Jude handed him the phone but kept him close. He needed to hold on to the one good thing in his life.
“Mom? Where are you? Have you heard anything else?”
God, Mason sounded so young. So terrified.
Jude heard Silvia reassuring Mason and stroked his back. Mason leaned into his chest.
“Daddy and I are about to board the flight. We’ll call you and Jude the second we land and hear something.”
“Don’t forget. I don’t care what time it is. Please.”
“Of course, sweetheart. I love you. And tell Jude we love him too and we’ll make sure Ilana won’t be alone for a minute.”
Mason let out a watery hiccup. “I’m not sure that’s a good or bad thing.”
Jude’s lips twitched. Thank God he had someone like Mason, who could still make him laugh even when he wanted to tear the world apart in frustration.
“We have to go. Bye.”
And then they were alone. They clung to each other and cried, tears mingling on their cheeks. Jude pulled away first and wiped his eyes.
“He’ll be fine. I believe that in my heart.” Jude slumped into his chair.
Mason dropped into the chair next to him and stared at the ceiling. “I’ve never been so scared in my life. What if I never get the chance to tell him how much I love him? He’s always been my role model, even when I screwed up so badly. I know I’ve disappointed him in the past. I thought coming home, I’d have the time to show him what I can do and who I really am.” Those last words, delivered in a whisper, broke Jude’s heart.
“He knows. And he loves you to pieces, mistakes and all. None of us are perfect, and he was so happy to have you here with us. He’s going to be fine, and come home, and we’re going to give him hell.” False bravado. If Doug’s injuries were as severe as Silvia had stated, his road to recovery would be a long one.
“I know you’re trying to make me feel better. I don’t care about anything else as long as he’s okay.”
“Of course. And he will be. I just wish I could talk to Ilana.”
“She’ll call you when she gets a chance. As hard as it might be for her to be alone and handling this in a foreign country, she’s a strong woman. She’ll be okay.”
Every nerve ending in him was screaming to tell Mason he didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. Fuck the office—Ilana needed him.
Mason said, “I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you right now. I need you so much, Jude. Could you hold me for a bit?”
Instead of Jude giving a hundred reasons why he needed to leave, Mason had given him the one reason he had to stay. “I’ll hold you as long as you need me.”
Mason wrapped his arms around Jude and murmured into his neck, “If that’s the case, I might never let you go.”
An absolute sense of rightness soaked through Jude with Mason’s arms around him. Impossible as it once had seemed—and even though he’d never been there before—Jude knew with certainty that he was in love with Mason. He held him tighter.
“We should get out of here. I’m going to be worthless for the rest of the day, and I can’t even imagine you holding it together for much longer.”
“I feel like I’m about to collapse.”
“C’mon. Let’s go home.” Jude slid his arm around Mason’s shoulder.
“To yours?” Mason asked, his face shining with hope.
“Of course.” Jude led him out the door. A group had gathered in the middle of the office, whispering until they caught sight of them. Tasha rushed over with Pryce right behind her.
“What happened? We heard something happened to Doug?” Worried brown eyes searched Mason’s face, then his. “Is he okay? What about Ilana?”
The Company was one big family, and responsibility now weighed on Jude’s shoulders to keep them together. This had always been Doug’s domain. He was the people person, but now it was time for him to step up. Jude gave Mason’s shoulder a squeeze, let go of him, and prepared to speak, but as he often did, Mason surprised him.
“My brother had an accident. A bad one. He and Ilana were on a Vespa, and a truck cut them off. He swerved to avoid hitting the truck and was thrown off.”
