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“Dad.” I held a warning in my voice and started to stand up. “I’m not getting into it about Sam. That’s my problem.”

He rose with me, his head lowered like we were about to do battle. “She’s the daughter of the woman I love. I know she’s the woman you love, but I’m invested, too.”

“Because of Analise?”

“Because you both love her—Logan, too. Now tell me what is going on.”

Should I?

For the first time since I couldn’t remember, I stared at my father and considered opening up. I wasn’t forced to ask for a favor—not like two years ago when we needed help dealing with a guy going after Logan’s girlfriend.

All the hatred and loathing I used to feel for my father was gone, and a small amount of respect had taken its place, but I still couldn’t make myself say the words. I still didn’t trust him enough.

He sighed, as if sensing my internal battle. “Mason, I know I was a fuck-up as a father. I let you raise yourself and your brother. I knew the effect my cheating had on your mother, and I still did it. I never stepped in and called her on her neglect, because that would’ve meant the reason for her neglect had to be discussed.” He glanced away and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I’m sorry.” He looked back, raw pain on his face. “I know I’ve apologized before. I know I’ve tried to show you I’m a changed man, and I also know I can never force you to accept me back in your life. But you don’t have to do any of that. You took this internship because of your business requirement. I get that, and I’m glad you’re here. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It would’ve hurt me if you’d gone to a different corporation. So, I don’t know. Maybe you can just tell me what’s going on because I love you? No tit for tat. No blackmail. Nothing. Just…I want to help if I can.”

I studied him. He could be lying. He could use this against me in the future. If I was going to open up, so was he.

“When is Analise going to approach Sam?” I asked.

“What?” He tilted his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. She’s here. She knows Sam is here. When’s she going to make her move?”

He shook his head. “Analise promised Malinda a year ago that she’d step back. It’s all on Sam’s timeline. When and if she wants to talk to her, Analise is ready, but it’s up to Sam. She said that to Malinda, and she meant it. Why?”

Because my girlfriend is running herself ragged, worried about when Analise will show up on our doorstep. Because she jumps every time someone knocks on the door. Because I’m tired of catching her looking out the window to see if she’ll see Analise walking down the sidewalk.

I put my hands into my pockets and lifted a shoulder. “No reason. We were just wondering.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Well, if you want to clue me in on why you have to watch Sam during the afternoon, I’d appreciate it.” He held his hands up. “But I’m not going to force you.” He waited a beat, a half-smile lifting the side of his mouth. “It’s been nice having you work for me.” He nodded to the stack of papers on his desk. “Thank you for all of that. I know the opening ceremony will be a huge success, and not because you’re loaning out your name, but because of the work you’ve done. You and Adam Quinn.”

I winced. “Don’t give that guy any credit.”

“Why? He’s not doing his fair share?”

“No, because he is.” I turned to leave and added over my shoulder, “That’s what’s annoying about him.”

I heard my dad’s chuckle as I left, and for once in a long time, I didn’t hate the sound of it.

SAMANTHA

“If you wanted to work behind a bar, I could’ve pulled rank with Brandon. You didn’t need to join my competitor.”

It was late afternoon, and I was washing a glass when Heather slid onto the solitary barstool we had by the counter. It was there for the staff to rest while waiting for their orders to be filled. The rest of the customers had to come up, get their beers, and sit at one of the thirty picnic tables set up outside the beer garden’s tent.

I lowered the glass and automatically reached for a beer. Sliding it across the counter to her, I said, “You know I’m sorry.”

“I know.” She took the beer. “And you already explained, but I gotta give you a hard time.”

I shot her a rueful grin. “I feel like an asshole.”

“As you should.” She grinned back. “I’m just kidding. I have to give you some shit.”

“But still…it’s your business.”

She shrugged. “It’ll be fine. Your safety is more important, and it’s not your fault that your boyfriend has enough clout in the community to pull people from one business to another.” She closed her eyes, a soft smile on her face. “Oh, what it would be like to have a normal best friend with a normal boyfriend.”

“Shut up.” But I was laughing.

“For real, though…” She opened her eyes to look at me. “I just want you to be safe.”

“I know, and I think I am.” I glanced around the busy tables. Heather was right. The group that had been hanging out at Manny’s moved with Mason to the beer garden. It wasn’t just our peers—those who had stayed home after high school or the ones home only for the summer—but much of the rest of Fallen Crest as well. Channing had stopped in a few times, but he remained close to Manny’s, so Heather wasn’t hurting as much as she was teasing me about. I knew most of the Roussou crowd had taken Manny’s as their new spot. Which had me thinking: “If Channing’s running his own bar, why’s he in Fallen Crest so much?”

“He’s running it with his cousin. Channing takes the day hours, and Scratch has the evenings.”

“He brings a lot of people over with him. Why don’t they stay in Roussou and go to his bar?”

“Because Channing isn’t there.” She said it so simply. “And because his bar is geared to a rougher crowd. It’s a hardcore biker bar.”

“Really?”

She nodded. “It’ll taper off in the winter months. He’s over here because of me right now, and I’m here because of the summer hours. Then all the summer folk will head out, and Manny’s will go back to normal. I can take a few more nights off.” She rolled her eyes. “Plus, Channing’s got his own pull now because of his fighting. I’m hoping he’ll stop in the fall.”

“Really?” I felt like a parrot.

“I’m not here to talk about my relationship and business,” Heather announced. “I’m here to check in with you.” She eyed the far table where Mason and Adam had set up camp, laptops, books, and notebooks spread out between them. “How’s that going?”

“What do you mean? That Mason’s here to protect me from Caldron? That he and Adam are working together here, or the fact that they’re working together?”

“Any and all of that.”

A customer came up, and I started to fill the order, but I couldn’t help looking back to Mason’s table. After Caldron’s attack, the rest of the week had seemed almost boring. I worked at the beer garden every night, and after the first few passed with no incidents, Petey had relaxed. He realized I wasn’t going to fuck things up for him, and the rest of the workers accepted me once they learned an increase in their tips came with me.

Even Keifer had stopped coming over and glaring at us every night. He still came in, but he only glared half the time. The other half he spent arguing with Petey or laughing with my coworkers. He hadn’t checked in today. Yet. He would, and every time he did, he stared at Mason for a good ten minutes. Mason had stared back the first night, but when Keifer didn’t do anything, Mason stopped paying attention. Or that was how it seemed to everyone else. I knew he was on full alert, and not just because of my boss. He was waiting for Caldron’s next move. So far, nothing had happened.

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