Chapter 13: We Didn’t Even Really Have Sex! (Kane) - Once I Find You

“Just get your ass in the truck,” I grumble, tossing Mason’s duffle bag into the backseat of the truck.

“Jeez, what’s up your ass?” Mason laughs as he hops in.

“You know it’s the crack of dawn, and you’re already here complaining about my truck, joking about this and that⁠—”

“Whatever, how about I make it up to you by buying you some breakfast?”

I can’t say no to food. I could go for a big platter right now.

Mason goes on and on as we drive from the airport, telling me about everything he’s been up to the last few years. He left the army not too long after me, and if I had to guess, I think the real reason was that he saw how fucked up I was after what happened to Mel and Sadie, and he didn’t want to end up stuck somewhere far from anyone he loved. At least someone can learn from my mistakes.

He’s been working as a private trainer in some fancy gym, so he loves bragging about all the ladies he gets to be around. Don’t get me wrong, Mason is a stand-up guy. I had to teach him to be when he came under my wing at the ripe age of eighteen; but he can be a damn shameless playboy when he wants to be.

Regardless, I’m just happy he’s figuring himself out. He’s only twenty-seven now, so he has a long way to go. He doesn’t have much family to speak of, so I feel like I accidentally adopted him when he joined the army.

Guess I have a tendency to pick up strays.

I park my truck on the corner, and we walk into the little diner near my shop.

“Hey Kane! Oh wow, for two today?” Linda is a nice older woman, and the only waitress in this place. I have a routine of coming here every Sunday morning.

“Yup. Found him on the side of the road with his damn thumb out,” I joke as I duck into the booth.

“Nice to meet you ma’am, I’m Mason. Kane’s basically my pop,” he says as he shakes her hand.

“Oh, I like this one,” she says with a smile as she points at him.

Mason joins me on the other side of the booth, and she takes our orders. “So, seriously, what’s up with you? You’re much grumpier than usual.”

Well, if only I could get a certain copper-haired woman out of my fucking head.

“Just a rough two days. I had a lot of shit going on at the shop I had to get done before today,” I say, taking a sip of the black coffee Linda dropped off.

“Yeah? Glad you got good business then. What about the other business?”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, peachy.”

“That’s it? You usually yap about it at least a little,” he asks, eyeing me like he can tell I’m hiding something.

But there is no way in fuck he can know about Layla.

“Well, I’m not in the mood. Decided I’d cut down on it since you’re visiting anyway. I’ll be on a break from it till you head out.” When I say that, he sets down his glass of juice, and I groan when I see that damn look on his face. “What?”

“About that…I actually might not be heading out.”

Oh, fuck no. “You are heading out, in two weeks, back to your big city life and job.”

“I quit. I know you don’t want me here because of…you know. But I want to be here. You’re all I have, old man. I’ll find my own place, but I’m not leaving.”

My jaw clenches as I cross my arms, but Mason isn’t the sentimental type. If he’s saying something like that…he means it. And fuck if it doesn’t crack my irritation just a bit.

“You can’t get tossed into my shit. I have a chance of being found out at any time, I told you that. It’s best to keep your distance so you’re not dragged into an investigation.” I lower my voice when Linda comes back over, dropping off our plates before walking off again.

“So, why not stop? You and I can spend time together. I’ll help in the shop, bring in some more business with this handsome face.” He gestures to himself with a smug smile, and I click my tongue. “Plus, you can’t do this forever. You’ve done a mighty honorable service, but you’ve spent your whole adult life doing that. The army, taking care of Mel, the killings. When do you get to stop and smell the daisies?”

Do I deserve to stop? To live my life normally when they didn’t get to?

“Don’t do that thing you always do. You know you’re not some storybook hero, right? You don’t have to take all this on. Mel and Sadie loved you, what happened to them isn’t on you. It’s on that son of a bitch who did it to them. You already got justice for them, Kane. What are you chasing now?”

“You don’t understand it yet because you haven’t lost everything. I’m atoning for my sins, Mason.”

“You are not a sinner, Kane. You fucking pick up puppies off the side of the road, and give, and give, and give all you have to everyone all the time without even thinking about yourself.”

I look down at my plate, taking another bite instead of replying. What the fuck does he want me to say? I don’t know when I’ll feel like I’ve made up for what happened to them. I don’t know any other way.

Mason sighs, shaking his head. “At least consider it. Why don’t we talk about it again after you think about what I said? I mean it when I say I’m not leaving either way.”

“Fine. Just drop it for now,” I say flatly.

I don’t know what to do, Mel. I wish you were here.

* * *

Mason is able to get over tension quickly. He’s already excitedly exploring the shop, touching shit he has no business touching.

“Oh man, you could get so much more business here if you just had a good sign. Why do you leave it so…”

He struggles to pick a word, and I interrupt him. “Be careful what you say.”

“You know what I mean! This place could do with some fixin’ up! I’d be happy to work on some painting or something this week.

“This is an auto shop. It isn’t meant to look nice.”

“Wrong again, old man. Don’t you wanna be successful? I mean, you don’t wanna be working when you’re eighty, do you?”

“If I make it there,” I say lowly, and he laughs at my dark humor as I lean against a table. The truth is I could spend my life in prison if I’m not careful. Maybe that would be better for me anyway.

No, no. That won’t be good for anyone. I won’t take the easy way out.

“I’ll make sure you make it there. Ain’t you excited to have me around?”

“Ecstatic.”

I finally lead him upstairs to unpack his things in the guest bedroom, while Bacon excitedly loops around.

The night feels long. He keeps me up, forcing me to watch some sort of action movie. Truthfully, I did miss him. I guess I did him a disservice by staying away. Have I done everything wrong again? Maybe he was my second chance at family, and I left him behind just like I did to Mel.

Fuck. I don’t know what’s right and wrong anymore.

“Okay, just…don’t fucking drop it all over!” I groan as I watch Mason attempt to bring some paint outside, thinking he can paint the entire shop on his own.

“Well, it’s messy! It’s fine, the rain will wash away what ain’t primed.”

Yeah, my fucking ass it will.

“Whatever. I got real shit to do,” I grumble, stepping back into the shop to work on my numbers for the month.

He’s out there for a while, but as I expected, he came in to take a break before even finishing one side. “It’s miserable out there, you know? Why would you move somewhere like this?”

“If you don’t like it, leave.”

He laughs, and plops down on a waiting room chair. It’s finally quiet again as I write down the numbers, until he speaks. “Who is that? I thought you were closed today.”

I look up, and my heart drops as I see bright copper hair standing outside the glass door. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I try to quickly make my way to the door, but Mason beats me. “Wait don’t⁠—"

“How can I help you darlin’?”

“Oh hi,” she says sweetly, tilting her head to look at me past Mason. “I’m just here to see Kane.”

“I see,” he says, turning to me with a beaming smile. He moves out of her way and she waltzes right inside, hands full. “Let me take that for you,” he offers, grabbing the large tupperware.

“Thank you! I didn’t know you had company,” she says, turning to me.

She knows that I said not to come find me again, right?

“How rude of me, I’m Mason.” He puts his free hand out, and she shakes it.

“I’m Layla.”

“Whatever this is sure smells good.”

Fucker. How am I gonna get her out of here? Worse, how do I keep her from saying the wrong thing? I don’t want Mason to know how we met. Or that we…

“Oh! Yeah, well Kane said before he didn’t like sweets so um this time I brought some of the savory confections we had left over today.”

“No shit? Thank you.” He opens the lid and I smack the back of his head.

“Language. There’s a woman here,” I remind him.

“My bad, I just got excited. Everyone needs a woman’s touch sometimes.” He elbows her softly with that stupid fucking smile.

“Alright, that’s enough,” I interject and push him back by putting myself between them. “I think you need to get going.”

“What? But I didn’t even get to say what I came to say,” she protests.

“We had a deal, remember?” I whisper, looking her in the eyes.

“But we didn’t even really have sex!”

Mason whistles behind me, a grin on his face. I click my tongue and turn back to her. “Layla, you know good and well⁠—"

“I’m sorry but…I just can’t do what you want. It’s not fair to me. You’re not even giving me a chance. Plus, if you want to bring up the deal then you should hold up your end and⁠—"

“Okay, that’s enough.” I groan, wiping my hand down my face. I’ve made a mess.

I have to think about how to go about this. She still knows too much. Maybe…no. That would be crazy. I can’t break into her apartment and kill all her data. Can I?

“Go upstairs,” I order Mason.

“No thanks, I’ve got more work to do.”

He says that, but he’s just fucking standing there like he has front row seats.

I sigh, turning to Layla. “You, upstairs.”

She happily listens though, smiling and waving sweetly at Mason as she finds the stairs and goes up. When I hear the door close, I turn to him.

“Wow, Kane. I didn’t know you had it in you!”

“It isn’t like that.”

“No? Then you wouldn’t mind if I went upstairs?”

This—

“Absolutely fucking not.”

He laughs, shaking his head. “Why are you lying to me anyway? What’s so wrong with her? She seems like a sweet thing.”

“Sweet? Sure. But I can’t seem to get rid of her. I told her no already but⁠—"

“You told her no? Jesus. Okay, let me hear it then. This better be good.”

I put my hand over my face as I speak. “Not now. I need to try to talk sense into her.” I turn to go upstairs.

“Kane?” I stop, and he continues. “Try to think about what you want for once.”

What I want?

“I don’t want anything.”

“You said you’d think about the diner conversation. Isn’t someone like her the perfect chance for you? Why can’t you just give in a little and see what happens?”

If only it was that simple.