Page 22 of Please Open Me
Mason only snored when she wasn’t feeling well.
I reached over and rested a hand on her shoulder. She made a soft, contented sound and leaned into me without waking up.
Just like that, the fire in my chest cooled.
God damn it.
I used to be a contract killer. Now I was chauffeuring a minivan with three kids in the back and my partner curled against my side like I was her whole world.
I was twenty-three. I should’ve had ten more years before I went soft.
But I didn’t care.
Not really.
I stole another glance at Mason, savoring the way her ebony hair stuck out in every direction. No matter how long she worked on it, it always looked unbrushed.
Despite our physical size difference, she never felt small to me. She was larger than life. No matter where we went, her presence always filled a room like sunshine. She was too…brilliant.
But, right now, my girl looked fragile.
Mattie said Mason had passed out.
Not just a dizzy spell.
Passed out.
As concerned as I was about Mattie's ties to Saint Samael’s, I couldn’t ignore the truth: Mason had minimized her symptoms.
Again.
If Mattie weren’t connected to the church, I might’ve thanked her. Instead, I was caught in a standoff between suspicion and reluctant gratitude.
Relief washed over me as the farmhouse came into view. Cameron stood on the porch, freshly showered.
Good.
I parked beside his truck and shot him a text letting him know the kids were asleep.
He looked up and then over at the van like he’d just noticed us. A moment later, he walked over, looking me up and down like I was a teenager skipping school.
“Thought you were supposed to be at work,” he drawled.
“I’ve decided to forgo my apprenticeship in favor of my true calling: Stay-At-Home Dad,” I deadpanned.
Cameron squinted. “Really?”
“No.” I unbuckled and stepped out. “Mason wasn’t feeling well. Right place, right time. Can you help me carry the babies?”
He didn’t ask questions. He never did.
“Which one’s heavier?” he asked, looking between the twins.
“Jas. He finally passed up Juni. Maybe now she’ll stop bossing him around.”
Cameron snorted as he scooped Jasper up. I grabbed Juniper, and together we carried them inside and tucked them into bed.
When we came back out, he gestured toward the van. “Want me to carry Mason?”
