Page 4 of Toy

“Right.”

“I know you don’t like me very much, Jolie, but I wish you’d at least understand that I’m trying to help. Someone hurt you very badly, and I want that person to face justice. That’s all.”

“I never said I don’t like you, Detective,” I said, my face softening as guilt roiled in my guts. “And I do understand that you want to help. All I’m saying is that you’re barking up the wrong tree. Mason is a good person.”

“Are you sure about that?” she asked, forehead creasing.

“Yup.”

She sighed again. “All right. If you say so.”

“He is,” I insisted. “You know what happened to his family, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then you know how much he’s lost. How much he’s suffered. Not only was his family horribly murdered, he was blown up in his own car. He could’ve turned into a total monster after all that, but he didn’t.” I shook my head slightly. “I guess he’s a bit dark and twisty, but he still had it in him to jump in front of a bullet to save me today. Does that sound like a bad guy to you? Does that sound like a guy who wants to see me hurt?”

“I suppose not,” Beck said reluctantly, pressing her lips into a thin line.

“Well, there you go. Whatever it is you think you know about Mason Ashwood, you don’t. Trust me,” I said. I stood up. “I’m going to go and ask the officers if I can go to the hospital so I can be with him. I still don’t even know if he’s going to make it.”

“Of course. You should go,” she said with a nod. Before I stepped away, she patted my arm. “But if you ever want to talk about anything—”

I nodded and cut her off. “I’ll call you if I have anything else to say.”

I dropped the blanket and walked away, still wearing clothes soaked in blood. Blood which would’ve been my own if it weren’t for Mason.

“You really love him, don’t you?” Beck called after me. “No matter what he’s done to you.”

I gritted my teeth and turned around. “You have no idea.”

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