Page 274 of Master of My Life

having to take charge so shortly after your father’s death. Chase only had to take care of his mom and

brothers after his father died, and that was hard enough. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to

have an entire section of a country on your shoulders while grieving. Chase shook his head. The

emotions running through the man’s body had to be intense. Maybe he was trying to just maintain a

semblance of control.

“Do you know Nigel?” Tommy whispered, nodding toward the other side of the room. “He’s

staring at you.”

Seated at another of the many huge round tables that filled the room was a man about Chase’s age

with sandy blond hair. Chase squinted his eyes. “I . . . Wait. Is that Nigel Wilson? What’s he doing

here?” He’d interacted with Nigel a few times in Syria. He had been a special envoy with some UN

forces when Chase was stationed there.

“He’s the son of the London Elder, Shaw Wilson.”

Nigel raised his wine glass to him and smiled, then turned his attention back to the speaker.

“I didn’t know he was an Elder-Son.”

Tommy laughed softly. “See what happens when you’re in the army and missing all the

international Elder shit?”

Tommy’s dad elbowed him in the arm and Tommy gave Chase a last amused look before

smoothing his face and looking back at the speaker.

Chase chewed his lip. He and Nigel, along with Ethan and a couple of his other men, had gone out

drinking one night and gotten incredibly drunk. Even now, he would have sworn that Nigel had been

flirting with him, but Chase hadn’t fully embraced the idea of being with a man outside The

Brotherhood. He wasn’t sure it would have made a difference either way.

After the dinner concluded, Nigel hurried over. “Chase!” the thin man said with a clipped British

accent. He hugged Chase enthusiastically. “I had no idea you were part of us!”

Chase patted the other man’s back. “I didn’t either, Nigel. Guess it’s not something you bring up in

random conversation.”

Nigel grinned. “I suppose not. How have you been? Find that girl of yours?”

“Geez, Chase, did you complain to everyone about her?” Tommy asked with a laugh.

Chase glared at Tommy. “We were very drunk.”

Nigel laughed. “Oh hell yes. It’s not like there were many other things to do in that place, though.”

---