Page 72 of Mason

He heard Dimitri make a rude noise, but he didn’t say anything to interrupt Mason.

“I got Jo bundled up on the couch and turned the heat on. Then I gave her the birthday cupcake complete with candle. She was so happy. She giggled. I love that sound more than anything else.” Mason’s voice cracked. God, was she hurt? Was she scared?

“Focus, Mason.” Kade pulled his attention back to the matter at hand. “You gave her a cupcake. What else?”

“We went upstairs to take a shower. It had been a long day, and I thought it might help ease some of the tension. Only I dropped her phone, and I was afraid I might have broken it when it bounced on the tile, so she swiped it and found dozens of missed messages from an unknown caller.”

Messages…there was something important there.

“The police are looking into those.”

Mason frowned, thinking. What was it about those messages?

“Mason? What’s wrong?”

“The messages…there was something about the messages.”

“Relax,” Kade whispered. “Breathe and relax. Tell me about the messages.”

“They started out almost friendly, wishing her a happy birthday, but they got more and more nasty. The fucker started to leave some really fucking nasty ones, threatening her. Asking why she was at the police station, who the men were she was with.”

“How did he know she was at the police station?” Dimitri asked. The writer in him was picking up on details faster than anyone else. “And how did he know you were sitting with people?”

“That,” Mason said, his eyes springing open. “That’s why those messages are important. He knew she was at the police station and that she was playing poker with me, Nik, and you, Kade. He knew it.”

“Motherfucker,” Viktor swore.

More and more of it came back to him. “I told her to get dressed and get under the covers because it was still so cold. I called Keith and asked him to come over. I wanted more than just me there. He was watching us, and when she screamed, I knew I was right.”

“She screamed?” Kade prompted.

“I ran back in the room. She’d thrown her phone. The guy texted her to say she looked beautiful under the covers.”

“He was using the camera on her phone.”

Mason nodded. “He must have heard me talking about Jackson having a guy outside. That’s why he knew to take him out first.”

“He fucking spied on her using her own camera?” Nikoli’s voice went really soft. He hated fuckers who did shady shit like that.

Kade was already on the phone demanding to speak with Lang. He stepped outside. Maybe the police would take them seriously.

“Don’t count on it,” Conner muttered, reading his expression. “Police are mostly useless. That’s why there are security firms like KSI.”

“Then how do we find her?”

“We hack her phone.” Nik nodded. “I have a friend who works in the property clerk’s office. Let me see what I can do.” Nik stepped out in the hallway too.

“I’m here, Mason,” Conner reassured him. “Trust me to find her.”

“What if she’s hurt or…dead?”

“Then I’ll kill the fucker who killed her.” Conner’s statement was so matter-of-fact it shook Mason to his core.

“No, Conner. No more killing. Whatever shit you’re doing is taking you from us again. I won’t add to that. I want my brother back.”

“Are you working for the military again?” Viktor asked point-blank.

Conner’s expression closed off so fast, it was almost comical. “That’s classified, and you know it, Viktor.”

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