“Mason.”
Relief wiped the panicked expression off his face, and he raced over and threw his arms around Jude, who automatically held him close.
“Where the hell have you been? I called the accountant’s office, and they said you left an hour ago.”
“Traffic. What’s going on? You look like death.”
As he spoke, he pulled Mason into his office and shut the door. White-faced and visibly shaking, Mason hugged himself. “Doug. H-he’s been hurt. They were riding the Vespa, and somehow, according to what Ilana told me, a truck cut them off and he crashed.”
For a moment his heart stopped. At least he thought it must have, because he couldn’t hear it beating or feel anything. He’d gone totally numb.
“Ilana,” he whispered. “Is she hurt?”
“She said she’s fine. I spoke to her, so she must be. But Doug…” Mason’s voice broke, and Jude’s heart jerked hard. He pulled Mason into his arms and buried his lips in his hair.
“Tell me. He’s not—”
“No,” Mason choked out, trembling violently. “But he’s hurt. Bad. We didn’t talk for long, and I can’t get through to my parents. When she couldn’t reach us, she called them, and they’re on their way to the airport. I’m so fucking scared, Jude.”
“It’s going to be all right. I’m going to call her now.” But he held on to Mason for a bit longer, then sat him in a chair and pulled out his phone. Mason didn’t move, and it filled Jude with dread to see his normal light-filled face and laughing eyes reduced to cold marble.
He tried calling Ilana but got voice mail, so he sent her a text. Pacing his office, he waited a few minutes and called her again, only to get sent to voice mail.
“I can’t get through.Goddammit.Why doesn’t she answer?”
“Maybe she’s with Doug and can’t,” Mason responded in a deadened voice.
“She’s all alone in a foreign country and doesn’t speak Italian. She must be so scared.” Jude ran his hand through his hair. “Maybe I should go there. I can help her.”
“Do what? My parents are on their way. Call them. Here. I can’t…I…” Mason held out his phone, and Jude took it from him and pressed Call. It rang three times.
“Mason?” Silvia’s worried voice hit his ear.
“It’s Jude. Mason’s here with me, but he’s pretty broken up. Have you spoken with Ilana? I can’t reach her.”
“Only once. She was resting and said she couldn’t talk.”
Blackness fell over him. “Resting? Is she hurt? What’s wrong? What happened?” Sweat covered him like a second skin, and his heart galloped.
“She said she’s okay. Shaken up and some scrapes and bruises, but she specifically said to tell you she’s not hurt. Doug, on the other hand…” Her voice broke, and Jude’s chest hurt.
“What happened?”
“Three cracked ribs, a broken arm, a punctured lung, and maybe a skull fracture, even though he was wearing a helmet. There may be swelling on the brain. H-he’s unconscious. I’m so scared.”
At the sound of her weeping, tears ran down his face. Doug was his brother in every sense of the word, and he couldn’t picture his day-to-day life without the smiling face of his best friend. Jude would never have the life he knew today without Doug.
“He’s going to be fine, Silvia. He’s strong and healthy, and I’m sure once you get there, you’ll make sure he has the best care. No one would dare mess with you.”
She sniffled. “I know, but I feel like they’re keeping something from me. If something terrible had happened, they would’ve told me, right?”
“Absolutely. I’m thinking of coming too. I hate that Ilana is there by herself.”
“Talk to her first. And who will watch The Company if you’re gone?”
“I have people. Doug and Ilana are more important than the business.”
By this time Mason had woken up from his torpor and slid his arms around Jude. “I want to talk to her.”
