Page 51 of The Associate

She tilts her head to the side, a question in her eyes. “Well, I made a promise to your mother before she took you away.”

She squeezes my hand in hers. “What did you promise her?”

“I promised that, when you eventually had to come back here, I would protect you from your father’s control.” I bring her hand up to my lips and kiss the back of it. “I promised that I would keep you safe. But I failed. I am a failure.”

“Mason, no, you are not a failure.” She sits up again, pushing through the pain, and wraps her arms around my neck. “Do not think that you failed me or my mother. You are protecting me. I know what my father did to me in the medic’s room was unexpected, but you stopped him.”

“You’re not upset with me?” I ask, dropping to my knees on the floor beside her bed.

“No. I was hurt, Mason, after you went running out of the room the other night, too scared to say anything,” she admits. “And then, when I went to talk to you, you told me to fuck off. You know how much that hurt me.”

“That wasn’t my intention, Viv, I promise it wasn’t.” I sigh and drop my head. “I am… There are things wrong with me. There was an incident that happened a while ago. When I am not in control, I panic, and when Iamin control, I tend to push it too far.”

Her hand reaches forward and she places it under my chin, lifting my head up. “You do not need to be ashamed about any of that, you are strong and I know it takes you a lot to admit that.”

I gaze into her eyes so she could see the sincerity on my face “Sal threw me into a job that went wrong and it nearly got me killed. It is one of the main reasons that I am willing to help you with your plan.”

She smiles at me, her fingertips tracing my jawline. Her silence says everything: she forgives me for what I did now that she understands my reasoning.

“I have one question to ask you though,” I say, watching her expression change to curiosity.

“If you want to take out your father, I have a hit that I have to take out soon.” I have been wondering if I should even ask her this. “And I don’t want to leave you in this house without anyone else around because, if you can’t tell, I don’t trust a lot of people around here.”

“What are you asking Mason?” She leans forward, her face inches away from mine now.

“Did you want some field experience?” I ask. “You can see how I work and how I anticipate what they are going to do. There is no better way to learn than to be out in the field.”

“Are you sure?” She hesitates.

“Yes. After hearing what you did to Rico and Jace, I want you to be able to see how to defend yourself.” I say. “Only if you feel up to it though. I need to have this target removed by tomorrow night. I’ve already put it off too long.”

“Ok, I will come with you.” She smiles. “I would love to see how it is done properly and how to protect myself.”

I nod as I stand up. “I’ll let you rest.” I head for the door.

“Wait,” she calls out before I can open it. I turn around.

“What’s wrong? Is anything hurting?”

“No, no, nothing hurts.” She pats the empty space next to her. “Will you stay with me tonight? I just need the feeling of someone familiar next to me. Someone I can trust.”

Her eyes are pleading.How could she still trust me after I choked her and drove her to leave the house?She had only been put in that situation because of me. I wouldn’t trust myself at all after that. Come to think of it, Idon’ttrust myself after that. But all I’ve wanted for weeks is to be by her side like this, so I will do what I can to prove that I’m trustworthy.

I nod, removing my white dress shirt and climbing into the bed. My arms pull her into my bare chest. She takes hold of my hand and places it against her chest, over her heart. “As long as I live and breathe, my heart will always be yours, Mason Hawthorne.”

A smile tugs at my lips and I pull her closer. “And mine has always and will always remain yours, Genevieve De Luca.”

It is a lot more comfortable lying in a bed than it is on a marbled tile floor, that’s for damn sure. I close my eyes and sleep takes over instantly.

Chapter 18

Genevieve

Tonight, I’m going to a hit with Mason. I am nervous, not because I am about to witness someone get killed. No, that part excites me more than I care to admit. I’m nervous because I don’t want him worrying about me while he needs to focus on the job.

I may still be in a little bit of pain from the night Rico found me, but I’ve been able to walk around my room and am getting through basic stretches. It has just been the tightness of the scar tissue that is bothering me.

I need to be strong and stand on my own two feet.

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