Page 41 of The Associate

Sprinting across the grass, I found her twirling around, her dress flying out in a circle around her. I stop running, just standing there watching her spin. I am not good at being around younger kids, but there is something about her that had me fixated. Something that lifts the weight off my shoulders.

“Mason! Come twirl with me!” she calls out and continues to spin.

This little blonde-haired girl has me wrapped around her finger: without thinking, I start twirling too.

“You need a dress like me!” She squeals.

She flops down onto the ground, lying on her back, and stares up at the sky. I lay down next to her. She points up at the clouds. “What do you see, Mason?”

“I see a little girl in a pretty dress, wearing a crown,” I say, my eyes on her. “She rules over all of us.”

She starts giggling again. “I will rule over you one day because I am the princess!”

Chapter 14

Mason

Iopen my eyes, confused as to where I am. This room does not smell like my own. It smells like jasmine and mint. Exactly like Viv.

Opening my eyes, I realise Viv is lying with her arm across my waist and her head on my chest.

I should have removed this shirt. I want to feel Viv’s skin against my own.

“Stop fidgeting,” she says, half asleep, with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

“Sorry, Princess.” I wrap my arms around her and kiss her on the forehead. Here in this moment, it’s like I have died and gone to heaven.

I am beginning to let my guard down around her.

Being with Viv is different than any other relationship I’ve known. When she left, it felt like I had lost another member of my family. I’d seen her as a little sister, but ever since that magical moment on the couch in her apartment ten years ago, I knew in my heart of hearts that I need to have her.

She had been mine to look out for and keep safe when we were younger, but everything has changed. I’m still meant to look out for her, but now I want to keep her safe because she ismine.And it’s time I claimed her as such.

I don’t want to hurt her or have her see me as the monster I am, but I don’t want to let her slip through my fingers again.

The way she is lying on my chest, she doesn’t seem to realise how dangerous I am. And I’ll keep her from knowing for as long as I can.

I just want to be with her in every way possible.

I am already in way too deep with agreeing to this plan of hers and even though I loved Sal like my own father, I hated the man he made me into. There are times where I feel like everything he has done up to this moment has ruined my fucking life.

Long gone is the carefree teenager I was. The teen who looked out for Viv as a kid, who helped her with everything. I became the man I am now because her mother took her away from me– took away my purpose– and her father turned me into his killing machine. I went along with his plan and training because I had nothing else.

Now that Viv is back in my life, I have something to live for.

I glance over at the clock sitting on her bedside table: one in the morning already.

“Mason?” Her voice is barely a whisper.

“Yeah, Princess?” My hand moves up and strokes her hair. What in the world is she going to ask?

“Stay with me?” She opens her eyes slightly and lifts her head to look at me.

“Anything for you.”Shit.

A stray hair falls out of the messy top knot it was pulled into earlier today, gliding over her cheek. Her body shifts upwards and she leans in towards me. Her lips brush against mine.

I have to resist, I can’t give in, but I can feel the monster gnawing, trying to free itself. I don’t want to hurt her.

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