Intercepted (New Hope #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Mason

I lean back in my desk chair, looking out over the panoramic view of Downtown Dallas and the historic district. The sun is in the center of a pale-blue sky, its rays glinting off neighboring high-rises, casting a myriad of rainbows into my office.

June rises from her perch at the edge of my desk, buttoning her coat. "That was fantastic, Mason. I think you'll be satisfied."

Digging in the pocket of my dress slacks, I retrieve my phone and power it on. "I already am. There's a reason I pay you so well, June. You make me look good."

She tosses her sleek, blonde ponytail over one shoulder, ironing the wrinkles in her skirt with her fresh manicure. "Damn right. I'll call you tonight?"

I'm about to tell her there's no need, but my home screen is flooded with notifications. I have seven missed calls from Mallory, as well as a series of text messages.

Baby girl: Answer your phone.

Baby girl: It's about the kids.

Baby girl: Twins arriving DFW @ 12 PM

Baby girl: I'm boarding now. If you don't have the kids by the time I land, I'm breaking both of your kneecaps.

Baby girl: Please, Mase. I'm going to have a fucking stroke.

"Fuck!" I roar, catapulting myself from the seat.

I've been stuck in my office with June for the last three hours. She makes me turn off my cell phone. It takes five thousand tries to get my lines right as it is. I don't need the added distraction.

"What the hell, Mason?" June screeches, following me into the hallway.

Her heels click on the marble floor behind me as I sprint through the penthouse, scooping my jacket off the back of a white leather sofa. I didn't design the modern place, so none of this fancy shit is mine. Although I do own it, it's not necessarily my space. Apart from the lifeless trophies, there's no personality to be seen within eight thousand square feet.

"My kids," I mumble, shoving my arms through the sleeves. I try dialing Mallory, but it goes straight to voicemail. "They're here."

If their flight landed at twelve, that means they've been in Dallas for an hour. What the hell are they doing here? And why on earth would Mallory let the kids fly by themselves, without at least asking me to pick them up from the airport?

June's pencil-thin eyebrows disappear beneath her hairline. "The twins? Holy shit. They've never been for a visit. Should I be in damage control mode?"

Ignoring her, I'm about to click on Aidan's contact when my phone starts buzzing in my hand. A local number flashes on the screen. Recognizing it as the security desk downstairs, I bring the speaker to my ear.

"Good afternoon, Mister Reeves," a bright, chipper voice pervades the line. "I'm sorry to bother you, but there are two teenagers in the lobby asking to be sent up to your penthouse. Um... They're claiming to be your children?"

"We are his kids, you twatwaffle!" I hear Grace shriek in the background. "Now let us in the elevator so you can go back to filing your nails."

I lean against the glass entrance table, relief making my head spin. "Let them up immediately. Anyone with the last name Reeves, Sterling, or Robinson is allowed unrestricted access, do you understand?"

The woman clears her throat, embarrassed. "Yes, sir."

Setting my phone on the table, I pace in front of the private elevator, watching the numbers light the panel as it rises. June leans casually against the stone wall, studying me with an expression that somehow manages to be engaged and disinterested at the same time.