Page 9 of Magnetic Temptations

“Those actions won’t put me off your family, Mane. It’s what family does, yank each other’s chains to get a reaction.”

“I’ll have to take your word for that,” I say with all the sincerity I can muster. My family isn’t traditionally normal, joking with one another and pulling pranks is how we deal with the stress of our everyday life. But since he seems determined not to let them push him out the door, I can’t wait to see how he fits in with the dynamics of my family and the club.

CHAPTER

FIVE

MASON

As introductions continue through the night, strategically placed firepits illuminate the pitch darkness of the late evening and is all the light we have in the back half of the DreamCatcher property. Beer is flowing freely, and the atmosphere is full of laughter and rock music. Mane hasn’t been too far away from my side and I couldn’t be any happier about that. I dreamed of nights like this with her, hanging out with our friends, sharing stories, and letting loose.

Even with my siblings I never felt so chill as I do with these people. They’ve asked the normal type of questions but so far, I haven’t felt as if I’m facing the firing squad. They’ve taken me in as if I’ve been a part of them all along. I know from my talks with Gunner that they don’t trust easily at all, so the fact that I wasn’t met at the driveway with multiple firearms pointed in my direction is a positive. I’m taking it after everything I endured during the Julia debacle. She destroyed so much that I despaired whether I’d ever return to what amounts to a normal life. Still, if that experience has taught me anything, it’s that life is too fucking short to sweat the small shit.

“So, what are your plans now that you’re back home?” Gunner asks.

“I’m still not one-hundred percent sure what I want to do career-wise,” I answer. “Now that I’m back and reclaiming my life I could go back into working in an office, but that no longer feels like me, if that makes any sense.”

“It makes perfect sense,” Cameron interjects. “That was who you were and what you did before you had to go into hiding. That type of situation has a way of changing a person.”

“It did,” I add. “I’m more reserved and less trusting than I used to be. It’s jaded me, to be honest.”

“I don’t think it’s jaded you, Mason,” Mane contends, squeezing my knee where her hand has been resting for the last half hour. “I think it’s made you become more aware of your surroundings and those you include in your circle of friends.”

“You may be right,” I conclude. “I’m a lot more leery than I used to be before Julia entered my life. I don’t invite anyone to my home anymore, I keep a distance from those I work with, and I arm my house alarm as if it’s an extension of me.”

“Because it’s crucial to your safety,” Gunner states. “Things like what you went through with that crazy bitch changes a man. Trust me, Mason, we learned those same damn lessons ourselves. It’s why we’ve made sure all of the kids, even the girls, know how to protect themselves in every situation. They’re also extremely proficient with a variety of weapons, and all of them are more than capable when it comes to hand-to-hand combat.”

“More than I care to admit,” I confess. “I never realized that someone who seemed so damn normal could be as brutal and deadly as she was.”

“It goes hand in hand with a narcissist,” Mane explains. “They come across as being sweet and wholesome until a switch is flipped, then they can’t help but let their true colors shine.”

“The things she did—” I stop and sigh, shaking my head because one of my friends, a female companion, lost her life due to Julia and her twisted belief that I was hers when I most certainly wasn’t. I had ended things long before she even struck. There was always something off about her, but I brushed it to the side thinking that the attraction was one-sided.

“You’re not to blame for anything she did, you know that, right?” Mane asks, leaning forward and staring me in the eyes. “She needed mental health help. And I know from the research I did into her that her parents and the law tried.”

“She took on multiple identities and was able to skirt the law,” Ella informs the crowd. I look around and notice that everyone is tuned into our conversation. “How she got a hold of that many social security numbers and identification is something that’s still being looked into and investigated according to my sources at the police department.”

“Are they thinking she had inside help?” I inquire, it’s something that’s been plaguing me since I found out she had so many different names under her belt. The amount of lives she ruined is preposterous and I’d like to know who dropped the ball and let her escape her initial arrest.

“Didn’t she have a cousin that worked as a detective or something like that?” Judd asks. “Jagger, didn’t you say that she had a family member who holds a badge?”

“Several as a matter of fact,” Jagger answers. “Three cousins, an uncle, and a friend of the family is a sheriff. He’s the one I think we need to dig deeper into.”

“Why the friend?” Gunner asks. “I’d think the family would be more willing to help than a friend, wouldn’t you?”

“Not if they fall from the same tree,” Charlee states. “We’ve seen it time and time again, like sticks with like. What if that’s how they bonded, through their sickness?”

“Something to consider,” Ella states. “And you’re right, likeminded people surround themselves with people who are just like themselves.”

The thought that there could be more in her family line who are like she was sends a shiver of premonition coursing through me. Were they aware of what she was doing to me? If so, will they try to continue what she started? Am I even truly safe yet?

“I’ll get started on digging for information tomorrow,” Jagger says. “I have a gut feeling that’s the direction we need to take.”

“Now that I’ve heard about her tie to this friend, I’m getting the same gut feeling as you are,” I tell Jagger. “I’m pretty handy with a computer if you need any help.”

“Actually, I wanted to offer you a different position at Kings if you’re interested,” Ella blurts out. “We need an extra eye on the next job we’re taking. It won’t be happening for a few weeks yet so we have time to train you. Test out your skills. I think you’d be a good addition to our team.”

“You’ve already looked into me if you want to test my skills,” I tease. Turning to Mane and Gunner, I share my story. “My grandfather was a survivalist. He taught me everything he knows about tracking, self-defense, and weaponry.”

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