by Cara Carnes
Dallas Mason was hers in a way no one could ever deny.
27
Two weeks later…
Dallas looked over at the woman beside him. She’d been quiet, tense as a mouse in a cathouse the entire way to Huntsville. To say Daniella DeMarco was not a fan of him, Nolan, or anyone else with the last name Mason was an understatement. She’d crawled into the back seat of the large truck, donned a pair of earbuds and shrunk against the window.
He glanced over at his big brother, who’d taken the woman’s obvious hatred of them hard, mainly because no one knew why—not even Kamren. Sooner or later, they’d unearth the truth. Until then, she was within their protection because she was extended family via her friendship with Kam.
The buzzer sounded as a guard opened the door to the private room they’d secured. Dom shuffled in, pausing at the entry as his restraints were removed. Tears shimmered within Dani’s gaze as it remained locked on her big brother.
Her entire body shook with the emotional tsunami striking her. Dallas set a hand on her back and glanced at Dom, whose entire demeanor of murdering badass died with one glance at his sister.
“Go.” Dallas shoved Dani enough to motor her forward in a rush of limbs. She slammed into her brother, the impact enough to emit a groan from the man, who pulled her into a hug so hard it lifted her from her feet.
Dallas leaned against the back wall beside Nolan, as far away as they could get from the brother and sister as they reunited for the first time since he’d gone down for murder.
Nolan held out the folder they’d brought.
“You sure this is the best play?”
“Yeah, Jud’s down for continuing the Marville cleanup. This is part of it.”
With Rachelle secure in a facility and Henry Mills locked away for kidnapping and under investigation by the FBI, there were still a few loose ends to tie before The Arsenal could consider the Marville matter fully handled. Jesse and Marshall were in San Antonio speaking with the Texas Rangers and handing over all the evidence they had—which was mostly pictures and data HERA had pulled because of Kamren’s investigations.
Sherriff Haskell’s operation in Marville was about to crumble, which would likely unearth other assholes who needed to be taken down. Dallas would help Jud consult with the Texas Rangers until everyone was brought to justice. But he’d also help Riley investigate a mystery that’d gone unsolved too long.
“Riles needs something solid to focus on that’s not us or what went down with her best friend. She’s got a good head on her shoulders, a natural talent for ferreting out truths. She’ll figure out what went down that night.”
“You need help, let me know,” Nolan said. “At least the Marville Dogs aren’t a problem any longer.”
“No, and Haskell won’t be much longer.” Life was shifting into cruise control, and Dallas couldn’t be happier. At Kamren’s suggestion, they’d asked Ellie to help TJ and DJ catch up on their studies via private home study.
Ellie had recently joined their team and had taken on the perilous position of Office Manager, but she’d been an elementary school teacher in Marville until recently. Dallas didn’t know why she’d shifted careers, but she was great with his sons. That’s all that mattered.
While socialization was vital, the doctors didn’t want them rushed. Slow acclimation. Bubba brought Sam and Shane over frequently. A passel of other children had made their way out to The Arsenal, typically on Saturday afternoons when the compound turned into more of a large family commune than a paramilitary organization. If they weren’t wheels up, everyone gathered around grills or in the mess hall and enjoyed life.
“D.” Dom’s voice dragged him back to the present. Dani was wiping at her face as Dom prowled toward Dallas. Hand out, the man’s expression turned soft, the way it’d always been back in the day—when Dallas had been considered a second brother. “Got no words to show my appreciation. Seeing Dani…”
The man’s speech halted as he dragged Dallas into a hug.
“Whatever you need,” Dom said.
Dallas passed the folder off to Dom. “Here’s the rest. Pains me to pass this on, knowing there’re more questions than answers because of what’s inside, but we’re working it. We’ll get answers. Jud, Riley, and I are on point. Everyone else will pitch in as needed. Whatever went down that night you supposedly killed someone, we’ll figure it out.”
“Your sis, she good?”
“She’ll get there. She’s strong. Stubborn.”
“Anything you need.” The man opened the folder and tightened as he scanned the contents. He glanced over at Dani, who smiled at him as she sat at the table. “You show her this shit?”
“Fuck no,” Nolan responded. “She won’t ever see that shit.”
The man grunted. “I’ll make some calls, tighten the security around her.”
“Leave that to us,” Dallas advised. “You did right by her in disbanding the Marville Dogs. Let her breathe free.”
“And Ricardo?” The man thumbed through the contents. “What about him?”
“We’ll find him,” Dallas promised.
Three days later…
Early morning had barely dawned when Kamren snuck out of bed to help Momma Mason undertake the last portion of her preparations. Leaving Dallas sleeping in bed had been tough, but she couldn’t help but take a certain measure of pride that his mom had trusted her with final preparations. She peered out into the large field on one of the back portions of the Mason property.
Folding chairs covered in slate gray and blue so dark it shimmered deep purple filled the area as far as the eye could see. A large tent was a distance away, along with a makeshift stage and dance floor. Brant’s brothers were in the process of laying flooring down between the seats to intersect with a long, wide path to what Kamren assumed was the reception area.
Today was Mary’s and Vi’s wedding day and neither they, nor their grooms, had any idea. More than half of Resino was already there helping to set up and get the elaborately large seating area arranged. Roses in the same beautiful colors were interspersed with white as far as she could see.
“This is beautiful.” She breathed the words on a sigh as her heart thundered wildly. Perfection.
She’d gotten to know the two women very well the past couple weeks. They deserved a happily ever after as big, beautiful, and brilliant as they were. Momma Mason had pulled out all the stops to make sure they got it. Jud’s mom and dad flitted around a large tree near where the altar had been set up. She watched as they argued about which direction to wind the decorations around the thick base. Momma Mason clucked her tongue and settled a hand on Kamren’s arm. “Those two remind me of me and Monty.”
“He must’ve been a hell of a man to land you and have so many wonderful children. You and he did good raising them,” Kamren said.
“I like to think so. In all honesty, I’m thinking a lot of it was sheer luck.” She smiled. “Monty’s grandpa proposed to his girl right there under that tree. He always said any marriage that starts under its branches will last for an eternity.”
Kamren’s eyes watered as her heart swelled. An eternity with Dallas would be awesome. She already missed him, even though they’d only been separated a short while. “Are you sure this is a good idea? Shouldn’t Mary and Vi be getting ready? Like, hair appointments and makeup and stuff?”
“Those two are beautiful just as they are, inside and out. A couple of the women from Resino Hair and Nails are coming by in a bit. Once they’re here, we’ll wander over and let the brides and their men know they’ve got plans today. Until then, we’ll leave them be. No sense in getting those two women worked up, and their men are gonna have hemorrhages about security.”
Kamren looked around, a bit worried about security herself. “Did you happen to mention all this happening today to Marshall? Or Nolan? Maybe Jesse?”
Dallas didn’t know. Either that or he hadn’t told her.
“Those boys have bigger things on their mi
nds. Zoey’s running interference with the drones so the others don’t see anything they shouldn’t. Gage is handling the gate, along with Fallon and that wonderful new man, Marcus. The Burtons were kind enough to take down the fence where our two properties meet so folks can sneak in the back when they’re ready to come on over.”
“Great.” Just what Dallas and his brothers would love to hear.
“And Bree and Rhea have drones up.”
Oh, thank goodness. If the two scientists were running drones, then maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. She tried to imagine Vi’s and Mary’s surprise when they woke up to find out today was the day.
“Now come on, time’s wasting. Brian Burton’s daughter has a bad stomach bug today, so he wasn’t able to get out here and finish welding the arc at the entrance to the reception area. We haven’t even started decorating it yet.” Momma Mason’s voice lowered. “Bree mentioned you could weld and said you’d shown her a few things. I hate to impose, dear, but…”
“Lead the way,” Kamren said quickly. She was glad to have a purpose, a way to help get the festivities underway, but she needed to give Dallas a head’s up this was going down today.
Though she doubted Momma Mason and her well-meaning partners in crime (and there were a lot of them) had flown under the radar. Dallas and his brothers, not to mention all the other operatives at The Arsenal, were pretty observant. Nearly a hundred women, most old enough to be their moms or grandmas, would definitely not go unnoticed.
Kamren hoped.
She followed the woman to the back of the large tent, where a pile of supplies sat beside a welding machine and all the necessary supplies. Gage crossed his arms and glared from his sentry position beside said equipment. Unsure whether the glower was for her or Dallas’s mom, she kept quiet. When the woman beside her shuffled over to Gage, smiled, then pinched his cheeks, Kamren rolled her lips into her mouth and fought the laughter tumbling from her.
“Such a nice boy. When this is all done, you and me are gonna sit down and you’re gonna tell me why you’re giving that nice woman Zoey such fits.” She shook her finger at him. “I know you were raised better than that, Gage Sanderson. Why, I was just on the phone with your sister the other day.”
The man shifted, his eyebrows up near his hairline. “You were on the phone with my sister? When did you two get tight?”
“Oh, she called one day a while back, when you all were looking for DJ. She was having some man troubles, and I happened to be there.” Momma Mason looked up at Gage, seemingly unfazed by the look on his face. “See, dear, that’s what I’m talking about. You’re just like my boys. Protective to the core. Don’t give that girl such a hard time. Take my word for it, she’s a keeper.”
Kamren bit her tongue to not laugh.
“Well, I’ll leave you to it, dear. Thanks again. You let me know if you need anything at all.”
“Thanks, I’ll be fine,” Kamren assured her. She waited until the woman was headed toward whatever the next crisis was before she laughed long, hard, and belly deep.
Gage joined in as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jesus, I’ve never even spoken to her, and she’s already meddling.”
“Just go with it. It’s way easier,” Kamren advised. “So…Zoey?”
“Don’t,” the man warned. “I’ll go ten rounds with Dallas if needed, but I’m not taking your shit, too.”
With that, Kamren laughed her ass off and got to work.
“What do you mean you can’t tell me?” Dallas leaned in, letting the full brunt of his rage loose so the woman peering up at him could experience it fully. He’d never had much reason to have a one-on-one conversation with Zoey, but if she didn’t tell him what he needed to know, they’d be having more than a conversation.
They’d be having a war.
“It’s a secret.” Zoey peered up at him. “How did you get in here? The door was locked.”
“You forget what my last name was?”
“Hardly possible,” she muttered.
“No door’s locked with my last name, especially around here. Where. Is. Kamren?”
“Yeesh, you’re worse than Gage. Listen.” She stood and stretched to her full height by raising on her toes. She barely reached his shoulders. Her eyes widened when he shifted his stance and crossed his arms. “Right. I’ll break this down real slow, Dallas. Kamren is helping with something and cannot be disturbed, most especially by a Mason. So be a good son and go tend to your sons. They just woke.”
Shit.
Dallas glared at the woman and headed back to the main house in a jog. That’s when her last statement struck. Be a good son.
Son of a bitch.
His gaze swept the area. His mom had been AWOL since he’d woken a few minutes ago. Come to think of it, where the fuck was everyone? No operatives or Warrior’s Path participants were milling about. Dread uncurled in his gut.
He entered the family farmhouse and grinned. DJ and TJ had Jesse on the floor. The three were in the midst of a tickle war. All the dread he’d chewed on disappeared beneath the grins of the three people on the ground.
Family.
His family.
Love and happiness filled him as he joined in. By the time he and Jesse had mock surrendered to the two young boys’ tickling prowess, a good twenty minutes had passed.
“You wanna tell me why you looked like you were about to declare war on someone when you walked in here?” Jesse asked.
“Kamren’s AWOL, Zoey’s acting shady, and it’s all somehow tied to Ma.”
Jesse grunted. “You mean the Ma that snuck out of here at three in the morning and tripped the silent alarm I’d added to the house?”
“You added a secondary alarm system to this house? One not tied to HERA?”
Jesse shrugged as he rose, taking TJ with him. The boy curled around him and grinned.
“It’s the big day,” DJ said as Dallas stood.
“What’s the big day?” Dallas asked.
“Dunno. That’s what Gramma was singing when she left.”
“You aren’t supposed to say anything,” TJ chastised his younger brother. “Remember? She said they’d all worry and ruin the day if they knew too soon. That’s what she told Gage outside.”
Dallas debated whether to get onto his eldest for listening in on conversations. It was an ongoing battle, one he couldn’t set aside simply because the boy had information he wanted. Fortunately, Jesse handled it for him.
“Appreciate the info, but we shouldn’t listen in on conversations. If people want us to know something, they’ll come and share.”
“I know,” TJ said. “She was just so happy it made me happy and I wanted to know what to do to make her like that again if she got sad.”
Dallas’s heart clenched. Ma had been beside herself with worry over Riley’s injuries. Little sis was recovering well, though. He glanced up at the upstairs area. If anyone knew what Ma was up to, it’d be her. “I’ll be right back.”
It didn’t surprise him when Riley opened the door the moment he took the last step. He, Jesse and the kids been louder than a thundering herd of buffalo downstairs, which didn’t exactly translate to the ideal environment for sleep. He smiled as she closed the distance and wrapped him in a hug.
“Hearing your laughter. Jesse’s. Your sons making that laughter happen.” She looked up, her blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Her voice was soft, hesitant from nonuse. “Best damn medicine in the world. And I get my second dose later today.”
Dallas tensed as he glanced down at little sis. The pieces clicked together. A chuckle escaped him as he realized what the big day meant. “Shit. Has she even told them?”
“Nope.”
Dallas wasn’t sure whether to laugh or curse, so he opted for amusement. Only Ma would think it was okay to not tell two couples they were sleeping through their wedding day. “I don’t know much about wedding days, but I’m thinking Mary and Vi would like to know so they can get ready. What time?”
&nbs
p; Fuck. Security.
“And this is why she didn’t tell any of you.” Riley swatted Dallas’s arm. “It’s covered. I helped with the details and insisted she call in some of the team leads to help security. Bree, Rhea, and Zoey are helping by manning HERA. The geeks have enough drones flitting about to take on a second-world country. The only thing happening today is a wedding. Or, well, two weddings.”
Son of a bitch.
It was the day.
And he wasn’t ready. “Gotta go, sis. Can you help wrangle the boys? I’ll be back in a bit.”
“What are you up to? Don’t you dare go out and spoil the surprise.”
He didn’t pretend to not know where the big event was being held. He and his brothers had figured that out a few days ago when the Burtons pulled them aside to give them the heads up that the back pasture fence between their properties was going down. Security overrode surprises, even for the townsfolk. They understood and respected the need for security.
But he should have known when they’d broached them meant the big day was coming fast. Son of a bitch. His chest tightened and his stomach did awkward somersaults as he sprinted toward the small cottage beside the one he and Kamren were now in with his sons. He banged on the door and waited. Banged again.
Then again.
He had his fist raised to give it a fourth go when the door opened. Dylan glared as he drew the drawstring in his pants. “There a reason you’re knocking my door down?”
“It’s time.”
“Time?” Dylan swiped his hand across his face.
“Making an honest woman of my nephew’s mom today.” Dallas grinned. “I’m taking my life into my hands by giving you a heads up. Ma’s flying under the radar thanks to our team leads.”
Dylan froze. Eyes wide, body tight. “For real?”
“Not gonna lie about something like that.” Dallas grinned and drew his big brother into a hug.
Dylan tightened the hold. “You ready?”
