"I...yes," I said because, Jesus Christ, any chance of lying or keeping that from him had just been promptly shot in the foot and then the gut by Mason's big mouth. Whatever credit he deserved, I could see the understanding flash over his face with a wince.
"Oh," Micah said, peering up at me before glancing back at his grandmother. "Did you know?"
"Of course, that's how I know him," she said, sending a knowing look my way. "Why don't you meet me up in my room? I've already got everything ready."
"Sure," he said brightly, clearly ready to argue or question everyone but her. He turned to me to give another appraising look before shrugging. “See you around?"
"Yeah," I said in a soft voice, feeling my chest tighten at the smile he gave me before jogging toward the elevators. Once the doors closed, I let out a sigh, and my shoulders slumped, not realizing how draining the whole interaction had been until he was gone. Then I remembered I wasn't alone. More importantly, Mason was watching me, and I straightened my shoulders.
Mrs. Lincoln approached me, reaching out to pat my arm. “So I was right on both counts."
"What...what counts?"
"Please. That boy looks like someone aged you down, especially standing right next to you. As for the other, well, it's obvious my daughter never told you."
"Hmm."
She laughed softly, unafraid of my angry refusal to respond to the reminder. "Still raw, I see, understandable. All my children are pains in the asses, some more than others."
Mason leaned closer to Kayden and whispered loudly. “Pretty sure she's talking about me."
"You're just a prick," I growled at him.
"Well, you are what you eat," he said with a shrug, making me widen my eyes at the crude joke in front of his mother.
Only for her to eye him. “Wouldn't that make you a cunt too?"
"True," he said, completely unbothered and leaving me confused about what I'd just witnessed.
Kayden, however, looked delighted at the exchange. "Oh, this family is fun, it's like being home again."
I sighed, ready to reach out, grab him, and drag him out of the building before he got any ideas. “It was nice seein' you again, Mrs. Lincoln. But Kayden and I should get out of here."
Mason turned to look at me, eyes traveling from head to foot. I was left with an uncomfortable swooping feeling in my gut as I could tell I was being appraised, but for what, I didn't know. I hoped I could at least count on him not evaluating me for...some things at least. The guy hated me as much as I hated him, so there was no way he was considering anything sexual. Which was good, because just the thought of him imagining what he could do with me made the swooping worse and tightened the bottom of my stomach. Those were mental images I could do without, even though I knew my traitor brain was going to summon them anyway simply because I didn't want to think about them.
"Tell you what," Mason said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a card and a pen, scribbling on it. He held the card out. “Your weekend free?"
"Yes," I answered before thinking and then frowned, eyeing the card warily. "Why?"
"So suspicious," he said with an amusement that always got on my nerves. The man knew how to sound like he was mocking me with just about anything he said, and it always made me want to punch him right in the face. "Let's just say I have an idea, and if you're available, say...around midnight on Saturday, meet me here. We'll...talk."
"Talk?" I asked, scowling at him. "Go to hell, Mason."
He snorted, handing the card to Kayden, who, since the man had zero sense of loyalty, snatched it with a grin. "Give it some thought. Maybe you might even get an update on the past few years and some tidbits about your...well, about members of this family. And a way to work off some stress."
"God," Kayden said with a laugh. "Coming from you, that sounds like a raunchy proposal."
"If I wanted to fuck him, I'd just say so," Mason said, his upper lip twitching. "You'll notice I didn't."
I yanked the card from Kayden's hand. “Dunno why you think you'd be doing the fucking, Beckett. Oh, uh...sorry, Mrs. Lincoln."
"Oh, don't you worry about me now," she said with a laugh. "I love a bit of banter, flirtatious or otherwise."
My face flushed, burning hot. "It's not...anyway. I should go.Weshould go."
"And I was having so much fun," Kayden said with a heavy sigh.
"That's the problem," I told him, looking at Mrs. Lincoln again. "I'll see you again, ma'am."
