PROLOGUE
MANE
After Ella came and informed me that Julia had been taken care of—permanently, a rush of stark relief swept through me. This means Mason is no longer in danger from the psychotic woman. He can go home and start living his life again.
I’m elated he can reconnect with his friends and family and that I’ll no longer be his only source and link to the outside world. Both excitement and dread race through me as my fingers shake when I pick up my burner phone to let him know he no longer has to stay under the guise of his fabricated identity.
The sensation of moths fluttering around in my belly takes root as I press the button in my address book that’ll sync me to the man I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with.
“Hello?” The masculine voice on the other side of the line answers. His low, gravelly voice always causes my skin to break out in the shivers. I reach down with my free hand and rub my skin, noticing the way it’s pebbled.
“Mason?”
“Mane? Baby, is everything okay? Why does your voice sound so shaky?”
“Everything’s great. Perfect actually,” I say, as nervous flutters dance in my belly.
“Are you coming to see me, baby? I fucking miss you like crazy. I’m going out of my mind wanting you beside me.” I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one feeling lonely and miserable without the other.
“No, Mason, I’m doing something better than that,” I tell him, swallowing the lump that’s lodged in my throat.
“Oh, yeah. What’s that, my luscious Mane?” My breath hitches when he calls me that, it has ever since the first time the pet name escaped his lips.
“Mason. I’m bringing you home.”
“Julia?” he asks, his voice wary and hesitant. “What about her? She’s vowed to kill me if she ever sees me again.”
Keeping the sobs at bay, I tell him, “Gone. She won’t bother you ever again. You can come back home and reclaim your life.”
“And what if I want my life to be wherever you are, baby girl?”
“Then pack your bags and come claim me, Mason. I’ll be waiting.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Keep the bed warm for me, my love.”
“I’ll leave a light on and illuminate the way for you, Mase.”
“See that you do because it’ll help me find my way to you faster. See you soon, Mane.”
“Soon,” I vow, a tear trickling down my cheek as I disconnect the call.
I can’t believe it’s finally over and I can be with Mason without reservations. I just hope everyone else is supportive and understanding of our relationship. We crossed a few lines, but every reprimand I’ll receive is worth the love he gives me.
Murmuring to myself, I put out my hope to the universe. “I’m counting down the days until you get here, Mason. Love you. Safe travels home.”
* * *
There must be a full moon out this evening because I’ve taken an influx of calls tonight at Kings Domestic Rescue. I took the witching hour shift so that our counselor, who works overnight, could take the night off and be at home with her sick baby.
This late hour of the night makes me a nervous wreck, because as the saying goes, “nothing good ever comes from anybody out and about after midnight,” and I can attribute that to the phone ringing during that timeline as well.
“Kings,” I answer, booting up my computer in case this is an intake request.
“Why are you working the overnight shift?” my dad asks, his tone gruff and a little on the pissed off side.
“Calliope's kid is sick, what’s your excuse for tracking me down at two in the morning, Dad? Stalker much?” I huff in annoyance. My dad is Gunner, the president of the original chapter of the DreamCatcher Motorcycle Club and he isn’t used to answering anyone.
“Couldn’t sleep,” he harrumphs. “Plus, your mom is putting her Christmas list together and I wanted to see what Jacob wanted so I can pass that along.” Jacob is Calliope's son and all of the men have adopted him as a pseudo grandson.
“Dad,” I moan, clamping the bridge of my nose with my fingers to stall the impending headache I always seem to get when he calls. “It’s freaking May . Christmas is seven months away, why are you really calling? You tracked me, didn’t you?”
“I will neither confirm nor deny that,” he replies.
“You need to find another obsession, Dad. The way you keep tabs on your kids and wife is above and beyond lunacy.”
I swear to God if he could, he’d get all of us chipped like a damn pet. He uses Life360 as if his mission is to ensure we’re all where we’re supposed to be. It’s annoying as hell, especially since it means I’m not able to sneak around without him knowing. Even using a burner phone I’m not out of the woods, since somewhere on my car there’s a freaking tracker! I honestly don’t mind that too much because of what I do, but it’s still annoying that he knows every time I hit the liquor store for some wine.
“Look at you using your degree and psychoanalyzing your dad,” he proudly states. I graduated and earned my diploma as well as my certification a few months back.
I’ll officially walk across the stage with the rest of my class this summer. Due to my lack of a social life, I ended up with all of my credits a half semester before they did. It’s been hard for all of us to break free from each other after living in Pops’ underground town for as long as we did. Trust doesn’t come easy to any of us these days since we were so insular for so long. There are no secrets between any of us, that’s for sure.
“You need an intervention, Dad,” I berate. “Or you need to retire.” As soon as those words leave my lips I begin to panic. I can’t even imagine the lengths he’d go in his boredom to keep track of his flock.
“Bite your tongue, little lady. I’m too damn young to retire,” he snarkly responds. Stereotypical response from a hardass biker like my dad is. “Why are you so grumpy, Mane?”
“I don’t know. It could be because I’m a grown ass woman whose dad still treats her like she’s five,” I grunt out. “This is one of the reasons I moved out so that I’d have some independence and freedom from the crazy antics of you and my uncles.”
A chuckle escapes him when he asks, “What have your uncles done now?”
“Uncle Kruger came to check my tire level, after he got an alert from my car saying the air pressure was low. Care to explain to me how he’d have an app that’d give him that knowledge?”
Not only that, but why wasn’t an alert sent to me? The car’s owner! I swear to God, they probably track each pizza I order as well. My physiological profile is likely out there as well so they can ensure I’m getting enough fluids and my fat to muscle ratio is within acceptable parameters.
“I plead the fifth,” he clucks. “When it comes to your uncles, I can’t explain the shit that they do.”
“Who told Texas that I was going out of town last weekend?” I mean, don’t they remember they taught all of us kids to spot a tail? I saw him within ten minutes of leaving town.
“Your mom,” he lies, tossing her under the bus.
“Sure she did,” I huff. “Care to explain why he trailed me all the way to Brownstone and back?”
“Can’t explain something I didn’t know about, Mane.”
Even though he can’t see me, I roll my eyes while I bite back a sarcastic snort. There’s no way that my father wasn’t aware of each footstep I took last weekend. That’s what’s made it so challenging to see Mase while he’s been gone. These overprotective, hulking Neanderthals refuse to recognize that we’re all, for the most part, grown ass adults. We don’t need them guarding us from all enemies any longer. They’ve trained all of us, and we’re more than capable of handling whatever comes up without their constant interference.
“You didn’t put him on my trail?” I inquire, my tone so saccharine sweet it makes my own teeth hurt.
“I didn’t. No,” he fibs.
“If you didn’t, then who did, Dad?”
“If I had to blame anyone, I’d blame your aunt,” he accuses.
“Charlee wouldn’t do that to me and you know it,” I argue, rolling my eyes.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me, little lady,” Dad growls. “That’s the second time in minutes you’ve done such a thing. It’s rude.”
Anger rolls through me as I stand and begin looking around the room. We have cameras for our protection, but now I’m wondering if he’s installed his own or if he’s piggy backing off of ours. “Are you watching me?” I ask, my tone low and deadly.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He backtracks and suddenly becomes quiet. That’s because he knows he’s busted. “Besides, I’m a partner in Kings and have every right to know what’s going on when I’m not around.”
“A silent partner,” I snap, seething.
“My money’s not silent and neither is our transporting of your people when shit hits the fan,” he emphasizes.
“Dad,” I say, my enunciation is a warning. “Might want to think before speaking.”
“Why’s that, little lady?”
“Because I might just do this,” I explain, hanging up the receiver and flipping off the cameras. Speaking loud enough so the speakers pick up my words, I state, “I’m telling Mom!”