Mason (Trinity Academy Book 2)
Page 1
Copyright © 2018 by M.A. Heard.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical reviews and various other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
The resemblance to actual persons, things, living or dead, locales or events is entirely coincidental.
Cover Designer: Sybil Wilson, PopKitty Design
Cover Model: Forest
Photographer Credit: Wander Book Club Photography
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication
Songlist
Synopsis
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Trinity Academy
Enemies To Lovers
Connect with me
About the author
Acknowledgments
Dedication
Kelly, Sheena & Sherrie
Thank you for always challenging me,
and for helping to grow as an author.
I’m so damn grateful for each one of you.
Songlist
NF - Paralyzed
Brighton – Forest Fire
Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
HAEVN – We Are
Synopsis
"You’re my assistant."
The magic words every girl at Trinity Academy are dying to hear.
But I’m the one who gets stuck with Mason Chargill, the star of most women’s fantasies but my nightmare. One of the heirs to CRC Holdings, he might be dangerously gorgeous, but his cold and callous demeanor makes him an ice prince.
He expects me to abide by the Academy’s hierarchy, to be at his constant beck and call.
Yeah, right… hell will freeze over before that ever happens.
Unfortunately for him, I’m no pushover.
Unfortunately for me, he’s determined to break me.
If only there were a way to melt that shard of ice, he calls a heart.
Prologue
Please read Falcon before continuing with Mason
as all the books in this series are interconnected.
Mason
(Seventeen-years old.)
“How bad is this weather tonight?” Jennifer asks while we’re driving home after having dinner at Falcon’s house. “Oh! I almost forgot. I have a song I want you to listen to.”
My eyes shift from my phone to my sister. “Is it another one of those sappy ones?”
Jennifer smiles, knowing I’m only teasing her. “I’m willing to bet anything you’ll like this one.”
Picking up her phone, while her eyes keep glancing at the road, she looks for the song and a moment later guitar strings sound up. It’s a lazy melody at first. Jennifer grins at me when whistling joins the strings, and she reaches for the radio to turn up the volume.
When the car swerves on the icy road, she quickly grabs hold of the steering wheel with both hands. “It’s really bad out,” she mutters while her face is strained with worry. The words have hardly left her mouth when the car’s tail end begins to pull to the left. “Shit, Mace, I’ve lost traction!”
As Jen taps the breaks, I reach over to the steering wheel, but she snaps, “It won’t help. The road is too icy.”
The car keeps gliding and when it’s diagonally in the road bright lights fall on us.
“We need to move!” Fear prickles over the back of my head as my heart begins to pound out of control.
Fuck, they’re going to hit us.
The other vehicle tries to slow down, but they drive over the same patch of black ice.
“Fu-uuck!” A second later, they crash into my side of the car. “Jen!” a shout rips from my chest as our car begins to spin across the road.
“Shit. Shit. Shit,” she whispers as we uncontrollably spin into oncoming traffic. Flinging my left arm across Jennifer’s chest, I try to brace her for the unavoidable impact.
Jennifer’s side takes the full blow as a vehicle collides with ours, and the impact sends our car shooting backward.
“Mace!” Jennifer lets go of the steering wheel, and grabs hold of my arm with both her hands.
It feels like the worst rollercoaster ride of my life as our car pivots sharply before coming to a sudden standstill by crashing into a tree. The windshield shatters, and I can hear pieces of glass and metal falling. I quickly glance at Jennifer, and when her wide eyes meet mine, I feel a moment of relief. We both look down at the branch which crashed through our windshield but luckily stopped within inches of my arm.
“Fuck that was close.” My voice sounds hoarse from the horrific moment we just lived through.
“Yeah,” Jennifer whispers.
I begin to pull my left arm back, but the sound of squealing tires has me glancing behind us. I only have a second to react, and I throw my body to the left, trying to reach for the branch.
Our bodies are jolted forward, and I manage to keep my arm braced over Jennifer, with my fist tightly gripping hold of her sweater. A sharp pain pierces through my left arm before I’m slammed back against my seat, the sudden movement stunning my senses.
“Fuck,” I mumble. I try to pull my arm back, but when it doesn’t move, apprehension slithers through me.
It feels like time itself hesitates, but when I hear a gurgling sound, it’s forced to speed along.
In absolute terror, I turn my head toward Jennifer. The sight looks disturbingly peaceful as horror and anguish begin to war inside of me.
Her cheek is resting on the branch as if she just leaned forward and decided to fall asleep.
“Jen, wake up,” I stupidly whisper.
One breath.
Two beats of my heart.
My entire world – everything that represented home and family – warps into an unrecognizable mess.
Blood trickles from her mouth, and I hear the gurgling sound again.
I sit paralyzed, my eyes wide on my sister.
Slowly, the cold creeps into my bones and I gasp for a breath of icy air.
Scared out of my mind, I raise my right hand and reach out to Jennifer. The moment my fingers brush over her cheek, and I feel some warmth in her skin, I lunge toward her, only to be restrained by the safety belt.
“Jen!” Her name explodes harshly over my lips. Her eyelashes flutter and needing to get to my sister, I struggle to unclasp the safety belt and manage to free myself. But when I lunge forward again, I’m stopped by the branch pinning me to her chest. A jarring ache spreads through my left arm and up into my shoulder.
She gasps for air, instantly drawing my attention away from the pain.
My right hand trembles uncontrollably as my fingers brush over her forehead. “Jen?”
Somehow my instincts kick in, and I fumble for my phone, so I can call emergency services, but
I can’t find it, and it makes desperation crush my heart.
“Jennifer!” I cry, disoriented by the harrowing inability to help my sister.
“Jennifer!”
I should have yanked her to me.
“Jennifer!”
No. No. No. No. No.
This isn’t happening.
This isn’t real.
Chapter 1
Mason
(Twenty-two-years old / Present day.)
“My ears are freezing. They feel like two blocks of ice,” Kingsley complains.
I resist the urge to tell her it’s because she’s wearing that shitty excuse for a headband, instead of a decent balaclava. The guys are already pissed with me for being confrontational with Kingsley, so I try to save face by stepping up behind her.
When I push her hands away, Kingsley scowls, “What are you doing?”
Already regretting my decision to be nice, I ignore her. I cover her ears and lean forward. Blowing hot air between my cupped hand and her ear, I’m hoping it will shut her up for a couple of minutes.
But my hope is short-lived as she asks, “Ahh… what’s happening right now?”
Fuck my life, it’s hard to not give in to the temptation to shove her face first down into the snow.
“I’m being nice,” I mutter, then quickly warm her other ear before I adjust the headband. I almost slap her on the back but stop myself in time and give her a quick pat instead.
Noticing the ski lifts are coming in, I move toward it before I die of an overdose of her perky attitude.
The only thing I like perky is a nice pair of…
“Should I worry?” Kingsley asks, making my irritation increase. “Do you think maybe he’s lost his mind?”
You can’t hit a girl.
You can’t hit a girl.
You can’t hit a girl.
I’m struggling as is, then Lake adds, “I’m actually not sure. Maybe he’s coming down with the flu.”
Fuckers.
All of them.
Right before stepping up to the lift, I glare at them. “See, when I’m nice, you all think I’m insane. Get your asses to the lifts, so I can push Hunt down the slope.” I sit my ass down, muttering, “Can’t fucking win.”
“He’s fine,” Falcon says.
Going up, I zone out, not taking in any of the nature around me.
Why the fuck am I torturing myself like this?
Oh, yeah. Because it’s for Layla and Falcon loves the girl.
My thoughts go back to yesterday when Layla hugged me. She totally caught me off guard. I’m used to people scattering away from me. Definitely not hugging me and telling me to breathe.
I get why Falcon fell for her. Her balls to the wall attitude alone is enough to catch your attention, never mind her ability to make you feel calm and at home.
Home.
I haven’t felt that in a long time. Sure, I have Falcon and Lake, but there’s just something different a woman brings to a household.
Warmth. Tenderness.
I lost that five years ago and since Layla started dating Falcon, I’ve seen glimpses of it, and it’s been blinding me.
Add Kingsley’s overexcited, happy go lucky attitude, and I’m ready to dig my eyes out.
They remind me of what I’ve lost and seeing as I can’t tell Layla to fuck off, I direct my anger at Kingsley.
Reaching the top of the slope, I get off and walk over to the benches so I can put on my gear. I take my time, letting the others go ahead of me.
I’m really not in the mood for this, but I get up and ski closer to where Lake is.
“Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit,” Kingsley panics. She’s about to lose her balance, so I slowly ski up behind her and placing my hands on her hips, I help her to remain standing.
Fulfilling my ‘being nice’ quota for the day, I ski away from her and shout, “Try not to break your neck, Hunt.”
Skiing down the slope, the wind rushes past me, and when I reach the bottom, I’m tempted to say fuck it, and to head to the resort. But because my friends are up on the slope, I head over to the lift and make my way back up to them.
An hour later, Kingsley’s arms wave wildly at her sides as she tries to keep her balance where she’s skiing at a snail’s pace slightly in front of me. I plant my poles in the snow and grabbing hold of her hips, I help her to regain her balance. She turns her head, and when she sees me, her eyes widen behind the pink Oakley goggles.
“Why are you still surprised, Hunt? It’s like the fiftieth time already. Next time, I’m letting you eat snow,” I growl, maddened by her uncanny ability to aggravate me with just one look.
I take hold of my poles and watch as Lake skis toward us. Once again, he’s not able to stop which causes him to plow into Kingsley. A grin spreads over my face until I hear Kingsley laugh. The sound has my eye fucking twitching as if I’m about to have a damn stroke.
Her cheerfulness is bound to kill me.
She’s always smiling as if life is nothing but unicorn farts and butterflies shitting all over the fucking flowers. It irritates the living fuck out of me.
I hold a hand out to Lake, and once he grabs hold of it, I pull him up.
“Thanks,” he breathes, reaching up to his face to adjust his goggles. “All this snow is making me hungry. Are we going to head back down?”
“Don’t use the snow for an excuse to eat.” I grin at him. “Yeah, let’s go feed that bottomless fucking pit you call a stomach.”
Anything to get off this damn slope and away from Kingsley.
Lake turns to Kingsley, but I grab hold of his arm, and when he glances back to me, I shake my head. “Don’t. I need a break from her.”
Lake shrugs, and after helping Kingsley up, he begins to slowly ski down the slope. Just as I’m about to push away, Kingsley asks, “Where’s Lake going?”
I almost answer her but decide it’s not worth my time.
“Avalanche!” a skier yells from higher up, which makes me glance up the slope.
As I turn my head back in Lake’s direction, my eyes skim over Kingsley. Spotting Lake, I shout, “Lake, Avalanche! Warn Falcon!”
A wave of snow washes my feet from under me, knocking me backward. I hear Kingsley scream, and instinctively I fling my left arm in her direction. I manage to grab hold of her jacket and try to yank her toward me. Chunks of ice keep coming, pushing us forward before I can get Kingsley to me. The glove makes it hard to hold on to her.
“Fuck!” I shout when I feel her jacket slip from my hold. I’m inundated with snow and let it take me, knowing there’s no fighting it. It pushes me another hundred yards before I finally come to a stop.
Struggling, all I can hear are my breaths before I finally manage to sit up. “Lake! Falcon!”
My eyes sweep over the mess of disoriented skiers, all calling out names of loved ones they got separated from.
When I don’t see either of my friends, I begin to shout their names repeatedly. It takes a lot of effort to get myself back on my feet. With the snow broken up, it’s harder to move, but I manage to make progress as I keep calling, “Falcon! Lake!”
“Mason,” Falcon shouts from behind me. I glance up and feel some relief when I see him helping Layla to her feet.
Cupping my hands around my mouth, I call to him, “Can you see Lake?”
“No!”
“Fuck,” I mutter, and looking over all the people, I make sure I didn’t miss him before I set my poles aside. I take off my skies and place them next to the poles, then shrug off my backpack.
Worry crawls over my body as I call loudly, “Lake!”
I focus on an area and shout his name again. I keep doing this while moving across the fractured snow. “Fucking answer me!” Panic closes over my heart, and I feel the familiar horrible sting of hopelessness.
Suddenly a pole shoots up through a bank of snow, and I call out his name again to make sure it’s him. The pole moves, and I quickly turn to where I last saw Falcon. “Lake�
��s over here! He’s buried!”
Knowing minutes have already passed, I try to run, but the fucking snow keeps giving way beneath my feet, and I fall to my knees. Not wanting to waste any more time, I crawl the rest of the way, and when I reach the pole, I begin to dig as fast as I can. After I’ve cleared quite a bit away, and I still haven’t reached him, I shout, “I’ve got you, Lake.”
“Hold on, buddy.”
“Please.”
Falcon drops down next to me and begins to shovel snow away. We work as fast as we can, and when my hand slams into something hard, I feel a wave of dizzying elation. I clear the snow away from his helmet and at last get to his face.
“Can you breathe?” Falcon asks him, pausing for a moment to check on Lake.
I can’t bring myself to stop and keep shoveling snow away until his entire upper body is free. Falcon grabs Lake under his arms and pulls him free, and all I can do is sit back while gasping for air.
“Oh, God,” Layla whimpers behind me. I don’t even have the strength to glance up at her. “Lake, are you okay?” The worry in her voice grates at my nerves which feel like they’ve been put through a grinder.
“Are you hurt?” Falcon asks, keeping his hand on Lake’s shoulder.
“I’m good.” Lake takes deep breaths, pressing a hand to his chest. “Just need air.”
The relief I feel when I meet his eyes is only short-lived and is quickly replaced by paralyzing fear. In absolute terror, I turn my head to where I last had a hold of Kingsley.
The sight of the white snow looks disturbingly peaceful as horror and anguish begin to war inside of me.
It feels as if I’m being sucked into the past when the realization hits – I don’t see Kingsley.
“Kingsley,” I stupidly whisper.
A feeling of Deja Vu eerily ripples over me.
One breath.
Two beats of my heart.
My carefully patched up world – everything that’s been keeping my sanity from snapping – warps into chaos.