Bang (Blast Brothers #2) - Sabrina Stark Page 0,103
but it was a good thing, because things got ugly – more than usual, too. And one thing leads to another, and Mom's yelling at my dad, telling him it's his fault she's stuck making money on the side–"
"Wait, what kind of money?"
Mason's jaw clenched. "The old-fashioned kind."
I sucked in a horrified breath. "Oh." But then, hoping for the best, as if there were such a thing, I said, "So…that's why she was cheating? I mean, for the money?"
"With the fighter? No."
I was still trying to figure it out. "So, with other guys then?"
"Some," he said.
"What do you mean some?"
"Some for the money and some for the fun." He grimaced. "After a while it was easy to gauge who was who."
"How?" I asked.
"By how good-looking they were." Mason gave a bitter laugh. "Or weren't."
By now, I was so disturbed, I hardly knew what to say. Still hoping to find some silver lining, I persisted, "But with the other guys, was it to help support the family?"
"No. To support her habits."
Yikes. "So…did Brody and Chase know what was going on?"
"No. And they still don't. And that's why this stays between us."
"But why?" I asked.
With a ghost of a smile, Mason replied, "You think I want them as jaded as I was?"
In spite of everything, I almost smiled, too.
Was jaded.
As in the past tense.
Now that was a silver lining. I told Mason, "I won't say a word. I promise."
He gave me a sideways glance. "And that includes Arden, too. You know that, right?"
I did. Given Arden's relationship to Brody, Mason's concern was totally understandable. "You don't need to worry," I assured him. "I won't tell a soul."
And yet, I was reeling. "So that's why your dad left while she was pregnant? Because the baby wasn't his?"
"Supposedly."
I gave Mason a perplexed look. "What do you mean?"
"So my dad takes off, and my mom has Willow – except surprise, surprise, it's my dad's kid after all."
My jaw dropped. "What?"
"Yeah. Isn't that a kick in teeth?"
"Yeah, but…Isn't that good news?"
"Sure," he said, "if my dad were still around. But he's not."
"But if he's gone, how could you be sure that Willow was his?"
"We weren't," Mason said. "Not a hundred percent. But my dad, he's got this rare blood type. Me, too. And even though we can't be sure, we're sure enough." He paused. "And she's definitely not the fighter's."
"For sure?" I asked.
Mason nodded. "Zero chance."
"So your dad must've been happy then. I mean, someone told him, right?"
"Yeah," Mason scoffed. "Me."
"So…was he happy?"
"He should've been."
I hesitated. "But he wasn't?"
"No. And he wouldn't come back either."
"But why not?"
"Because Mom's gone, and Dad says he's got better things to do than raise another guy's kid."
"But you just said—"
"Yeah, well, he didn't believe me."
"But so what?" I said. "He could've gotten a full blood test. And there's even DNA. I'm just saying, it wouldn't have been that hard to prove."
"You wanna know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think he liked it when the kid wasn't his."
I didn't get it. "But why?"
"Let's just say, responsibility wasn't his thing."
"Oh." I tried to think. "So he was just using that as an excuse?"
"Probably. Either way, he was done. And the fighter, he doesn't want another guy's kid either, especially a baby. So he tells my mom it's either him or us."
I felt my fingers clench. What an asshole. "Seriously?"
Mason shrugged. "That's what Mom said."
"When?"
"The last time we talked."
"In person?"
"No. On the phone from Miami. She tells me that she loves the guy and can't give him up." His voice hardened. "Won't give him up."
"But what about her kids?" I said. "Doesn’t she love them too?"
"Maybe, but not enough. Same with my dad."
By now, I was so angry, I could hardly see straight. "Just what were they thinking, anyway?"
"Hell if I know," he said. "All I know is that neither one of them would step up."
Hearing this, something squeezed at my heart. Quietly, I said, "So you did."
"Hey, someone had to."
There was a time, and it wasn't terribly long ago, when I'd thought Mason didn't have a heart. But now, I knew the truth. His heart was bigger than anyone knew, even his own brothers.
With a smile, I said, "You wanna know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think they were all incredibly lucky to have you." My voice softened. "Especially Willow."
"Yeah, well…I'm lucky to have her, too. She's a great kid."
I was still smiling. "Yeah, she is. Isn't she?" But then, my smile faded. "So, did you ever find out for sure who her dad is?"