Page 65 of The Associate

Turning off the shower, I pull his towel off the rack, noticing that my clothes are still on the floor. Pulling my pants and top on, I push my way out of Mason’s bathroom, catching him off guard when the door opens. I hold back my laughter as he falls flat on his ass.

Without acknowledging him, I walk out of his room and quickly make my way to my own room. My father is in his office, so I am lucky enough to get to my room without any hassles.

Closing the door behind me, I stop to take a breath. Maybe I can sneak out to see Rico. Especially if Mason is not going to take me there… But I am scared shitless of Rico after what happened the other week. The main reason Mason took me to the range was to teach me how to shoot and then to work on my stealth.

The moment I step away from the door and into my room, I glance over at Mia in her crate. “Hey girl, did you miss me?”

She lets out a little huff. Suddenly, there’s a loud bang, followed by wood splintering.

I drop to the ground.

“Thank you, Mack.” The unmistakable voice of my father echoes through the room. Mia growls from her crate. “Good, that mutt is locked up. Will make this so much easier.”

He draws his gun from his holster across his chest and points it at her.What the fuck is happening?

“No!” I scream, jumping up and standing in front of Mia. “Anything, anyone but her! Please don’t take her away from me.”

A tear escapes my eye, and as strong as I like to be around my father, when it comes to Mia, I am hopeless.

“It is for your own good, Genevieve.” My father sounds irritated. He is about to end the life of the one thing I can’t live without. “You may think of this mutt as a strength, but it’s just another weakness.”

A bang echoes through the room, ringing in my ears, and a sob escapes my throat.

I look over at Mia, expecting her to be dead from my father’s cruel ways, but she is staring at me. She is alive, but how?

I glance up to see a bullet embedded in the wall and then turn to face my father. He is standing there, eyes wide open. I look up, only to see Mason standing there, a small cut on his cheek and a gun pointed right at my father. I don’t remember hearing him come into the room, but I am glad he is here even after our argument.

The cut on his cheek must have been from the bullet grazing past him. “You need to leave this room.” His eyes darkened in anger. “Now!”

I have never seen my father this scared of anyone before. Maybe because he knows what he is capable of. He did train him after all.

Mason looks back at the other guy behind my father. I assume Mack. “Get out. Now!” he yells at both of them.

Mack scrambles out of the door. My father just stands there, staring at me.

“You lose, old man!” I say, standing behind the protection of Mason.

Just seeing the red cross over my father’s face is satisfying enough.

“While you are under my roof girl, you will obey my rules!” He turns and storms out of my room.

It isn’t until he is completely gone from view that Mason lowers his gun. He turns to look at me, a light trail of blood running down his cheek. I can’t help myself, I reach my hand up to wipe it away, but he steps back, shaking his head.

“Go back up to my room, take Mia, and stay there,” he says, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Your father is becoming more brazen. You are no longer safe in this room.”

I don’t have to be told twice. I grab Mia’s lead and take her out. We run up the stairs into Mason’s room. I close the door behind me, waiting for him to follow.

Chapter 22

Mason

Iscroll through my contacts and hit the dial button. The phone rings once before I’m greeted with “Viper, what’s up?” The voice on the other end is curious.

“Change of plans,” I say with a sigh. “Sal’s gotten more paranoid, just tried to kill the dog. Need you to come and get her by tonight.”

“Roger that.” He ends the call.

I hope she doesn’t hate me for this.I throw some of her clothes into a bag and make my way back up to my room.

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