Page 81 of When Kings Fall

His girlfriend.

She certainly wasn’t just his.

Colton’s parents—Oakley and Lena—would be over the moon about this development, seeing it as an act of liberation and him staying true to what they wanted for him, to live his own life, unapologetic to anyone or anything.

Mason’s parents, however, that was a completely different thing. His mother would be horrified and clutching her pearls. It had been bad enough when they’d briefly suspected that he was bisexual. I’d actually stepped in at the request of Levi when he’d seen how afraid Mason had been of incurring his parents’ wrath as a result, and I’d managed to refute it and allay their suspicions with a smokescreen—yes, Levi had gotten that from me.

Over the last few days, Peter had gotten word that Mason was away from Stonewell University and he’d thrown a fit when he hadn’t been able to get hold of him. I’d contacted Lena Sharp—we’d done a lot of business together over the years and she handled Peter’s investments, so he listened to her opinion—and I’d had her run interference. That wouldn’t last much longer. Soon he’d put the pieces together and turn up at my door.

I’d have to ensure the kids were stabilized before that occurred.

I’d been observing the four of them quietly through assets that I had in place around their college town. I had little choice with the way Levi had been operating since the kidnapping. It had been the only way to keep him safe and protect him from himself and all that rage and pain that he’d carried on his back like an extension of the torture he’d been subjected to in that hellhole.

Through said observations, I’d recognized how much they leaned on one another, especially since Brianna had entered the picture and soothed their dynamic, offering a balance that they’d needed to cast off the animosity between my son and Mason, due to their differing approaches to most things.

I couldn’t allow that to be fractured now that Levi was doing so well, now that he was more stable than he’d been in years, now that he was on the road to happiness.

Being unable to stop those madmen from taking my son was the biggest regret of my life, my greatest shame. He’d had his happiness stolen that day. I certainly wouldn’t allow that to occur again. If it meant striking at Peter Hall, I had no qualms about doing so.

I’d walked the line for years between the dark and the light. Even with those kills I’d made recently, it hadn’t rocked me because I was stable. I’d ensured it when my son was born, having been close to drowning in it beforehand. But so much had changed for me and in me when Levi had come along. However, should Peter cause issues and threaten the kids and the unit they’d become, I would become that thing again.

After all, what could destroy a soulless husk of a man like Peter Hall but a heartless monster?

Let’s hope it didn’t come to that. For his sake and Mason’s.

Because I wouldn’t stop.

It would be a welcome outlet given that I’d made Levi a promise that I’d step aside and allow him to deal the death blow to Malcolm Lynch, when it was something I’d desired for years, ever since I’d discovered he hadn’t perished.

But my son needed that release more.

What I desired paled in comparison to that.

I smiled as I heard Brianna giggling and Levi’s laughter following.

My God. It had been so long since I’d heard that heartwarming sound from him.

I took a moment, then pulled out my phone to call in my caterer for tonight’s dinner.

My limited culinary abilities wouldn’t suffice, not for what was a reunion meal to me, something special. Levi was the ace in that area, along with Mason as I understood it. They needed to take it easy though, no tasks, no chores, no pressure.

I smiled to myself.

For the next few days, I’d be afforded the opportunity to reconnect with my son and his friends, and my future daughter-in-law.

“Like a green screen?” Colton asked.

“In essence,” Levi confirmed. “A digital one, pretty much. I had to make it look like an office environment when you guys or Dear Old Dad here checked in on me, always insisting on video call.”

“What about the office sounds and the people we heard calling to you?” Colton pushed.

“Downloaded background noise audio files that I did some creative editing with.”

“Wow,” Brianna breathed. “That’s another level.”

“Don’t encourage him,” Mason said.

“Aww, come on, brother, you know you love me again now.”

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