by Unknown
Mase growled low in his chest and opened his mouth to speak, no way he would stand by while his girl was insulted, but a light hand on his chest stilled his words. He looked down into a pair of beautiful, brown eyes that were currently pleading with him.
The light tug on his shirt had him bending his head and Jo whispered so only he could hear, "Please just let it go. I don't want to cause a rift between my parents and their friends."
With a nod of his head, he gritted his teeth and held back his cutting remark. He didn't want to cause problems his first time at her parents either, so he kept his silence while Elizabeth rambled on, she seemed to have no problem holding a conversation all on her own, and Mase just tuned her out until it was time to sit down for brunch.
After brunch, everyone sat around the living room, chatting over coffee. Mase was enjoying himself. He really liked Jo's parents. Cathy was a riot and Stu, while more reserved than his wife, was still a funny guy. But mostly he liked them because they loved their daughter. It showed in their every word and action.
Two cups of coffee later, Mase had to take a piss. He leaned in and whispered to Jo who directed him to the correct hall with a point of her finger. He conducted his business and on his way back, stopped to look at the photos lining the hall wall. They were all of Jo at various ages. She'd been beautiful even as a little girl, even when she had braces.
One particular picture of Jo as a young teen caught his eye. She was at the center of a small group of kids, and he wondered if those were the kids she'd babysat for. He was so engrossed in his inspection, he didn't hear the person sidle up to him until he felt a cold hand on his arm and warm breath tickle his ear.
"I'm not exactly sure how Joanna was able to snag someone like you, but tell me you wouldn't be happier with me on your arm."
Mase tensed at Elizabeth's words and thought about the best way to extract himself from the situation without causing a scene. "Actually," Mase said, taking a sidestep away and leaning his back against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "I was the one lucky enough to do the snagging. Jo wanted nothing to do with me."
Elizabeth gave a delicate snort. "Figures. She never was very bright."
"Smart enough to know it takes more than just a pretty face to snag..." he uncrossed his arms to make air quotes with his fingers, but before he could say anything further, she made her move, throwing herself against his chest.
The air left his lungs in a whoosh as his hands automatically came up to grip her shoulders, intending to push her away but as he looked up, he saw Jo standing at the entrance to the hall.
Their eyes locked. He couldn't read her expression from such a distance, but he knew this didn't look good. Fuck. This was the one thing she was irrationally insecure about. He wasn't a cheater, and no way would he ever (nor would he ever want to) cheat on Jo. But he understood her fears, she'd been burned once before, so he went out of his way to make sure those fears were unfounded with him.
Mase felt Elizabeth's hold on him tighten and her body pressed closer as she turned her head and spied Jo. "Oops, we've been caught," he heard her purr. He couldn't see Elizabeth's face but was sure a malicious smile decorated her features.
Jo stepped farther into the hall, her face expressionless, and Mase, desperate to explain the situation, said the first stupidly clichéd thing that popped into his head. "This isn't what it looks like."
Chapter Twenty
Mase give Elizabeth's shoulders a shove that sent her back a few steps, causing her to almost topple. Jo watched in fascinated disbelief as she teetered on her heels but kept her balance at the last moment. Oh, but what she wouldn't have given to have seen her land on her ass.
She turned her attention from Elizabitch to Mase. "Can I talk to you a minute?" She didn't wait for a response, just led him to her old bedroom and quietly closed the door.
Her room was exactly as she'd left it eight years ago. Why her parents had never turned it into anything else, she had no clue. But that was a question best left for another day. Mase stood in the middle of the room, not curiously looking around at all her childhood memorabilia but instead, his attention was focused solely on her.
He was the first to break the silence. "Angel, I promise you, that's not what it looked like."
Jo closed the distance between them and captured his hands with hers, entwining their fingers. "I know it wasn't."
He raised his eyebrows. "You do?" He asked, sounding startled.
"Yeah. I've known Elizabeth a very long time. I know the kind of person she is and what she's capable of but that's not the reason why."
"It's not?" He asked, now sounding confused.
She gave him a smile, shaking her head. "No. The reason I know it wasn't what it looked like is because I know you wouldn't do something like that to me." She gave his hands a squeeze. "I've learned something these last few weeks, being with you. I've learned what I had before, that relationship wasn't trustworthy because there was no love. You've shown me the difference.
"I didn't know it back then, but not once when I stared into Mike's eyes did I see love, but I see it every time I look into yours. Your love for me shines so bright, it's left no room for doubt, and I thank you for that. I thank you for giving me the faith to trust in someone again, trust in you."
"Mase, I..." The words love you stuck in her throat. Her emotions were too new and old hurts were too close to the surface. She just hoped the love she saw reflected in his eyes, shone back at him from hers, and he understood what she was silently trying to say.
He cradled her face so tenderly, resting his forehead on hers. "I see it, Angel. It's okay, I've seen it for a while."
Her throat grew tight and she nodded, unable to speak. Her eyes filled and she didn't try to stop the tears from falling. She knew it would be a losing battle.
"Don't cry, sweetheart. You know how I hate to see your tears." His thumbs swiped at her cheeks as he ran soft, baby kisses along her jaw.
Her hands found his shoulders, sliding up his neck, and into his hair. It had grown longer since they first met and now, her fingers could almost curl into the strands.
Her head tipped back when his kisses trailed down her neck, his tongue exploring the pulse that beat with a steady, thumping force. His hands blazed a trail down her torso, stopping to hold onto her waist, his fingers digging into her hips. His lips found hers and she parted them willingly, breathing out a sigh that he caught then returned with a low growl of his own.
His hands came back to cup her cheeks as he ended the kiss, once more resting his forehead against hers. "I do need one promise from you."
"Anything," she whispered, willing to give him the moon if she could.
"Promise me you won't say that asshole's name ever again. I see red every time I hear it."
"I promise." Happily, she thought.
"Hell, I don't even want you thinking his name or thinking about him, for that matter. I want him banished from your brain."
Jo giggled. They both knew that was impossible, but they could pretend. "Done. Anything else, Ace?"
He gave her one of his tender smiles. "Yeah, let's go home, Angel."
Mase hit the mute button on the TV remote. "Babe, about what happened today–"
"Mase, I already explained to you, I don't blame you for that. Did I like seeing her hanging all over you? No, but it didn't hurt me or upset me at all. It just really pissed me off. How dare she put her hands on you."
They were snuggled up in Jo's bed, Mase with his back to the headboard, his arm around Jo, and Jo leaning into his side, her head resting on his shoulder.
"That's not what I wanted to talk about," he said, giving her a squeeze. "But what happened today made me think about something that we do need to talk about."
She tilted her head back to look at him. "What's that?"
"You know, once the season starts, I'll need to travel. Not a lot," he added quickly before she could jump to the wrong conclusions. "But I'll be gone a few days
, a couple times a month, for away games. I wanted to mention this now, so it doesn't become a big issue at the last minute."
Jo thought for a moment, running all the various worst case scenarios through her mind and making herself wacky in the process. She knew in her heart that she could trust Mase. What she'd shared with him earlier that day, she'd meant, but her damn insecurities couldn't stop the tiny kernel of doubt that formed when she thought of him alone in a hotel room hundreds of miles away from her.
Sleeping with Mase every night, knowing he was beside her, went a long way in making her feel secure, but what would happen when he was gone? She could picture herself, lying alone in bed. Her imagination would run rampant and even if Mase did nothing wrong, her unwarranted worries could lead to bitterness and that was something she definitely didn't want. They had to find a way to solve this dilemma, make her feel secure, so she didn't end up ruining the best thing to ever happen to her over unfounded jealousy.
"I won't lie and tell you this doesn't worry me."
"I know, babe. That's why I brought it up."
Jo sat up, scooting her body to face Mase. She planted her feet on the bed, rested her chin on her knees, and hugged her legs. "So what do we do?"
"I've been thinking. We usually fly out on a Friday and come home on a Monday. I know you love your job and don't want you to jeopardize it in any way, but maybe if you explained things, you could take a couple days off a month to travel with me."
That caught her attention. "You wouldn't mind me traveling with you?"
"Angel, I don't want to be away from you any more than you want to be separated from me. I like holding you in my arms every night. I've grown so used to it, I'm not sure if I could sleep without you."
"And don't you think that's a little weird and needy?"
Mase shrugged. "If it works for us, who cares."
Jo giggled. "You're crazy, but yeah, okay. I'll talk to my boss. See if I can work something out."
"We've got time. Preseason doesn't start for another eight weeks. We'll work something out before then. Now, come back here." He held his arm out wide for her to get back into position, and she gladly complied with his request.
*
Mase was awakened by the loud, jarring ringtone of Jo's phone. It had to be late, the phone was the only glow in the otherwise darkened room. He reached across her body and snatched the offending object from the bedside table, glancing at the screen.
"Who is it?" Jo mumbled softly below him.
"No name, just a number." He handed her the phone.
She cleared her throat before answering. "Hello." He leaned back out of her way as she quickly scrambled into a sitting position. "Where are you now?" Mase heard the worry in her voice and he grew concerned. "Text me the address, and I'll call the police."
What the fuck? He went to grab her phone, but she quickly leaned out of his reach, holding up her pointer, silently telling him to wait a minute.
"Fine. But stay in the store. I'll be there in twenty. I'll text you when I get there and it's safe to come out." She hung up and sighed.
"What is it?"
She set the phone back on the table and got out of bed. "I'll tell you while we're getting dressed. We have to hurry."
He got out of bed and switched on the bedside lamp before reaching for his jeans on the floor. "Okay, tell me."
Jo pulled her T-shirt over her head and stuck her arms through the sleeves before she explained. "That was Chris. He's in trouble. We need to go pick him up." She slipped into the bathroom and Mase finished getting dressed. He was ready by the time she came out.
"Where is he?" Mase grabbed his wallet off the end table and put it in his back pocket before snatching up his keys.
"At a convenience store on the corner of Oakey and Rancho."
"Let's go." He led her out of the house and to his car. Luckily, he had his SUV. Jo had been silent during this whole exchange, more than likely worried about her kid. Once they were on the road, he said, "Tell me what's going on."
"He didn't say much other than he needed help and to hurry. He sounded panicked and when I mentioned the cops, he freaked." She shrugged. "Guess we'll find out the full story after we pick him up."
She turned in her seat as far as the seat belt would allow, facing Mase. "I know you've only known him a week, but he's a good kid. Unfortunately, he's been in the system a long time, almost ten years, and he's been mine for the last four. He's smart, always gotten good grades, but getting mixed up with the wrong crowd, can cause a fast, downward spiral. We need to prevent that from happening."
Mase reached over and took her hand. He didn't miss the "we" in her words and felt gratified that she included him in the most important aspect of her life. Her kids. "Don't worry, Angel, we'll get him, find out what's going on, and figure something out." He gave her hand a squeeze. "You have my word on it."
Jo texted Chris when they were a block from the Shop-N-Go and told him to watch for their black SUV. When Mase pulled up, Chris slipped out the shop's front doors and into the backseat.
"Where to?" Mase asked, pulling out of the parking lot.
Chris leaned forward between the two front seats. "I can't go to the house. They'll find me there."
"Don't worry, Chris. We'll take you to my house. Now, sit back and put on your seat belt."
Mase debated if taking Chris home with them was a good idea, but not knowing the situation, he couldn't make that decision. They arrived at Jo's house and Mase pulled into the driveway. He cut the ignition then turned in his seat to look back at Chris. "As soon as we walk through that door, we're going to sit down, and you're going to tell us everything from the beginning, understand?"
Chris lowered his eyes from Mase's gaze but spoke clearly when he replied, "Yes, sir."
"Good. Come on." He went to Jo's side of the car and helped her out before ushering everyone into the house. "Have a seat." He directed to the living-room chair while leading Jo to the couch and pulling her down next to him. "Okay, now start talking."
Chris looked a bit uncomfortable, but Mase held his eyes until he started speaking. "Dante, a friend from school, introduced me to his cousin, Carlos, and his friends. We hung out a few times. They seemed like really nice guys. They were cool, you know, and they gave us shit."
"Like what kind of shit?" Mase asked.
Chris darted his eyes to Jo then quickly looked away. Mase didn't miss the gesture. "A little weed, some beer, cash for our pocket."
Mase heard Jo sigh. He took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Then what?"
"Well, that went on for a few months then they wanted us to do things in return. It started out small, no big deal, deliver an envelope to some guy or pick up something from another. Dante and I didn't think much of it and figured it was the least we could do after all they had done for us."
Chris became silent for a minute and Jo prodded, "Go on."
"Then they asked us to do something I didn't really want to do." He gave Jo a sheepish look.
"Break into cars and steal the radios?" Jo asked quietly.
Chris nodded. "I told Carlos no, I wasn't gonna do it. Told him I didn't want to get in trouble. He said I owed him. He said if I knew what was good for me, I'd do it. He even hinted at hurting some of the younger kids at the house.
"I knew I couldn't let that happen. I knew it was my fault for getting involved. I'm not stupid. I knew they'd want payback for the money they gave us, but I thought I was so fuckin' smart. Thought I knew what I was doing, but I got in way over my head."
Mase felt Jo stiffen beside him, but she didn't reprimand Chris for his language, so he decided to let it pass, too. This one time. The kid was upset, but he still needed to watch his mouth in front of Jo.
"Why didn't you come to me? We could have figured something out." Jo's voice was still calm, almost soothing, and he realized this was one of the reasons she was so good at her job. She never lost her shit.
Chris, his elbows resting on his kne
es, plowed his fingers through his hair, cradling his head. He spoke to his feet. "Those kids, that house, it's the only family I have and even that's not permanent." He raised his head. He refused to look at Mase, instead had eyes only for Jo, to save face, Mase knew, when he spied the unshed tears glistening in his eyes. "I didn't want anyone to get hurt for something stupid I did."
Mase gained his attention by asking, "What happened tonight?"
"Since my arrest, I've tried to take a step back. You know, trying to cut ties. I told them I was busy coaching the football camp and babysitting the younger kids at the house now that school's out for the summer."
Jo nodded, silently agreeing she thought what he'd said was a good idea. "Dante called me this afternoon. Said they'd been giving him shit. Said if he didn't get me to come tonight, then they would go looking for me, and I wouldn't like it if that happened. So after everyone went to bed, I snuck out.
"When I got to the house, I immediately knew I was in trouble. Guns..." he shook his head, "...I don't even know what kind or how many, all over the dining-room table. There were also more people there than I'd ever seen. All gang members. All older. And I was starting to understand that Carlos wasn't the leader like I'd thought but just a follower, a recruiter, maybe. The guy that finds estúpido boys like me to pull into their web."
"Chris," Jo whispered, dejectedly.
Mase gave her hand another squeeze, telling her silently to let him finish.
"One of the older guys, I think his name was Marc, he walked up, patted me on the back, and told me I would be earning my colors tonight. He gave me a gun and laughed, telling me to be careful because it was loaded.
"I didn't know what they had planned, but I knew I wanted no part in anything that involved guns. I escaped out the back when they weren't paying attention and hid out awhile. I knew I couldn't go home. Then I remembered I had your number in my pocket." He shrugged as if saying, you know the rest.
