The Secret of Us

𝐕𝐈𝐈

Mason woke up feeling uneasy. The events of the previous day replayed in his head, Rafe's voice echoing with poisonous intent as he urged Topper to take action. Something was brewing, a storm that Mason knew would only cause problems. He would have to decide whether to stay out of it or get involved to protect those he cared about.

He rubbed his tired eyes; the sunlight coming through the thin curtains barely comforting him. The house was quiet, too quiet. JJ was nowhere to be seen, most likely still off with the Pogues. A part of Mason felt relieved, he wanted to be angry at JJ for shunning him out. At least he was not around to feel the weight of what Mason heard—yet. Mason would have to warn them.

He needed to empty his head and concentrate on the work ahead. Mason pulled himself together, changed, and headed back to the Cameron estate. He could feel the exhaustion in his bones, but there was no room to slow down. There was always something to be done, always another task to complete.

By the time he reached the estate, the activity around the docks had already picked up. Men were hauling crates, the sound of their grunts mixed with the steady slosh of water lapping against the boats. Standing close to the main dock, Ward Cameron barked order, his presence as usual was demanding. Mason swallowed down the strange sense of dread that always seemed to follow him here. He didn't have the luxury to be distracted, not today.

"Mason," Ward called out as soon as he spotted him. There was something unusual by the way Ward looked at him like he was assessing him for something more, calculating if he could rely on him with more. "I need you to go with one of the boats today. There's a delivery that needs handling, and I trust you to make sure it goes smoothly."

Mason blinked, shocked, Ward had never asked him to go out on one of the deliveries before. His work was always in inventory, maintenance, and docks. He could sense this was not like that. It was larger, something that felt like it carried more weight.

"Uh, sure thing. Mr. Cameron," Mason said, his voice calm despite the unease that prickled up his spine. Ward's eyes were staring at him, the calculating look that made him feel as though he was just another pawn to be moved on a chessboard. He couldn't afford to back out. He needed the job, needed the money, but in reality, he just needed to prove himself. Prove that he is capable, even when it felt like everything around him was falling apart.

Ward gave a curt nod, a slight smile touching his lips. "Good. You'll be going with Ricky. He's going to fill you in on the details," Ward said, gesturing to a burly man by one of the boats. Ricky looked like he'd seen more than his share of trouble, and the look he gave Mason was anything but friendly. It was a look that made Mason's stomach tighten—a silent warning of what was to come.

Mason nodded, turning to head towards Ricky, his heart pounding. As he approached the boat, he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye—Rafe, standing near one of the other docks. Their eyes locked, and for a fleeting second Mason could have sworn he saw something in Rafe's expression—something like regret or hesitation. But it vanished as fast as it had shown, replaced by the same cold, distant mask. Mason's heart twisted in his chest, a feeling he couldn't quite understand.

Rafe didn't say anything, didn't move. He only started, his gaze lingering as Mason got on the boat. Mason looked away, focusing on the task at hand, and pushing aside the emotional turbulence Rafe constantly seemed to cause in him. He didn't have time to think about what was going on with Rafe—not when he had to worry about what Ward had in store for him.

Ricky gave Mason a brief rundown of what they'd be doing—taking the boat out to meet another—a simple delivery. But there was something in Ricky's voice—a guardedness that unsettled Mason. Mason couldn't help but feel as though he was kept in the dark and that there was more to it.