Chapter 28

Mason

Liberation is dangerous. Once you have no fucks left to give, your personality does a little reset.

“Have a seat, Princess.” Pulling the seat out for Leah, I wait for her to descend gracefully into her chair before I push it in a little. She’s the show-stopping centerpiece in this ballroom and everyone knows it.

Mr. C can kiss my ass if he thinks he can intimidate either of us with that dumb ass smirk of his. I have no doubt he thinks he can use my girl against me and blackmail me with Daisy Ren, but he can’t. I’d have to be ashamed of being with her for that to happen, and I’m not. I’m proud as hell she’s my girl and I love what she does for a living.

“Hey.” I turn Leah’s head with my finger under her chin. “Don’t worry about him. If he says one thing to you, I’ll knock his goddamn teeth out.” I’ve been dying for an excuse to pop Carmichael in the mouth for years.

She shakes her head. “I’m not worried about myself. I’m scared for you .”

“Me?”

“He’s just told Jackson I’m Daisy Ren. I know it. They’re going to tell everyone here that I’m a…that your girlfriend’s a…” She leans in and whispers, “ sex worker .”

I arch my brow, unfazed. “You’re a hustler like me. You work hard just like me. You carved a path for yourself and have done amazingly well, just like me. You and I are the same.”

“You don’t charge people to…” She clams up and drops her gaze to her plate. “This is a huge mistake.”

Fear spikes in my veins because I think she’s going to run. Bolt out those double doors like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight. That’s not fucking happening. I grab her hand and squeeze it reassuringly. “Stop doing that, Princess.”

“Doing what? Pointing out the truth?”

Her cheeks redden more. Her eyes shine with tears she’s trying to hold back. “Don’t put yourself down again. You’re a businesswoman, Leah. You found a niche, put in the hard work, and made a damn good life for yourself.”

She grimaces. “I put peanut butter on my feet for money.”

“Working smarter, not harder.” I fail to see how this is a problem. Her feet are adorable. If they can make her money so she can have the things she wants, why’s that an issue?

“He’s married,” she spits out. “And she’s pregnant .”

I’m sure lots of people online are in similar situations, but I don’t think Leah’s faced the reality of who was in her audience before. It’s easy to lie online. Maybe she fooled herself into believing the only ones paying to chat with her were single, lonely men and women. In my world, however, this is not earth-shattering news. Half the people in this room are likely having affairs. They’re all in a club of some kind, all pretending they “would never” when in fact they “will always” if given the chance.

Nearly everyone here is just out for themselves. Carmichael is among the worst of them. Part of me keeps hoping Jackson will kick him to the curb, but I doubt he ever will. It makes me wonder if Carmichael has something on my brother and uses it against him every chance he gets.

“His wife is beautiful and sweet,” I say. “She’s also fucking at least two other men in this room.” Probably more. I wonder whose baby is even in her belly. Hell, Carmichael offered her to me two years ago when he first approached me about becoming a board member for BanditFX.

I declined, of course, and it insulted him.

Boo fucking hoo.

Leah called this place the lion’s den. It’s not. It’s a toxic cesspool.

The urge to dash out of here with Leah in my arms so I can protect her is strong. But I said I was going to be here tonight, and I don’t back out of my word. No matter who I made that promise to or if they deserve my loyalty or not.

Besides, I’m untouchable now. Liberated. And like I said already, that’s a dangerous thing. It’s got me wanting to say and do all kinds of rebellious shit.

“If I hold him down…” Landon leans in on Leah’s other side. “You can stab Carmichael in the eyes with this cute little salad fork.”

Her laugh is fake.

“Hey.” I make Leah look at me again. “No one except the people at this table matter.”

Her brow pinches, and that little extra crinkle is back. I kiss that spot, and the scent of her shampoo and perfume fortifies me. “We can leave soon.”

But first, I have a point to make.

Leah lets out a shaky breath. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m being like this.” Worry and anger war in her gaze.

“You’re being protective of me, Princess.” Which is incredible of her. No one other than the three guys at this table have ever given a shit about me. Leah genuinely looks like she wants to burn the world down on my behalf. God damn, I’m the luckiest motherfucker alive.

It’s not being called out as a camgirl that has her upset, it’s that she’s already imagining them spinning our relationship as something more scandalous. She’s worried about what all these people will say about me dating her. I don’t think she cares what they’d say about her at all. It’s me and my reputation that she’s getting paranoid over. “I promise you there’s nothing to worry about.”

I couldn’t be prouder to have Leah by my side. She’s incredible, smart, funny, sweet, and doesn’t judge anyone. Her soul is so pure, it makes me think angels really exist.

“You’re right.” She rolls her shoulders back and changes her tone. “Fuck these bitches. And fuck Carmichael.”

“Atta girl.”

Kerrington sips his drink. “Your mom hasn’t even looked over in our direction.”

And she won’t.

As the wait staff rush from table to table, placing chilled salad plates down, I keep my attention on my real family – the one I picked. Gage, Kerrington, and Landon didn’t come with plus ones, which means our table is only half full. I’m glad. It makes us stand out more.

It will also make my mother suffer yet another bout of disappointment caused by me.

This night’s turning out fantastic.

“What are they serving for dinner, anyway?” Landon frowns. “I hope it’s not something too froo-frooy. I swear if they put a quail egg on my plate, I’m going to Door Dash McDonalds and eat it in front of all these pretentious pricks.”

Leah cracks a laugh so loud it makes me jump. In quick recovery, she cups her mouth and ducks her head.

That’s all it takes for the mood at the table to lighten back up. Looking behind my girl, I mouth, “thank you” to Landon, and he gives me a wink. My boys love Leah as much as I do. They’ll have her back just like they’ve always had mine.

“I’m shocked they didn’t sit us at the kiddy table, or the reject table in the back corner,” Gage says.

Leah’s brow furrows. “Why?”

“Because of what Mason’s done. Personal success is a slap in their face. I expected us to be blacklisted or something, not front and center of the room at lucky thirteen.”

I’d specifically asked for this table number and placement on the floor plan. You can’t not see us where we’re positioned. Nicole probably had to move the table numbers around last minute when my mother wasn’t looking because I’d bet a million dollars we were shoved into the back dark corner of the room if my mother had anything to do with the seating plans.

“I’m sure your mom’s not that vindictive,” Leah says lightly. “She’s still your mom.”

My girl is about to learn a valuable lesson in how this world operates. “Do you play chess, Princess?”

“A little, but it’s been a while. Why?”

“Because that’s what tonight’s game is.”

Everything in this life is a game. Not a single meeting, brunch, wedding, or fundraiser is innocently benign. There are more frenemies than friends amidst the social circles spinning around us.

And my fucking mother is the ringleader and champion.

“Then I guess I’m the Queen who will protect her King.” Leah lifts her champagne flute and blows me a kiss before downing the whole thing in one long pull.

Landon rests his elbows on the table, propping his head up on his fists and sighs. “I want a Leah.”

“Well, you can’t have mine,” I shoot back.

Landon perks up. “Hey, maybe our next tech company should focus on cloning.”

“Oh, Cyborg Leahs!” She waggles her eyebrows at me. “With flavor buttons.”

My belly-laugh is drowned out by my mother’s booming voice on stage. “I want to thank you all for coming out tonight,” she says, with a grand sweep of her hand. All heads turn to the stage where a sixteen-piece band is set-up to play soon.

Scarlet Finch addresses the room like they’re hanging on her every word. She’s always known how to captivate her audience and demand respect from her mutuals. Too bad she rarely deserves it.

“Tonight’s turnout is our best to date. As you know, the Finch Family has hosted a fundraising gala for twenty-five years. It’s been an honor and a privilege that I, my wonderful husband Tom, and our two children, Grace and Jackson, take great pride in.”

The last little light in my heart with my mother’s name on it flickers and burns out.

She’s just publicly cut me out.

I knew she would do something to make my presence inconsequential, like ignore me at cocktail hour, but the delivery of her message was perfect. Points to her, for that one.

I feel Landon and Gage’s eyes on me. I’m sure Kerrington’s shooting daggers at her from his seat.

“Landon,” Leah growls, “give me that fucking salad fork. I’m going up there.”

My heart lights up brighter than the sun when Leah looks back at me. “I am going up there.”

Taking the fork away from her, I rest my hand on her thigh. “Don’t waste your energy just yet, Princess. The game just started.”

“The Greystone Foundation holds a very special place in our hearts,” Scarlet continues. “They only just started this past year and have already made significant changes in countless lives. Helping to feed the hungry in low-income areas, they have given thousands of children three healthy meals a day, for free. This would not be possible without the brains, and compassion, of one amazing woman. Nicole, please come out so we can all give you a round of applause for a job well done.”

Wowwww. Talk about blowing smoke up someone’s ass. Nicole’s charity foundation may be wonderful and helpful, but it’s hardly the first of its kind. She’s not Mother Theresa, for fuck’s sake. Still, Nicole deserves some credit. She’s more generous than most of the shitheads in this room. And her heart’s in the right place.

Sometimes.

Nicole glides across the stage like a swan. Her white gown is practically painted on her. The diamonds dangling from her ears glint from the stage lights like annoying disco balls, and her smile makes her look like a Tasmanian devil.

Okay, that was harsh. She looks lovely.

The entire room stands and claps for her. Including me. Nicole holds her hand to her chest, bowing a little before taking the microphone from Scarlet. “Thank you all so much.” The room quiets as everyone sits back down.

I lean forward and press my mouth to the slope of Leah’s neck, relishing how her breath hitches. Both of us face Nicole, our eyes glued to the stage, but as I kiss Leah’s neck, it feels like we’re the only two in the building. “I can’t wait to take you home, Princess.”

“The Greystone Foundation could not have accomplished all it’s done this year, or what we have planned next, without your support and generous donations tonight.” Nicole looks everywhere but at table thirteen. “Tonight, we have raised over three million dollars and for that…” She holds her heart, “we are so grateful.”

More clapping. More cheers. More fake ass compliments about how wonderful everything is.

The amount of money it took my parents to put this thing together should have been donated to the charity, not used to flaunt their fortune and be the center of attention. No one wants to be here. We’re obligated to come because no one would dare piss off the Finch family. It’s such a waste of time and resources.

“But there is one family in particular who stands out amidst all others with their incredible generosity,” Nicole says, turning to Scarlett. My mother makes an “aww” face just as Nicole says, “Mason Finch, and the BanditFX team.”

My mother’s smile drops immediately.

I lean forward and whisper in Leah’s ear. “Check. Mate.”