Underground

60

"Huh?"
Cherine, Staci and I looked up at Elizabeth who was beaming from ear to ear about her "plan". With Christmas and New Years rolling around, the organization has been on hold for a bit and according to Cherine this was the first time that the whole Mason family was home in time for the holidays. I pulled my sweater sleeves over my hands as I listened quietly to her plans for a family vacation. Eric and the boys shuffled into the kitchen mid speech, each grabbing a stool at the island and having a mean bedhead. I snapped out of my observation as a pair of hands, cough Joel, picked me up out of my stool, sitting down and then placed me on his lap. I smiled when he rested his head on my back. He's the most tired out of all of us.

"Why don't you have Justine pick a place this time," Jonathan suggested. "It's her first Christmas with us."

Huh? Me? I suddenly had eight pairs of eyes looking at me expectantly and Joel squeezing me tightly. Where the hell would I go if I was the Mason family? The only time I had a good Christmas was when I spent it in the city but I wasn't trying to go to New York right now. "Hawaii?" I suggested quietly.
Everyone looked at Eric who rolled his eyes, giving a stiff nod while drinking his coffee. Elizabeth squealed, yes squealed and walked out of the room with Eric close behind her.

"Why Hawaii?"

I looked over at Dorrian, "I used to see movies and pictures about it and I always wanted to go."

"Then we will go," Carter smiled. "I've only been once though and Joel kept beating us."
I looked back at Joel and his eyes were closed but I know he was listening. "Beat you at what?" I asked.

"Volleyball."

"Surfing."

"Life."

Joel chuckled, opening one eye looking at Alex, "It's not my fault you don't play by the rules, baby brother."
Understatement. I looked away biting my lower lip. Joel has to be told about the kiss. If he finds out on his own he's going to be pissed. Joel stood up suddenly and walked, with me in hand, toward the fridge setting me down on the counter. "You do know what family vacation in Hawaii means right?" Jonathan asked Joel who shuddered.

"Besides hours of shopping with Cherine?" Staci asked tapping away at a phone. Who was she even texting? Cherine had the nerve to look offended.

Carter smirked, "Girls in bikinis—"

"That we can't talk to because mom or our darling sisters will cockblock," Dorrian grumbled, glaring at his little sisters. Jonathan, Carter and Alex groaned in agreement while I sent my own glare at the back of Joel's head. All he did was chuckle and hand me a cup of coffee.

•••

Over the next few days, Joel and Eric were bussing our asses about getting the work we needed to get done before the trip. My job was to catalog the weapons in our faction house and organize a list of the kartel members we had in lock up. Unfortunately I had the honors of doing this job with Alex. I kept my distance from him mostly for his safety. The last thing I needed was for Joel to see anything pertaining to the kiss. I went as far as to put a barrier around the thought itself so that he would miss it completely. Alex catch the hint at all.
"Justine."

I looked up from the pistol I was cleaning, "Yeah?"

He walked over and sat in front of me. On impulse I leaned back causing him to frown. "You've been avoiding me."

"Clearly."

"It won't take back what happened. We should talk about it."
What? I looked away from him and went back to cleaning, "Don't make it sound like we slept together Alex. It was just a kiss."

"Stop hiding it from Joel like it wasn't just a kiss," Alex dropped the pile of papers he had in his hands in front of me and then stormed off. If anything he shouldn't be upset! I ran a hand through my hair and sighed.

"That was not something I wanted to walk in to."

I jumped up but quickly relaxed when I saw Lexi walk in with a rifle. "You heard all of that?" She gave me a look and I sighed. "I can't tell Joel."

"I wouldn't even tell Joel. He's going to go bat shit," Lexi said sitting in front of me. "But not telling him is worse. He shouldn't find out from someone other than you."
When did she become a counselor? I nodded, frowning. She was right and I had to tell him soon.