Chapter 16 Crowns and Tea

Muse Silver-Green, Three Hours Later

Holbrook brought Mason dinner.

They ate roast pepper and caramelized onion soup.

"Who prepared this? Did you hire a chef?"

Holbrook's eyes twinkled. "I cooked it in Zander's kitchen. You showed honor. That is rare. I'm great at laser guns, singing, and cooking, but I have obnoxious qualities if you ask the crew."

Cultists and three robots broke into the room. They grabbed Mason, and his bowl smashed on the floor.

"You are marked for death and aren't able to fight us all," a cultist said.

Holbrook quickly found her laser gun and stunned Mason's humanoid attackers. She fired on the robots, and Mason shut the metallic creatures down one by one.

Her hand slammed into a button on the wall. "Attackers are down. We need a cleaner crew."

General Allen and Commander Nickel rushed in and arrested the cultists, and they examined the robots.

"The cultists manufacture these cheap robots for Deb," General Allen said.

"Kitten, please look at me." Her arms folded, and she crunched down as she walked to make herself appear smaller.

"What do you want, a chocolate chip cookie, a crown, or a cup of tea? You weren't doing your job and let them in because you were hanging out with your friends instead of doing your job."

"She was in the infirmary, and the shift commander was in charge," Holbrook said.

General Allen frowned. "Don't defend her."

"What are you accusing me of doing this time?" Nickel asked. "Stop blaming me for everything that goes wrong."

I hoped he didn't tell her what they knew.

"Nickel, I didn't ask you to risk your life on The Flying Clutch," the general said.

"Kitten, I wasn't trying to make Mason think you were punishing me." She adjusted her back brace, or rather, the device meant to hide her wings.

"I still care about you, and you'll have extra guards. The same people who are after Mason want you to die. You're too valuable to lose." The general briefly clutched her hand. "I'd be less angry if you talked to me."

"Okay." A tiny smile spread across her lips.

Mason stared at Holbrook, and her eyes met his. They smiled at each other.

I hadn't seen Mason grin at a woman in years. His ex-girlfriend made a habit of making his life miserable.

Nothing was ever right for that bland and spoiled princess. She threw tantrums if she didn't get what she wanted. Though she'd have begged him back when she saw Mason's new appearance and realized he worked for secret agents.

"You need to guard yourself because a lot of friends can't be trusted," Holbrook said.

"I'm sorry that you were betrayed." Mason's tail wagged, and he rolled down his sleeve. He sat closer to her.

"My birth father is not my dad, and we don't know each other well enough to have that conversation, but I'm learning to trust you," she said.

"I'll give you space." Mason's tail drooped, and his eyes resembled a sad puppy begging for affection.

"Don't look at me like that. It's not you. Your mom thinks I'm a cultist, and if I asked you out, she might fire me or try to beat me up." She reached under the bed and located her guitar.

"You and I don't officially work together, and we have the same junior rank." Mason grinned.

"We'll see." Her short fingers strummed, but the song resembled nothing but painful noises. "I never know when to abandon a hobby. My playing annoys Zander." She played louder.

Zander entered the room, and a tiny grin stretched across his face. "Holbrook, I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but your playing reminds me of a dying cat."

"But I made you smile." She hid the guitar and performed dozens of push-ups. "Zander, I won't improve if I don't practice."

"Babe, you'll never be able to play." Zander scrunched his face. "Just like Mason fails to imitate Tolbert's voice," Zander said.

Holbrook leaped up. "Give him more time." She grinned at Mason and arranged her hair into a bun. Pink strands were illuminated in the overhead light. I could see why Mason was interested.

Mason kept repeating the same lines for hours. "The rat gave information to Agent Rock-Heart. One of the new men assigned to grab the royal teens now works for Agency-14. No, I haven't been captured!" His voice was perfect, and Mason's impersonation was enough for the low-level crew and their sub-commanders. At least he convinced me.

Whenever Zander entered the room, he performed a terrible voice impression.

"Practice more. Tolbert escaped, but hopefully, you'll fool a smaller ship." Zander dragged Mason toward him. He whispered into Mason's ear. "I've heard that you're dating Nickel. She is in love with someone else and has no self-worth. Please, don't hurt her."

Mason stepped away from Zander. "I'm not dating anyone. Go away!"

"How do we know you aren't in league with Deb-Dagger?" Zander raised his fist.

"I didn't drug you and throw you in a cell."

"Your mother drugged you. She saved your life." Zander grimaced and sighed. "Mason, your voice isn't right yet. Commander Nickel picks up a female voice in an hour. I thought you'd be like her."

"No, Commander Nickel's voice work is limited," Mason said. "And yes, she can mimic Shanna's voice, but...." Mason paused.

"Zander, what has gotten into you? Mason has medic and combat training, and his voice work doesn't matter anymore," General Allen said.

"Why the fake romance?" Mason stood closer to Holbrook.

Zander breathed deeply. "Rob owns the resort and allows Agency-14 to use it. He's an idiot and is obsessed with all our love lives. He thinks your mom and Allen are a couple."

"I need Rob to realize I am no longer with my ex." Holbrook's lips spread into a hard line.

"She doesn't want to tell Rob. Her ex was fooled by the cult and is mentally unstable," Zander said. "If Rob feels humiliated, he might withhold information."

"Anything more," Mason said.

Zander nodded. "I've been informed that Rob forged his mother's will. My sister, Dina, became Deb out of revenge...." he paused. "We need you to watch a video of Dina and Shanna."

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