Page 114 of Hidden Resolution

“But they never found it that night,” Mason concluded. “You had it when we returned from St. Thomas.”

“Correct. I’d put it in the safe within minutes of checking in.”

“And Billy was never looking for a hard drive. He was searching for anything that might have your passport number. At the very least, they could’ve claimed it was lost or stolen.”

They shared an oh-my-god moment, both realizing their chance meeting had saved her.

“They never counted on you,” she whispered around the lump in her throat. “You foiled them at every turn.”

“Damn straight,” he said, holding out his hand.

She joined him, craving his touch. The connection with at least one person who gave a shit about her made a difference. “Thank you for saving my life, Mason.”

“I can’t say it’s been my pleasure because of the bullet to the abdomen.” He grinned. “But I’d do it again if it keeps you breathing.”

Leaning in, she kissed him. “You may come across as a grumpy ass, but I suspect you have a teddy-bear heart.”

“Don’t tell anyone.”

“Your secret’s safe with me.”

Their tender moment helped in healing Shonda’s past hurts. Therapy would take care of the rest.

“I should let you rest,” she said, noticing his focus drift.

“Not yet.” He tightened his grip. “So, was the GenCon espionage fake?”

Shonda considered it from all angles.

“No, I don’t think so. If I had to guess, they wanted to set me up and discredit me.” She nodded as their ploy became clearer. “With the combination of the attacks, my resignation, and Eva’s burned-down house, leaving me nowhere to find a safe haven, they’d predicted I would leave. Why not when nothing was holding me in Stonebrooke? What better way to assume someone’s life? Other than Verity, who hasn’t seen me in a fewyears, no one knows me in Thornton. The transition would be simple.”

“Christ, Shonda. When I think about how close they came…” Mason looked as ill as she felt.

“Yeah, if you hadn’t picked today to plead your case…”

Anger blazed in his eyes. “How do we prove it?”

“Billy.” Shonda smiled.

“I don’t understand.”

“He was the light in Allison’s sky. That was never in question,” she explained. “She’ll take his death hard, and with luck, turn against my mother.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure.”

“She will,ifthere’s no money left to inherit from my father.”

“So we get Luigi to change his will to exclude Eva and any other offspring?”

She nodded. “In the meantime, I’ll change mine. When Allison sees it’s all tied up and out of reach, her reaction won’t be pretty. Especially after losing her son.”

“Then we can manipulate her, get her to confess, and turn on your mother and sister,” he said, admiration lighting him from within. “You’re a helluva brilliant strategist.”

“Why do you think Erica comes to me to help plot her stories?” she said with a playfulness she didn’t quite feel. Later, when she was alone, she could unpack the fact everyone in her family wanted her dead with the exception of Luigi.

Mason shifted and groaned. “In the meantime, while I’m trapped in a fucking bed, you don’t go anywhere alone. I want Dane with you at all times.”

His concern thawed the remaining pieces of her frozen heart. But she needed assurances. “You trust me alone with your brother? Aren’t you worried I’ll seduce him?”