Sterling Inn

Crumbling Part 2

The last time my entire life fell apart, it was picked up by someone else.

Red, Marc, and Orion... Now I had isolated myself. Orion was off proving me wrong, Red had lost his fucking mind and I had ended my relationship with Marc in flames. I was truly alone as I hung up the phone, a strange sense of calm coming over me. Everything was at a standstill.

Whatever would happen next was out of my control. But my time at the Inn was over. It was surprisingly easy to make the decision to leave. I wanted Orion to come with me but he was plenty old enough to refuse and I would have to respect that. If Cam lived or died, fault would not lie with me. Red would regret it and live out his days in misery or he would regain his lost composure and return this place to its former glory.

Spoons clattered to the kitchen floor and I jumped. Casey scrambled back from the mess and looked sheepishly at me, pushing his glasses up further on his nose. "Oops."

What would happen to Casey? He didn't have enough to sense to care for himself and Red didn't have the patience to take care of him either. "It's okay Casey. Leave it."

He was riffling through the mess trying to tidy it up. He meant well, he truly did, but that didn't make him any less of a hassle. I corralled him back the lounge and sat him on the couch. I let him jack the volume up as he high as he could while I watched the door. By the time Red returned shadows were climbing up the walls and Casey had fallen asleep. "Should've known you'd be hanging around for me," Red's tone was taunting. "Something I can help you with Mason?"

"I'm leaving." I watch him for a reaction. Remorse, regret something.

"Okay." He didn't bat an eye at me. "Take Casey with you."

"I'm sorry?" I scoffed. "This isn't a bargain."

"He's safest with you." Red's voice was, if possible, softer than usual. He glanced down at the floor seeming almost nervous. "This place will be up and running by the end of the week and I can't worry about him getting caught up with clients or under my feet. I'll pay you. Four thousand dinj but I don't want to see him again."

"You're heartless." I was stunned at the fact he could be soulless. Money and power were all he cared about, all he ever cared about.

The one thing that made him seem normal was his role as someone's mate and as a father and he had gladly cut him from one of those just a few hours ago. "No, if I was heartless I could keep him and sell him at least twice to someone who use him. I can give you five, if need be."

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life raising a child." I hissed in return. I felt horrible saying but I had no idea where I was even going to go. Uncertainty was all the waited on the horizon and breaking a volatile person into the mix wasn't any better.

"Neither did Cameron." Nothing passed over his face. Not a flicker of single emotion. "We weren't meant to be parents and we were meant to be together. Sterling is going to leave and he's not going to come back and that's fine with me. But I'm not leaving any loose ends."

I couldn't leave Casey with a murderer could I? "I'll think about it." My voice was hallow. I wished I could close my eyes and go back just a mere month ago when things weren't like this. "Loose ends is all you children are to you?"

Red seemed uncomfortable now. "I wasn't made for this life and I hated it just as much as I hated Cameron. It's over Mase, this run went on far longer than it should have."

"But you were happy."

"I wanted to be happy just like you wanted to be happy." He gave me a look, dark and unfamiliar. "Are you happy Mason?"

"Yes."

"Than ever stupider than I thought. I need to leave and get my whores. Last chance for you Casey, Mason. Before I sell him to whoever will give me a hundred dinj."

I was crying but I didn't know why. He'd defeated me, destroyed the normalcy of my life and cast me and his children aside. Would Sterling be okay? Would Orion be okay? I couldn't protect them from the reality of sheath it inside a nice wrapping. Casey would eventually forget and adjust but for Sterling, I worried this would ruin him. "I'll take him."

Red made a noise of amusement. "It's been too long since I've seen you cry."

unedited