Page 53 of The Associate

Then I realise something: “Wait, hold on.”

Mason looks over at me briefly as he drives.

“The target trains at the range?”

“Try again Princess.” He chuckles.

“He owns the range?” I look across at him as a smile crosses his face.

“Indeed, he does, which is why we go there, I train you to shoot — you may not be perfect but at least you can defend yourself — and then, when it is closing time,” an evil grin crosses his face, “we strike.”

“At the range, or are we going to take him somewhere else?” I am genuinely curious now — I realise he hasn’t told me much about his plan.

“There is a little area out the back.” I can tell by the hesitation in his voice that he is thinking about how much information he is going to give me. Letting out a breath of air, he continues, “He likes to go out the back, smoke some weed and pull his dick. He is also in a lot of debt to your father. He thought he would be sneaky and try not to pay for his protection.”

He grips the steering wheel. “How much does he owe?” I ask, turning in my seat to face him.

“Over a hundred grand.” His focus becomes fixed on the road in front of him.

I let out a little whistle. No wonder he is a target. I want to ask more questions, but I am certain that Mason isn’t going to answer any more of them, so the rest of the ride to the range is in silence. I just sit in the passenger seat looking at the sleek, black gun in my hand.

As I am moving the gun around, looking at the intricate patterns on the grip, I notice there are words engraved into it.

‘My Sweetheart Genevieve, keep me close to you and never hesitate. Love Mum’

“This was my mother’s?” I question, breaking the silence.

“Over the years that you and your mother initially left, I wanted to make sure that you were both safe — from the other rivals, but mostly your father — but I was never able to find you, until that day on your eighteenth birthday.” He starts to slow down, pulling into the parking lot of the range.

As he cuts the engine and turns to face me, he looks sad. “Your mother gave it to me before you left that first night and I’ve held on to it, waiting for the day to be able to give it to you.”

“No, my father never tried to find us; he cut contact after we left.” I shake my head, as if denying it would make it the truth.

“That’s what your mother wanted you to think, Viv.” He takes my hand in his. “Your father was ruthless. He was doing everything he could to figure out where your mother had taken you. You were his ticket to an alliance with Blackmere.”

“Rico?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Rico’s mentor.” He places his hand on my knee with my hand as a barrier. “Your father still wants you to marry Rico, even though he says he doesn’t, and after he told you he should just send you to Rico, I have this gut feeling something bad is going to happen, and I know Sal is trying to remove me from the picture.”

“You? But why?” This is getting more and more confusing as the day goes on.

“Your mother wanted you to marry me, but she wasn’t going to force you to do it. She wanted you to figure out your own path in life and make your own choices.”

I shake my head.What the fuck is happening right now. “Okay, so I may have a bit of a crazy plan.”

“What is it?”

“Okay, so you say my father still wants me to marry Rico, even though he tells me he wants to protect me from him?” He nods. “Well, how friendly are you with Rico?”

“As teenagers, we were best friends,” he says.

“So do you think he would get in on this plan? We pretend that I chose to marry Rico instead, that moves me closer to potentially running Murwood, my father lets his guard down, thinking that I am the pet of Rico and then BAM” — I slap my leg — “I take him out, you and I rule Murwood side-by-side and we form a stronger alliance with Rico and Blackmere.”

“After what he did to you? I think the fuck not Viv!”

“Come on Mason! You know it’s crazy enough to work.” Why am I begging him? “I don’t care that I was bedridden for a few weeks.”

“But he hurt you, Genevieve!” The use of my full name stings a little but I press on.

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