Page 16 of When Kings Fall

“Rina isn’t an option. Anything I ask is gonna come with a favor in return. Whenever she uses those skills of hers, it’s a risk, given who she is, so she requires persuasion to use them for others. The last favor I had her do me cost me a gala appearance with my father. If I call in a favor on Lev’s behalf, he’s gonna be pissed. He doesn’t like to be in debt. Besides, with the way things are going, best to save favors like that for something more vital. We both know Lev can take care of himself. You’re just spiraling because of all the worry and adrenaline this situation has sparked.”

I scrubbed my hand over my face. “Fine, but beyond another couple of hours and we take action, we do whatever, call in whoever we need to find him.”

“Deal.”

He pocketed his phone and walked to me.

Reaching out, he slid his hand to my cheek, stroking softly. “Everything will be okay.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I promise you that I won’t allow it to be any other way.”

He brushed his lips over mine, but I pulled from his hold.

“Colt, I know you’re not on board with the decision I made, but it’s already done, and I can’t have bad blood between us again when we just got past the last thing. Like you said, Levi’s gonna be pissed. I can’t have you against me too. I can’t fight a fucking war on so many fronts—least of all, internally.”

“I am angry at what you’ve just done, because it risks the great state of things we’ve been enjoying lately, all of us being on the same page, having Bree here shifting our dynamic to something much better, without so much aggravation between you and Lev. But I do get your reasoning. I also know you did it for the right reasons, for Lev too. That’s not why I pulled away.”

He frowned in thought for a moment. “Is this about Bree?”

“Yes, but not in the way you probably think.” I wrung my hands, feeling ill at ease bringing this up, especially while things were so tense and now in a state of flux. But now it had inadvertently been touched on, I had to put it out there. Otherwise, I’d keep putting it off and it would make things a whole lot more awkward between Mason and me. “I just… ever since we brought her into our inner sanctum, ever since we came together… you know, fucked?”

“I know what you mean, yeah. Didn’t need to hit me over the head with it.”

I rolled my eyes. “You know it’s my way.”

He held up his hand. “Sorry. Go on, brother.”

I sucked in a breath. “Ever since we became a foursome, like a solid unit, I feel weird about breaking off into a twosome with you. Especially without telling her. Even Lev. I feel… guilty, like it’s a betrayal of the new bond we’ve forged.”

“I understand.”

“You do?”

He nodded. “The idea of it has felt different to me as well, since we established this foursome. I just couldn’t put my finger on exactly what or why.”

“Because you’re so far from being in touch with your emotions?”

He gave me a look. “Yes. That.”

“While we’re talking about this, there’s also another reason why I’d rather we don’t fuck separately anymore… at least until we can figure this out.” I went to him and took his hand, weaving my fingers in his. “You’re different when the four of us are together. You come alive, Mason. You let go in that dynamic. That burden that’s there whenever you and me fool around one-on-one isn’t there when she’s present, or Lev either. It does something to you, eases you somehow.” I smiled out at him. “And I love it. I love seeing that from you. It’s been so fucking long, brother.”

He squeezed my hand. “I know. And I’m sorry, Colt.”

“Sorry?”

“That I couldn’t get back to the person you and Lev knew. That what happened, what being under my father’s thumb did, changed me so deeply. I used to be free spirited like you.” He pulled away and screwed up his face. “And now I’m this… this stoic machine. Killjoy.”

“Hey, it’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be. You’re my boy, I love you. Lev loves you. I know he gives you a hard time about all this, but if you just look a little deeper you’ll see it’s because he misses his buddy, the guy who used to be right there beside him wading in the shit with him, letting loose alongside him. It pretty much used to be you two who were tighter than you and me are now. I was off doing my music, honing my skills, and songwriting, while you two were off pulling crazy stunts and running wild. When you… after the incident changed you… that was taken from Lev. He gets it, though, I know he does. And he’s still here, still your brother-in-arms like I am.” I smiled. “And now there’s Bree too.”

He surprised me then as he abruptly wrapped his arm around me and pulled me tightly to him. “Thank you, brother. Thank you.”

Unfortunately, the moment didn’t last nearly long enough as his phone rang, cutting right through it.

“Dammit,” he muttered, as he fished it out of the back pocket of his designer jeans.

When he took in the call display whatever he was seeing had that agitation morphing to some serious concern.

---