Mason (Trinity Academy Book 2)

by Michelle Heard

  As we near the golf carts, I meet my father’s eyes and nod. “Very.”

  “As long as you’re happy, Mace.”

  Emotion wells in my chest. “I am, Dad. I really am.”

  “You should bring her for dinner. Your mother would love to meet her.”

  I nod and then turn my head to Julian as he finishes greeting Lake and Mr. Cutler.

  “Mr. Chargill.” Julian and Dad shake hands, and then he waits for Dad to join the others before he holds his hand out to me.

  Shaking hands, I already feeling emotional after my talk with Dad, and it has me swallowing before I say, “Thank you.”

  “For what?” Julian asks, a look of confusion washing over his face.

  “For trusting me.”

  A wide smile stretches over his face. “I’ll always have your back, Mason.”

  “For a while, I forgot that,” I admit.

  Julian nods, and the sadness in his eyes tells me his thoughts immediately went to Jennifer.

  My breathing speeds up, and I have to look away when the emotion pushes up my throat. I focus on a tree to the side of Julian, and say, “She would want you to be happy.”

  “Look at me, Mace.”

  I shake my head, not trusting my voice.

  Julian places his hands on my shoulders, then repeats, “Look at me.”

  I take a deep breath and bring my eyes back to his face.

  “Jennifer was my first love. No matter where this life will take me, she will always be in my heart. One day I might meet a woman who I can see myself settling down with, but that will not mean that I’ve forgotten Jen. You know that, right?”

  “I do, and for what it’s worth, I hope you find someone who can make you happy.”

  Julian moves an arm around my shoulder, and we slowly walk toward our family.

  “It means a lot to me to hear you say that.” He lets out a breath. “Now, let’s kick some ass.”

  “You’re holding it wrong,” Mr. Cutler tells Lake for what feels like the hundredth time.

  “Dad, I’m left-handed,” Lake reminds him.

  “Oh, right.”

  “Well, don’t I feel loved right now,” Lake jokes as he whacks the ball.

  Falcon lets out a burst of laughter when a piece of grass flies into the air and the ball only rolls a couple of inches.

  I pretend to cough as I say, “Missed.”

  Lake pulls a face at me before he tries again.

  Another piece of grass shoots into the air. “If you carry on like that, I’m going to have to replace the entire green by the time you’re done,” Mr. Cutler mutters.

  “Thanks, Dad,” Lake says wryly.

  Falcon laughs again which has Lake pointing the club at him. “You come hit the damn ball.”

  “Dear Lord, I’m watching the blind lead the blind,” Mr. Reyes gripes. “Let me just hit the ball so we can move on.”

  We all stand back, and as Mr. Reyes pulls his club back, Julian shouts, “Dad, duck!”

  Mr. Reyes smacks the ball totally in the wrong direction, and then he looks up at the sky. “Where?”

  “What do you mean where?” Julian asks as he begins to laugh.

  “You said there was a duck.”

  Lake sinks to his butt, silent laughter making tears trickle over his cheeks while he points a shaking finger at Mr. Reyes.

  “Todd, your boy’s going to wet himself,” Mr. Reyes says while trying not to smile.

  “Dad, I mean you had to duck down,” Julian explains, and then he cracks up.

  “Then tell me to take cover. Don’t yell duck when we’re right by a pond.”

  I cover my face with my hand as my body begins to shake.

  Then Mr. Reyes asks, “Why did you yell duck, anyway?”

  “For god’s sakes, he was distracting you, Warren,” Dad calls out from behind me. “Sometimes I wonder where your head’s at.”

  “I can tell you where my club’s going to be shortly,” Mr. Reyes threatens as he sets after Julian, who can barely run from all the laughing.

  “You’re going to give yourself a heart attack,” Mr. Cutler calls after Mr. Reyes.

  Mr. Reyes stops and walking back to us, a smile forms on his face. My eyes dart to Falcon where he’s watching his father with a smile around his own mouth.

  I wish I could freeze time as I glance at the men around me. Every one of us is smiling.

  “Mason,” Dad says as he walks by me. “You want to race?”

  “Hell, yeah.” I dart forward, not having to be asked twice.

  “Oh God, we’re all going to die,” Mr. Cutler mumbles.

  I climb into the cart that’s closest to the green and smirk at my father as he gets into the other one.

  Falcon takes the seat next to me, while Lake and Julian climb into the backseats.

  I wait for Mr. Reyes and Mr. Cutler to get onto Dad’s cart before I start the engine.

  “You ready, Dad?” I call out.

  Dad nods.

  “If they beat us, I won’t live it down at the office, so you better win,” Julian says from behind me.

  Mr. Reyes holds a club up in the air and begins the countdown, “Three… two… one…”

  Dad pulls away, and I let him get ahead of me before I begin to drive.

  “Are you losing on purpose?” Lake asks. “They won’t give you a bonus for letting them win.”

  “Sit back and enjoy the show. You won’t get to see this again,” I say, and I begin to speed up as we get near the bend in the road.

  “Slowpoke!” Mr. Cutler calls out.

  Dad glances over his shoulder, and when he sees me gaining on him, he tries to go faster just as he hits the bend.

  “Asher!” Mr. Reyes yells as the cart begins to swing to the right.

  I bring mine to a stop, and we sit and watch as our fathers drive right into the pond. A duck flies out of the nearby bushes, and then Mr. Reyes, mumbles, “We should’ve gone hunting.”

  Lake falls out of the cart and rolls onto his back, hardly able to catch his breath as he cracks up. Falcon’s practically crying next to me. Julian hits the seat, tears streaming down his face.

  I chuckle until I see our fathers try and help each other out of the water, but they keep dragging each other down. I have to hold my head as laughter tears through me.

  “Stop wetting yourselves and come help us,” Dad shouts.

  Lake begins to wheeze. “Stop… can’t… breathe.”

  Falcon gets out to go help them, but he only makes it to the grass before he sinks to his knees.

  I climb out and wipe my eyes as I walk to them. Standing on the edge, I hold a hand out to my dad. He grabs hold of me with both his hands, and then he yanks hard.

  My ass flies forward, and then cold water rushes over me.

  Laughter explodes from Julian, Falcon, and Lake as I sit up in the water.

  When I look up to Dad, there’s a huge smile on his face. “Nice and cool, isn’t it?”

  He holds his hand out for me, and when I’m back on my feet again, I don’t think and throw my arms around Dad, hugging him.

  “It’s fu…” I quickly correct my language, “It’s good to see you smile.”

  “You too, my boy.”

  Chapter 29

  Mason

  After changing our clothes, we all meet up at the clubhouse for some drinks.

  Falcon waits until everyone has a glass in their hands, then he says, “I need your help with a problem.”

  Mr. Reyes’ head snaps up, a look of worry flashing over his face. “It must be serious because you’ve never asked for help before.”

  “It’s an unpleasant situation.” Falcon takes out Serena’s phone and pulling up the texts he hands it over to his father.

  As Mr. Reyes reads the messages, his face sets into hard lines. “They did this to Layla?” His voice is low and threatening.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Mr. Reyes nods, and for a moment, he stares at the table, and then his voice
rumbles, “Asher, cut Clare off.”

  “Why?” Dad asks. He leans over to Mr. Reyes and looks at the phone. “Dear Lord.”

  “Stephanie’s daughter almost died because of them,” Mr. Reyes murmurs. “Todd, draw up the papers tomorrow. I want Clare out of my life without a settlement.”

  “You’re divorcing Mom?” Julian asks, and when Mr. Reyes’ eyes snap to him, Julian quickly adds, “I’m not against it.”

  “Dad,” Falcon says, to get his father’s attention. When they’re eyes meet, Falcon continues, “That’s not enough. I want her ruined. I want her to lose her status.”

  Mr. Reyes nods and thinks for a while.

  “We could send these messages to the newspapers. That would ruin her social standing,” Lake mentions.

  Mr. Reyes shakes his head. “I think we should let this go to court.” He looks at Mr. Cutler and hands him Serena’s phone. “Do you still have that contact at the DA’s office?”

  “Yes, I can give him a call.”

  “Show him the messages and ask him if it’s enough to prosecute her.”

  Mr. Cutler reads the messages. “Would Miss Weinstock be willing to testify? With that, they would be able to prosecute.”

  “Serena would use her testimony against Clare to get a plea bargain,” Lake mumbles.

  I look at Lake, frowning, “Are you telling me one of them is going to walk free?”

  “No, Serena will still receive a sentence if found guilty. But it could be reduced,” Mr. Cutler explains.

  “Reduced to what?” I ask, not liking the sound of this at all.

  “For example, she could be sentenced to a year’s imprisonment, along with two years of probation.” When I open my mouth, Mr. Cutler holds up his hand. “It’s only an example, Mason. We’ll push for the harshest punishment.”

  “Let’s all take some time to think about this,” Mr. Reyes says. “We need to have all our ducks in a row before we start this war.”

  “Serena can’t get off with a tap on the wrist.” Closing my eyes, I rub them. “I promised Kingsley.”

  “The girl you’re dating?” Dad asks.

  Mr. Reyes leans forward, his face looking like a thunder cloud. “What are you saying, Mason?”

  “The girl on the footage is Kingsley,” Lake answers for me.

  Dad stands up and walks away from the table, and Mr. Reyes slowly rises to his feet, growling, “Why wasn’t I made aware of this?”

  “We had it handled,” Julian answers.

  “You knew about this?” Mr. Reyes slams a fist on the table. “My God.”

  “Sit down, Warren,” Mr. Cutler murmurs, pulling at Mr. Reyes arm. “I’ll pay the DA’s office a visit tomorrow morning.”

  I get up and whisper, “Excuse me.” Walking to where Dad is standing out on the patio, I stop next to him and stare out over the green.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” he whispers, his voice sounding drained of all the laughter we shared today.

  I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Kingsley was my first priority. I didn’t even think to tell you. Sorry, Dad.”

  “Don’t apologize,” Dad whispers. “If I had been more involved in your life, I would’ve been aware of what was happening.”

  Dad turns to me and placing his hand on my shoulders, he says, “We’re going to win this. I will do everything in my power to help you.”

  I didn’t know how badly I needed to hear those words until they leave his mouth.

  My breathing speeds up, and I try to suppress the emotions, but when Dad pulls me to his chest, the wall breaks.

  He wraps his arms tightly around me. “I’m here, son.”

  It takes every bit of strength I have to not cry, and my voice is shaky and hoarse, when I say, “Serena almost killed the woman I love. I need to see her suffer.”

  “And she will,” Dad says as he pulls back. Our eyes meet, and when I see the promise on his face, it makes the load on my shoulders feel lighter.

  Kingsley

  After I finally submit my assignment, I close my laptop and let out a sigh of relief.

  “At least, that’s done and taken care of.”

  I get up and stretch my body when there’s a knock at the door. I hardly have the door open when Mason pushes his way in and lifts me off my feet.

  Laughter bubbles over my lips as I hug him back.

  “Are you done with the assignment?” he asks, as he sets me back down.

  “I finished seconds ago.”

  He presses a kiss to my lips, then says, “There’s something I want to do with you.”

  “Oooh… that sounds promising.”

  He smiles for a moment, but his expression quickly turns serious. “I know it might be too soon, and I’ll understand if you’re not ready, but I really want to teach you how to swim.”

  I didn’t expect him to say that, so it takes my mind a couple of seconds to catch up. “Tonight?”

  “I want to do it as soon as possible, but you have to be ready. I don’t want to push you. If you’re afraid of water then we –”

  “I’m not afraid of water,” I interrupt him. “I’m afraid of deep water.” I bite my bottom lip, already feeling anxiety tightening in my stomach. “Can I learn in the shallow end?”

  “Definitely,” he answers quickly. “We don’t have to do it all at once. Maybe we can just get in the pool tonight. Once you feel comfortable with that, we can take the next step.”

  “I like the sound of that more,” I admit, some of the anxiety easing back.

  “Do you have a swimsuit?” he asks.

  I let out a burst of laughter then shake my head.

  “That’s okay. I booked a room with a private pool at Hotel Bel-Air, in case you agreed. We’ll have more privacy there, and I didn’t want your first time back in the water to be where the incident happened.”

  This man. Who knew he could be so caring?

  “Should I just wear shorts and a t-shirt?” I ask.

  “You can wear anything to the hotel,” he answers, then he smirks. “You can swim butt naked. You won’t hear me complaining.”

  “Now that’s what I call a good incentive,” I tease.

  Walking into the presidential suite, my eyes widen for what feels like the hundredth time tonight.

  “First the helicopter ride and now this?” I ask as I glance around at all the extravagant luxury. “Not that I’m ungrateful, but… this is… a lot.” I struggle to find the right words to express how I feel.

  Mason wraps his arms around me from behind, and his voice rumbles in my ear, “Just say thank you so we can get naked.”

  “Thank you,” I whisper. I turn around in his arms and smile up at him. “Thank you for doing all of this for me.”

  “Anything for you.”

  He lets go of me and walking to a door he opens it. “Is it okay if we keep the lights off outside, or do you want them on?”

  “Off is fine. Just don’t leave me alone in the dark,” I answer as I come up behind him. “This place is so beautiful. If you had warned me, I could’ve worn something other than jeans and a t-shirt.”

  Mason glances over his shoulder, then frowns. “What’s wrong with what you’re wearing?”

  “Mace, I look like I crawled out of the laundry basket.”

  “Well, take the clothes off, then it won’t be a problem,” he teases.

  “Okay.” Taking hold of my shirt, I pull it over my head and drop it on the floor. Mason leans back against the door jamb and watches me undress. “Are you swimming in your clothes?” I ask when I’m naked as the day I was born.

  His mouth curves at the corner, and when I brush past him, walking out onto the patio, he says, “Seeing your sexy ass, I think we should check out the bedroom first.”

  I glance over my shoulder and let out a chuckle. “I thought we could see what sex is like in a pool.”

  “Works for me,” he comments and quickly begins to drag his clothes off.

  I bring my eyes back to the
water, and the anxiety starts to grow until I fist my hands at my sides.

  You can do this, Kingsley.

  Mason’s with you.

  You can do this.

  Mason presses his body against mine from behind, then says, “Go as slow as you need to.”

  I turn around and look up at him. “Can’t you just throw me over your shoulder and jump in. Like last time. If I go slow, I’ll never get in.”

  His eyes search over my face. “I’m not jumping into that pool with you, Kingsley.” He tilts his head and thinks, then he begins to smile. He takes hold of my hips and lifts me, “Legs around my waist.”

  A smile instantly stretches over my face while I do what he says.

  “You ready?” he asks, not taking his eyes away from mine.

  I take a deep breath, then say, “Yes.”

  When he begins to walk toward the pool, I glance over my shoulder.

  “Eyes on me, Hunt.”

  My head snaps back, and I keep my eyes on his even though he’s looking past me to see where we’re going. When he takes a step down, I tighten my arms around his neck.

  “What music do you like?” he suddenly asks.

  “Anything, as long as it makes sense,” I ramble the answer off when my stomach begins to churn.

  “Do you have a favorite song?”

  I shake my head.

  “How old were you when you lost your virginity?” he asks.

  “Sixteen.” He takes another step down, which has the words exploding from me, “It was in the back seat of Daniel’s car. It smelled like old gym socks.”

  Mason moves forward, and when I feel the water lap at my butt, I cry, “Wait!” I almost climb up him as if he’s a tree, but settle for hiding my face in his neck. My breaths explode over my lips. “Wait.”

  He tightens his arms around me. “I’ve got you.” He presses a kiss to my shoulder, then says, “I like to surf. Going out at sunrise when everything is quiet, it’s one of the best feelings.”

  “I-I bet you’re good at it,” I say breathlessly from the anxiety clawing its way up my spine.

  “Lake is the best between the three of us. It’s like he was born to be a surfer. The way he rides a wave… it’s something to see.”