“Thanks.” Mason stepped into King’s office, waving a hand in greeting. “Thanks for seeing me.”

  King nodded. “Close the door and have a seat.”

  Mason sat in the plush black chair in front of King’s sleek black desk as King resumed his seat, pressing a button on his phone.

  “Jay, hold my calls, please.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  King sat back and waited.

  “Fuck. This was a bad idea.”

  “Why don’t you tell me what the idea is, and then I can tell you if it’s a bad one or not.”

  Cocky bastard. Well, it was now or never, and never wasn’t an option. “I got suspended.”

  King narrowed his eyes, but he didn’t say a word.

  “I was called in for a random drug test at work, and I failed. Not because I’m on drugs, but I failed to list the cough medicine I’d taken a few days earlier. It was a prescription.”

  “Codeine?”

  Mason nodded. He sat back with a sigh. “I feel fucking stupid.”

  King was quiet again, but that was hardly a revelation. When he spoke up, he could have knocked Mason over with a feather. “It was a mistake. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

  Wait. Was he hearing right? His expression must have given away his shock because King rolled his eyes.

  “I don’t dislike you, Mason. You’re a good man.”

  “Am I dreaming right now? Is this a dream?”

  “Should I be concerned that you dream about me?”

  “This conversation is turning all kinds of awkward. Thankfully, I don’t dream about you at all.” The only King who occupied his dreams and waking life was in the form of a temperamental Cuban with a mouth that should be illegal. “I meant I must be dreaming because in what reality do you tell me I’m a good man instead of busting my balls?”

  King arched a thick blond brow at him. “I tend not to look fondly on those who break the hearts of people I care about.”

  “It was never my intention to hurt Ace.”

  “Ace is familiar with heartache. He can deal with it. Besides, he has Colton. He’s in love and happy. That’s not who I was talking about.”

  Lucky.

  “We got into a fight. I didn’t break his heart.”

  “Lucky isn’t like Ace. For all his blustering, he’s… easily hurt. You can’t just exchange one cousin for another.”

  “Fuck you, King,” Mason spat, sitting forward. “That’s not what this is.”

  “Then what is this?”

  Mason ran his hands through his hair. “Fuck. I knew this was a bad idea.”

  “You haven’t told me your idea yet.”

  “I didn’t come here to talk about him.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  “I need to work.”

  King’s brows shot up near his hairline.

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” Mason was stupefied. In all his years of knowing the Kings, he had never witnessed such a reaction from the King. The man was like one of those damned Easter Island statues, his expression stoic and unmoving. “I can’t just sit around waiting, wondering if it’s the end of my career. I’ll lose my mind. There’s gotta be something you can give me to do.” Four Kings Security employed plenty of ex-soldiers and ex-cops. Mason had an entire law enforcement career he could put to use for the Kings.

  “You want to work with the Kings?”

  “Yes. Temporarily.”

  “The people we hire at Four Kings Security have undergone a lengthy vetting process, conducted personally by either me, Ace, Lucky, or Red. It’s then followed by an even lengthier review process, followed by an intense training schedule. Few freelancers are hired, and we do not do busy work. We’re talking about people’s lives and businesses here. Our reputation is on the line.”

  “I understand that.”

  “Do you?”

  “Yes, I fucking do,” Mason growled. Who the hell did King think he was dealing with? “I wasn’t suggesting you give me busy work. When I said I need to work, I meant work. Whatever you give me, I’ll give it my all, and you know it. Just like you know I’m the least likely to go off script.”

  King sat forward. “What are you insinuating?”

  “I’m not insinuating anything. I’m telling you. You Kings don’t exactly play by the book. You can’t. Not when you’ve got a couple of mavericks like Ace and Lucky.”

  “They might not play by the book, but they know what’s at stake. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. That’s how we do things.” King sat back in his chair again, a large man who’d once led a unit of Special Forces Green Berets. He was an intimidating, no-nonsense kind of guy, but he was a good man who looked after his family. Mason couldn’t blame him for being cautious. “This job can be as dangerous as anything you’ve faced in your career.”

  “I’m aware.”

  “And you think you can work alongside your ex-boyfriend and your current… whatever he is to you?”

  “Friend,” Mason replied through his teeth. Were they friends? They had been before he’d gone and made a mess of things.

  “Sure. Let’s go with that.”

  God, the man could be such a dick. “Yes. As a professional, I can behave in a professional manner. Can the same be said of certain individuals?”

  “Don’t worry about Lucky.”

  I worry every damn day. “I have a condition.”

  King’s bark of laughter startled Mason. “You have some balls, I’ll give you that. Okay. What are your conditions for working the job you asked me for?”

  “If I have to work with Lucky, he rides in a damn car with me. He can ride that death machine on his own time.”

  “Well, shit, Cowboy. Why don’t you just ask for the moon? You know how attached he is to that thing?”

  “I want my only worry to be the job, not him on that wreck waiting to happen.”

  “Lucky’s been riding motorcycles since he was a kid. He’s also proficient in defensive driving.”

  “He’s not the one whose driving skills I question.”

  King shrugged. “Fair enough.” He drummed his fingers on his desk, his gaze on Mason. Who the hell knew what was going through the man’s head. Of all the Kings, King was the hardest to get a read on. Mason had never seen the man in action. He’d seen him defuse situations, but he’d never seen King anything but calm, cool, and collected. “Okay.” King stood and leaned over his desk, his hand held out to Mason. “Welcome to the family.”

  The words felt off. Like the meaning behind them was different. Mason couldn’t put his finger on what exactly made him feel that way, so he brushed it aside. Their gazes met, King’s blue eyes filled with warning.

  “Don’t underestimate him, Mason. Lucky might be an emotional wreck at times, but at heart, he’s still a Green Beret.”

  “Once a soldier, always a soldier, huh?”

  King released his hand and nodded before resuming his seat behind the desk. He pressed a button on his phone. “Can you come to my office?”

  Why had King warned him about Lucky?

  “I’m on my way,” the voice on the other end of the phone responded, the smooth, thickly accented voice sending a shiver through Mason.

  Chapter 3

  Lucky walked into King’s office and froze. His heart pounded in his ears, and the butterflies in his stomach made him queasy. He hated it, hated that he had no control over his body’s reactions to this man. It wasn’t just the size of him, but his presence. Lucky didn’t have to see him to feel him. Then there were his fucking manners. Despite what King said, Lucky and Ace had been raised with manners, but Mason was on a whole other level. He was chivalrous, taking off his hat when greeting someone, opening doors for people, saying “yes, ma’am” or “no, sir.” It was ingrained into him, and he did it because it was the right thing to do. That pretty much summed up Mason Cooper.

  Mason stood when Lucky approached. He held his baseball cap in one hand and tapped the fingers of his other against his thigh. Lucky refused to let his gaze linger there. Under normal circumstances, Mason would have given Lucky his hand to shake, but awkward did not do their situation justice.

  “What the hell is he doing here?” Lucky asked King. From the corner of his eye, he saw Mason’s lips pull into a smirk.

  “Well, good afternoon to you too, Eduardo. How are you doing this glorious day?”

  Lucky crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes not moving from King, who sat back in his chair, his expression unreadable as usual. “I’m not talking to you, asshole.”

  “You’re talking to me right now.”

  “You’re not cute.”

  “I’d have to disagree with you on that, darlin’. I’m downright adorable.”

  Lucky let out a snort. “Oh, I’m most certainly not your darling.”

  “But you agree I’m adorable.”

  “I didn’t say that.” He was not going to smile. Arrogant. That’s what Mason was. Not cute. Arrogant. Atrevido. Handsome with… large hands. He had very large hands, but then he was a large man in many ways. Hm, was the rest of him—¡Ya basta, Eduardo!

  “You didn’t not say that.”

  Lucky flipped him off. “What the fuck is he doing here?”

  “Mason, could you excuse us for a moment?” King motioned to the door. “There’s an employee lounge down the hall on the left. Help yourself to some coffee.”

  “Thanks.” Mason turned to face Lucky, but Lucky didn’t move. If he moved, he might smell more of Mason’s cologne or be tempted to look into those bright blue eyes. “Good to see you.”

  “Still not talking to you,” Lucky called out over his shoulder as Mason headed for the door.

  “Still are.”

  The door closed behind Mason, and Lucky let out a frustrated growl. “¡Señor, dame paciencia con este hombre porque si me das fuerza, lo mato!”

  King arched a brow at him. “Did you really just pray to not kill a man?”

  “No, I prayed to God for patience with that man because if God gives me strength, I will kill him, and by him, I mean Mason.”

  “Yeah, I gathered that.” King motioned to the chair in front of him, and reluctantly Lucky sat. Why was Mason here talking to King, of all people? The two of them never talked unless it was to say something they knew would annoy the other. As much as Lucky enjoyed King ruffling Mason’s feathers, Mason was in Lucky’s place of business. It was disconcerting.

  “Why is he here? What’s going on?”

  “Mason’s going to be working with us for a while. I need you to—”

  Lucky leaned forward. “¿Que?”

  “Did you not hear me, or do I need to give you some time to process this information?”

  “Screw you, King. I’m not working with him.” It was horrifying enough running into Mason at Four Kings Security, but to work together? Absolutely not. No way.

  “Oh, but you are, and you’re going to be an adult about it.”

  “Fuck you. I’m an adult.” And as an adult, he could pout if he fucking wanted to.

  “Clearly.”

  “I’m not working with him. I don’t care what you say.”

  “You telling me you don’t care that you’re the reason he’s in this mess to begin with?”

  Lucky sat up. “What?”

  “Mason gave me permission to share some of the details of his current situation with the rest of the Kings, Joker, and Jack. No one else needs to know why he’s here, only that he’s here because he’s doing some freelance work for us.”

  Lucky waited. With King, there was often a good amount of waiting. It drove Lucky crazy. He loved King, but sometimes….

  “Mason was suspended. He’s currently on paid leave while Internal Affairs investigates him.”

  That had Lucky jumping to his feet. “IA? Why are they investigating Mason? If they think he’s dirty, then that’s bullshit.” The thought boiled his blood. “No one is more squeaky-clean than Mason. The guy won’t even jaywalk.” Mason reminded him of the cowboys in his father’s favorite Westerns from back in the day. Flawed men who fought for what was right even if it meant their demise. In Mason’s case, a beautiful, flawed man who carried a heavy burden on his shoulders and in his heart. Not that Lucky cared. Mason Cooper’s heart wasn’t his problem.

  “He failed a random drug test, but his failing the test isn’t why he’s being investigated. It’s because he forgot to list the prescription cough medicine he’d taken prior to the test. As far as they’re concerned, he lied. He may not have meant to, but he did, and now they need to investigate.”

  “Fuck.” That was very unlike Mason. To forget something so vital, something that could cost him his job? The man was meticulous in everything he did. Like Lucky, he was a big believer in doing things right the first time.

  “Yes.”

  “What does this have to do with me?”

  “Have you looked at Mason lately? Really looked at him?”

  Lucky shifted uncomfortably. These days he was trying his best not to look at Mason. Looking at him led to thinking of him, and that led to all kinds of problems for Lucky.

  King let out a heavy sigh. “Whatever happened between you two is obviously eating away at him. You both need to work this shit out, but do it off the clock. You still have a company to run, just like the rest of us. However, this investigation is only going to get tougher on Mason. He needs to know he has friends who’ve got his six.” King stood and walked around the side of his desk, then took a seat on the edge of it in front of Lucky. “He came to me for help. What does that tell you?”

  Shit. It was bad. “Yes, okay. I’ll try very hard not to punch him in the face.”

  “I’m sure Mason would appreciate that very much.”

  “But I’m still pissed at him.”

  The corner of King’s lips twitched as if he wanted to smile. “Of course you are. I’m sure you have every reason to be. Why don’t you get him set up? Jay should have the contract ready. Have Mason read it over and sign. He can use Manolo’s desk since it’s still empty.”

  “No new applicants?”

  King stood and walked around his desk to resume his seat. “Oh, plenty of those, but none of them a good fit.”

  One of their team leaders had moved out West to be closer to his family, and despite the many, many applicants, none had made it through their second interview. The hiring process at Four Kings Security was intense, starting with all four Kings needing to approve an application before the person was even contacted. Multiple steps were involved, but they weren’t prepared to rush things and hire anyone, even if it meant having a vacant spot for several months until the right person could be found. It wasn’t just about hiring the most qualified—though that was part of it too—but whoever they hired needed to have the right attitude. For some reason this time around, it was taking forever, and they couldn’t seem to agree on one applicant. If the three of them happened to agree, King ended up vetoing it.

  “I should have a job for you two soon as you’ve got him set up.”

  “Sure.” Lucky left the office and headed for the lounge, running into one of his favorite security officers who also happened to be a good friend to him and Ace, Graciela Cortéz.

  “¡Oye, Graciela!” Lucky threw his hands up. “¿Hasta cuando, mijita?”

  Graciela rolled her eyes as she walked over to him. “Stop being such a baby.”

  “No, you promised me your abuelita’s flan de coco, and when she makes it, you bring it in, and what happens? You give it to Cavallero? You simply give away my flan?” He clutched his chest over his heart. “How could you betray me like this?”

  “I didn’t betray you. Come on, Lucky. The guy’s divorce was just finalized. You should have seen him in the break room looking like a puppy who’d been tossed out in the cold.”

  “Puppy? The man is almost as big as Red!”

  Santos Cavallero was an ex-Navy SEAL who Lucky considered a good friend. At least until the bastard went and ate his flan.

  “You know I have a soft spot for big burly dudes with soft squishy hearts. He needed the flan more than you did.”

  “What he needs is to find himself a new woman.”

  “Or man,” Graciela offered.

  Wasn’t Cavallero straight? He arched an eyebrow at her, and she gave him a pointed look.

  “Remember William?”

  “Damn, how can I forget? Mm, the things that man did to me….” Most certainly not things a straight man would do to another man. So many lovely filthy things. Graciela was right. Lucky could easily think of two or three men he’d met over the years who’d claimed to be straight and by the end of the night were begging him to fuck them. Lucky had happily obliged. One of those men had been the supposed straight boyfriend of a woman Lucky picked up at a bar a couple of years ago.

  Lucky never got involved with anyone who had a partner or was married, but the beautiful redhead had been upfront about wanting to try something new and asked him if he’d mind her boyfriend joining them in the room to observe. Lucky had no problem having the stunningly beautiful black man watching them. By the time Lucky was naked and had the woman moaning and gasping as she writhed beneath him, the boyfriend decided he wanted a taste as well.

  A taste of Lucky.

  It had been one hell of a night.

  Graciela let out a very unladylike snort. “Yeah, straight my ass.”

  Lucky shrugged. “You’re right. Especially when I get my hands on them.” He waggled his eyebrows, and she shook her head at him.

  “You’re insatiable.”

  “What can I say? I have a healthy appetite.” He headed to the employee lounge, making sure to call out over his shoulder. “Don’t forget my flan.” She cursed him out in English and Spanish, making him laugh.

  Lucky found Mason in the employee lounge, sitting at a table, a cup of coffee in his hands as he gazed out the window. The lounge was bright and homey, resembling someone’s kitchen and dining room rather than a work environment. When it came time to design the interior of Four Kings Security headquarters, they’d all agreed they wanted their company to feel like home. After all, if they weren’t out on a job, they’d be at the office. The Kings were family. Those who were trusted to become a part of Four Kings Security were treated like family, and it reflected in the environment around them.