“We have an armed escort,” she muttered, as the two men flanked us, without speaking.
One was tall with brown hair and the other was shorter with red hair, and they made me think of Mulder and Scully, from the X-files. As we made our way out of the elevator, towards one of the three cars, I was put into the front car with Danni and one agent in the back. Two more sat upfront, and we led the cars out of the garage. The drivers drove around for a while, before heading to Mason’s house and drove straight into the garage. All of Mason’s prized cars were out on the driveway, as was my Maserati, that Mason told me he’d sold months ago.
Once we were safely in the garage, one officer left the car, and they swept the area. Before getting my chair from the trunk, and helped me from the car, onto my chair. Danni stayed by my side as she wheeled me into the house, but no-one was around. She pushed me right into the downstairs guest room, helping me get from the chair to the bed. Once I was on the bed, she fixed my pillows and hooked me up to a monitor, she’d been allowed to borrow from the hospital. I wasn’t on fluids anymore, but I was to drink plenty of water, so she poured me a glass of water from a jug, that was already sitting there.
The house was bustling with activity, but I was isolated from it all. Separate and alone, with only Danni for company. I couldn’t help wondering if they blamed me for what was happening. If they hadn’t kidnapped me, then Mason’s sister would still be alive, and Lewis. My heart broke for Lewis. He was just getting his life on track and the girl he’d been seeing, had been so good for him. I wondered if anyone had called Alycia to tell her. Lexa might have already done, but I wasn’t sure they were that close.
I wondered where everyone was, and I was about to ask Danni, when there was a knock at the door. My heart was pounding in my chest, when Danni walked over and opened, the door a crack, to speak to whoever was on the other side.
Chapter Ten
Home Is Where The Heart Is
Mason
The day from hell passed quickly, as I waited anxiously for Amber to be brought home. It took some planning and four different times through the day, cars were driving to and from the hospital, to my garage. To hide the fact that Amber was coming home.
Tommy had followed at least two of them, but he’d lost his tail and was currently hiding, as Amber was driven home. He was unhinged, deranged and so, so dangerous. He was still out there and while everyone was locked down, he was becoming more and more desperate.
The cops had been back to our hometown and found his room was covered in clippings about me. He’d been totally obsessed with me and hadn’t stopped. The cops found out that he’d been in the army as a sniper. He had been dishonorably discharged a few months previous, because he pulled a gun on a pregnant lady at the store. His mom told the cops, he’d spiraled afterwards and somehow blamed me.
Broken was playing in the store when he was dragged out, furiously fighting with the cops, who arrested him. The lady had only asked him to move aside, when he’d started waving the gun around. The army had told him, that his behavior had been worrying them, for some time.
Joe had told us all this when he’d gotten a hold of Tommy’s record, from a cop friend. Everyone had been surprised because they remembered the nice guy, but I remembered how creepy he was after Ollie dumped him. Then the cops came by, with a few images from his camera, and we saw that he’d been watching us for months. My mom felt so guilty, because she’d brought Ollie back in and we thought that was how Helena had gotten involved in the plot.
Mom was completely devastated when she found out, and I was furious with the cops for telling her, that she was involved. I’d hoped to spare her and my dad the pain, but they argued that she had to know. Once everything was out in the open, the cops had swept the house and found a few bugs planted, which had been removed and destroyed.
As Amber’s car pulled into the garage, we were all told to wait in the sitting room, so as not to overwhelm her. I was pacing around like a caged animal desperate to be let loose. I heard her soft voice speaking through the monitor, that had been set up and I crossed to the door. Only Quinn standing there, stopped me from going over to see her. I needed to see with my own eyes that she was okay. I needed to touch her and feel her warm skin under my hand, to reassure myself that she hadn’t been hurt. My fingers itched as Quinn stood with me at the door and eventually, I was given the green light to go and see her. I rushed across, knocking softly on the door.
I’d normally have barged in. It was my house after all, but I, couldn’t do it. Not today. She didn’t need me going in all guns blazing. She needed me to be gentle, kind and that was what she was going to get. Danni opened the door and stepped aside to let me in. For a moment, I just stood in the doorway staring at Amber, as she smiled over at me from the mountain of pillows on the bed.
“Hey,” she muttered with a soft smile and I moved towards her, without conscious thought.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” I asked her, as I sat down on the chair beside her.
She turned her head to me, and I could see the pain in her expression. It was evident in the tightening around her eyes, to the thin line of her lips. She was pale and her eyes were glistening.
“Mason, I’m sore, but okay. Are you okay?”
Her eyes scanned my face and I could feel the events of the last few days, threatening to crush me.
“I’m better now.” I told her truthfully.
I was a little better because she was home with me. I watched as a tear rolled from her eye, down her cheek and drop onto her neck.
“I’m so sorry about Lewis.”
I closed my eyes as the grief threatened to swallow me whole. I just wanted to hold her and let myself grieve, but I couldn’t, because I would, in all likelihood hurt her.
“And about our baby,” she muttered softly as more tears fell from her eyes.
I looked at her confused and then her meaning hit me, she was losing our baby. I couldn’t look at her for a moment as all the loses weighed on me all at once, so I leaned forwards, and pressed my lips softly to her head.
“I’m sorry too,” I whispered, as a tear dripped from my nose and onto her hair.
I pressed my lips firmly to her head and tried to let all the pain and guilt go. If I hadn’t been an idiot trying to pacify Ollie, then she’d never have left. The thought still remained in my head though, that she promised me she wouldn’t leave me, and because she did, all of this happened. If she had just stayed and given me a chance to explain then maybe none of this would have happened. My head swam and I stiffened a little, as her free hand reached out and gripped my waist. She held onto me, and we took comfort from each other.
“I wish I hadn’t left,” she told me quietly.
I released the breath I was holding, as she continued speaking to me.
“I’m so sorry, Mason. I’m sorry about all of it. I’m sorry I didn’t wait to hear your explanations. I just ran because I didn’t think you wanted me anymore. I mean, why would you?”
I lifted my lips from her head, saw her tears falling and I didn’t think. I just leaned down and captured her lips with my own. The kiss was soft, but full of pain, sorrow, and longing, after a moment I pulled back, breathing harshly.
“I’m sorry I made you feel like I’d screw you over again. What I did that first night was so fucked up Amber. I’ll regret it as long as I live, but you have to believe me. I love you. I need you; I want you, and only you.” I pleaded with her.
I needed her to believe me. I’d never wanted to hurt her. I was just afraid to let my guard down again and I’d ended up almost losing her as a result.
“But you, leaving, hurt me and I’m trying to get past it. I swear, but I can’t help thinking that if you’d stayed, Helena and Lewis might still be alive right now.”
Her body stiffened and a gasp fell from her lips at my words.
“Are you blaming me?” She asked and I could hear the anguish in her words.
/> “No… Yes… I don’t know…” I told her truthfully.
She dropped her hand from my hip and left me completely destroyed. She gently pulled back from me and settled herself into the pillows, with tears in her eyes. I couldn’t look at her because I shouldn’t have said that, even though, it was what I was feeling. I should have kept it to myself. I balled my hands into fists, turned and walked to the door. My hands shook as I twisted the handle, before stepping through the door. As I closed it, I heard her sob, and I wanted to go back in, but what good would it do? I’d already told her that her being kidnapped was her fault, that I blamed her for my sister and best friend's death.
“Smooth, Mase. Real fucking smooth.” I hissed under my breath, as I stormed away from her room, towards the kitchen.
My mom was in there with the kids, and she froze when she caught sight of my face, in the mirrored cabinet.
“Mason, what’s wrong?” she asked me.
I shrugged and walked around her, heading to the drinks' cupboard. I needed a drink. A big, fucking, stiff drink and I needed it right now.
“Mason,” she commanded.
I stopped moving as she stepped in front of me. The kids were occupied in the playpen, my mom had set up, playing with their toys. I didn’t want to tell her what I’d just said because even thinking about it crushed my heart into tiny fragments.
Fuck, what I’d just done?
“Mason, what is it?” She pressed and I lifted my eyes to meet hers, as tears filled my eyes.
“Mom, I… I made a… fuck…” I said brokenly, tugging on my hair because I was broken, destroyed by what I’d just said and I didn’t know if I could fix it. If it was even possible to fix us. It was so hard to tell my mom that I’d just taken a wrecking ball to my heart and hurt the girl who owned me.
“Language, Mason.” Mom admonished me, and I looked up at her as my tears began to slide down my cheeks.
“I messed up, mom.” I told her in a pained whisper.
She came over immediately and wrapped her arms around me. I was instantly transported back to my childhood, as her familiar scent enveloped my senses and comforted me.
“It’s okay,” she reassured me.
I wished she was right, but I was sure I’d just broken Amber and I, beyond repair.
“It’s not mom. I told Amber that Lewis and Hel’s might have, still been alive, if she hadn’t left me.”
She held and shushed me and didn’t say anything about what I’d said. For a moment, I took comfort in it, until she spoke in a broken whisper.
“It’s not Amber’s fault, or yours, if anything it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have let Olivia back into our lives. I just thought Sofia should be able to get to know her mom, but she was never interested in that baby.”
“It’s not your fault either, mom.”
“No, it’s not. It’s Olivia’s fault and that sick fuck, Tommy’s,” my dad informed us gruffly, from the doorway. He came in, gave my mom and me a hug. My dad didn’t hug, like ever, so him doing this, was a surprise.
“Where’s the coffee?” My pops asked as he walked through the door, leaning heavily on his stick.
My dad stepped back, and mom gave my Pops a smile over my shoulder. I scrubbed at my face with my hands and Pops, ever the diplomatic, turned to face me and muttered.
“You look like shit, Mason.”
I barked out a laugh and set up the percolator, to make the coffee, as dad and Pops settled into the house, that was becoming more and more, crowded. I needed to go back to talk to Amber again. I needed to apologize to her, because it wasn’t fair for her to shoulder the blame. There was enough blame to go around. I had to accept that she’d been hurt and confused, that she hadn’t intended for all these awful, things to happen. This was what Tommy wanted. He wanted to ruin my life, to ruin everything I cared about and it would only work, if I let him. Dad began to speak to me, and I was half listening, nodding and uhuhing, but my head was still in the room with Amber.
I wanted to go back in to see her. I needed to fix what I’d just broken and stop punishing her and me. I stood up and moved to the kitchen door, about to pass through it, when Quinn rushed in. His face was pinched, pale and I just knew something else was happening.
“What’s happening now?” I asked him in a low voice, and he sighed, shaking his head.
“Mercy Industries, Mase. It’s on fucking fire.”
I closed my eyes and rolled my shoulders.
“Arson?” I asked him and he gave me a brief nod.
“Yeah, looks that way. Fucking hell, Mase. He’s really trying to ruin you.”
“Yeah, he fucking, is. I need to go down there.”
“You can’t,” every voice said, and I turned to face them.
“It’s me he wants. He’s killed my sister, my best friend and now set my company on fire. What the fuck do you all expect me to do?” I asked them, with a plea in my voice.
Quinn stepped in front of me again, watching as I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to calm down.
“Mason, you need to calm down” Dad told me, and I spun around to face him.
“How the fuck do you expect me to calm down? He’s going after everything. He kidnapped Amber, killed Helena, Lewis and now my company. How am I supposed to stay calm? What if he comes for my babies next? Or someone else? I can’t do this.”
I wanted to scream at them, to make them understand that I was always in control. That having someone else trying to control me, was killing me.
“Mason,” Dad began, but Quinn stepped in front of him and put his hand on my shoulder.
“Mason,” he muttered quietly and stepped closer to me. “We need you to stay here. We can’t lose you too.”
“I feel so weak, like everything is out of my control and I hate it. I need to fix this, Quinn.” I told him in a whisper, and he pulled me in for a hug.
“Go speak to Amber. The cops are all over the building and, no-one was hurt, so it’s fine. We can rebuild, but not without you. We’ve lost enough.”
My eyes spilled over and I swallowed against the lump in my throat. I held my friend tightly for a moment, before he stepped back as Harris came in.
“The cops want one of us to go, but the Feds said no.” Harris muttered as he came into the kitchen.
“Mason, you okay?” he asked, and I shrugged, because what could I possibly say.
“Amber is asking for you,” he told me in a low voice.
I gave a sharp nod, walking out of the kitchen and heading towards her room. As the door swung shut, I heard Harris ask in a low voice.
“How’s he holding up?”
I didn’t wait to hear the answer given, but kept going to get to Amber’s room. I quickly knocked and heard her mutter softly, from inside.
“Come in,” she said in a voice, that was a raspy whisper.
I walked into the room and her eyes shot straight to me. I could see the tear tracks on her cheeks, I quickly crossed the room and climbed up on the bed, beside her. I managed to wrap her in my arms and breathed my apology into her hair, as I held onto her.
“I’m sorry. Amber. I’m so sorry, for everything, for all of it…”
I couldn’t say anymore, so I pressed my lips to her head and held her softly in my arms. She relaxed after a few beats and fell asleep in my arms. I was in the most uncomfortable position, but I couldn’t move, because I didn’t want to disturb her. I managed to re-adjust and Danni helped me by propping up some pillows at my back.
I drifted off to sleep and woke up a few hours later to a series of loud noises. I scrambled from the bed as a loud bang sounded in the hallway. It sounded like a gunshot, but why would there be a gunshot in my house? I clambered from the bed and turned to Danni, who was standing by the door, barring my way out.
“Move please?” I asked her and she shook her head.
“My babies are out there. I need to get out.” I begged her in a low voice.
>
“No, they aren’t Mason.” Mom’s voice sounded from my right.
I turned to see her in the bathroom, holding a sleeping Lucca, with Sophia sitting on the floor playing with some toys.
“We knew he was coming. SWAT are in here and everyone is safe.” Danni informed me and my legs, shook, as I heard another loud series of shots.
“Mason?” Amber asked in a low, confused voice and I rushed over to her.
“Sshhh, I need you to be quiet just now, Amber,” I muttered softly to her, as I reached her.
“It’s okay, it’s going to be okay. It’s almost over now.”
“Michaels.” We heard and Amber visibly flinched.
“Michaels. Come out you fucking coward.”
I began to stand, Amber gripped my arm and pulled me down onto the bed, beside her.
“No, Mason. Don’t leave me, please?” she begged quietly, and I sat back down reluctantly.
My eyes darted towards the bathroom door, but my mom had closed it and turned out the light. I glanced towards Danni and saw her counting on her fingers.
“Michaels.” he screamed, sounding even closer than before.
I noticed Danni nod, as there was a series of loud scuffles in the hallway, followed by a bang and then silence. My body trembled, as I waited in the silence that followed, to find out if it was over.
Had he finally been caught?
Or was another piece of my world about to come crashing down, around my ears?
I turned to Danni and opened my mouth to ask her something, when another series of scuffles sounded along with a loud yell. Then silence again, before a gunshot broke the quiet lull. She turned to face me and after a moment gave me a brief nod, before she walked back over to Amber, and checked on her. She was awake, fearfully watching and part of me wanted to go back to bed with her, but I had other people to protect. I had to know if it was all over. There was a small knock at the door and my eyes darted to Danni’s.
“It’s okay, Mr. Michaels. It’s Agent Anders,” the voice on the other side of the door, informed me.
Broken Mercy Page 9
