“Don’t use those cop eyes on me. They won’t work.”
“No? That’s too bad because Idothink they’re already working. You didn’t deny that you know any panthers. Or that you were in any kind of tussle with them. You know what that tells me? You’ve got a secret.”
“We all have our secrets,” Mason grumbled. “Doesn’t mean I would ruin our new hometown with bullshit from the past. Or the life I’ve built here.”
“Does two or three months ago qualify as the past? Or the present?”
“I don’t know. Do you still think of Amanda? Or isthatin the past?” As soon as the words left his mouth, Mason regretted them. “Shit. I shouldn’t have said that. That was a low blow. I’m just angry you don’t trust me.”
“You didn’t come here to stay. I tied up my loose ends before leaving it all behind. You didn’t. You came here on a whim. You said so yourself. You need to tell me if you’re in any kind of shit. Then you need to tell Lila. The entire town will hate both of us if you hurt that woman. No amount of good Sheriff’s work will save my ass from the elders. They adore her.”
“Well, Mrs. Francis loves me because I feed her shredded carrots. She knows I’m a good guy. Isn’t she the leader of the elders?”
“Tell me what you’ve done, Mason.”
For a solid minute, Mason looked out at the water. The sound of small waves made his heart lurch. It was so peaceful out here. He didn’t miss the city life at all. He didn’t miss who he was before either. Mason liked who he was out here … close to his mate, and living a simple but very satisfying life.
Mason sighed. He knew he had to own up to it now. Cohen wasn’t about to let it go. “I might have pissed off a pack of panthers, yeah.”
“How?” Cohen growled.
“I might’ve messed with their restaurant. It’s not like I set out to sabotage them. I met a cute woman in a bar, and we went back to my place. We fucked, and I found out who she was the next morning.”
“And who was this mystery woman?”
“Sydney Stevens.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Cohen roared. “You slept with a Stevens?”
“Well, yeah! How in the hell was I supposed to know she was married to a Stevens? She was human, and it’s not like she was mated. She wasn’t wearing a ring. When I asked if she was single, she said she was as free as she would ever be. Obviously, I learned that she was Keith Stevens’s wife. Sheliedto me.”
“You’re an idiot. This is why I don’t like dating. Or women. Or people. They always fuck you over. Always. What were the repercussions for messing with an alpha heir’s wife?” Cohen waited a few seconds. “Mason? What was the punishment?”
“Well, he obviously found out. Stevens sent his guys around to the restaurant where I was doing a guest chef spot.”
“And?”
“You know what a Molotov cocktail is, right?”
“For fuck’s sake.” Cohen threw his hands up in the air. “Who’s restaurant was it?”
“Adrienne Du Moulin.”
Cohen dropped his beer bottle. “Are you telling me that Keith Stevens sent his guys to burn down Adrienne Du Moulin’s restaurant because you stuck your dick where it didn’t belong, and instead of sticking around to fix it, you left town?”
“Adri told me to leave. What the hell was I supposed to do?”
“Stay. Clean up your mess. Make it clear to the Stevens that Sydney didn’t tell you who she was and who she was married to.”
“Like they would’ve let me live long enough to hear what I had to say, but that’s the thing about you. You don’t get that people fuck up all the time.”
“Do they, Mason? You never stay to clean your messes. I want you out of Half Moon Key. Today. Before Stevens sniffs you out here. Do you hear me? You are not gonna bring shifter bullshit to my town? I’ve had enough of that to last me a lifetime.”
“I didn’t know Sydney was married, Cohen. It’s not like what happened with Amanda. At all.”
“Do. Not. Bring. Her. Into. This.” He pronounced every word carefully, the anger raging just under the surface.
“I am not leaving Half Moon Key.”