Page 193 of Forever Relentless

My phone pinged with another text. I picked it up expecting Mason. Who’d have thought he and I would be the ones talking after all this?

Gray: Still want to be a Saint?

I stared at the phone for a long time . . . the truth was, I no longer knew.

I could move. I knew I could. The Santo guys were different; Gray got me without having more than a handful of conversations with me. As I always said, like recognized like.

But was Gray Santo who I wanted to ‘get me?’

Hell of a player, Cardinal Saints were a good team. I could get them to the championship game. But . . . what did I have to give up to do it?

This team? They’d get by without me.

Dante? Dust? I was sure they would too, and probably hate me for it.

I didn’t want their hatred, but that wasn’t why I didn’t reply immediately.

I knew what held me back. Gray Santo saw my darkness and he didn’t want me to turn away from it, he wanted me to embrace it.

Would it really be so bad if I did?

Chapter 36

Briar

My brother was ignoring me.

It wasn’t the first time and it sure as hell wouldn’t be the last, but it was irritating the heck out of me.

“Mason!”

He was on the couch, and it didn’t look comfortable. I had zero sympathy.

“What were you thinking?”

“Beer and wings?”

I saw the devilish gleam in his eye and wanted to smack him. “With Noah?”

He yawned. “The guy did a decent thing; he’s walking around like he’s about to be hanged at dawn. I saw him on my way here, and I thought he needed cheering up.”

“He went behind his friends’ backs and cut a deal with the devil.”

Mason stood and stretched. “And solved your problems. I dunno why I was the one who was buying him a beer in thanks.” He looked around. “How long will it take you to pack?”

I took a drink of tea and ignored the question.

“So you’re okay with what he did?”

“Didn’t we talk about this?” Mason lumbered toward the kitchen. “Do you have coffee?”

“You know I have coffee.” I fought back my sigh.

“Why is there no coffee made?”

“Because you don’t deserve any,” I snapped and took my tea into my bedroom to escape him before I committed a felony.

Another felony.