“There's a reason that we dinnae talk about this,” I say impatiently. “I canna show weakness, as the future goddamn Chieftain of the McTavish clan, I cannahaveany weaknesses.”
“Sophie dinnae seem to be the type to be exploiting anything,” Kai says, rolling his shoulders. “She's always been a kind girl.” He throws the towel around his neck and checks his mobile. “I must go, Luna is waiting for me. I promised to take Collin and Rowan to the beach with her."
Mason walks over to spot me while I bench press and adds another twenty-two kilograms to the bar, grinning as I curse him. “Do you happen to remember what we discussed when my wife was the spy?”
“Aye,” I grunt, my biceps straining.
“And are you remembering that you took her from the cottage where I was holding her and you brought her to my cage match?” he says pointedly, “So that she could watch me beat that fighter half to death?”
“Aye.” Gritting my teeth, I push harder against the weights.
“If you don't remember what you told me, allow me to repeat it to you. Because as you know, I have a photographic memory,” Mason says pointedly.
“I know, ye arsehole, and ye never letusforget it becauseyenever forget anything. So even if we did, you’re always happy to remind us.”
“You’re in this for life,” Mason says, crouching down to eye-level. “You chose her deliberately. You can't punish her any longer. Just because you haven't managed to open up that brittle lump of black coal you call a heart to anyone outside of the clan, doesn’t mean you can’t split it open now, cousin. I have a feeling she's already dug in there.”
I sit up, cracking my neck and groaning. "When the hell did you get all poetic and shite? Remember when you were the hard-hearted bastard who dinnae feel anything?”
Mason chuckles reluctantly. “I thought I was until Afton ruined my winning streak of ice-cold indifference. Here’s my speech, and then I’m leaving. Sophie may have been raised in our family, but she was always on the outside, never really one of us. Her mother’s decision to spy rather than ask for help makes sense if she didn’t feel certain we’d have her back. I’ve seen nothing so far that shows Sophie knew what was happening until that day, have you?”
“No,” I admit.
“Then open up to Sophie.” He smacks my leg, hard. “Start with this.”
He heads up the stairs as I groan, looking for something to throw at his fecking head.
The cinnamon scent of warm muffins draws me up from the gym. Sophie is packing six of them into a box for Mason who thanks her before looking at me pointedly. “You're always sothoughtfulSophie, so generous. Thank you.”
“Oh, it's fine,” she says, looking slightly unsettled. Mason is not effusive. Ever. “Please tell Afton and the kids hello." He gives me one more meaningful glare and leaves before I can throw a fecking muffin at his head.
She's wearing bike shorts and a pink tank top. I watch her perfect arse as she moves around the kitchen, taut under that spandex and I want to bite it.
"What are you looking at?" she asks, looking down and brushing her shirt. “Do I have something on me? Some flour or something?”
“No,” I say, clearing my throat. “You're just fecking gorgeous.” Her smile is transformative, shy like the start of a sunrise and beaming as it grows.
“Oh, stop,” she says. “But thank you.”
I leave with two muffins in hand and I promise Sophie that I will eat them on my way to work since I'm running late. I'm meeting my father at his estate today. Miss Kevin is waiting for me with a pile of folders and files.
“Not what you might be hoping for, first thing in the morning?” Miss Kevin says with a regal wee smile.
“I’m never hoping for fecking paperwork,” I grumble, taking the files from them.
“There is one document of note that I flagged for you,” they say, tapping the folder on top. “It came out of Xenia’s document review, and I don’t believe you’ve seen this yet, but it might help you make a decision or two.”
Miss Kevin is the master of saying just enough and not one word more, which means I’ll be forced to read the document if I want to know what the hell they’re hinting at.
“Aye,” I smile tightly.
I keep a smaller office off my father’s here at the estate, mainly so I can lock the goddamned door, even if I know someone will be pounding on it before long.
There’s nothing but a piece of paper in the folder, it looks like it was ripped out of a notebook. The shaky handwriting shows it must have been written in a hurry.
Taylor killed my dad and brother twelve years ago, Mom took me and ran to save my life.
We’ve been loyal clan members for ten years.
