Page 77 of Hidden Resolution

The two of them were done. They had to be for both parties’ emotional and mental well-being. If he allowed himself to truly care, when she finally left him—as she doubtless would—he’d be incapable of putting all the pieces of his heart back together as easily as he had in the past. The other times weren’t necessarily a walk in the park, but Shonda, yeah, if he ever allowed himself to love her, there would be no recovery. Alone was better. Safer.

“Where did you learn tactical planning?” Zack cut in. Probably afraid Mason would fall back on his baser impulses and behave poorly.

“I’ve helped Erica plot a few novels.”

Her cheeky grin dragged a laugh out of Zack, and he hugged her.

“Hey!” Mason didn’t appreciate how quick his brothers were to touch his girlfriend.

Girlfriend?

Shit. He was in deep trouble if he was thinking in those terms. First breaking Dane’s nose, then getting his feathers ruffled because Zack gave her a friendly hug, and now silently staking a claim? What the hell was wrong with him? Hadn’t he literally just decided they were best apart?

“Snooze, you lose, pal,” Zack quipped.

“Whatever. Let’s get going. We only have half an hour before Christie’s next call. It might take us that long to get there. If she leaves in the meantime, we’re screwed.”

Mason led the way to the SUV, trying to regroup and shrug off his revelation.

By the time they arrived on the road behind the house in Wisteria Estates, Zack still had ten minutes before Christie was due to ring him.

Mason and Zack carefully walked the wooded lot as they’d discussed earlier. The backyard was wider than it was deep, which they decided could work in their favor.

Mason returned to give Shonda the all clear.

As they were heading back, he heard Zack yell, “No!” in the distance, and they took off at a run.

He gestured for them to stop, then pointed to his phone. “What I mean to say is, I don’t want anyone to die, Christie.”

Beside him, Shonda tensed, but other than stiffening, she didn’t react. And damn if Mason didn’t appreciate a levelheaded woman.

Zack’s frustration was high as he improvised, saying, “She’d planned to go to Florida today. She was leaving me. Wasn’t that what you wanted? Can’t you just let her go? What do I have to do to get you to let them both go unharmed?”

Whatever Christie replied triggered Zack’s terrified response. Never, in his entire life, had he been so shaken or pale.

Mason’s gnawing worry escalated to a very real fear. But following his initial reaction was fury. That crazy bitch had thrown his family into the fiery pits of hell, and he fully intended to end her reign of terror. Endherif he had to.

“What do you mean?” Zack asked. The tremor in his voice gave him away.

Incapable of hearing the conversation playing out in real time, Mason remained laser-focused on him. Feeling beside him, he gripped Shonda’s hand and wove his fingers with hers in a show of unity. He preferred to believe they drew comfort from one another, and it wasn’t him being dependent on her calm presence beside him.

In his mind, the “what if” of how he would feel in Zack’s position played on repeat. What would he do if Shonda were in Erica’s place? Go insane. And he’d tear hell apart to get her back.

After another minute of conversation, Christie ended the call.

“She knows we’re here,” Zack stated flatly.

“How the fuck…?” Mason trailed off to examine their surroundings.

Despite being heavily wooded, the lot was sparse of vegetation. Winter in North Carolina created a barren landscape and didn’t allow the best concealment if one was viewing theempty area. But it was highly doubtful Christie could spot them at this distance. Which meant they’d missed something.

He released Shonda and retraced his steps, searching each tree trunk for a camouflaged cam.

And sonofabitch if he didn’t find one.

“There.”

“What is it?” Zack asked.