“Mason…” The voice to his left startled him. He had no idea how long he’d been at it. He lifted his gaze to find Rafe and Rider strolling toward him.
“Dude, who pissed you off?” Rafe asked.
Mason shook his head. “No one. I’m just working out.”
Rafe raised a brow. “Joe called us. He said you’ve been beating the shit out of that bag for an hour without looking up. You have to be exhausted.” Rafe stepped up behind the bag and held it steady, his face leaning around one side.
Rider stepped up behind Rafe. What is this? An intervention?
Mason sucked in oxygen, out of breath. “I guess I’ve been at it a while.” He turned away and grabbed his bottle of water.
“Everything okay with Jenna?” Rider asked.
“Yeah. Sure.” He finished the bottle. “I mean, no.”
“What happened?” Rafe cringed.
Rider stood next to him in his all-business stance. He wasn’t there to work out. He’d been on the job when Joe had called him. And Rider was formidable in his police uniform, gun hanging at the side.
Mason turned back toward Rafe. “Nothing like that. We just had dinner at her parents’ house.” He paused. “Shit. No we didn’t. I need to eat.” He pulled his gloves off and set them aside, flexing his hands several times. He chuckled. “Hell, I left a pizza man hanging too.” He’d forgotten all about that.
“You aren’t making any sense, dude.”
Mason chuckled again. “Yeah. The situation with her family is pretty fucked up. I didn’t know.”
“Ah. So she told you who she really is. I see.”
Mason lifted his gaze to his best friend. “You knew.”
Rafe nodded. “I was sworn to secrecy. She likes people to treat her normally and not spend all their time thinking about her wealth. Which is nonexistent if you consider her family’s unwillingness to help her reach her own dreams.”
Mason took a drink of his water. “Do you think they’d really cut her off entirely?”
Rafe nodded again. “That’s what they say.”
Mason shook his head. Part of him prayed they were bluffing, for her sake. He didn’t give a fuck how much money she had. “The entire thing sucks.”
“It does. But she’s a strong woman. She’s been on her own for two years. She’ll be fine without them.”
“Yeah. I don’t doubt that for a second.” Mason flexed his fingers, cringing at the amount of damage he’d done to his knuckles.
“Where is she now? Why are you here beating the hell out of a punching bag?” Rider asked.
“She wanted some space. I took her home.”
“I’m sure she was stressed. It’s been a long time since she’s faced her parents.” Rafe ran his hands through his hair. “Was her sister there?”
“Yeah. I think the crazy girl hit on me.”
“Not surprised. She’s a spoiled brat.”
“Well, the important thing is, it’s over. Done. There’s no way she can go back there. And I don’t blame her. Now I just need her to let me back in, and I’ll show her how a real family works.” He smiled at his friends, and then he glanced at his feet. “I asked her to move in with me.”
“Already?” Rider asked.
“It feels right.”
“I get that,” Rafe said. “When I met Katy, it was fast.”
Mason chuckled. “So fast I recall punching you when she walked in the building for the first time and nailing you to the ground.”
“Ha ha. Something like that. Anyway, go for it. Sorry I gave you such a hard time initially. I didn’t see her fitting into our kind of world.”
Mason shrugged. “I don’t think I would have believed it, either. No hard feelings.”
Rider lifted a hand and gave a quick wave. “Hey. I have to get back to work. Night shift. You guys work out your happily-ever-afters without me.” He smirked as he headed to the door.
Rafe yelled over his shoulder. “Your time is coming, Rider.”
“Never.” Rider slipped out the door without another word.
“I’m gonna go home too. You okay?” Rafe asked.
“Yep. I’ll sleep better after the work out. Tomorrow I’ll pull out all the stops. How can she turn down a face like this?” He pointed at his own.
Rafe shook his head. “I’m sure she can’t.” He turned to leave the building, Mason on his heels.
Tomorrow.
Chapter Nineteen
Jenna bolted to sitting in her bed. Someone was pounding on the door. She glanced at the clock. Eight thirty. The sun was pouring in. She’d slept long and hard after calling Mariel last night to see if she could open the shop this morning, and then she’d curled up in a ball and cried herself to sleep.
Who the hell was at the door?
The knocking started again, and she swung her legs over the side of the bed and brushed her hair back from her face as she padded toward the front of the apartment. She worried it was some drunk or someone high who had the wrong address. It wouldn’t be the first time someone showed up outside unannounced and apologizing for their mistake. But they didn’t seem to be going away, either.
She peered out the peephole. Two men in official-looking suits stood outside. She’d never seen them before. And she didn’t like the looks of them. Something about them made her shiver.
Instead of opening the door, she backed toward her bedroom. As soon as she was inside, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed Mason.
“Hey, baby. You sleep well?”
She whispered, suddenly gasping for breath. “There’s some men at my door, pounding on it. I’ve never seen them before.”
“What?” His voice was stronger.
She heard them yell her name, and she jumped. “Oh, God. They know who I am. What the hell?”
“Jenna. Don’t open the door. I’m on my way.”
“What do you suppose they want? It’s a Monday morning. They’re so insistent.”
“Don’t know. Stay inside. I’ll be right there.”
“Hurry.” She hung up. She didn’t want to distract him. She wanted him to concentrate on getting to her. Hell, he would be at work. At least he didn’t work very far away. She didn’t know why she was so concerned, but the tingle crawling up her spine was unmistakable.
She didn’t trust her parents not to do something crazy like send someone to reason with her. She wasn’t in the mood. Or maybe they were lawyers. They looked like it, but what the hell for? She shook her head. Lawyers don’t make house calls.
The pounding grew louder. She shook as she moved to the back of the room as though each inch would help buffer her from whatever those men wanted. She slinked down onto the floor when her back hit the corner of the room, pulling her knees up to her chest.
Muffled sounds still reached her ears. “Jenna. Open the door. We know you’re in there. Please don’t make this harder than it is.”
Make what harder? What the fuck was going on?
•●•
Mason drove fast, too fast. He’d dialed Rider as he’d run from his office to his car. Luckily Rider had just gotten off his shift and was currently barreling toward Jenna’s place also.
Mason had no idea what he might find, but he had a bad feeling. And Rider was the best person he could think to call for backup.
The drive seemed much longer than normal. As Mason pulled up to the curb, he saw Rider coming up behind him, lights on. They both jumped from their cars at the same time.
And then Mason ran to the front door. He could see it was open. Dammit.
As he got closer, he noticed it was actually broken off the hinges. Jenna hadn’t opened it. Someone had busted it down. He heard her scream. “Get off me. I’m not going anywhere with you bastards. Get the fuck out of my apartment.”
Rider grabbed Mason’s arm as they reached the open door. “Let me.”
“Like fuck,” he growled.
A deep male voice rang out. “I’m sorry it has to be this way, Jenna, but my hands are
tied.”
“Tied with what? My parents’ goddamn money?”
“Come with us nicely, or we’ll be forced to restrain you.”
Mason reached the door to her bedroom at the same moment as Rider. “What the hell is going on? Get your fucking hands off her.” He pushed into the room, swinging first. Questions later.
One man had Jenna by the wrists and was holding her face down across the bed.
Mason saw flames as his fist hit the bastard in the jaw.
The tall man in the gray suit released Jenna and fell backward, landing on his ass. He was no match for Mason.
The other guy in the darker suit stepped back a pace, lifting his hands. “I don’t know who the hell you are, asshole, but we have the paperwork to pick up Ms. Mathews.” He actually held up a folder and waved it.
“Pick her up for what?” Rider asked, reaching for the file.
“Her parents had her committed.”
“What?” Mason screamed. “You’re fucking shitting me.” He grabbed the asshole he’d knocked to the ground by the front of his starched white shirt and hauled him to standing. He got right in his face. “You can’t drag somebody off to the psych ward without cause. Have you ever met Jenna? If anyone should be taken to the loony bin, it’s her parents.” His voice didn’t lower as he kept shouting.
The other man spoke behind him. “Actually, we can. Apparently they presented enough evidence for a judge to make this ruling for her own safety. An emergency injunction.”
Mason shoved the first guy back down on his ass and stepped toward the second squatter, short man. Rider was still looking at the papers and shaking his head.
“Just following the judge’s orders, sir. I suggest you get out of our way and let us do our job.” The man took two paces back toward the wall as he spoke. Coward.
“Not a chance in fucking hell, asshole. You’ll not be taking Jenna anywhere today or any other day. Get out.” He pointed to the door and narrowed his gaze at the man he’d yet to punch like his friend. He’d take any provocation he needed to ensure the guy had an equally black eye.
The man looked at Rider, his gaze sliding up and down. “You’re a cop. Tell his dude to back down.” He pointed at the paperwork. “It’s all there. You can see for yourself. If Ms. Mathews wants to contest her commitment, she’ll have to take it up with the medical staff at the hospital.”
Now Mason was moving to beyond fucking pissed. Not because there was any chance these assholes were taking Jenna anywhere, but because he was tired of them being in his face.
Jenna crawled up on the bed and scooted to the far corner, her face a stream of tears. She didn’t say a word as she curled her legs up tight.
Mason turned to her. “You okay, baby?”
She nodded stiffly.
“I’m afraid there isn’t anything you can do, sir,” repeated the man in the darker suit. “It’s done. At least for today. Tomorrow you can go to the courthouse and see about getting her released.”
Rider held up a hand. “Not so fast.” He held up the paperwork. “It doesn’t mention anywhere here that you have the right to break and enter.”
“Just doing what’s necessary to get the job done,” said the asshole behind Mason as he stood and smoothed his suit coat. He touched his jaw and cringed. He looked toward Rider next. “Please arrest this man for assault.”
Mason’s fury rose to a new height. The only thing that kept him from swinging again was Rider’s laughter. “I don’t think so.” Rider pulled a set of cuffs from his back pocket, and before either man knew what was happening, he slapped them on the fat man in the darker suit, yanking his weak hands behind his back as the guy grunted and struggled.
“You can’t do that. We’re here to do a job.”
Sirens wailed, making Mason wonder how he hadn’t noticed them before that moment. He heard the screech of tires outside less than a second from registering the police sirens.
Rider left the first man and stepped toward the second. “This is what I see. Illegal force and entry with intent to assault a woman in her bed.”
“That’s absurd,” the punched guy shouted. “We were hired to pick up this woman. She’s unstable.”
“Hired by whom?” Rider asked. “Money?”
The guy paled.
“That’s what I thought. Given enough money, you’ll pick up anyone for any reason using any means necessary, won’t you?” Rider asked.
Mason stepped toward the bed, intent on reaching for Jenna. “Not today, asshole. The only person going anywhere today is you two. To jail.” He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Jenna to his side.
Two more cops entered the room. Mason hardly glanced at them as Rider gave them the short version and slapped another set of cuffs on the guy Mason had punched. Mason heard words like assault, resisting arrest, kidnapping, illegal entry…
He didn’t take his eyes off Jenna’s again as the five other people finally exited the room and then the apartment.
Mason lifted Jenna’s chin to meet her gaze. “So sorry, baby.”
Tears ran down her face, and she choked on her words. “I just…can’t…believe they would…do something…like this.” She sobbed.
“I know.” He pulled her close again.
“Can they do that? Have me committed?” she mumbled against his shirt.
“No, baby. They can’t. I’ll make sure of it.”
“If Rider hadn’t been here…”
“Nothing different would have happened. I wouldn’t have let anyone take you away. He sped things up a little and kept it tidier, but the outcome is the same. I just didn’t have to go to jail myself for killing two men.” He smiled as he tipped her face up to his again. “They’re gone.”
“I don’t think I’m interested in my family’s inheritance.”
“Glad to hear it. I wouldn’t want a dime of that money under any circumstances.”
•●•
Two days later…
Two days later, Mason parked his car in the garage and entered through the kitchen. It only took seconds to get through to the living room, where he found Jenna in the corner of the couch, her knees pressed against her chest, tears streaming down her face.
“Baby…” He crossed to her side, sat, and pulled her into his arms. “I guess it didn’t go well?”
Jenna wiped her face with the back of her hand and sucked in a breath. “It went as expected. Thank you for giving me some time.”
He hadn’t like it, but he’d left and given her half an hour to call her parents and speak to them alone. She’d been staying at his place since Monday morning. Neither of them had worked. They’d spent the last two days talking to lawyers and the police.
When it finally seemed as though they had all the ammunition they needed, it had been time for Jenna to call her family.
“Talk to me.” He lifted her chin and kissed her forehead.
“I did exactly as we rehearsed. I told them to leave me alone and stop contacting me for any reason. If they don’t comply, I will call the police and press charges for hiring two thugs to assault me in my home.” She smiled up at him. “The beauty is that even though they’re guilty and they know it, it doesn’t matter. The idea of having cops show up at their house would be so embarrassing to them, they would never run that risk.”
“Essentially you called their bluff.” He was so proud of her.
She nodded. “I don’t think they ever believed I had the balls to stand up to them. I mean really stand up to them. Put my foot down and end this crazy standoff once and for all. I don’t want their fucking money. It’s no longer just a matter of risking my inheritance by defying them. I’ve reached a point where I don’t even want a dime of that money for any reason. I’d rather starve. And I feel fantastic now.” Tears still fell down her face.
Mason chuckled. “Yeah, you sure look like it.” He narrowed his gaze at her and wiped the moisture from under her eyes with his thumbs. “I love you so much. You know that, right? And I�
��m so proud of you.”
She nodded again. “Family. I’ve been blessed with two now—Mariel and David, and now you. That’s better than any blood relatives by far. I have everything I need.”
Epilogue
Mason heaved the last box into the house and dropped it inside the door. “Lord, woman, how did you have that much stuff packed into that tiny apartment?”
Jenna stood helplessly in the living room and watched as five huge men plopped on the furniture simultaneously, each popping open a beer.
The front door stood open, the light from outside suddenly blocked by a sixth man in a police uniform. “Am I late?” Rider asked with a chuckle. He came through the door and shut it behind him.
Gage tossed him a beer. “About time you showed up. Are you finally off work? We decided since you weren’t here to help load and move, you have to unpack the girly stuff.”
“Uh-uh. Not a chance in hell. There’s a reason I don’t have a woman of my own. You fools are dropping like flies.” He pulled a chair from the kitchen and sat. “Soon every one of you is going to have a house filled with frilly shit and flowers.”
“Hey now,” Jenna protested. “Flowers make an ordinary house a home.” She grabbed the hand Mason held out to her and sat on his lap.
Mason kissed her briefly. “And you should see what a person can do with ribbons and bows,” he muttered against her lips.
“TMI,” Rider moaned.
“On that note, I have to get home.” Rafe stood and finished his beer before tossing it in the trash. “Katy wants to go out tonight.”
“Katy does, huh?” Rider asked.
Mason rolled his eyes. “Dude, you need to get laid. Once you do, you’ll see the error of your ways.”
The other guys all stood at the same time and excused themselves.
“What about all this unpacking,” Jenna teased Rider as he stepped out the front door, the last to leave. “You just got here.”
“Yeah, about that… I have a…thing I forgot about. I’ll call you next week and see if you still need me.”
Jenna laughed as he left.
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