone before storming off.

Erica was wrecked, though not a single tear fell. Mason respected the hell out of her self-control.

He glanced at Shonda, whose eyes shimmered with the fury and helplessness she tried to hide.

Giving into the irresistible urge, he headed for her.

They met in the middle of the room and fell into each other.

Not surprisingly, her warmth grounded him.

He inhaled deeply of her sweet scent, calming the riot in his mind.

“Did you just sniff me?” she asked under her breath.

His laughter threatened.

God, her timing!

“Come on, love. Let’s help clean up. I don’t expect anyone is in the partying mood anymore.” With a quick, tight squeeze, he reluctantly released her.