by Hazel Gower
Then Divinity turned to me and waddled over, her face in a, ‘don’t mess with me or I’ll have your balls’ look. I raised my hands in surrender, ready to do just what she said. I’d already learned that you didn’t fuck with Divinity, but a pregnant Divinity was bloody scary.
Divinity rolled her eyes. “Don’t be an idiot, Mason.” I lowered my hands. “You don’t need to be here right now. We’re all here and you need to be with Alexa. I’m damn surprised you came here without her in the first place. That girl is glued to your side.” I winced at the ‘girl’ comment. Divinity caught it. “Oh, stop it. You’re being a pussy. She’s fucking seventeen and a bloody mature seventeen at that. She survived on the bloody streets. Stop being a wanker and just claim the girl. Christ, you Silverman boys are crazy.” She didn’t wait for me to reply before she waddled back and sat next to Cassie. When she looked up again she growled, “Go now, Mason.”
I stood still for a second as the others chuckled, the somber mood in the room changing for a moment. I left knowing I needed to talk to the guards and find out what the hell had happened with Alexa.
I MISSED MASON. I’D TOSSED and turned and when I did finally fall asleep I awoke from a nightmare. I should have spoken to Mason. I got up early ready to talk to him, but his mother intercepted me and dragged me shopping.
“Now you’re ready to venture out. I have so many fun things for us to do,” Gillian gushed.
I’d learned this morning that shopping with Gillian wasn’t fun. Hours of trying on clothes and shoes and going into every high-end store was not only exhausting, but boring. I liked Gillian, and I wanted her to like me, too, so I didn’t complain. We’d arrived just in time for my therapist appointment and as I sat, exhausted, I wished I’d told Gillian I wanted some time alone. Dr. Heather Dickson, my therapist, could tell something was up. I wasn’t a huge talker in most of our sessions, but today I just couldn’t stop staring at the study door. I was eager to find Mason and talk to him. I needed to tell him how I felt. That I was sorry.
“I stuffed up,” I blurted out.
Dr. Heather raised a brow. “Why do you think that, Alexa?”
“I stuffed up with Mason. I’m not using him.” I shook my head. “He said I was, but I’m not. I’m ready for him. I love him. I’m ready. I know what I want. I was just having fun.”
“Firstly, who said you’re using Mason?”
“It doesn’t matter. It was just Tony. I, I don’t like him. Oh, can you tell the Silvermans I don’t want him as my guard? I’m not a user. I, well, Mason found me. He didn’t leave me. I, I, how could I not fall for him. I have a family now, er, again. I want that.”
“You didn’t feel like you were a part of any of the foster families? Is that why you ran?”
“Yes. No. No, I ran because I’m not Cinderella. I ran because I choose who touches me.” My body started to shake and I wanted to vomit. I hadn’t told her why I’d run from my foster families. I’d talked about my mum, dad, grandma, and even Mason, but I hadn’t talked about anything with my foster families or what had happened the night Mason found me. I knew I needed to talk about that night, but I was being selfish. I had carefully taken all the things that had happened to me and locked them behind doors, many doors, in my mind. I didn’t want to open the doors and think about my experiences, or what could be happening to those girls.
“This is the first time you’ve spoken of anything that happened with the foster families you were with. You said Cinderella. Did one or both families make you feel like her?”
I nodded, not ready to voice what happened to me. The beatings I could handle, but the touch . . . no. I shook my head as unwanted images of Randy leaning over me jumped into my head. I practically felt his hands snake up my legs. I brought my legs up on the sofa and wrapped my arms around them, hugging them to my chest. I closed my eyes and tried to go to my safe place, and shut and lock the door on those thoughts. I tried to bring forth memories of my mum and dad, but for once it didn’t work.
Screams rang through my head as I fought Randy, my foster parents’ biological son. He ripped at my clothes as I struggled to get him back out the door. A knee to the groin got him off me and I fought him with everything I had to get him out of the room, and then put everything I could in front of the door to keep him out. Memory after memory of him getting to me and attacking me and night after night of sleeplessness as terror of sleeping and not being ready to defend myself sank in until I ran away, again and again until they moved me.
“Alexa. Alexa.” Dr. Heather called my name, over and over, but I couldn’t break from the memories repeating over and over. “Alexa, take a deep breath in and slowly let it out. You’re safe here.”
“Mason. I want Mason.” I moaned and closed my eyes focusing on his name, on his scent, on his look, and on everything that was Mason. The repeating images were replaced with shaggy brown hair, big warm chocolate brown eyes, and a beard on a chiseled jaw. Safety. He was my safe place. He kept me safe. Mason. I opened my eyes and looked at Dr. Heather. “Please, next time you want to talk about what happened to me, can we please have Mason here? He’s safe and I need to be safe.”
Her gaze narrowed, eyebrow furrowed and her lips thinned for the merest of seconds but I saw it, before her face returned to her professional look. “If that’s what makes you comfortable. Alexa, to break through this and move on properly you’ll need to work on talking about what happened.”
A knock on the door had Dr. Heather getting off her chair and answering it. I didn’t hear the whispered words, but when she opened the door and two police officers stood there, I knew my time for keeping things to myself was up. I looked at the two officers and wondered if they were safe?
“Alexa. T—”
Mason’s father Albert pushed his way past the officers into the room. “I told you two you could enter the house and talk to her, but only if I was present. You know she’s a minor.” Albert growled. He looked pissed.
Bringing my legs up again I hugged them to my chest. I really didn’t want to remember anything from the time before I was with the Silvermans.
“Miss Jennings, I’m Officer Dodge and this is my partner Officer Blaken. We’re here to ask you some questions.”
I nodded at the officers. “Ask away.”
Officer Dodge stared at me for a moment and I swear for a second, he could see right through me, but then he looked at Dr. Heather and must have gotten the okay from her because he spoke. “Have you heard of The Devil’s Queens?”
My body started to rock and I frantically shook my head back and forth. “No. No. No. They took them. They’re gone. Gone. Gone. Gone.” I rocked faster as the night I met Mason flashed in my mind.
I was making it to the shelter tonight. I was eager for a shower and food. I tried to remember the last time I ate, two, or three days ago. I had water. Water was easy to find and so were empty water bottles. I could clean them. One thing I wasn’t willing to do was eat food out of the garbage. I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
I kept to the back streets. The cops were out tonight and any street kid knew to avoid them like the plague, especially when most of the cops I’d seen hadn’t been doing anything that would say they were protecting and serving. A scream was my warning. It was sharp, shrill and cut off quickly. I knew I shouldn’t follow the sound. I had regretted not minding my own business many times before, but for some reason my gut told me I needed to check it out, so I creeped along, clinging close to the walls to find out what was going on.
Girls were being dragged and carried to a van. I knew one of them and she was conscious and fighting the big men in leather jackets.
“They took them. They took all of them. Stacy. She fought. I ran . . . I ran. One got me. I ran. I fought. I hid. I’m a good hider. I hid . . . I hid.” I could feel my whole body shaking, but I didn’t care. “I hid . . . I hid. I’m good at hiding. I hid.” I rocked faster, wishing I could stop, but my memories were on repeat.
“What the fuck
is going on? How long has she been like this?” That voice. I knew that voice.
Mason.
That was my Mason.
Warmth surrounded me as Mason’s arm wrapped around me. I stopped rocking and slowly let my legs drop and leaned into him. I took a deep breath, taking in his masculine scent and letting it calm me. “Mason. I’m sorry. Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me.”
“Sshhh, bear, I’m here. I’m not leaving you.”
I clung to him, not willing to give him up. I wasn’t letting him out of my sight again if I could help it. “As long as you don’t leave me, I’m ready to talk. Just don’t go.”
He brushed a kiss on both my cheeks before melding his lips to my own. In that moment I knew I wasn’t alone anymore and that I was free. I could tell what had happened the night Mason found me. I could tell because he would keep me safe.
Holding Mason tightly, I stared at the officers. “I saw them. Men with jackets that had The Devil’s Queens on them along with their logo. They took the girls and put them in a van. I heard a scream. I followed. I should have run, but I had to follow. I saw Stacy fighting and I . . . I should have gotten help. I backed away, but, people suck. They litter. I . . . they heard and came after me. I ran and hid. One of them got me. I fought. I kicked. I punched. I bit. I did everything I could to get away and when I did I hid. I stayed hidden. I’m good at hiding. I hid in the safest spot and then Mason found me. That’s it. That’s all I remember.” I buried my head against his neck. I was too exhausted to continue.
Mason must have known I was done, too, because he hugged me tighter. “Okay, that’s enough. You can leave now. Dad, can you show the two officers out please?”
“Officers, this way.” Albert led the men out of the room.
I wasn’t going to delve anymore into my past this evening. I closed the doors in my mind again and locked them tight. All I wanted to do was hold Mason.
I DIDN’T REMEMBER THE REST of the afternoon or night. I ran on auto pilot. All I knew was I didn’t want to be away from Mason. He was my anchor. My safe haven. I snuggled against him, not wanting to move. I loved waking up in the morning cuddled over him. Rubbing my cheek on his bare chest I sighed in utter contentment.
“I know you’re awake, bear. We need to talk.” He caressed up and down my back in a soothing motion.
“I don’t want to talk. I want to cuddle. I love being like this with you.”
“Mmm, Alexa. You’re not making this easy.” His whole body vibrated with his groan.
I eased off a little and raised myself up on my elbow to look at him. “Fine. Talk.”
“I don’t know if they told you why they wanted to talk to you yesterday, but my cousin Dustan was taken by The Devil’s Queens. He escaped, but The Devil’s Queens sent a ransom and in it they said they wanted you. We, I, my family, would never give you up.”
My stomach sank and I felt sick. “I’m sorry about your cousin. I should have told you sooner what happened to me. Is he okay?”
“No. He was shot and is in a coma. You need to know we are upping our security. They were after you and I’m not going to give them any chance to get to you. Until this is sorted you’ll have four guards, two with you and at least two close by.”
Shaking my head, I eased off the bed and stood. “I don’t want four guards. Please, I don’t want to have him, I mean, no more guards.”
“What! What do you mean him?”
Groaning, I buried my face in my hands. “Please ignore that. I, I, I just, with everything that happened I’m muddled.”
Mason pulled my hands away and caressed my cheek. “Tell me what happened. I know one of the guards said something. From what I was told I think I know who, but I need you to confirm.” His finger brushed my lips. I didn’t want to get anyone in trouble. Right now, he said think, he didn’t say for sure. Maybe I was overreacting over Tony. Easing away from his touch, I looked away from him, unsure what I should do. He leaned over and brushed his lips over mine. “Bear, please tell me. I need to know.”
“I don’t want to cause trouble. You won’t fire him, will you?”
“Oh, Alexa, you’ve got such a soft, sensitive soul. I know you’d feel terrible if I let anyone go. No. I’ll just make sure he’s not assigned to you.” I hugged him and clung to his body. I loved this man. He always knew just what to say.
“Tony. I just don’t want him to guard me. I’m sorry. I really am sorry. I’m not a tease. I do want you.”
He growled and I knew I’d said too much. “Bear, you are not a tease. You are my woman. The woman I’m growing to love.”
I gasped. This was the first time he’d said anything about loving me. “Love? You . . . you’re growing to love me?”
His lips brushed mine once, twice, and a third time. “Alexa Jennings, you’re the easiest person to love.”
Throwing myself at him I cried, “I love you. I love you so much. Thank you. Thank you for starting to love me.” I hadn’t felt lucky in a long time, but as I settled against him cuddling close, content and happy, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.
ALEXA WOULDN’T LET ME out of her sight for long. It was why she was going with me on my first day back at work after almost two months off. Alexa convinced me to go back to work.
“I’m looking forward to getting the tour of your gym. I’ve always wondered where everything is in it. It’s so big from the outside and with the u shape I wondered how things were spaced.”
“You could have come in.” I tried not to think about what would have happened if she’d come in. She could have avoided all the pain she’d been in and maybe Dustan wouldn’t be in a coma.
Her laughter stopped me at the reception area. “What’s so funny?”
She raised her brow and her lips were curled up into a smirk. “There’s no way the security would have let me in here.” She darted her gaze up at the cameras. “Ha, and if I did somehow get past them, there isn’t a chance in hell gym Barbie behind the counter,” she gave a head jerk over to Britney at reception. “Would let me get further than here before having me removed.”
If I’d seen her, I was sure she wouldn’t have gotten far. “I would have hel—”
“Don’t, because I know whatever you say would be bullshit. There’s no way I, in my crappy, torn, threadbare clothes, would have been allowed in here.” Shaking my head, I opened my mouth to tell her she was wrong, but she held up her hands. “No. Stop. Please don’t. I don’t want to argue with you. I want you to show me your gym.”
“How about I show you where I train? I’ll even let you in the boxing ring. Well, if no one else is training.” I grabbed her hand in mine.
“You have a boxing ring?”
“Yeah. I want to be a professional boxer.” I raised my brow. “You didn’t know? I thought I told you?”
She snatched her hand back and franticly shook her head. “No. I just thought you owned the gym. You want to beat up people for a living?”
Sighing at her look of horror, I took her hand back and threaded my fingers through hers. “It’s not like that. It’s not about beating up people. It just you and your opponent. It’s a sport. I enjoy it. I’m good at it.”
She kept shaking her head. “I don’t want you hurt. You’ll get hurt.” She embraced me and let go of my hand and hugged me tight. “How can your family let you do this? It’s dangerous.”
Wrapping her in my embrace I leaned down and inhaled, savoring her smell and just her closeness. “They don’t like me doing it, but my family want me happy. They know it’s a dream of mine. They know, too, that I take all the precautions and I have the best coach.” I didn’t want to stop my dream, but for Alexa I would. “Come and watch it. I promise you if you really hate it I’ll stop for you.”
She was quiet for a while and we just stood in the gym hall cuddling, then she eased away and gazed up at me with an intense look. “You would give up your dream for me?”
Cupping her face, I stroked her cheek. “I would d
o anything for you.”
She grabbed my hand and squeezed. “No. As long as you promise me that you’ll always follow the rules and take every precaution there is. You deserve to have your dreams, too.” She beamed a rainbow bright smile at me that had my chest swelling with happiness.
A mother passed us by with her baby and took a left to the daycare. “Ooohh, where’s she going? Isn’t that baby cute?” Without waiting for me, Alexa let go of my hands and followed the woman and her baby, making faces at the child.
I quickened my steps to catch up to her. She glanced over at me and the shine in her eyes and smile on her face almost made me stumble. Since being with her, I had only ever seen the joy and excitement all combine on her face when she was around children and babies.
“I can’t wait to have one of my own.” She practically bounced as we entered the daycare. I lifted my chin to Greta, who runs the childcare.
I was pretty proud of the two large rooms I had for the daycare. It’s more than what most gyms had and I always had at least one qualified diploma childcare worker on at all times.
“I love kids.” Alexa beamed at me. “I want a whole bunch of them.” She walked around both rooms and I watched as she radiated a calm, easygoing happiness. “Both rooms are amazing. I’m guessing you must have busy periods where you need them both?” She circled around the daycare room. The eight little ones that occupied the space were either listening to the story with the teacher in the book corner, or siting at the table playing with Play Doh.
I nodded. “Yeah. From four until around nine at night is our busiest. It’s when the yoga, aerobics, and bike classes are the most packed.”
“Oh, that makes sense.” She gazed down at the children and I didn’t miss the look of longing on her face.
I knew she loved children, but didn’t know she wanted them so soon and was so baby crazy. “How about tonight I see if we can visit my brother and baby Sebastian?”
