Page 103 of Broken Empire

“Masonwhat?What’swrong with him?Ishe okay?”

“Uh,Idon’t really know how to answer that…”

“Justbe honest with me then,”Itell him.

“He’skind of gone off the deep end.He’snot doing so well.He’sbeen angry and sad, we’ve had to hold him back so many times from coming to get you.Hetrashed his office and now he’s drinking a lot and he might have even started drugs, nothing we say or do is helping him.Hesays he just needs you to make it all better and that he’s nothing without you.”

Justthen a thought occurs to me from earlier.Icould swear ever since we left the house,Ifelt like someone was watching me.SinceAlisterandEmiliaalong withAntonioare all dead,Ididn’t think too much of it.Plus, withHunterby my sideIknew nothing was going to hurt me.

“Ishe here?”

“Uh…”

“Pleasedon’t lie.Iknew whenIwoke up this morning,Ifelt his presence but couldn’t really explain it…”

“Yes.That’sthe only reasonI’mhere.Theass snuck out the house and came all the way here to see you.Iwould have come sooner to visit you, butIdidn’t want to leave him there alone when he’s spiraling so much.Iknew my brother,Adelaideand the guys would take good care of you, soIwasn’t worried.”

“I’mnot mad at you.Ifhe’s as bad as you say then he needed you more than me.”

“Whatare you going to do now?”

“I’mnot sure butI’mnot ready to go back toRavenwoodyet.”

“Well,Ihave a feeling that he’ll be staying here as long as you are,”Hunttells me.Withoutmeaning to,Iburst into tears andHunterhugs me tighter.

“What’swrong?” he asks in a quiet voice.

“I-Idon’t know.Ihate him andI’mkind of glad that he’s finally hurting as much as he hurt me.Butnow that he is hurting,Idon’t want him to.Idon’t want him in any pain.Idon’t know what to do when it comes to him,I’mstill so confused,”Itell my brother as more tears escape and slide down my cheeks.

“I’mnot trying to rush you or anything but you are going to have to figure things out soon.Theidiot’s kind of grown on me andIdon’t want to see either of you get hurt anymore.Thoughthis timeIthink it’ll be him and then that will end up hurting you too andIdon’t want that for you.”

“Whatdo you mean?”

“Imean whenIsaid he was drinking it wasn’t just a beer here or there,Imean he’s been practically drinking himself to death every day since you’ve been gone.”

“Can’tyou lock him up or something?”

“Idon’t know, the ass is as stubborn as you,” he says, grinning.

“I’mpregnant,”Isuddenly blurt out.

“What?Areyou serious?”

“Yes.You’reabout to have either a niece and nephew or two of one or the other.Idon’t know yet.”

“What?!Trustthat ass to be an overachiever,” he says in shock and then grins. “Seriouslythough, that is amazing!I’mgoing to be an uncle!Congratulationssis.I’mso happy for you.Haveyou told him yet?Arethey his?AndIdon’t mean to be rude or offend you sis,I’mjust asking because of everything that happened…”

“Noand please don’t say anything yet.I’mnot ready yet.Atfirst,Iwas worried they weren’t his because of whatAntoniodid to me… but when the doctor gave me the estimation of when the babies were conceived it confirmed that they’re his.Ijust…Ijust want to keep it to myself for a while to wrap my head around it.”

“Welldon’t worry.Iwon’t say anything about the babies to anyone.Butjust think about things before something terrible happens because those babies will need their father,” he tells me and kisses my head. “Comeon, it’s getting late.Timeto head back.”

* * *

Thatwasa month ago and the very next dayImoved out ofAdelaide’shouse and into the penthouse suite at theCrowneHotel.

AfterHuntertold me thatMasonwas here when we got back to the house,IaskedAdelaideifMasonhad been in my room the night before.Sheconfirmed that he was and apologized for not telling me.

Shesaid she didn’t want me to be upset, that's why she didn’t say anything that morning.Shealso said that she couldn’t turn him away because he looked like he was a second away from losing it.

---