“It’s a little big for you, but whatever.” He lifts a shoulder then arcs a judgmental brow. “I guess you are used to wearing bigger sizes now.”
And there it is. The elephant in the room. Or more like a bull.
How did he know about the jacket? Did Grandpa tell him that, or was he watching me on the security feed?
“If you have something to say, spit it out.”
“Sure. You can’t date Mason Grant,” he says, point-blank, with a careless shrug—small, dismissive, and perfectly designed to get under my skin.
“Okay, why does everyone think it’s okay to talk to me like I’m a child?” I snap, a fresh current of anger surging through me. “It’s like I’m fifteen again.”
“You mean when Dad found you with your ex, the pothead and put you under lockdown?”
“Yeah, because he’s my dad. You’re not. Neither is Jonathan nor Jack. And I’m not fifteen anymore, so back the hell off. I’ll date who I want to.”
And then it’s his turn to give me a long stare.
“I see,” he replies, lips in a thin line. “Well, if I can’t stop you, I’ll have to stop him. Rest assured; Iwillfind a way to keep him away from you.”
“Do your worst,” I throw back. “But first, you’ve got to get me out of here. Your minions are driving me crazy, and all Kate has in the fridge is pretentious fish. I need real food.”
He chuckles. “I have to get back to the office, but I’ll—” He trails off when he sees my face turn. “—cancel and make a reservation at the Roosevelt.”
Even though this is not where I thought I would be tonight, I’m glad to finally share a meal with my brother. Dan’s still extremely guarded and distant, but it’s a step in the right direction. After dinner, he takes me to Oddono's, our favorite gelato shop. Always followed by guards, their tinted Porsche SUVs crawling behind his Aston Martin.
Dan drops me off afterward and heads back to managing real estate, the fine art of selling air, and charging extra for sunlight and walls.
I drag my feet, which feel heavier than usual as I make my way up to my bedroom, where everything is ready for me. My medication sits on the nightstand, a nightdress hangs on the dresser, and freshly pressed white silks on the bed that draw me in. But all the warmth in the room is not enough to move the lump that presses at the back of my throat.
It’s not so bad yet.
It will get worse when I close my eyes.
And tonight, there will be no Mason.
Just thinking his name makes my pulse kick harder, and the memories from yesterday flood my mind.
Mason’s obsession is a strange kind of madness. His touch,that need to own me, it’s a monstrous frenzy that wants to burn through every shadow I hide in.
That should terrify me, right?
I should be listening to my head. To Dan and Jack and Grandpa. I should be running, like that girl in a dark forest chased by the monster in the horror shows. Far, fast, without turning back.
Then why is my heart thundering in my chest like it wants to break out of my ribs and fly to Fort, into his arms, where I feel safe, sane?
Maybe it’s because with him, fear comes laced with safety. Or because his danger tastes like my deepest, darkest desire. Or maybe I just hit my head harder than the MRI showed after the accident.
I don’t know what it is anymore. Only that I can’t fight it. I can feel his touch even as I stand here, my fragile body aching with a sinful desire.
My heart races, faster and faster, my chest lifting in sharp, restless waves. And then all I see on my bed is shattered glass and blood.
Nope—no way. I spin on my heel and leave, before the vision can seep in any deeper.
Even though I’m utterly exhausted—my eyelids heavy from barely having any sleep over the last forty-eight hours—I can’t go to sleep, knowing Kate will be hovering, listening, pitying, then reporting every gruesome detail to my family.
I head to Dan’s office to find something to do. Swinging on his high-backed leather chair, I search around. There’s nothing. He used to be interesting. There were always brain teasers or comics on his desk. Now it’s just documents and more boring documents. Not even a crossword.
Then I find something. In the bottom drawer. A safe.
