Page 126 of Statler

“Sounds like a plan. Is Eliza okay?” Mason also asked, which was really nice of him. Mase hadn’t even met Eliza yet, but he already knew what she meant to Statler, so he was including her in their circle of protection.

“She’s fine,” Statler assured him. “Shaken up because she just found out that the bastard killed her mother, but she’s dealing with it. The breakdown might come later, but she’s strong, and I won’t be leaving her side.”

Mason made a quick conclusion. “You’re telling me nothing I don’t already know. Newsflash for Statler. You, my friend, are never leaving her side. You are too far gone. Which means…welcome to the Besotted Boys Club.”

Statler laughed. “Is that a thing?”

“It’s not,” Mason admitted wryly. “But it should be. Because one by one, everyone I know is falling.”

He meant his SWAT team and his brothers.

“You’re right,” Statler agreed. “But you might have to rethink the name. It should be the boys and girls club, since Talia and all…”

“Your right,” Mason snickered. “And you have Blue. Who, if I’m not mistaken… Nope. I won’t speculate. But be prepared. It looks like your team, one by one, might be the next to fall.”

Prepared…

Yikes.

Mason could be correct.

“Should we start having club meetings?” Statler only half-teased.

“It’s not a bad idea,” Mason agreed, almost too quickly, like he’d actually been thinking about it. “Because we, the infatuated, need each other’s help keeping our soft edges sharp. If not, we’ll end up losing our bad-ass man…and woman cards.”

A female voice spoke up amidst a gale of laughter.

“You are such a dork, Mase, and completely clueless. Your bad-ass man card is because you love your woman so much. It speaks truth to power. Don’t you know that macho without a soft side is just another word for arrogant prick?”

Statler laughed as Mason howled.

“Who was that?” Statler asked.

“Sorry,” Mason sighed, as if wiping away tears. “That was Talia. She’s gone now. I had you on speaker.”

“You think she’s right?” Statler questioned.

“About our partners making us better people?” Mason sniffed. “Probably. My wife would certainly agree.”

Statler loved where this was going, but he couldn’t get distracted. He had more calls to make.

“We’ll dig into this whole thing a little deeper over a few beers,” he rationalized. “Just so you can prepare me if I have to watch my team become as distracted as I’ve been over the past few weeks.”

“Good luck learning anything from me,” Mason stated wryly, but with humor. “Talk later.”

Statler hung up and dialed Dark.

“Well? Did you save the girl?” the man barked.

Statler, ready to give his superior a wrap-up speech, was immediately blindsided. He scrambled to keep up. “Uh, don’t you want to hear about the operation first?”

“It came off in textbook fashion,” Dark countered. “I already heard from Tonka. Now, don’t keep me waiting. Is your Eliza okay, or not?”

Statler sucked in a breath, wondering how Dark would take the downside of his answer. “She’s perfect, but, uh, Flazer’s dead.”

“Good riddance.”

Okay.