Dance With Me - By Hayden Braeburn Page 0,31

stood a few minutes later when Caleb arrived in the waiting area, and despite everything, Kat had to admit the green scrubs were a good look for Mason's younger brother. “They want to keep Mase overnight since he was drugged multiple times.” He took a breath and that was enough for Cassidy to jump in.

“What about Dylan Black?”

He tilted his head. “Dylan Black is a lucky man. God must watch over heroes, because both bullets barely—microscopically—missed major organs. It'll take a while and rehab before he has full range of motion with his shoulder, but he'll recover.”

“Can I sit with him?”

Caleb's eyes widened at Cassidy's question. “Uh, yeah, I guess you can. He'll be out of it for a while with the anesthesia, but I don't see why not.”

She walked away before her brother finished speaking. “Where?” she asked over her shoulder.

He pointed toward the hallway, and she nearly ran away from them. With a shake of his head, he eyed his family, silently asking for help. It was Kat who finally explained Cassidy's actions, telling him Cassidy felt guilty about everything and was concerned Black didn't have any family to worry about him. He smiled at that. His sister might play the stone cold bitch, but she wasn't. Not really. Cassidy was a superhero. Sometimes she was annoying, or preachy or, well, bitchy, but she was the first one to fight for what she thought was right. He stared after her for a moment until his mother finally asked about seeing Mason.

With a nod, he told his family and Kat they were allowed to see his groggy older brother, and he was afraid he'd be trampled. Damn, maybe he should get kidnapped if it earned this kind of affection.

~*~

Mason couldn't believe less than twelve hours ago he'd arrived at the office and gotten jabbed in the ass with a sedative. Now, he lay in a hospital bed, the man who had saved his life in surgery. He was having a hard time believing most of the last few days. Kat framed for drugs, Priscilla losing her shit and kidnapping him, running for his life while almost naked, and now his family walking in to his hospital room with tears in their eyes.

Kat was the first to reach him, dropping kisses all over his face. “Oh my God, Mason. I knew you shouldn't have gone to work today. I knew it.”

He cupped her chin and kissed her properly. “Next time, I'll listen to you.”

“Next time? There better not be a next time!” she exclaimed with a smack to his arm.

“Sounds like a plan to me, bro. No getting kidnapped again,” Caleb quipped from the doorway.

Mason managed a chuckle. “Not looking for a repeat. I just meant I'd listen to Kat.”

“Start now, boy. You're getting married—you'd do well to listen to her all the time,” Charles advised, rousing laughter from the group.

Carolyn squeezed Mason's hand in hers. “Women are rarely wrong, dear,” she told him in a conspiratorial whisper. “And even when we are, we almost never admit it,” she added, a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her lips.

Mason laughed at his mother's tongue-in-cheek joke, happy to see his family in good spirits. Earlier that day he'd been afraid he'd never see them again. He shook his head. It didn't matter now. He was home, he was safe, and Priscilla was in custody. It was only a matter of time before Kat would be cleared of the drug charges and they could plan a wedding. He couldn't believe he was looking forward to wedding planning. He winced. He might have to turn in his man card if that last thought was ever mentioned aloud, but it was true nonetheless. In theory, at least.

~*~

Priscilla stared at Brandon in disbelief. He was questioning her like a common criminal, as if he hadn't had a part in all this. “You sent me to Dylan Black!” she shouted. “You caused everything to come crashing down around me.”

“Are you insinuating that I, a Detective with the Tyler Police Department, had something to do with the abduction, false imprisonment and attempted murder of Mason Everett and attempted murder of Dylan Black, Miss McClaren?”

“It's your fault. Your fault!” she screamed before she began to sob, her lawyer Gregory Peters, shushing her the whole time.

Davis shot a look at the attorney. “Clearly, she holds the police responsible for her arrest.”

“She's suffered a psychotic break,” Peters replied, his client a mess beside him in a nighty and