I traced the line of his face, grief welling up. I allowed myself a minute to feel it and gave the tears free rein to slide down my cheeks before sniffing and wiping them away. The friendship between Aaron and Mason was obvious, and a feeling of gratitude that he’d had a friend over there filled me.
But I needed to finish my search before Mason got back.
The last photo was folded. I opened it and inhaled sharply. It was me. A photo taken just before Aaron left for his first deployment. A worn crease ran down the middle, as if it had been folded and opened repeatedly. Aaron had taken it with him and told me he would keep it in his pocket to remind him of what he had back home.
I hadn’t thought to wonder why it wasn’t among my brother’s things that the army had returned to me. Mason must have taken it, but why? He hadn’t known then that I was his mate. Was it guilt over Aaron or some pull he’d felt even before meeting me?
The front door slamming had me spinning toward the entrance to the bedroom, heart thudding. It only took a second for Mason to fill the doorway. His angry expression merged with hurt when he saw me.
“I—” I swallowed the words threatening to spill out. It would only become a ramble as I searched for an excuse to explain my presence here.
Mason’s arms crossed over his chest. “When I got the alert someone was in my cabin, I never thought it would be you.”
“I didn’t see an alarm system.” My response was inane. It was hardly an excuse.
“It’s hidden.” His gaze flicked to the photos in my hand, and his jaw tightened. He turned on his heel and went to the living room.
I returned the photos and followed him, getting there in time to watch him swing a painting away from the wall, revealing an alarm pad. He punched in his code and replaced the artwork.
“Alarm is silent.” He held up his phone to show me the alert on his screen. His eyes were blank as he stared at me. “Care to explain?”
I twisted my hands together. What could I say? I’d invaded his personal space and gone through his things. There was no excuse.
But then the picture of him and Aaron flashed through my mind.
If Vince was telling the truth, then Mason was trying to cover it up.
A knot formed in my stomach. “I got a call from Vince.”
Something uneasy slid across his face before he hid it. “We need to tell the sheriff. He might be able to track the call.”
“It was a burner phone. He left it in my cabin.” I watched panic fill his expression. Was it because Vince had gotten so close to me without him knowing or because he was scared Vince had told me the truth? I hated that I couldn’t trust Mason’s reaction.
“When? We should check the cameras.”
He started for the door, but my words stopped him. “He said you’re the reason Aaron is dead.”
His throat moved, and his head dropped. Shame, guilt—whatever it was, it felt like an admission. The knot in my stomach grew. My voice barely escaped, the tight and thin tone betraying my emotions. “Are you?”
He slowly turned from the door, and his expression told me all I needed. The man who was supposed to be my mate was responsible for my brother’s death.
Tears filled my eyes, overflowing, flooding my cheeks, and I tasted salt on my lips.
“I can’t be here. I need to go.” My vision blurred through my tears, but I stumbled past him to yank the door open.
“Brooke, wait.” Mason was pleading with me as he followed me onto the porch. “Let me explain.”
“No!” I spun to face him, my watery gaze locking onto him. “I gave you a chance to tell me. You refused. I can’t… I can’t look at you again.”
The words ripped raw from my throat. I wanted to call them back, but I also didn’t. My heart wanted to believe that grief and shock were coloring my judgement, but the look on his face had burned itself into my brain.
I held my hands in front of me, warding him off as he reached for me. Sobs racked my body as I turned, running away from Mason. Words he’d said when he told me why he couldn’t claim me flashed through my head.
“There are things that would change any feelings you might have for me.”
I should have listened better. The feelings I had still existed, but they were tangled up in pain and anguish, and I doubted they would ever free themselves. Every feeling I had for him twisted so completely around that one truth that my chest felt too tight to hold a single breath.
SIX
