Page 118 of Kade

“I’ll tell Logan to stop making friendship bracelets.”

“I’ll be heartbroken.”

I jerked my chin in the direction of Moreaux. “And him? He was beating the shit out of his son and his friends tonight. I have a feeling my wife is going to want to take his kid under her wing—”

“Done,” he said.

I stopped, surprised.

“As long as you care for the kid, we’ll keep Moreaux Senior away from you and your kind—all the way away. Consider his shares sold. If he lives in your neighborhood, he’ll be moving. If he’s on a board where you go to church, have kids in the school, whatever it is, he’s gone. As long as you care for the kid.”

Some more pressure eased in my chest. I wasn’t about to be a witness to Moreaux’s murder.

“Is the kid… Do you know his kid? I need to know if you do. I gotta know of any potential minefields in the future.”

He shrugged. “It’s nothing personal with the kid. I don’t have a connection with him. I just really hate dads who think they can beat on their kids. The only minefield ahead is that kid’s trauma.” He clipped his head toward the road. “Get gone, Kade. It’s time us bad guys be bad guys.”

I hadn’t read the paper until I was at a stoplight in town.

As soon as I did, I wished I hadn’t. Now parked outside of my own house, I didn’t want to go inside. I didn’t want to do what I was about to do.

I was about to shatter Sam’s world.

45

SAMANTHA

Mason came in and time stopped.

I didn’t know what was wrong, but I knew something was wrong. I never questioned it. Every fiber in my body began panicking and I took one stuttering step toward him before I stopped just as abruptly. I was in the hallway, my arms full of bedding. I was taking it to some of the other rooms to get the beds changed for the guys.

Mason held my gaze just inside the door, and I… Pain sliced through me. I didn’t know where it came from. I didn’t know why it was there, but it was there. One look from the boy I’d fallen in love with, the man I married, had children with, and was my other half. He was devastated.

I just didn’t know why.

“Mason,” I choked out. The bedding fell from my hands. I still didn’t move. “What is it?”

He continued to hold my gaze, and for a second, the absolute longing he let me see singed me. I’d never not remember that look from him. It was raw, deep, and it cut to the bone. Then he closed his eyes. Some of the contact was broken between us,but he only lifted his head, and drew in some air. His shoulders lifted, rolled back, and settled back down.

He was preparing himself.

For what? To do what?

“Mason.” My voice was still so hoarse. “What is it?”

His eyes opened. They were so bleak.

I was gutted from seeing that look from him. It wasn’t supposed to be there. Not him. Not anymore. We’d gone through our trials. We’d had so many battles, and none of them broke us. We persevered and we were better because of it, but that look wasn’t supposed to come back on his face.

My heart began pounding.

“Mom?” Maddy came over from the living room. I’d been in view of their room where she had been, her and the others. Max came over next, rounding Maddy’s side to step into the hall. He looked from myself to Mason, and as soon as he did, he snapped to attention. He drew in a sudden breath, before looking to me again.

Max, the dear boy—no. He was a man by now. A young man. He settled a hand on Maddy’s arm and positioned himself so he was between her and us. I noticed the movement, but it wasn’t to protect her from us. It was to protect her from what Mason was bringing with him, but as soon as he registered his own motion, his shoulders dropped just as abruptly because he knew, just as I did, that whatever Mason had to say, he was going to say no matter what.

Max couldn’t stop it from happening. He couldn’t stop it from hurting Maddy, and I watched as he came to that realization as well. A sudden look of defeat flared over his face before he folded his chin and stepped close to Maddy’s side. He got as close as he could.

Sounds of movement came from behind them. The others came in.

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