Page 51 of Hidden Resolution

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 unlessabsolutely 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 onyourback 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 theenraged 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.

15

“Ifeel awful shopping for a vehicle when Erica is going through hell,” Shonda said as they cruised the car lot.

“Why would she care?” Mason asked.

“She helped me pick my last two cars. It’s our BFF thing. She chooses what she loves, and I pay for it.”

He halted mid-step, unable to process.

She walked ahead a few paces before registering his absence. Glancing back, she raised her brows. “What?”

“You let Erica choose your cars?” he echoed, incredulous. Who the hell handed over such an important decision? Automobiles were personal. Sacred. Selection was based on comfort, texture, engine…

“Well, yeah. I hate negotiating, but with only one unreliable car service in this godforsaken town, I need a vehicle.”

Moving past his shock, he peered in the window of the closest sedan. “What about a rental until she’s back on her feet?” he suggested.