Page 27 of When Kings Fall

I nodded. That couldn’t be denied in any shape or form.

“The reason I did it was to protect her, because she’s your friend. Your only friend at the time, until the three of us came into the picture actually. I wanted her safe for you, out of the line of fire. I’d planned to tell you about my investigation into those fuckers sooner, but it took so much for you to come around to even admitting the kidnapping had happened, to warm up to me, that I delayed it. Again and again. And once I felt like it was time, I was afraid to screw things up, to hurt what we’d finally started to build. So, in my mind, danger would come our way, retaliation from my pursuit of Lynch, and I didn’t want them to go after the only person close to you at the time. So, yeah, I got her out. I figured you’d still keep in touch and maintain the friendship, even if it couldn’t be in person anymore.”

“Wow, that’s so sweet,” Colt commented.

“Sweet?” Mason questioned.

Colt lifted a shoulder. “You know, in Lev’s distorted way.” He looked out at me. “You’ve gotta get that it was super sweet in his mind. He doesn’t always think like regular people, he can’t help it.”

I smiled. “I know, it’s okay.”

“It is?” Levi asked, his worry about it very pronounced, as he kept clicking his nails, and shifting his weight.

“Yes, I believe you had good intentions. But it was extremely underhanded. Although, that was before you and me reached an understanding and you stopped doing that sort of thing.”

“I made you a promise and I’m trying my hardest to keep it, even though it really doesn’t come naturally to me.”

“I know. I know it doesn’t. I’ve seen you trying.”

“And?”

“And, keep it up,” I said, grinning at him.

“He got off way easier than me,” Mason groused.

“Easier?” Levi said, turning to face him head-on. “She cost me a lot of money from a fight, punched me in the face, then kicked me in the balls.”

Mason and Colt stared at me wide-eyed.

I shrugged. “Told you I’m not a damsel in distress.”

“Damn,” Colt whistled.

Mason chuckled. “Well, I feel better now.”

“Good, glad we could assist,” Levi bit back at him. “Can we move on with filling her in now? You good? Or do you need more affirmations and hand-holding?” He stepped forward. “Want me to give you a kiss?”

“I’m good, but we can keep it on the table for later, seeing as though you brought it up.”

“Hmm, interesting.”

Colt broke the strange tension between them and planted a kiss on Mason’s cheek.

“There. Now moving on, guys.”

Mason grinned. “Thank you, gorgeous.”

Levi chuckled.

“How long have you known Lynch and the other two were alive?” I asked, unable to hold the question in any longer, as much as I enjoyed their banter that flip-flopped between lighthearted playfulness and aggressive tension.

It jarred Levi and he spun toward me. “Too long.” He sighed. “Three years, give or take. Three years ago was when chatter first reached me, but it took a hell of a long time for me to get something concrete beyond whispers and rumors.”

“That’s why you really left for a year,” Mason said.

“What about the internship?” Colt asked.

“A smokescreen. Sorry, cupcake. I couldn’t pass up the leads. It took some time following the path I’d found a thread for, but it led me to Lynch.”

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