Shameless (Made For Them #3)

8. What Lies Beneath

Jules

W aking up back where I started after my divorce is almost surreal and maybe I should take it as a sign.

The Country Club accommodation was supposed to be temporary anyway, so giving it up to Tiffany wasn’t too much of a sacrifice.

There’s also the added bonus that I’m closer to Lula here and she’s the first thought that crosses my mind the second I wake up. It’s been this way longer than I care to admit, even in the three years she was in New York and wasn’t allowed to come to Star Cove for the summer.

My second thought is my ex-wife Jasmine and that’s way less welcome than Lula.

A knock on my door pulls me out of my reveries and I groan, running a weary hand over my face.

I reluctantly get out of bed, grabbing a pair of athletic shorts on my way to the door.

As if summoned by my own thoughts one second ago, my ex-wife is standing on my doorstep.

Fuck, I would have preferred Lula.

“Is it true?” she asks.

I run a hand through my hair this time, barely stifling a yawn. “Good morning to you too, Jaz.” I can’t contain the eye roll at her lack of manners.

“Cut the shit, Jules,” she glares. “Is it true?”

Jasmine crosses her thin arms over her chest. Her small breasts look way bigger than usual and for a second I wonder if she finally got the boob job she kept asking for when we were married.

Then I remember that she’s pregnant and that makes sense. When she was pregnant with Jenna, she used to complain about everything. The only thing that made her happy was that she “finally had tits” to say it with her own words.

She looks good, her long black hair slung on one shoulder in a shiny, silky curtain, a tight, dark red dress that clings to her slim frame. The only difference from her usual appearance is the tiny baby bump that curves her stomach. The bump is so small that to anyone who doesn’t know about her pregnancy, it would look like she has a little extra weight on her belly.

“I’m waiting, Jules.” She glares. “Is it true or not?”

My sleep riddled mind struggles to catch up with whatever it is she wants and I default to sarcasm. “That depends on what’s the question. Is it true that California is on a major tectonic plate? Yes. Did we land on the moon over fifty years ago? Also, yes.”

In retrospect, I should know that she hates my sarcastic streak and maybe I should have asked her to elaborate rather than antagonize her from the get go. But that’s what she gets for showing to my place unannounced at the crack of dawn.

“Is it true that your father got shot? With Trevor? And some girl?”

Ah, that.

I don’t look her in the eye. “Where did you hear that?”

Jasmine might not be the smartest person I know, but she’s quick witted. Especially when it comes to non verbal cues. “Then it’s true. It’s all over the internet and I saw a news network helicopter and several vans by the marina.”

Great.

Attention from the media will only make everything worse.

“They call it the Twinberry Murders. I read it was really gruesome. Did you see it?”

I grumble, unhappy with her line of questioning. “Yeah. Let’s not do this, Jaz. Is there any other way I can help you?”

My tone must finally register and her dark brown eyes narrow. “If that’s true, I’m here to let you know that if you think you’re seeing Jenna before I get my money, you’re out of your fucking mind. With your father gone, what happens to your racing career and to the money?”

Fuck.

“You got the first installment I promised you, didn’t you?” I bite out.

“That was before the murders. Our agreement is clear, Jules. If you don’t pay, I have no reason to honor my part of the deal.”

By now I should know that I married a woman who never loved me and just saw me as a meal ticket. But Jasmine still manages to surprise me by reaching a new low every time we talk.

“I’m going to make sure you get your money. Worry about our daughter and the new baby you’re carrying.”

Her lips curl into a cruel smirk. “I’m glad Eddie got himself murdered before we went in front of the judge. You have a month to make the next payment. Fail to come through and you’ll see how much I can drag my feet.”

I clench my fists, fighting to keep my temper in check. “Our agreement was clear that you would withdraw all your complaints and false allegations against me and give me immediate access to our daughter as soon as the first payment landed in your account. Don’t test me, Jaz. If you can play dirty, two can play that game.”

That was the wrong thing to say.

“What are you going to do? Hit me? Or worse, shoot me? The news said that an antique shotgun was the murder weapon. Didn’t you inherit one from your grandfather? You were on the island when the murders happened and the murder weapon belongs to you. I bet any judge would understand my concern in leaving my daughter with a murder suspect.”

Why? Why was I ever so stupid to touch this woman?

Jasmine’s only redeeming quality is that she gave me Jenna. “I’m not allowed to talk about the case,” I inform her. “But you can quit playing your stupid games right now, Jaz. I have an alibi and I wasn’t at the hunt where that weapon was being used.”

Whatever news leaked must have been quite detailed, because Jasmine doesn’t let my argument convince her. “Yeah, but I read the murder weapon was missing in the morning and never made it to the hunt. How can I leave my daughter in a house where there might be a murderer? Even if none of you did it, your stepfather at the very least let it out of his sight. That’s hardly reassuring. Jenna could stumble into another gun and get hurt.”

Fuck.

If her reasoning wasn’t totally malicious, she would almost have a point. “There are no other guns in the house, Jaz. Cut the crap, will you? I’ll get you your money.”

“How?” her tone is hard.

“Don’t worry about that.”

She shakes her head. “That isn’t my only concern, Jules. I thought I was clear when I told you to move out of here. I’m still not comfortable with Jenna staying in the same house as a convicted drug dealer and addict. And you’re living here again. Think of my surprise when I went looking for you at the Country Club and Lula’s mother opened the door. By the way that woman is white trash, I don’t care if she’s head to toe in designer clothes.”

That’s the only thing Jasmine has said in the last year that I agree with.

“Where I live wasn’t part of our agreement. Stick to your end of the deal, or I’ll sue, Jaz. I fucking mean it.” I hope my tone conveys how done I am with this conversation.

“Miss one payment, Jules. One fucking payment, or pay less than the minimum we agreed on and you can forget you even have a daughter. Am I clear?”

“Crystal. I want to see Jenna.” I demand.

“We’ll see. I’m busy lately. Maybe at the end of the month, when the renovations on the new nursery are done.”

I can see what she’s trying to do from a mile away. She’s trying to drag her feet until the next payment is due. She knows better than me that I don’t have the money.

The thing is, she gets her regular alimony, I pay for the house that Mom gave us the deposit for as a wedding gift and she just got a six figure check last Friday. At least Eddie came through with his promise to give an advance to the one who won the tryouts for the electric boat.

But the point is, she has more than enough money to live comfortably even if I was to miss a few payments. Jenna has everything she might want.

I’m not a deadbeat who left his ex and his child penniless.

“Jaz, don’t play stupid games with me. We agreed that you’d let me see Jenna as soon as you got your first installment. I want to see her next weekend.”

“Fuck, no.” She snorts. “Next weekend is the Fourth of July. You’re not getting our daughter on a major holiday.”

I don’t budge. “Come on, are you trying to tell me that you don’t have any plans for the weekend? No wild parties to go to?”

God knows she always left me with Jenna to go party any chance she got.

“As it happens, my plans got canceled.”

I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but the words leave my mouth before I can think better of it. “Then bring Jenna to the club and join us. There are always a lot of events for the members’ families.”

Jasmine doesn’t immediately say no, so I charge on.

“Last year we had face painting, snow cones and games in the pool. Jenna is gonna love it. And Mom and Stefan miss her too.”

“I’ll think about it.” She says, but I’m not taking no for an answer.

“No, Jaz. You’ll come and Jenna is going to spend the night here all weekend. If you don’t do it, we’re going to have a problem. My lawyer got proof that all your accusations were false and that you’re a neglectful mother. Don’t let me drag you in front of the judge.”

In reality, I’m bluffing. I don’t know if Gordon got the proof we needed because I made this deal with Jasmine before he had the chance to work on it.

My tactic works this time though. My ex knows that if I were to press the matter in court, she could get in trouble for slander.

“Fine. But I want a car to and from the club. I get really tired these days and I don’t want to have to worry about driving myself.”

I’d give her a piggyback ride for the sake of seeing Jenna.

When Jasmine leaves exhaustion sets deep in my bones. I consider going back to bed, but I don’t think I could really get back to sleep. I feel tired but wired.

I step into the shower with the intention of going to eat breakfast with Mom and Tom. I’m sure they’re going to be as excited as I am about seeing Jenna next weekend, even if that means having to tolerate Jasmine’s presence.

It’s hard to contain my excitement about seeing Jenna and spending some real time with her. I missed my little girl so much and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive my ex for keeping my daughter away from me. She used Jenna as a pawn in her scheme to squeeze more money out of me, without a care in the world for how that would impact our little girl.

I let my negative feelings for my ex wash away with the last remnants of sleep and when I exit the shower, my mood has improved tenfold.

I’m not just excited about seeing Jenna. Part of my elation is because I also get to introduce Jenna to Lula. I know they’re going to love each other. Happiness for me includes both of them by my side, and all I have to do to make sure I’m on track to make that happen, is to honor the financial part of my agreement with Jasmine.

How I’ll do that with Eddie gone is the question.

I have no idea what will happen to the racing team. All I can hope is that we can find someone who will take it over and keep me on.

I should call Gordon Larson. He handled Grandpa’s affairs and knows the ins and outs of his will and the conditions of my trust fund. Maybe I could borrow from it or something, or use it to show the bank that if I take out a loan to pay my ex, eventually I’ll be good to repay it.

Anything to not revert to the status quo before Jasmine and I signed our agreement.

My hand is on the door handle, ready to head to the main house for breakfast, when my phone rings. It’s an unknown number and I almost let it go to voicemail, but at the last second, I decide to take the call.

“This is Janine Smith from Spencer and Spencer Law, am I speaking to Mr. Jules Cutler?”

I roll my eyes, ready to hang up if this is some kind of cold call to sell me whatever it is they’re trying to sell.

I must admit though, if the voice at the other end of the line belongs to a bot, technology must have finally figured out how to make an automated voice sound one hundred percent real.

“Speaking,” I answer, ready for this to turn into some kind of recorded marketing message.

I’m surprised when it doesn’t and I realize I’m actually on the phone with a human being.

“Mr. Cutler,” the woman says, her tone professional. “I’ve been asked by our senior partner Mr. Raymond Spencer to set up a meeting with you asap. What’s your earliest availability to come to our offices in Shell Cove?”

For a second, I wonder if Jasmine fired her lawyer and this is her new attorney. If this is the case, I don’t know why my ex accepted my invitation for next weekend.

There’s only one way to find out though. “Miss Smith, can I ask you what this is regarding? I don’t think I know your boss.”

The answer isn’t what I expected.

“Mr. Spencer is the executor of Mr. Eddie Branagh’s will. You’re one of the beneficiaries and my boss wishes to start putting everything in order sooner rather than later. So we’re trying to set up a meeting with all of Mr. Branagh’s heirs to kickstart the process. Also, let me take this opportunity to present my condolences for your loss.”

I thank her and we set up a meeting for later today. I don’t bother explaining to her that aside from the initial shock of how brutally Eddie was murdered, I’m fine.

I’m not being callous or anything, but Eddie hasn’t been a father to me in a decade.

Eleven-year-old Jules was the one who grieved the loss of his father. Even when Eddie was around, our relationship wasn’t warm or loving. Mom has done her best for us and Grandpa was always the father figure Eddie never was.

Of course there’s no reason to explain all that to a stranger, so I thank her for the condolences and end the phone call with the secretary’s promise of a follow up email with all the details I need to find my late father’s lawyer.

Lula

I wake up at the crack of dawn to sunlight filtering into my room from a gap in the curtains.

I roll onto my stomach and realize that Crew really left last night, to avoid being caught when Dad and Arianna came home from helping Jules move his stuff out of the manager’s cottage at the club.

I’m deliciously sore in all the right places and my core throbs at the memory of the way Crew was with me last night. He was dominant and possessive but considerate and sweet at the same time.

I wish I could stay in bed to remember all the ways Crew showed me how much he loves me and wanted me last night, but I know I can’t.

Lust is replaced by dread when I remember the text message I received from Mason last night.

While I miss Crew, and sleeping in his arms would have been awesome, I’m glad he isn’t here to ask where I’m going so early.

I don’t dress with my usual choice of denim shorts or a summer dress; instead I opt for a pair of leggings, a tank top and a windbreaker. I put on sneakers just in case I have to run.

My last accessory is a switchblade knife that was my only means of defense whenever I was sent home to Howard’s Upper East Side apartment during school breaks.

I used to sleep with it under my pillow after Evan’s first assault and I think it would be wise to start sleeping with it again.

The house is as dark and quiet as it was last night. I’m relieved that no one is up this early. Hopefully I’ll manage to sneak back in before they wake up. My only explanation for being up so early is that I’m going for a run.

Dad and Arianna might not question it, as I haven’t lived with them in a while but I know Stefan will never believe I started running in the mornings.

It would be easier to sell swimming to him, because he knows how much I hate running. However there’s no way I’m going to meet Mason in just a bathing suit.

You should have told the guys about this. Going to meet Mason alone is stupid.

I ignore the voice in my head. The guys would go on the offensive and Mason has already threatened to punish me by hurting them. I can’t risk them getting hurt because of the ghosts of my past.

The very real possibility that I could be the one who’s going to get hurt crossed my mind more than once, but I would die before I let anything happen to the men I love. Especially because I was the one stupid enough to get involved with Mason when I had heard the rumors about his family being part of the mafia.

The sun is rising, coloring the sky with pretty pastels and making the sea shimmer invitingly.

The golden sand of the private beach outside Arianna’s house is still cool from the night. If I was here for an innocent walk on the beach, I would take my shoes off and feel the cool sand between my toes; it’s something I’ve loved since I can remember.

I look around and the beach is empty. It’s too early for any of the occupants of the other mansions in the neighborhood to be out here.

Hope blossoms in my chest that Mason might have decided to cancel our rendezvous and I check my phone to see if he texted me.

“Hey, Lula.”

His voice comes from right behind me and I jump, almost dropping my phone.

I close my eyes, steadying my breath and squaring my shoulders before I turn to face him.

“Mason.”

I don’t smile and I fight the tremor in my voice.

He looks at me for a long moment before getting right to the point. “How did your drop off go?”

I wish I could say that I don’t show him any weakness, but it would be complete bullshit.

Mason’s dark eyes tracks the movement of my throat as I swallow the lump of fear that makes it hard to speak.

Eventually I’ll have to admit how I fucked up and lost his bag and I’m a big believer in ripping a BandAid off without prolonging the agony.

“There was a storm right at the time when I had to make the delivery. I’m so sorry, the boat I stole capsized and I almost died. My guess is that the bag is at the bottom of the sea somewhere between the two Twinberry Islands.”

He keeps staring at me, his expression stony. Not one word, not one blink to give me an idea of how much trouble I’m really in.

“What happened after you almost died?” he asks. “You look fine to me.”

I tell him how Jules pulled me out of the stormy sea and how I almost died of hypothermia. “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t what you wanted to hear, but things went from bad to worse. I was hoping to go out looking for the bag, to at least bring it back to you, but…”

I tell him about the murders at the stables.

There’s a beat of silence after I finish describing the carnage Jules and I witnessed yesterday morning.

Mason nods. “I think you’re telling the truth. You didn’t shoot those three people, did you?”

A gasp escapes my lips. “Me? How could you think I would?—”

Mason laughs. “Relax, Lula. I’m just fucking with you. I know you didn’t shoot those people and I know you’re telling the truth about that bag.”

I’m confused. “I know I’m telling the truth, but how can you be so sure?”

Mason’s smile widens. “Did you really think I wouldn’t keep track of you? I put an air tag in the bag I gave you and on you.”

That makes sense, it’s totally something Mason would do. However I still have questions. “On me? What do you mean on me? If you had put an air tag on me, I would know.”

He laughs. “Lula, Lula.” His eyes leave mine to go down my body, stopping at my wrist. “Remember the smart watch I gave you for your seventeenth birthday? As a present and as a bonus for your incredible sales?”

What the fuck.

“So you’ve actually been keeping tabs on me this whole time?” I look at my watch as if it contained explosives.

Mason looks amused by my surprise. “Did you really think I would trust you with my merch without keeping tabs on you? It was ok at first when you moved negligible amounts, but as your clientele grew, so did my investment in you. My dad and my uncle taught me to watch my back from my friends more than I do with my enemies. After all you expect your enemies to try and fuck you over, so you’re vigilant. But the ones who can cause even more damage are the people you trust. Your so called friends.”

I guess what he’s saying makes sense. However I can’t help but feel sad for him.

How sad must it be to live life without ever trusting anyone? It hits me that there are three people I trust with my life. Stefan, Crew and even Jules. If they ever hurt me, they did it because they thought I had betrayed them, like Stefan. Or to protect me, no matter if their attempt was misguided, like Jules.

“I took the fall for you, Mason,” I say softly. “You didn’t even have to ask, I offered.”

A hard glint shines in his eyes, his jaw taut with tension. “Why did you, Lula?”

I tell him the truth. “Because you believed me when I told you what Evan tried to do to me. You were the only one,” I say the last part with a sardonic snort. “And you protected me.”

His expression doesn’t change. “I did. But I asked for something in return. I didn’t do it out of kindness, I got you to sell for me.”

I shrug. “It was a small price to pay for your protection. And you paid me too.”

The corner of his lips lifts in a lopsided smile. “It was a mutually beneficial deal. So you didn’t kill Eddie and Trevor. I spoke to Trevor just minutes before it happened and you were on the same island but way too far away for you to make it there to kill him.”

I don’t understand what he’s saying. “You spoke to Trevor and Eddie? What do you mean? Trevor is the guy who almost had me raped and beaten when he caught me selling part of the stash you gave me at a party. Why would you talk to him?”

Mason’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “I think there might have been a little misunderstanding, Lula. Trevor works—or should I say worked—for my uncle.”

My jaw hits the sand, figuratively speaking of course. But yeah, I’m staring at Mason with my mouth gaping open. “He did?”

“Yeah, you know the best Italian restaurant in town? Morelli’s? It belongs to my family.”

Fuck. I have never made the connection. It’s one of our favorite places to eat when we aren’t having dinner at the club and we want something nicer than fast food.

“As you know, we have a chain of restaurants scattered all over the country,” Mason continues. “It’s the… let’s call it the official part of the family business. It helps to clean up the money that comes from the other branches of our business.”

I read between the lines. Mason is talking about money laundering.

“What other branches do you have? Aside from the drugs, I mean.” Maybe I shouldn’t ask him, but if he’s gonna kill me for losing his bag, I might as well satisfy my curiosity.

“We have a lot of land for real estate development and a few years ago we found a very lucrative diamond mine in one of them. Can you imagine? Top quality diamonds in the heart of California. My uncle manages that part of the business but we’re a joint venture. The diamond business is one of the best ways to make the drug money look legit. Then there are some other businesses that help with distribution.”

His explanation causes my curiosity to peak. “What other businesses?”

Mason’s eyes are fixed on me when he answers. “Stuff that costs a lot of money, like sports sponsorships. We donated large sums to the local college to build a new hockey arena and?—”

It hits me why he said he spoke to Trevor and Eddie .

“And boat racing?” I finish for him.

“You’ve always been too smart for your own good, Lula. How did you figure it out?”

It’s a no brainer. “You just mentioned Eddie. Did you know he used to be married to Arianna, my dad’s wife? He was a gold digger apparently and he was cheating on her the entire time. When Arianna found out, she kicked him out and he skipped town. We were just wondering where did he find all the money to start Star Thunders, to pay six figure salaries and to buy Dustin Hudson’s old HQ and his old mansion.”

Mason’s smile widens. “I guess you got your answer. His boat racing team is perfect for both money laundering because of the high cost in designing and building those boats, the high salaries and because races happen all over the country and the world. It’s easy to inflate the figures of what is invested on research and development. And traveling for the different events provides the perfect excuse to pick up and drop large quantities of product. No one will look twice at a powerboat running around the general area of a race.”

It’s evil, but I must admit it’s also genius.

Something is bothering me though. “If you had such a perfect system worked out, why ask me to make that drop?”

For someone who considers herself smart, I have to admit that I got played.

“It was a test,” Mason offers, his shrewd eyes boring into mine. “I wanted to see if you would try to complete the assignment or if you’d run with the bag or even worse, take it to the sheriff. Trevor bet you’d go straight to Pullin’s office with the bag.”

I grind my teeth. “Not to speak ill of the dead, but Trevor was a grade A asshole. He probably thought I would act the same way he would have if roles were reversed.”

Mason laughs as if I told him the best joke he’s ever heard. “Nah, he’s just even worse than me when it comes to putting his trust in others. He called me last night before the storm hit to tell me he wouldn’t be able to meet you at the drop off point because of the choppy sea.”

I should have known. “Trevor was the person who was supposed to meet me? But if it was a test, why risk valuable product just to prove some kind of point?”

Mason takes a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and offers me one. I’m very tempted to take it, but even if that’s just a regular cigarette, I feel like my promise to Crew was to stay off anything addictive.

“I didn’t risk any product,” Mason says, taking a deep drag from his cigarette. “That bag was full of bricks. And it had the air tag of course.”

My jaw drops for the second time this morning. “I risked my life for a bag full of bricks? Were you ever going to forgive my debt?” It’s impossible to hide the accusation in my tone.

Mason’s smile reaches his eyes this time, his gaze softens as he looks at me. “Your debt is forgiven, Lula. Once I talked to Trevor, I realized it was a huge misunderstanding. If you didn’t steal my product to profit from it, I’m not gonna hold it against you. You did your best to hide it and there is nothing you could have done if your stepmom found it.”

I should feel relieved. This is what I wanted, but after my last few encounters with Mason, I learned that my trust in him was misplaced.

“Are you sure?” I ask. “You’re gonna leave me and the guys alone?”

Mason’s smile fades, replaced by sadness. “You have my word. I’m truly sorry, Lula. When I thought you betrayed me… I don’t know, I lost my shit. I thought that out of all the people in my life, including my family, you were one I could trust. As much as I can ever trust anyone, of course.”

I roll my eyes. “Of course. You just said you’ve been taught to always watch your back even from your friends.”

“What should I have believed?” Mason sounds frustrated. “That piece of shit Evan said you two were planning to screw me over all along. I got arrested, lost a ton of money in product and that landed me in extremely hot water with my dad and my uncle. And I promise you Lula, they are people you don’t want to cross. They wouldn’t hesitate to make someone disappear, even family.”

I’m about to say that’s really sad and callous, but then again I understand exactly where Mason is coming from. Tiffany would do exactly the same. Case in point, yesterday she suggested that I might have something to do with those murders.

“I just wish you didn’t believe I would ever work with Evan. You know how much I hate him.”

He nods. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have believed that asshole.”

“So that’s it?” The much awaited relief finally washes over me. “We’re even? For the product Arianna destroyed? The stuff Trevor took? All of it?”

Mason tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear and I flinch at his touch. “We’re more than even,” his voice is gentle. “I still owe you for taking the fall for me last year. When I say I’m sorry I ever doubted you, I mean it.”

I take a step away from him, hugging my middle as an extra layer of protection. “You don’t owe me anything, Mase.” My eyes are fixed on my shoes. “All I want is to leave the past behind once and for all. Can we do that?”

He advances but stops short of touching me. “Lula, why are you acting like you’re scared of me? I’m not going to hurt you.”

I force myself to look at him again. “Aren’t you?”

He looks hurt by my words. “I would never hurt you.”

A snort escapes me before I can control it. “Right.”

He extends his hand to touch me but relents when I visibly shudder. “Lula, seriously. I would never hurt you. Why don’t you believe me?”

Anger replaces the fear that Mason’s closeness had elicited in me. “Oh I don’t know,” I hold his gaze this time. “Have you forgotten our reunion? You ambushed me in the shower and you almost—” I can’t keep the tears that welled up in my eyes from falling. They’re caused equally by fear and fury. “And then you threatened to sell me, like a sex doll, to repay the money of all the product Arianna destroyed. If that isn’t hurting someone, you tell me what is.”

The regret in his voice sounds sincere. “I said those things just to scare you, Lula. When people owe you money and say they can’t pay you back, you have to sound like you mean fucking business or no one would ever pay.”

He has a point, but it doesn’t change the fact that he issued those threats. “I thought you were going to hurt me in the shower.”

He raises his voice. “I wasn’t. I was trying to scare you, I swear.”

“Fine.” It’s not fine, but I’m over this conversation. “We’re even and I’m stuck here until next summer and you’ll be going back East, so let bygones be bygones.”

There’s a beat of silence before he says. “I’m not going back East. Not yet at least.”

“Why?”

His answer shouldn’t surprise me under the circumstances. “We’ve lost two key people to our operations. Eddie provided the clean front we needed to smuggle product and to move money. Trevor was my man on the ground. My uncle asked me to take care of it for now. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to see you, Lula.”

I don’t understand. “Come again?”

“I wanted to tell you that you were off the hook for that debt and also offer you a job. I don’t know if we’ll be able to keep using Star Thunders, we’ll need to wait and see what happens to the team with Eddie gone. But you could take over from Trevor. The Country Club is the perfect place to move product. And you’re friends with some very connected people, you could sell to all the rich people parties in town.”

Is he for real? “I’m on probation, Mason.”

“So?” he shrugs. “You’re smart enough not to get caught. Besides, your parents are friends with the sheriff. I bet even if you got caught, the police would look the other way.”

That’s a risk I’m not willing to take.

I realize that a couple of months ago, my answer would have been different. What’s changed since then is that the guys believe in me. Despite my many flaws and all the mistakes I’ve made, Stefan, Jules and Crew don’t look at me like damaged goods. I never want to do anything to change that.

“No thank you,” I sigh. “I want to try to stay out of trouble.”

Mason considers my words. “Even with your mother and her stepson in town? This is how you and I met after all and if you need me to scare that fucker off, our old deal still works for me.”

I don’t even ask him how he knows. “My stepbrothers and Crew will protect me.”

“Yeah,” Stefan’s voice comes from behind me. “We’ll keep Lula safe. Who the fuck are you anyway?”