Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

Mason

"Where are you?" Kowalski glares at me as we're holding our weekly meeting virtually.

"There's a family crisis," I mumble.

"Is your father okay?" Anderson Hawkins, one of the guys who works for me, and is a family friend, asks.

"Yeah, it's?—"

"Ainsley?" Harrison Everhart grins at the camera as if he's privy to important information. "I'll ask again, what's the story?"

"There's nothing to say."

"Uh-huh. That woman snaps her fingers, and you're by her side within hours." He gives me a look that says, you-know-I'm-right.

"Are we here to gossip or work?" Tiago complains.

Harrison throws something at him. "The answer is always gossip."

These four guys have become my brothers, part of my family. Working with them is so simple, and yet, there are days like today that they drive me fucking crazy.

"Can we stop and get this over with?" I ask. "We have a lot of work to do. I talked to my father, and he suggested that we create subdivisions. Not all of our employees need to know about our missions. I wanted your input."

All of them nod.

"It'll be like having a secret organization," Tiago smirks. "We could be the Alpha Force."

"We're not wolves," Everhart complains.

"The name of the organization isn't important. HIB Securities will continue providing security, alarm systems, and other services. The rest is confidential."

We spend the next thirty minutes discussing the details and how to proceed. I own the building that houses HIB Securities headquarters. The first two floors and the last five are dedicated to the secret organization. I give them some instructions, and that's when Kowalski's brow arches. "It sounds like you're not going to be here any time soon."

"As I said, I'm handling some family issues."

That's code for, I need to stay with Ainsley as she makes some decisions about her future. She might relocate to Seattle. Her parents suggested therapy, and I recommended a few treatment centers. If she needs help packing, I want to be there for her.

"That's fine, by the way. There's an apartment available close to HIB headquarters," Harrison announces.

"Are you looking to relocate?"

He shakes his head. "No. My family is in New York. I want to buy a penthouse for those days I visit headquarters. When the real estate agent called me about this place, I thought about you. Living in the office and crashing at a friend's is unhealthy."

I show him the middle finger. "My father was just lecturing me about it. If I ever have the need to buy a house, you'll be the first to know."

Why is everyone obsessed with my living arrangements? I'm not bothering anyone, am I?

I tap on the desk. "Well, gentlemen. I think this is enough for today. If you need anything, you know how to reach me."

"Call if you need a ride," Harrison, who is one of our pilots, says.

I salute them and turn off the laptop. Hopefully, we won't have any emergencies until Ainsley has settled down.

She's leaving.

Ainsley comes up with a plan. She quits her job as a kindergarten teacher. Chris and Dad are flying with her to a treatment center in San Diego where they'll address her depression, anxiety, and the trauma she's suffered in the past few years.

Gabe, her brothers, and I are going to Austin to pack up her things and make sure the movers take everything with them. Since none of them are used to driving across the country, I'm the one who takes Eleanor to Seattle. Jacob and Matt might be famous, but I need to teach them a few survival skills.

My first stop is in Ogden, where I decide to stay for the night. After checking into the hotel, I get ready to go on a run. The thermal jacket I wear barely blocks the cold air that threatens to slip through and slow me down if I take a break.

As I race through the snowy Rocky Mountains, I survey the landscape skimming by on either side of the trail. My watch beeps, indicating that I've run ten miles, and I decrease my speed to turn around. Cold snowflakes land on my cheeks and the regret of not owning a ski mask gnaws at me.

I enjoy the sight of the fresh white powder filling the arms of the evergreens around me. The snowpack on the trail isn't deep. Swirls of powdery snow are kicked up by the intermittent gusts of wind. Just as I'm arriving at the hotel, my phone rings. I press the answering switch of my Bluetooth. "What can I do for you, Kowalski?"

"Raise my salary, increase my annual vacation time, and give me a hefty bonus."

I groan in response, letting out a huge breath as I recover from my run. "I like your humor." I take off my gloves and unzip my jacket while walking through the lobby.

"At least you do. The wife thinks I'm an idiot." His tone carries no offense to what his wife might say or think about him.

I chuckle. "She's a smart woman. Tell me again, how did you convince her to marry you?"

"For your information my wife married me because I'm good looking," he replies. "Why are you in Utah?"

I scratch the back of my neck and take the staircase to the second floor. It's the same question I have asked myself for the past few days. I'm helping Ainsley move her belongings to her parents' estate in Oregon, while she figures out her future.

I could tell him that since I'm always involved in her life, I wanted to be part of this ‘closing an old chapter and opening a new one' movement. Plus, ever since we were little, I had trouble saying no to her.

Instead, I settle on, "I'm helping a friend move." I don't go into detail on who I'm talking about or why. As I reach the white door of my room, I search for my card key, swipe it, and enter. "Why did you call me?"

"Right, you're with Ainsley. Are you sure she's just a family friend?"

What the hell does he mean with that question? I don't know, and I don't want to respond—because I don't have any answers. She's a family friend. We've known each other since forever, and yet, there's this strong pull between us that I can't ignore. I can't acknowledge it either. Things between us…

"Bradley, are you with me?" The snap in his voice pulls me out of my head. Thinking about her is dangerous.

Ainsley is a woman that needs a family, a home. I don't like to be in one place.

I slide off the first layer of clothing. "Of course, I'm with you. What's happening?"

"We think we have a location on Werner. We received several tips within the past two hours."

Werner is a former FBI agent who decided to switch sides and is on the most wanted list of several different agencies worldwide, including his former employer. Preston Werner is wanted in multiple countries, a hacker and a bomb specialist being top on his list of accomplishments. He's responsible for the death of several diplomats. He has sold essential information from agencies like Interpol, the CIA, and others to terrorists.

"Reliable?" I question Kowalski.

"No, I haven't been able to confirm his presence in Las Vegas or San Francisco." His voice loses volume. I guess he continues working on the confirmation of Werner's whereabouts. "We broke into the CCTV of surrounding hotels and streets. Nothing's come up. It's up to you if you want to head south to check it out."

I pace around the room and clear my throat a few times while I continue undressing. The travel time between Ogden and Las Vegas is about an hour and a half. There's plenty of time for me to fly down, find out if the rumors about Werner are reliable, and try to catch him.

"By the way, I tried your other phone, but it's off." He breaks the silence and my train of thought. "You must have a few voicemails with the same information. Do you want me to call Everhart so he can fly you out to either place?"

"Yes, send him in, and you goto San Francisco with a team." I take off my shirt, careful of the Bluetooth while I continue speaking. "Tell him to bring a change of work clothes."

"I made sure to send your shit with him. I'm about to land in San Francisco. I'll call you if I find something or trap him." He hangs up the phone.

I'm grateful for having him. From the sound of it, he has everything under control. I rush, knowing I don't have much time before Everhart arrives. It doesn't take me long to finish undressing, take a quick shower, and put on some sweats while I wait for my work clothes to arrive. Biding my time, I power up my other phone. The untraceable gadget that works almost everywhere in the world. When it comes to life, there are several voicemails.

"Hi, Mase!" Nine's sweet voice greets me. "So, here I am in San Diego, and not to visit the zoo. We should do that someday. Plan a fun road trip and visit cool landmarks. A change from all the trips we've taken because my life sucks. You may ask yourself why this is coming from an unknown caller. My phone's with the rest of my belongings—with my parents. I didn't see the point of bringing it, as the list of ‘things you should keep at home' stated that cell phones and any other electronics were unacceptable. It made sense to only bring the new journal and clothes. At least one thing adds up in my life."

She stops and laughs. The sound of her laughter draws a smile on my lips. Sweet and cheery with a hint of mischief. "Anyway, back to us." She clears her throat, and my eyes open wide.

"Us?" I panic out loud. There's no fucking us. Did I do something for her to get some crazy idea? There's a sharp uncertainty hitting hard on the back of my head.

"The purpose of my call," she continues. "You said, ‘call me when you arrive so I know that you made it.' Well, here's the call. I'll be taking a few days off from life to deal with life. Also getting ready for the big changes coming my way. See you around and thank you for always being there for me."

There's a pause for a few breaths before her voice comes back, "You're a true hero. Miss me."

My body relaxes, my lungs release a huge amount of air, and my chest is no longer as tight as a rope. The memories of being around her for an entire weekend.

We stayed glued to each other. She had a tremendous breakdown, and I offered my shoulder for her to lean on. I didn't mean anything, nor did I want her to take it the wrong way.

She's gorgeous—so fucking hot.

Who knew the girl cleaned up that nice? I didn't see that coming. When I'm around her, she wears baggy sweats and loose T-shirts, and even then, I somehow found her attractive. Now, it's impossible not to think of her in other ways.

Like on top of a bed with her brown, curly hair spread on my pillow—under me. Riding me on any available surface. Against the walls of the pool. She never wore skimpy dresses around me. The kind that shows her toned legs, or jeans that delineated her perfect curves.

Soft and round.

Those tops that highlighted her tits. The fucking bikinis she wore, which could be construed illegal in certain parts of the world and killed me each time we swam together—daily.Now she isn't only pretty but hot, and I have to scrape all those images and thoughts from my brain.

She's Nine.

Shaking my head, I get my bearings together before making the call. Her voicemail picks up immediately.

"Nine, I'm happy to hear that you're in San Diego, and yes, I'll be delighted to take you to the zoo. Have I mentioned how proud I am of you? Those are some crazy things you battle. I'm a co-hero, don't forget that. You're the heroine. Take care of yourself, Supergirl."

While waiting for Everhart, I go through my emails, answer a few pressing issues, and delegate others. Then, I try to think about the steps I'll take once we land in Las Vegas, where presumably, Werner hides inside one of the buildings that is part of the financial district.