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For a long moment, we just stare at each other. Saying so many things without saying anything at all.
A knock on the door breaks the silence that has settled over us. Mason clears his throat. “Yeah.”
The door opens just enough for Natalie to stick her head through. “Mason, do you have a minute to talk? It’s important.”
“Of course. I’ll be right there.”
Natalie closes the door quietly behind her, and Mason makes quick work of finishing up cleaning my knees. “I’ll be right back.” He gets up and leaves the room without looking back.
Whatever weird moment just happened between us is over, though I don’t want it to be. That connection we felt was special, and if he thinks I’ll forget about it, he is mistaken.
MASON
What the hellis wrong with me? I don’t leave the hotel. I don’t trust anyone. And I definitely do not talk about my brother. Fuck, I don’t even allow myself to think about him. Yet here I am, opening up to the tiny woman in my bedroom. She came into my life like a storm, stirring up things I’ve been trying to bury for years, ripping out secrets like a tornado rips out trees.
I’ve got to get my head on straight and remember that this hotel comes first. This is my life, and there is no room for error.
Walking through my apartment, I pay close attention to any sounds behind me. I wouldn’t put it past Teagan to follow even now. When I don’t hear anything, I open the hidden panel on the wall and place my hand on the biometric scanner. The console turns green, unlocking the thick titanium door and sliding it open.
I step inside the panic room that doubles as a secure command center with a high-tech security and defense system for the hotel. My team waits, sitting around the conference table in the center of the space.
Natalie, Tank, Griffin, and… “Dallas?”
Shit.
I almost didn’t recognize him with his hair gone all the way gray now, and his face covered in a beard. Only his icy stare remains the same. A stare that could kill.
“Happy to see you too,” he jokes.
I’m actually happy to see him. Dallas is not only one of my best friends, he’s also been my mentor for many years. There are not many people I trust. As a matter of fact, most of them sit in this room right now.
“I just didn’t expect you, old man.” I take a seat at the head of the table.
“Hey, gray is the new black.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I’ve been called gray fox more than once now.”
“I’m sure you have. Is that why you came here, to show off your new hairdo?”
“No, old friend, I came here to warn you.” The lightheartedness in his voice is gone.
Of course, he did.
Leaning back in my chair, I get ready for the lecture about letting civilians into the hotel, letting my guard down, and risking this whole operation for some girl and her brother.
Surprisingly, that lecture never comes.
“The people who hired those lowlife criminals to plant a bug on you are more dangerous than you think. This isn’t just a random operative pissed he didn’t get into the hotel.”
Alarm bells go off in my head, and I straighten up. “What do you know?”
“I’ve filled him in on everything we’ve dug up so far,” Natalie cuts in. “I sent everything to him yesterday, and he’s been looking into it.”
Dallas leans forward, propping one of his elbows on the table. “The more I look, the deeper it goes. Even with all our tools, including the FBI and CIA database, I haven’t been able to pinpoint who’s behind this.”
“That’s…” I struggle to process what he’s telling me.
“A huge pile of dog shit? Yeah, I thought so too. That’s why I came. You need all hands on deck.”
“Thank you for coming so quickly. Sorry to drag you out of retirement.”
