Page 22 of Hidden Resolution (Stonebrooke #2)

C onnie came in search of Dane, replacing Shonda in the procedure room. She assured her any blame was on Mason for his poor behavior.

With no further duties to occupy her, Shonda drifted back to the waiting area outside Charles’s ICU. Mason was parked on the far side of the room, arms folded, scowl firmly in place, as he projected icy disapproval.

Curbing her desire to tell him off, she sank down and closed her eyes.

Thankfully, Zack returned, taking a seat beside her, effectively breaking the oppressive spell of Mason’s silent fury.

But as the hours rolled on, the oddness of his behavior set her on edge.

Zack wasn’t his usual engaging self, and his silence, added with the covert glances at his phone, was a dead giveaway.

“You’re awfully quiet,” she murmured.

He shot her a guilty look, and she leaned in, keeping her voice low. “What are you planning?”

He darted a quick glance around before returning his gaze to hers.

“Nothing.”

As if. Did he think she’d fallen off the turnip truck yesterday?

“You are, and I want in on it,” she insisted in a harsh whisper, slashing a quick look at Mason before refocusing on him. She nearly laughed when Zack shot him a grin.

Mason averted his face.

“Nicely done,” she murmured with an appreciative smile.

“Years of practice.”

“Your brother is an easy mark. Now spill.”

“You aren’t going to let this go, are you?” he asked with a weary sigh.

“Not on your life.”

As he studied her, Shonda forced herself not to squirm. Did he see a pathetic excuse for a woman who had outstayed her welcome to steal longing looks at his clueless older brother? She hoped he considered her as nothing more than Erica’s concerned best friend. Anything else would be humiliating.

Another check revealed Mason glowering at them.

“What’s he so angry about?” Zack asked.

“He probably thinks I am going to seduce you to the dark side like I did to Dane,” she quipped, making no effort to keep her voice down.

Zack sputtered. “You and Dane? What did I miss?”

“While you were outside, your mother sent Mason for coffee. When he didn’t promptly return, she sent me to find him,” she explained. “Connie had the bright idea to convince Dane to steal a kiss. Mason broke his nose.”

Zack laughed for the first time in hours.

“It’s not funny!” she exclaimed.

He laughed harder as Mason surged to his feet, flipped them off, and stormed out the door.

Shonda giggled. “Okay, so maybe it’s a little funny.”

“I wondered where they were. Thought maybe they were making a dinner run.”

“No, your mom drove Dane home. She said she wanted to take a nap, but would return with food for everyone.”

“So you’ve been stuck in here, subject to the silent treatment for the better part of the day with my idiot brother and me. Poor girl.”

Waving impatiently, she said, “Okay, enough stalling. Now we’re alone, tell me what’s going on? And don’t you dare say ‘nothing.’ I want to help.”

“I can’t involve you in this, Shonda.” He popped up to pace. “Christie is clinically insane. It’s impossible to know what’s going on in that messed-up head of hers.”

“I’m involving myself. Erica’s the only family I have left. We’re sisters of a sort,” she insisted.

As a kid, Shonda had spent many holidays alone. Eva was always gallivanting to places unknown, and Luigi rarely showed, claiming the restaurant couldn’t survive without him. As she got older, Shonda would drive to Erica’s house to hang out.

Erica was her person. The closest thing to a sister she had.

Wordlessly, Zack unlocked his phone, pulled up his messages, and gave her the device. The photos were horrifying, and Shonda cried out.

“Ohmygod!” Erica’s battered and bloodied face triggered her vomit reflex, and Shonda swallowed hard. “Have you shown these to the police?” she asked.

“Not the recent ones. Christie wants me to meet her. Alone. You can see where she intends to call me.”

As she studied the background of the pictures, a half-baked plan formed.

“Zack? You know I’m an ex-Realtor, right?”

His brows dipped in confusion until the realization hit, and hope flared in his eyes.

“Tell me you recognize those rooms.”

She nodded. “I believe I do. I remember taking people on a tour of the place. It’s abandoned now. I think this house is part of a subdivision in Stapleton. The city condemned it a few years back.”

Zack jerked her to her feet and gripped her shoulders.

“Where is it?” he demanded.

“Get your fucking hands off her!” Mason’s low growl echoed from the doorway.

Shonda felt a thrill at his possessiveness, followed by self-disgust. Someone should smack her and say, “Snap out of it, you idiot!”

“Jesus, Mason. I’m not hurting her.”

“But you are,” Mason said, menace still lacing his silky tone.

Zack studied her, and whatever he saw convinced him Mason wasn’t overreacting. Finger by finger, he loosened his grip.

“Jesus! I’m sorry. I…” He reached out and eased aside the neckline of her shirt, revealing her bruised shoulder. “What the fuck? Who did this?”

She winced and avoided looking in Mason’s direction. If Zack found out they’d kept the explosion and mugging from him, he’d lose his mind.

Too late.

He lost it anyway.

Livid, he swung in his brother’s direction. “You did this?”

“No, give me some fucking credit. She was mugged last week. Earlier, I forgot and grabbed her arm a little too hard.”

Oddly, she thought Mason had missed her wince, down in the lobby.

“I’m sorry, Shonda.” Full of contrition, Zack added, “I didn’t know, and I definitely shouldn’t have touched you without permission.”

“Yeah, so how about you step away from her so she can fix her shirt, Mr. Grabby,” Mason groused.

Infuriated by his sense of ownership, her temper erupted.

“Why should it matter to you?” Shonda snapped.

Fuck him and his high-handedness. She could damn well fight her own battles.

As she spun to leave, Zack caught her hand.

“Shonda, where’s the location of that house?”

His desperation checked her flight. For him and Erica, she’d make nice a little longer.

“I’ll need to check my old files for the exact address,” she said. “Can you follow me back to my apartment?”

“No!” Mason bellowed, stepping between them and cutting off Zack’s ready retort. “No one is going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on.”

“Dammit, I don’t have fucking time for your jealousy, Mason. Get a clue already,” Zack shoved him hard, sending him back into the wall.

For a moment, Shonda feared she was about to witness the clash of titans. Two virile, pissed-off men toe-to-toe, ready to battle. But Mason surprised her by backing down first.

“I wasn’t jealous. I’m not a complete idiot.” He shot her an undecipherable glance. “I recognized that the two of you are planning something. Did you find where Christie’s holding Jacob and Erica?”

“We think so.”

“Let’s go then. I’ll drive.”

“No. Someone has to stay for Charlie,” Zack said. “We can’t leave him alone.”

“The doctor said he wasn’t waking anytime soon. I already spoke to Mom, and she’ll be back shortly,” Mason informed him. He placed a large hand behind Zack’s neck and guided him toward the exit. “No more arguments. Let’s go.”

Mason paled upon seeing Erica’s condition, and his gut churned.

He’d never been able to tolerate the suffering of women, children, or animals.

Perhaps his gut reaction was why he’d lashed out at his brother earlier.

He refused to believe another man’s hand on Shonda sent him over the insane-with-jealousy cliff.

Casual lovers rarely cared to such a degree, and he sure as hell didn’t.

Loving a woman wasn’t on his list of things he intended to do.

Ever. For him, it led to lies, betrayal, and eventual heartbreak. Women didn’t stick.

Perhaps he was an asshole. Maybe women sensed he was lacking in a fundamental emotion and sought it elsewhere.

“Mason, we can do this,” Zack said, aware of his kryptonite but not of his tumultuous inner dialogue.

“No, it’s okay. I’m okay,” he stated, grim but determined.

They each selected a set of files to browse and compare against the pictures Christie had sent. As they’d finished searching the last of Shonda’s files, the phone rang.

Unknown number.

Giving a gesture of “stay silent” to the others, Zack put the call on speaker.

“Hello, lover,” Christie purred.

Fury clouded Zack’s features, but he remained deceptively calm when he answered.

“Christie.”

“Are you ready to play a game?”

“I thought we were already playing one. Haven’t you drawn us into this farce against our will for the past six weeks?” he retorted.

Mason mouthed, “Don’t piss her off.”

Her laughter came across the line. “Yeah, it’s been pretty fun.”

He nodded his approval when Zack said, “I want to speak to Jacob.”

“Not your little whore? You surprise me, Zack. I mean, I know you sent the kid to live with my parents when your slut moved in,” she said nastily. “I thought maybe she meant more to you.”

A muffled cry of pain came through the speaker, likely Christie torturing Erica.

Beside him, Zack struggled for control. “Please. Just to see if he’s all right.”

“Sure thing, lover.”

The clip of her footsteps on hardwood indicated that she’d entered a different room. It revealed another clue: her hostages weren’t together.

“Jacob, talk to your father,” she ordered.

“Dad? Dad?”

“Hey, lil man. You doing all right?” Though he kept firm control of his voice, tears streamed down Zack’s face.

His obvious pain brought a lump to Mason’s throat, and Shonda appeared similarly affected.

“Yeah, but I think Erica’s hurt. She—” Jacob was cut off by his mother.

“Enough. You’ve heard him. He’s fine. I’ll call you in an hour and tell you where to go.”

“Christie! Christie, wait!” Zack shouted.

She disconnected, leaving dead air and a frantic father.

“Don’t let him go. I may have something,” Shonda told Mason as his brother stalked away.

He got up to trail him. “Zack.”

“I need a minute, Mason,” Zack snapped.

“Shonda thinks she found the house.”