“Mason?” Jared said again, tapping the screen to ensure the call hadn't dropped, his knuckles white. “Talk to me. What happened? Why were you sounding like that?”

No one moved. No one breathed. The air itself felt heavy, as if the gravity around the Oakley villa had suddenly doubled.

“Why am I sounding like that?” It was not a question. “Jared, I had my fucking commanding officer on my phone fucking two seconds ago asking me, very calmly, and very fucking politely, why I was ...