Page 57 of Monsters

I had misjudged my friend. She had sobered but was not on my side.

“I’ve known Mason since childhood,” I started. “How he presents himself to you is not who he really is.”

“And how is he?”

“He’s violent and manipulative.”

Christina shook her head dismissively. “Mason has never laid an unwanted hand on me.”

“How long have you been seeing each other?”

“Not long, but long enough to know that I feel safe in his presence and he’s great with Evie.

He’s the first man to have even given me a second glance. Having a newborn, and being a single mother, isn’t exactly on the top of a lot of men’s dating preferences.”

Her priorities were wildly skewed, but in a way, I could understand her vulnerability since Damian left. But she needed to hear the truth no matter how much it hurt.

“It wouldn’t matter what situation you’re in, Christina. He’s not after you. He’s after me!”

My friend recoiled like I’d slapped her. She was taking this personally, and since she was unaware of the backstory, she had every right to feel offended. That didn’t stop me from trying to piece the jigsaw together for her. “This is retribution. This is him trying to get square—”

“Get square over what?” she yelled, exasperated.

“Over everything! The fact that he tried to rape me when I was sixteen. The fact that he carved the word “mine” into my flesh. The fact that he’s been stalking me because he believes I saw—”

“What did you see, Gem?” Mason’s voice startled us both.

I turned quickly, finding him standing in the doorway holding Evie in his arms like she belonged to him. While she happily gooed and gaahed, the threat to her life was very real. Mason was daring me, pushing to see how far I’d go, to see if I would spill his secret. Perhaps this was what it had always been about—testing my commitment.

Evie was only a tiny baby, delicate and petite, compared to the size of Mason’s capable hands. The blood drained from my face, and I felt instantly faint. Gripping the countertop for support, I steadied myself and my line of thought.

“Why are you here, Mason?”

“My relationship with Christina is none of your concern, Gem,” he dismissed as if I was a meddling friend.

“What relationship?” I scoffed. “Just admit this is simply to get back at me.”

“Gemma!” Christina admonished. “That’s an awful thing to say.” Her voice frightened Evie who started to cry, her white cheeks turning a flaming red as she belted out the screams. Christina rounded on me, pulling her daughter from Mason’s arms. For this one action, I was glad. Stepping forward into his space, I could smell his familiar cologne.

“Admit it, Mason,” I said under my breath so only he could hear. “You don’t find it at all coincidental that I walk in on both Joanie and Christina having sex with you? My two closest friends?”

He grinned wide, his handsome face designed to both charm and deceive. “Maybe you need to admit that you have developed a habit of catching me...” his eyes traversed the length of my body and back up to meet my incredulous gaze, “… fucking.”

Repulsed, my hands itched to slap him hard. Instead, I inched closer, my jaw set strong. “Stay away from me, Mason. I’ve kept my word, now you keep yours.”

“Mmm…” He rubbed his jaw, his bicep flexing. “I don’t think you have kept your word, Gem. I think that pretty little mouth of yours…” he reached out and touched a finger to my lips. I jerked my head away, but he wasn’t deterred, “… has been running and telling lies.”

“I haven’t said anything about that night. Those detectives found me. You’ve made yourself a suspect in whatever you have going on because you left town before they came to visit. Now ten years later you decided to show again?”

Mason licked his bottom lip, inching closer to my face, his height intimidating. “What makes you think I haven’t been checking up on you every week over the last ten years?”

It felt like a blow to the gut.

He noticed my visible reaction and continued, “That’s right, Gem. Just because you couldn’t see me doesn’t me I wasn’t seeing you. All… of you.”

“You won’t get away with this, Mason.” I steadied myself. “They believe Luc tipped you off. So, if there’s anyone to blame for the manhunt, it’s yourself.”

“I don’t remember this fiery side of you, Gem.” His eyes glinted with amusement. “Maybe we should see just how much fight you have with you under me.”

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