“Mason, please…”
He paused and looked over his shoulder. “I have to fix things, Violet.”
“You didn’t finish telling me everything.”
“I know,” he said. “If I don’t walk away right now, I’m going to make a decision that will hurt you. I don’t want that, Violet. I don’t want to hurt you. Just like I never wanted to hurt her.”
“You’re not going to hurt me,” I said. “And I’m sure you didn’t hurt her.”
Mason curled his lip. I was pressing sensitive buttons.
“If I didn’t hurt her, then she’d still be alive,” he said. “Everything I love dies. I don’t want you to be next.”
The words were chilling and stole my breath away.
Mason walked off.
I went back into his apartment and shut the door. I hugged myself and walk back until I hit the arm of the chair. I slowly sat down and felt the weight of his words starting to crush me.
I began to take it all in.
How fucked-up it all was.
Mason and Kate. Their tattered past. She was his stepsister, not that it actually mattered. Bouncing from foster home to foster home until they were adults, and even then… I didn’t have the ending to the story. Even though I knew the final chapter was Kate passing away.
I shivered.
Then I thought about Mason’s wife.
It was just one mess after another.
My heart knew what I really wanted, but my mind asked a question as it attempted to offer some kind of reason.
Was this really worth it?
23
Fucking Lawyers
(Mason)
I walked through the shop and admired all the hard work. It was all I could do to keep myself sane. Really fucking sane. Digging up that shit with Violet had been rough. Looking at the way her face twisted and turned, I wasn’t sure how truthful she was in not judging me. How could anyone not judge the situation? It was fucked-up. Worst part was that I had nobody to turn to. No father. He was dead a long time ago. And then the shuffle of foster fathers was sometimes even worse. Tony was the worst… even if because of him Kate came into my life.
In the mix of that was Kate. Me and Kate. Bouncing off each other, lost in temptation, never sure what to do. She had promise. She had a bright future. But every time she took a step forward she would fuck it all up. And you know why?
“Mason!”
Hunter was calling me to him.
It already felt like the longest day of my life and it was only about to get even longer.
Hunter threw an arm around me and tried to hug me. I shoved him away.
“Whoa,” he said. “No cuddles, huh?”
“Fuck off, man,” I snapped. “What’s with you?”
Hunter dug into his pocket and took out a set of keys. “Here you go, brother.”
“What’s that?”
“Keys to the lot,” he said. “Really… they’re just old post office box keys I never returned. But everything is approved. The land is ready to be built. And it’s all on you now, Mason.”
“What…”
“Your building. You design it. You build it. You run it.”
I looked at the keys, then grabbed them. “Let’s go for a walk, Hunter. There’s some shit we need to talk about.”
“Okay. Let’s walk. Let’s talk.”
He was too jumpy and peppy for me. Right about then, I noticed a woman walking from the main office door. I eyed her for a few seconds. Something about her…
“Who’s that?” I asked, nodding. “Client?”
Hunter smirked. “Nah. Possible friend.”
“Friend?”
“Actually, you know her.”
“I know her? Shit. Are you going in for my seconds now?”
Hunter laughed. “No. I wouldn’t go near anything you’ve touched. Not without antibiotics first.”
“Asshole,” I said.
“That’s Victoria. Violet’s best friend.”
“What? How? Why?”
“Guess there was a mishap at some point with Violet and her boyfriend? Couldn’t find Violet so Victoria was checking into it. We talked for a few seconds on the phone. She stopped by to say hello.”
“Okay, hold on,” I said. “First up: Violet… no boyfriend. Unless it’s me.”
“Is it you?”
“Fuck off,” I said. “Second: she came to say hello? A woman making the first move at you? That’s bold.”
“It is what it is,” Hunter said. He patted my back. “So, what do you want to talk about?”
We walked to the empty lot and stood there.
I looked at Hunter.
“You’re too happy for this shit,” I said to him.
“What’s wrong with making more money?”
“The name. It’s mine.”
“Okay.”
“RN… that’s mine,” I said. “Get your own. And we work it simple. I get the motorcycle work. You get everything else.”
“Wait…”
“I wanted to open a shop for rides. That’s it. This is your idea to get into cars, trucks, vans, whatever. So keep that there. Give me the motorcycles. And we bounce off each other. But I want the name. You should have your own name, Hunter.”
Hunter nodded. “Okay. I think I can live with that. No offense but the RN thing never really made much sense to me, even though it has memory value to you.”
“As far as building right here,” I said. I started to shake my head. “Not going to happen.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You’re going to do what I say and when I say to do it,” I said.
“Mason…”
I stepped toward Hunter and put a finger to his chest. “You said to me you had good fucking lawyers. Right?”
“Yeah. Really good. Expensive.”
“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”
“Mason, what are you up to?”
“I have to fix things,” I said. “That’s all I’m saying.”
“You bought this land,” Hunter said. “I mean, you gave me the cash for it. There’s no going back on this.”
“Lawyers,” I said. “Get them here as soon as possible. I’m not playing, Hunter. There cannot be anything done to this land.”
“Jesus,” Hunter said. “Is this your way through life? Constantly fucking everything up?”
“It’s what I do best. Now call the fucking lawyers.”
“Fine. I’ll call the fucking lawyers. But I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Hunter walked away, shaking his head.
I looked around. I ran a hand through my long hair.
Truthfully? I had no fucking clue what I was doing.
For the first time in my life I was thinking two, three steps ahead of things.
And everything was revolving around how I really felt about Violet.
Fucking lawyers.
That’s all that went through my mind as I walked the hallway to the apartment. I fully expected to find the place empty. That I chased Violet out for a little bit. I had been short with her and probably scared her.
For me, I was just doing things in the right order.
I turned my key in the lock and opened the door to find her still there. Sitting at a barstool at the counter. She had her laptop open, notebooks spread across, and her cellphone in her hand. She looked at me and froze.
“Well… never thought I’d see this.”
“What’s that?”
“A beautiful woman working at my counter.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t be here long. I’m looking for a place.”
“What?”
“All or nothing, Mason,” Violet said. “I’m sorry. I just can’t be fucked around anymore. By anyone. It’s all or nothing with me. And that means you.”
I rubbed my chin. “So, you’re putting me on a fucking leash?”
“No. I’m trying to shield my heart. Because whether you realize it or n
ot it’s been stomped on like a piece of trash lately. I can’t live like that anymore.” Violet looked at her laptop screen. “Found a place I might like. Just need to call and set up a showing. Then I’m out of here. The apartment I paid for already I’ll just sub out because I am not living in a place where Davis fucked other women.”
She was strong. She was beautiful. She was hurt. And she was nervous.
I watched her dial the number, trying to call her bluff.
But I jumped at the last second and ran to her, tearing the phone out of her hand. I ended the call before it could really begin and stood over her, staring down.
“You belong here,” I said.
“Then show me that. Fuck, Mason, what do I have to do?”
“It’s not about you,” I said through gritted teeth. “It’s about me.”
“I don’t care that she was your stepsister. I care about how you feel. And felt. And will feel. I respect that about you, Mason. Whether you-”
“I had to meet with Hunter and some lawyers,” I said. “I had to get shit in order.”
“Meaning…”
“I’m getting divorced,” I said.
Violet’s eyes went wide. “Really?”
“Yes.” I reached for her face and stroked her cheek with the back of my hand. “I have to do things a certain way, though. It’s not easy. Nothing is fucking easy, babe. You know that about me. You want a place? Go get it. But if it were my call… your home is here.”
Violet jumped off the barstool and into my arms. She attacked me with kisses. Clawing at me for a hug, squeezing as tight as she could.
She looked at me as I held her. “Mason…”
“No,” I whispered. “We’re not doing the ‘going backward’ thing right now. We’re going forward. Right into my fucking bed.”
I held her ass as tightly as I could as I fucked her. Pulling her as I thrust forward, my body slamming against her. The noise was perfect. Top that with the sound of her voice groaning, whimpering, crying out my name. The headboard pounded against wall hard enough to leave marks.
Exactly how I wanted her.
I looked down at her perfect ass. My thumbs spread her open as I saw my cock sliding in and out of her, glistening with her sweet cunt honey as she poured all over me. I gently teased her other hole just to watch her squirm a little, wanting to remain as unpredictable as possible.
I slid my right hand around her body and upward, cupping her right breast. I pinched my thumb and forefinger together against her nipple, rolling the hard nub between my fingers, and tugged until Violet threw her head back and groaned. My hand kept going, feeling her chest, her neck, all the way to her lips. Violet quickly started to kiss at my thumb and then started to tease me with her tongue. Flicking against my thumb, sucking it, biting it hard.
Groaning, I felt my balls tightening up, ready to unleash another load of warm cum deep inside her womb. I wanted to leave my mark on her as many times a day as possible. It was a fucking amazing feeling.
I tore my hand away from her mouth and she growled at me. I put both hands to the small of her back and pushed, forcing her down, forcing her ass up even higher. Her feet came off the bed, her toes curled tightly as I sped up even more. By that point she was fully mine and under my control. She couldn’t move and couldn’t escape me.
But I wasn’t going to just finish like that.
No fucking way.
I had other intentions in mind.
I eased my way out of her and hurried to turn her around.
On her back, Violet clutched the sheets as I towered over her. My cock throbbed, standing so fucking tall, seconds away from letting go. I stuck my hand between her legs, feeling her pulsing heat. With two fingers, I attacked her clit like I was in danger and Morse code was my only fucking escape.
She cried out and lost her breath, arching her chest.
I lowered my mouth down to hers and started to kiss her. I broke away for a second. “Fucking come all over me, babe. Right fucking now.”
I put my forehead to hers and kept her gaze straight at me. I dug and twisted at her clit as hard as I could, knowing she was ready to go. And, fuck, when she did…
Her ass lifted off the bed as she quivered with her orgasm.
I grabbed for her right hand and put it to my cock.
“Right now,” I ordered.
Her hand cupped at the head of my cock and she went to town on me. Jerking at the right spot for the right amount of time. As she came, her hips rocking, ass bouncing off the bed, her honey pouring all over the sheets on the bed, I felt my cum easing up my shaft.
“Fuck,” I growled.
“Yes,” Violet was finally able to whisper. “Yes… Mason…”
I slid my two fingers into her cunt and felt her clench against me as she squeezed my cock as tightly as she could. With one last jerk upward, I had to release. The first shot of cum splashed against her belly, followed by another and another and another. I thrusted, fucking her hand, feeling my hot seed clinging to her fingers, making it easy to slide her hand up and down my throbbing shaft.
She stayed right with me until I was fucking done.
Then I pulled away from the bed and looked down at her. Her legs spread. Her sweet lips glistening with honey. The smell of her desire lingering in the room. The sight of my creamy cum piled on her belly as she breathed heavily. Her hand slightly in the air, covered in me.
I grinned and left the room to get her a towel.
When I grabbed a towel, I looked at the shower.
“Fuck that,” I whispered.
I turned on the water and had a better idea.
I’d carry her to the shower, just like before.
I’d wash her, love her, hold her…
And I’d finish my story for her.
We were in bed with the silence of the room and darkness all around. The bedroom door was open just a crack, a little light flooding in from the rest of the apartment. It was a bunch of little lights that collected together - the clock on the stove and microwave, the little red lights on the cable box, the TV, the power strip, all that shit. Such dumb stuff that I never noticed before, but as I rested in bed next to Violet, it all seemed so much more important. Like all the little things had purpose.
I could see the outline of her body and I watched my fingers tracing lines down her shoulder and arm. I’d pause at her fingers for a moment and then keep going, feeling the silkiness of her hip, the curve of her hip, the length of her leg, and then move back up. I’d ease my hand forward and around her thigh, coming dangerously close to touching her sweet, honey-filled sex, but never touching her. It was all strange for me. Different. Yet it was all comfortable.
I sucked in a breath and shut my eyes.
I collected the rest of the words, chunks of the haunted stories I had smashed time and time again, but could never get rid of.
“It just was never meant to work,” I said. “With Kate. Whether we were too close through other feelings or what, I just… it just didn’t happen. We were each other’s little secret. Which was fun. It was wild. It was passionate. Knowing that perhaps in some fucked-up way it was wrong but we knew it wasn’t that at all. I just loved her in a way I can’t describe. And she loved me the same. I think in a way it was a sense of fear. If something that real could exist, it could also explode. Then she told me she was taking a job upstate. Trying to better her career. I didn’t believe her for a second. But I let her go. I knew better than to chase her down and bother her. Sometimes she just needed space and time. She was gone for two long months, Violet. Without a call. Without anything. And then she just showed up again. One night. Standing at my door, bags over her shoulders, crying her eyes out. She threw her arms around me and said she was sick. Said she had cancer and was going to die.”
I paused for a second to collect myself.
I hated the story and it played out in my mind so fucking freshly, like it had just happened a day ago.
Violet rolled to her back. She gr
abbed my hand and kissed it. Then she squeezed my hand with both of hers. She didn’t speak a word. It was the perfect gesture she could give me right then.
“She wanted to be away from me so I didn’t see her get sick,” I said. “I argued against it. She spent two weeks with me and it was… we didn’t leave the apartment I had at the time. It was just us for two weeks. We let it all out. We acted like we were normal. And then in the middle of the night she left me. She left me a note saying she was going to be sick and wanted me to remember her healthy. I couldn’t believe it. It was like someone ripped my heart out. So, I spent a week tracking her down. And when I got to her, it was like nothing I ever expected. She was in a hospital bed, almost a shell of the woman that was in my bed a week prior. The cancer was spreading and there was literally nothing that could be done. I found out she knew she had been sick for a long time. But she didn’t want to burden me. Burden me. I wanted to be fucking burdened by her. Dammit. I swallowed all my anger down, Violet. I let it boil in the pit of my stomach as I lived in that hospital room with her.”
Violet reached back and turned on the lamp next to the bed. Then she turned and faced me. Slowly reaching for my face, she put her pointer finger to the corner of my eye. She pushed and I felt a tear collect on her fingertip.
I didn’t cry. The last time I cried was when Kate…
“I told her I loved her and would never stop. She told me I needed to be happy. I needed to find my way. She told me I was good with fixing up broken things. Including her. That’s what gave me the idea for the shop. I told her I was going to keep writing to her. That nothing could stop me. She said she hoped something would stop me. Something - someone - would show me that love could exist and be real and be free. I took her hand and just held her. Right there in the hospital bed, cradling her, her hands clutching at my shoulders. She cried a little. Fuck, so did I. Then she looked at me one last time… one last look. She smiled, her cheeks wet from tears. I asked her, ‘What are you smiling about?’ and she swallowed hard and in a weak voice, she whispered, ‘I hate you, Mason… I hate you for loving me the way you do’”
My throat squeezed shut for a few seconds. I just stared at Violet, waiting for the feeling to pass. It was a mix of terror and panic and anger. I just focused on Violet. The light cast upon her. Her eyes glossy, a tear escaping, hitting the pillow.
HATE ME AGAIN: a bad boy romance novel Page 18
