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“Sebastian, under Charlie’s orders it would appear. You’ll be able to ditch the oversized sweats.”

Zeb’s eyes widened as he looked at all the bags. “I can’t . . . I can’t accept this.”

“Good luck with that. Sebastian doesn’t accept refunds for his gifts, especially if the request came from Charlie. Let’s take them upstairs to your room, and you can look through everything.”

“Why did they do this?”

“You know Charlie has a good heart. Are you surprised?”

He shook his head, tearing up. Mason held him again and let him cry it out. Once he’d calmed, they took the bags upstairs and placed them on the bed.

“Would it be okay if we went out somewhere?” asked Zeb.

“Where do you want to go?”

“I don’t know. Just outside somewhere.”

“The doctor said it would be best if you rested.”

“Please, I . . . before yesterday, I haven’t been outside for a month.”

Zeb lowered his head, clearly ashamed of asking.

What the fuck!

There was no hesitation from Mason. Yes, he wanted him to be safe, but he would have Mason with him. His mind was imagining a dozen horrific things. Had he been kept in a basement or something? Why hadn’t he been outside in a month? There was no doubt in Mason’s mind now that this was all down to Kaden.

Zeb wanted to go outside, and Mason would give him whatever he wanted. He still loved him and couldn’t help but feel guilty for what had happened. Perhaps if he’d given them a chance, Zeb wouldn’t be in this situation now. Tomorrow, he needed answers. He would then use every resource he had to make sure Kaden paid for whatever he’d done to Zeb.

CHAPTER 7

ZEB

It was the day of reckoning. Zeb couldn’t help but smile at the thought, although he had nothing to be happy about. How was he going to explain everything to Mason? The man wanted answers, that was clear, and Hunter would as well. Zeb was surprised Mason had kept his best friend away yesterday. Was that even true anymore? Was Hunter still his best friend? He couldn’t imagine his life without Hunter in it, or Mason. The way he’d put his foot down, making it clear that Zeb was staying with him, made him feel things he probably shouldn’t, given he’d just gotten away from another asshole.

The problem was that Kaden had differed from the others. He hadn’t been physically abusive to him, which is what they all assumed. What were they going to say when they realized how pathetic Zeb was, and that his own stupidity had caused the injuries on his body? Perhaps if he’d waited for Kaden to come back and explained how he was feeling, he would have understood. He’d told Zeb he loved him, and he’d said it back, but Zeb had never loved him. What he felt for Kaden was nothing like his feelings for Mason, which was another way in which he was pathetic. Kaden wanted to be with him, and Mason didn’t, even if he had gone all alpha when it was suggested Zeb stay with Hunter and Deacon. It had felt possessive, but not in the way it had with all the others. Mason would never do what Kaden had done. The way Kaden had been with him before Thanksgiving had crossed that line for Zeb. It had taken him a while to see that Kaden was no better than any of the other assholes he’d been with over the past few years. He’d just gone about it a different way.

“Are you going to hide up here all day?” asked Mason from his bedroom door.

It made him startle, but then he had to stop his tongue from falling out of his mouth. He rarely saw Mason in casual clothes, as he was always in chef whites or a suit, but today he was wearing a tight tank top and sweatpants. There didn’t appear to be any free balling, but there was evidence of a bulge. He’d always suspected Mason was jacked under his chef whites, but to see his defined arms on display, with prominent veins, was enough to make his cock twitch. What the fuck was wrong with him? He’d just left a relationship. Kaden wouldn’t even be home yet, and didn’t know Zeb had left him. Here he was lusting after someone else already. Well, it wasn’t someone else; it was Mason. The man who had played a starring role in every wet dream and jackoff fantasy Zeb had had over the last two years.

“Is everything okay, Zeb?”

“Yeah, I think I’m just tired still.” It was always a safe thing to say.

“Did you not sleep well?” he asked, concern on his face.

Zeb had slept better the past two nights that he had at any point in his life. Now he felt like an ungrateful asshole. He was sleeping on the comfiest bed he’d ever experienced in his life, and the sheets were all Egyptian cotton.

“I’ll just take a shower, and then I’ll come down and answer your questions,” said Zeb. He needed to get this over with, but he needed a bit more thinking time.

Mason walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. His gorgeous blue eyes locked onto Zeb’s, making him feel exposed and excited all at once. He imagined what it would be like to have those eyes focused on him when he was being completely owned by the man. What the fuck was wrong with him? Oh yes, he was twenty-one years old and permanently horny, it would appear.

“You don’t have to say anything until you’re ready. I just need to know if Kaden might come looking for you, so we can be prepared.”

“Prepared for what?”

“I don’t know, Zeb. You turned up at the restaurant looking like you did and asking for help. What are we supposed to think? Then you said he was away until Saturday. Today is Saturday. I just want you to be safe, and if that means I need security at the house or restaurant, then I’ll make that happen.”