34. Mason

THIRTY-FOUR

Mason

My blood is boiling, and I'm ready to bust through any damn door in this town to find that piece of shit. Jai is apparently so much worse than I imagined, and I'm thinking fondly of introducing his face to my fist.

It's been an hour since Bridget told me about what he'd done and the rose left on my fucking doorstep.

Only an hour.

I've practically counted the seconds, wondering if something else is going to happen or if I'm ever going to feel calm again.

Neither seems very likely right now.

Bridget is making herself a cup of tea to help calm her nerves, and I can't just sit around and do nothing. There has to be something I can do to help keep Bridget safe.

I'm not sure why, but I get it in my head to call Easton. He's head of security and runs a private security firm. Maybe he can help.

I snag my phone from the coffee table and pull up Easton's number. As I wait for him to answer, I watch Bridget in the kitchen.

She's stopped shaking, but I can tell that she's still on edge. Worse, now she's wiped, and I know that the poor thing just needs to relax.

Easier said than done, of course.

"Hey, Mason. What's up?"

"Hi, Easton. Look, I have a weird favor slash question to ask you."

He chuckles lightly through the line. "Okay, shoot."

"I'm thinking I need to hire some protection for Bridget while I'm at work. Her ex is stalking her, and things have…escalated."

"Are you serious?" Easton's tone is low, so much more on edge now. "That's some serious shit. Stalkers are nothing to kid about."

"Unfortunately, I'm one hundred percent serious. He was a real piece of shit while they were dating, and he's been following her for like three years."

"Fucking hell, man." Easton sighs over the line, and I can hear him walking through his house. "Yeah, having someone with her is probably a damn good idea. The police won't do much, either. I can set her up with one of my guys from the office, but if Bridget isn't keen on someone watching her 24/7, we'll need to respect that."

Now I'm the one sighing, and I slump back down onto the couch. "I get it, Easton. I do. I just…Jai tried to kill her when they were together. It's why she left."

"Jesus, dude. This guy is a piece of shit. I'm not going to ask for the details. Not my business. But I can definitely get you set up with someone. I just need to check who's available."

The tension in my chest makes it feel like there's a damn buffalo on my ribs.

"Whatever it takes. I will do anything to keep her safe. And my daughter. The asshole was outside my house, Easton. I'm not taking any chances. If something happened…"

I can't bring myself to finish the sentence, but Easton catches on quickly.

"I know. We won't let that happen. And please, call me immediately if you need anything. I'll be over as fast as I can."

I smile to myself, exhaling hard through my nose. "Thanks, man. I will."

"I mean it. If I don't have a guy available, I'll watch Bridget and Mia myself. I'm sure Hudson will understand. And I can do office shit from anywhere."

Relief floods through my chest. "Thank you, Easton. Really. I'll talk to Bridget and make sure she's okay with it."

"Please do. I'm here for whatever you need."

"You're a good man, Easton. I'll text you as soon as Bridget and I get a chance to talk. I'm trying to let her calm down right now."

"Totally understand. I'll be here. You know, I'll just plan on it being me. I don't want to chance anything with Hudson's sister and your girl. She's family, right?"

My chest pinches again, and I take a shuddering breath. "Yes. Yes, she is. Talk soon."

"Later, man."

I hang up just as the teapot begins to whistle, and Bridget pulls it off the heat.

I'm not going to let Bridget out of my sight tonight, and as I walk over toward her, she looks up at me with an exhausted smile.

I've got you, Bridget. I promise.

Morning comes soon enough, and I nearly call in sick for work. Bridget won't have it, though, and I wind up going in despite really just wanting to stay with her for the day.

She's at least given the okay for Easton to help keep an eye on things, and I'm set to call him once I get to the office.

During the entire drive there, all I can think about is Jai. I can't believe that I was this close to the man all those years ago, and I couldn't stop him.

Regret and anger swirl together, and I want nothing more than to see that fucker behind bars for the rest of his life.

Or potentially something more permanent, considering he tried to kill her.

I sigh, shaking my head. I'm not an idiot, and I don't want to see my child grow up from behind bars, so Jai is safe enough from me. I'm just so fucking pissed.

I can't believe how horrible the guy is and that Bridget stood up to all that shit for two years. She's a stronger survivor than she gives herself credit for.

When I get to my office, I barely wave at Cassie as I head to the back and sit down at my desk. I'm too distracted, and answering the emails I got last night proves to be wildly unsuccessful.

Still, I know exactly what will make me feel better, so I unload my laptop from my briefcase and set it down on my desk before pulling out my phone.

I'm going to call Easton, and hopefully, he'll be able to get over to the house in the next hour.

As my finger sits poised over the green button, Cassie walks up to my open door, knocking on the wood politely.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt. I know that you just got here, but someone is asking to see you in the reception area."

My stomach clenches, and I don't know why, but I'm immediately on edge. Something is too off about how quickly that happened, and I just…don't like it.

"Who?" I furrow my brow at her, setting my phone down.

"Umm, a gentleman around your age. He introduced himself as Mr. Smith. Blonde, tallish."

It's been a while since I've seen Jai, but that description is a little too close for my liking.

"Okay, I'll be right there. Thank you, Cassie. Could you please check the backroom for that signage delivery I'm expecting?"

She regards me for a moment because it's a silly fucking task, and we both know it. But then Cassie just nods and heads that way.

I don't want her near the foyer. That's the real reason I'm sending her to the back.

Walking down the short hallway to the front of the building, my spine tenses, and I clench my hands into fists.

I'm prepared to see that asshole standing there all smug, and I have zero problems clocking him right in the face and then calling the cops.

I'll keep him from laying a finger on Bridget again if it's the last thing I do.

"All right, you bastard. I?—"

But as I step into the reception area in front of Cassie's desk, no one is there. The room is empty, and the door ahead of me is closed.

My heart is hammering as I look around the room for any sign of Jai, and then I see it.

On her desk is a single red rose like the one Bridget found yesterday. And there's a note wrapped around the stem with a black ribbon just like before, too.

I snatch it off the counter, careful to avoid the thorns and turn the note over in my hand. Scribbled across the torn piece of paper in terrible handwriting are just two simple words.

She's mine.

The world tilts on its axis, and I'm in real danger of puking up my cup of coffee. He was in my office, and he's playing these fucking games.

Without thinking, I rush out of the office, looking left and right for any sign of Jai around my building.

This street is just off Main, and there are buildings on either side of mine, directly attached to the sides. He couldn't have gone between them or snuck off down an alley quick enough for me to not see him.

But there's nothing.

A few people pass me coming from the coffee shop a few shops down, and I catch the confused looks on their faces.

I'm not crazy, though, and Jai's head game bullshit won't work on me. I know he was here, and there's only so many places he could have gone.

I look across the street, but it's early, and no one is over on that side doing business because the stores are still closed.

As I step forward, I notice something shiny on the ground. Stopping to check it out, because I'm going to inspect anything I see at this point, I find a glistening puddle of coolant on the road just off the curb.

It's still wet, which suggests that the car leaking the stuff was just here.

That's what you did, you asshole.

Jai waited in a car for me to arrive, dropped off the rose, and then took off. The venom coursing through my veins surges.

I know exactly what he's trying to do. He's trying to scare me. But fuck that noise. I'm not afraid of him, and his little tricks aren't going to keep me from doing everything I can to get his sorry ass thrown in jail.

Turning around, still holding that damn rose, I walk back inside my office, making sure the door closes behind me.

I go back up to the reception desk and look at the note again.

Jai thinks he owns her.

Bridget belongs to exactly no one, least of all Jai, and I crunch the note in my fist before I can think better of it.

Dammit, I need that fucking thing for the police.

As much as I want to destroy the rose, I can't. I can't just toss it in the garbage and be done with it. But I don't want to worry Cassie either.

I slip the thing into one of the canvas bags I give out with new homeowner information, and I bring it back to my office.

Cassie passes by on my way there, and I offer a tight smile, trying and likely failing to look like I didn't just find a tangible threat left at my place of work.

"What did Mr. Smith want?"

I almost trip as Cassie speaks, clutching that bag in my fingers, and ready to explode like some kind of molten inferno. But Cassie does not need that in her life.

"Just directions. He was lost."

"Oh, weird that he asked for you."

Shrugging, I nod, still trying to keep up appearances. "Yeah, I think he was one of those sexist assholes. Didn't want to take directions from a woman so he asked for the boss."

Cassie scoffs. "Prick. Well, I hope you sent him the wrong way."

I laugh. "Yeah, sent him right out of town."

"Good."

My assistant walks back to her desk, and I have to bite my tongue. I do it hard enough that I can taste copper because all I want to do is scream to the damn rooftops that he is a prick and one that's trying to hunt down my girlfriend.