"She's threatening to leave him if I won't stop seeing you."
"Are you kidding me?"
He shook his head. There was a deep pain in his eyes. It stabbed me in the chest. "What else?" I knew there was more. I needed to know all of it now.
"She said that if he can't control his kid, then she'll control hers. She's saying that she'll leave him and take you away."
I waited a beat.
I let his words sink in. And then I went with my gut. "She's lying."
She had to be lying. That was all there was to it.
Mason didn't say a word.
I knew my mother, and I knew she wouldn't leave James Kade. There was no way. He was her bread and butter. He was her soulmate, or so she thought, and he loved her. I knew David loved her, but he didn't love her as much as James Kade did.
I squeezed Mason's hand. I squeezed until I feared it might come off, but I couldn't stop. "She's lying. Analise knows that James won't want to lose her. He loves her that much, so she's bluffing. She won't leave him. She knows he'll step in and stop her before she does."
He fell back against his seat and said quietly, "I know, but it's going to work. He's going to kick me out to keep her."
My eyes closed. My mom really was a bastard. So much other emotions came up within me, but I pushed them back down. I rasped out, "What do we do?"
"We can't call her bluff. Then he'll really do it."
And that was the crux of it. My mother was sending an ultimatum. Her or his son. James had to choose and we knew who that would be.
CHAPTER FOUR
We didn't go back to the Kade mansion. We had another two weeks of break before we had to make any decisions so we went to Los Angeles. Just him and me. It was needed.
He called Nate after we turned the car around. He told him that we were going to be staying at one of his mother's places. Then he called Logan and told him the same, except he said that it was because we wanted some alone time. Neither had been happy, particularly when he said it might be for awhile, but neither argued.
I knew both wanted their partner in crime for whatever adventures they thought would happen, but the truth was that I wanted to get away. The tension had become unbearable at home between Analise and Mason. Neither would back down, and I was scared of what could happen. Logan stayed out of it, mostly, but there were times he would stir the pot. A smartass comment would come out or he would insinuate how the sex must've been good between Mason and me. And he loved to share his own sexual stories. Analise looked ready to explode when she was reminded how sexually experienced they were.
My stomach twisted in knots again as I remembered a few of those times. James and I were the quiet ones, but I could tell he was affected as well. I didn't understand the dynamic between him and his sons, but I knew it was a strange one.
"Here we are." Mason slowed his Escalade and turned into a cobblestone driveway that led to a large door. A doorman was in front of the sliding glass doors. As a black limousine paused in front of us, a woman in a nude-colored dress stepped out. She wore sunglasses and her blonde hair was swept up in a fancy bun. As we watched, she waited for the driver to pull a piece of luggage out of the back for her. Instead of handing it to her, it was handed to the doorman, who swept his hand out so the doors slid open. Then he followed her inside. It wasn't long before the driver returned to his seat and the limousine pulled away from the doors.
"Your mom has a place in this building?"
"Yep, she's got one of the top floors."
My mouth dropped.
He flashed a grin. "I told you my mom was wealthy. My dad's money can't touch hers. This is only one of her places, and trust me, this is the one she rarely uses. You saw that lady just now?"
I nodded.
"My mom hates her." He shrugged. "No idea why."
"That's why your mom doesn't come here that often?"
He nodded as the doorman appeared again. Then he pulled his Escalade up to the door. When we both got out, the doorman broke out into a friendly grin. He wore a navy blue suit with a yellow tie. He looked older, possibly in his fifties, with graying hair. His smile lit up his face. The blue in his eyes turned warm, and the affection he felt for Mason was evident. He drew him in for a hug and clasped him on the shoulder with his black leather gloves. "It's good to see you, Master Kade! It's been so long."
Mason's own smile was ear to ear when he stepped back. "It has been."
The man still held onto his arms. He didn't drop them when his smile slipped a little bit. "And your mother? Is she here with you?"
"Nah, Stuart. I hope she won't find out that I'm here." Then he extended a hand towards me. "This is my girlfriend, Sam. We're on break from school so we're hiding out."
The warm eyes turned towards me, and they sparkled as he took me in. "I see." His hands fell away from Mason's arms. "She is a beauty, Mason. You have done well."
"I think so."
With both of their attention on me, I flushed and looked away. Beauty? What was he smoking?
"And Logan?"
"Nope. It's just me and Sam."
"Ah, I see. One of those vacations."
"Yeah and mum's the word, Stu."
"Of course, Master Kade."
A curse slipped out. "Come on, Stu. Mason. You're supposed to call me Mason."
"Of course, Master Kade." Then I looked back and he held out a hand to me. "And what shall I call this exquisite beautiful creature? I cannot call you by your personal name, Sam. Samantha? Mistress, hmmm? What is your last name?"
"You can call her Samantha."
I took his hand, and my eyes went wide when he lifted it for a kiss. His cool lips pressed a chaste kiss to the back of my hand, but the friendliness in his eyes overwhelmed me. He wasn't inappropriately friendly. I knew it was from the respect he held for Mason. It took my breath away for a moment.
"I cannot," he murmured as he let go of my hand. "I have not earned the right to use her first name. What is your last name?"
"Strattan."
"Mistress Strattan it is." His smile deepened an inch.
I wanted to groan as I realized that I would be called that from now on. Awkward. And if any of my friends heard him—no. I didn't have any friends. It didn't matter.
"Are you kidding me?"
He shook his head. There was a deep pain in his eyes. It stabbed me in the chest. "What else?" I knew there was more. I needed to know all of it now.
"She said that if he can't control his kid, then she'll control hers. She's saying that she'll leave him and take you away."
I waited a beat.
I let his words sink in. And then I went with my gut. "She's lying."
She had to be lying. That was all there was to it.
Mason didn't say a word.
I knew my mother, and I knew she wouldn't leave James Kade. There was no way. He was her bread and butter. He was her soulmate, or so she thought, and he loved her. I knew David loved her, but he didn't love her as much as James Kade did.
I squeezed Mason's hand. I squeezed until I feared it might come off, but I couldn't stop. "She's lying. Analise knows that James won't want to lose her. He loves her that much, so she's bluffing. She won't leave him. She knows he'll step in and stop her before she does."
He fell back against his seat and said quietly, "I know, but it's going to work. He's going to kick me out to keep her."
My eyes closed. My mom really was a bastard. So much other emotions came up within me, but I pushed them back down. I rasped out, "What do we do?"
"We can't call her bluff. Then he'll really do it."
And that was the crux of it. My mother was sending an ultimatum. Her or his son. James had to choose and we knew who that would be.
CHAPTER FOUR
We didn't go back to the Kade mansion. We had another two weeks of break before we had to make any decisions so we went to Los Angeles. Just him and me. It was needed.
He called Nate after we turned the car around. He told him that we were going to be staying at one of his mother's places. Then he called Logan and told him the same, except he said that it was because we wanted some alone time. Neither had been happy, particularly when he said it might be for awhile, but neither argued.
I knew both wanted their partner in crime for whatever adventures they thought would happen, but the truth was that I wanted to get away. The tension had become unbearable at home between Analise and Mason. Neither would back down, and I was scared of what could happen. Logan stayed out of it, mostly, but there were times he would stir the pot. A smartass comment would come out or he would insinuate how the sex must've been good between Mason and me. And he loved to share his own sexual stories. Analise looked ready to explode when she was reminded how sexually experienced they were.
My stomach twisted in knots again as I remembered a few of those times. James and I were the quiet ones, but I could tell he was affected as well. I didn't understand the dynamic between him and his sons, but I knew it was a strange one.
"Here we are." Mason slowed his Escalade and turned into a cobblestone driveway that led to a large door. A doorman was in front of the sliding glass doors. As a black limousine paused in front of us, a woman in a nude-colored dress stepped out. She wore sunglasses and her blonde hair was swept up in a fancy bun. As we watched, she waited for the driver to pull a piece of luggage out of the back for her. Instead of handing it to her, it was handed to the doorman, who swept his hand out so the doors slid open. Then he followed her inside. It wasn't long before the driver returned to his seat and the limousine pulled away from the doors.
"Your mom has a place in this building?"
"Yep, she's got one of the top floors."
My mouth dropped.
He flashed a grin. "I told you my mom was wealthy. My dad's money can't touch hers. This is only one of her places, and trust me, this is the one she rarely uses. You saw that lady just now?"
I nodded.
"My mom hates her." He shrugged. "No idea why."
"That's why your mom doesn't come here that often?"
He nodded as the doorman appeared again. Then he pulled his Escalade up to the door. When we both got out, the doorman broke out into a friendly grin. He wore a navy blue suit with a yellow tie. He looked older, possibly in his fifties, with graying hair. His smile lit up his face. The blue in his eyes turned warm, and the affection he felt for Mason was evident. He drew him in for a hug and clasped him on the shoulder with his black leather gloves. "It's good to see you, Master Kade! It's been so long."
Mason's own smile was ear to ear when he stepped back. "It has been."
The man still held onto his arms. He didn't drop them when his smile slipped a little bit. "And your mother? Is she here with you?"
"Nah, Stuart. I hope she won't find out that I'm here." Then he extended a hand towards me. "This is my girlfriend, Sam. We're on break from school so we're hiding out."
The warm eyes turned towards me, and they sparkled as he took me in. "I see." His hands fell away from Mason's arms. "She is a beauty, Mason. You have done well."
"I think so."
With both of their attention on me, I flushed and looked away. Beauty? What was he smoking?
"And Logan?"
"Nope. It's just me and Sam."
"Ah, I see. One of those vacations."
"Yeah and mum's the word, Stu."
"Of course, Master Kade."
A curse slipped out. "Come on, Stu. Mason. You're supposed to call me Mason."
"Of course, Master Kade." Then I looked back and he held out a hand to me. "And what shall I call this exquisite beautiful creature? I cannot call you by your personal name, Sam. Samantha? Mistress, hmmm? What is your last name?"
"You can call her Samantha."
I took his hand, and my eyes went wide when he lifted it for a kiss. His cool lips pressed a chaste kiss to the back of my hand, but the friendliness in his eyes overwhelmed me. He wasn't inappropriately friendly. I knew it was from the respect he held for Mason. It took my breath away for a moment.
"I cannot," he murmured as he let go of my hand. "I have not earned the right to use her first name. What is your last name?"
"Strattan."
"Mistress Strattan it is." His smile deepened an inch.
I wanted to groan as I realized that I would be called that from now on. Awkward. And if any of my friends heard him—no. I didn't have any friends. It didn't matter.
