Page 9 of The Associate

“Which one of you cunts did that?” My voice rises as I storm across the floor.

They freeze in place, not expecting someone as delicate-looking as myself to confront them. “Come on baby,” one of them says.

“It is all a little harmless fun,” another scoffs.

“Harmless fun?” I growl low enough so only they can hear me. “You think a crying woman is harmless fun?” They look at me a little dumbfounded and before I have the chance to say anything further, one of them reaches out and tries to get a handful of my ass.

Without warning, I ball up my fist and swing it towards the nearest face in reach. It just so happens to be the one who tried to grab me. I have my rings on so it will definitely leave a mark on his cheek. I clench my teeth. “Get. The. Fuck. Out. Of. My. Bar,” I grind out.

They all hurriedly collect their things off the tables around them and make their way to the door. One of them turns to face me, mouth hanging open, like he is about to say something but then quickly closes his mouth like he’s reconsidered before following his buddies out the door.

I close the door behind them and make my way back over to Mason. His eyes were on me the whole time. He raises his glass at me with a slight grin on his face. “Not bad,” he says as he downs his drink.

I just glare at him, but a dark spot under his eye catches my attention. I lean in a little closer to see what it is and pick up a napkin from the table. As my hand instinctively moves closer to his face, he flinches and grabs my wrist. I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t bruise.

He releases his grip and I move the napkin closer to the dark spot. With a little dab the spot is gone, but when I look down at the napkin there is a little red smear of blood on it. He doesn’t look hurt, so it can’t have been his blood, it has to be the person my father sent him after earlier.

“Uhh, here,” I stumble on my words.

“Thanks, I should probably go clean up.” He looks at me and nods before sliding out of his seat and making his way to the bathroom.

Now is my time to get out of here. I walk back to the bar, remove my apron and put it under the counter. “Are you going to be okay here now?” I look over at Amber, who is wiping down the counter.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” She half-smiles at me. “As long as I don’t get another frat party coming in.”

I place my hand on her shoulder and give it a little squeeze. “My shift ended twenty minutes ago, but if you need anything just give me a call and I will be here as fast as I can.” She nods and goes back to cleaning the bar.

I make my way out the back and round to where I left my bike. I mount the bike and ride away from the bar as fast as I can go. Weaving in and out of traffic, I’m not caring how fast I am travelling. I just need to get home.

Chapter 3

Mason

Istay at Gravel and Grit a lot longer than I intend to. It isn’t because I am waiting for Viv to come back or see where she went, but I am worrying about the other girl who is working. She still looks shaken up after the incident with the frat boys, so I wait until closing time to make sure she is okay.

“Here’s your last drink.” She places the glass in front of me and smiles. “We close up in five minutes.”

I nod in her direction before glancing down at my watch. It is two in the morning. I should get home and at least get a few hours of sleep before I have to debrief with the boss.

He also told me that his daughter will be coming to see him, and he wants me there. He wants me to keep an eye on her because, as he put it, she is a wild child that needs someone he can trust to watch over her and make sure she doesn’t get herself kidnapped or killed.

Threats on her life have apparently been sent to the house, but I find that hard to believe because the mail always goes through me before it goes to the boss. Sal must be having the letters hand-delivered to him.

I’d already been made to babysit Genevieve when she was a kid. I made it seem like having to look after her had been a burden to me, but, in reality, I thrived on the attention she had given me. I never expected anyone to follow me to the end of the earth and she was just the kind of girl to have that childish crush at such a young age. Sal never liked her being around me, but I guess he has changed his mind about that if he trusts me to watch her now, twenty-four-seven.

I’ve missed her, since her mother had enough of this world and ran, taking her away from me when she was thirteen.

The only time I’ve seen her since then was briefly when she was eighteen.

* * *

The sun bakes my skin as I run around the yard, kicking the ball around with the other kids in Murwood. One of the fathers walks out onto the back patio and watches over us as we play.

Rico kicks the ball at the same time a loud bang sounds from inside the house.

Everyone freezes in place. The adults start running around, in and out of the doors. We all look at one another and then I see Rico point towards the balcony. My mother, standing there, looking out, her eyes scanning the yard. “I’m over here, mum,” I call out, waving to her.

“Mason, come here quickly!”

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