Page 43 of Rise By Sin

“Okay honey. I have your pills. Can you tell me what you need to take?” Deacon asked as he came ack into the room and dropped to the floor beside Mason, in front of me. I smiled at him gratefully and realized I was coming to trust him too. It was so unlike me, especially since I barely knew him, but he had been so good to me since the moment I met him, and there was an honesty and goodness that him that was impossible to miss. Sure, on first appearance his sheer size and width made him look intimidating as hell, but under all of that was a gentle man who Iwas coming to like very much, no matter how much I tried to tell myself I shouldn’t.

The three of them were all watching and listening intently as I told Deacon what I needed to take. There were so many pills it was a miracle that I didn’t rattle when I moved after taking them, and again I felt ashamed that I needed so many drugs just to function.

“When you’re feeling up to it I want you to go through all of your drugs with me, okay darlin’?” Jack spoke up. I loved the way he called me ‘darlin’’ with his thick London accent. He wasn’t posh British like you heard inDownton Abbeyor any of those other fancy English shows I secretly loved to watch. Jack had told me he was from the East of London, and apparently that was where his accent came from. I hadn’t heard another like it before, but I loved every word he uttered. It was all him and it made me feel all warm inside just to hear it.

“Why?”

“I want to make some notes so we’ll know what tablets you need on days like this one. I want to make sure we have all the information we need to look after you,” he explained.

“I won’t be here that long, Jack.”

“Yes, you will,” Mason told me flatly. “You’re home now, and we’re not letting you leave us again.”

“Mace…” I sighed, but was cut off.

“Let’s not talk about this now,” Jack intervened. “Priority number one is taking care of Ave. Two is finding Colt. The rest can wait, right?”

I nodded my agreement, as did Mace, but I could tell the subject was far from dropped. Mason was so determined that we were going to make everything work and live happily ever after, but I didn’t understand why he didn’t see how impossible that was. Surely the state I woke in that morning was proof enough for him that my life could never be normal.

I sighed deeply, pushing my confusion to the back of my mind. It could wait. Jack was right about that. Finding Colt had to be my first priority.

“The Owen’s were looking for Colt because he’d been poking into their operation. Apparently he’d been to a few of their clubs, asking questions they didn’t like. They were hunting him down to see what he knew, but they never found him. Owens was pissed about that, so I believe they never found Colt,” I explained.

“Did they put hands on you?” Mason almost growled, now looking even more pissed.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle. The point is, they don’t have Colt, so now we need to find the fucker who hurt me and fast. He has tot be the one who grabbed Colt. Maybe he thought Colt was on to him, or maybe it was just random and he saw Colt at the club, but I’m sure he has him.” I forced myself to push back my own flashbacks and just breathe. I refused to allow my past to overtake me again. I had allowed it to happen too many times since I returned to the city and it needed to stop. I needed to get back control of my own mind.

“So where do we start?” Deacon asked from where he had moved to sit in an armchair after helping me take my meds. Jack was still holding me in hi lap, but I was sat up against him now, myback resting against his front, and Mason was still massaging my thigh. Thankfully, my pain seemed to be easing slightly, at east enough to allow me to think clearly and breathe.

“Mace, you said the last ping from Colt’s cell was nearTemple, right?” I questioned.

“Yeah. According to call logs he called and left Jack and I voicemails, then made one more call before his cell was shut off. That the last signal we have.”

“The other missing people made calls, sent emails, and left voicemails too. I think this guy forces his victims to do that so people won’t look for them,” I explained.

“That makes sense,” Jack agreed as Mason nodded.

“I also think he likely grabs his victims after they leave the clubs. It makes sense. It’s usually late and dark. That’s when he grabbed me,” I went on.

“Time to repent,” The deep scratchy voice reverberated through my head as I once again saw myself on the cold, damp concrete, terrified and trying to escape the monster who had jumped out at me.

“Love?” Jack’s voice ripped me from the horror of the past and back to reality. I looked up at him and tried to hide my slightly panicked breathing.

“I’m okay,” I reassured him when I saw he was watching me with concern.

“Ava, I can deal with this investigation. You don’t need to put yourself through it, sweetheart,” Mason told me as he moved his hands from my thigh and cupped my face with them instead.“You’re exhausted and dealing with this is only going to bring back more horrid memories for you. You don’t have to do this. I can find Colt and the fucker who took him. I will find them,” he told me.

“I know you can,” I assured him as I wrapped my shaking hand around his wide wrist and looked right into his beautiful deep dark eyes. “But I have to do this Mason. I have to do everything I can to find my brother and you know it.”

“I do,” he nodded. “I was just hoping.”

“I can handle this, Mace. I’m a mess and you’re right it’s going to bring up some dark shit for me, but I can deal with it.”

“We’re going to be with you every single step of the way,” Jack promised me as he held me even tighter.

“That includes me. I’m going nowhere, sweetheart,” Deak added. I looked over to him and smiled gratefully, knowing how lucky I was that they all were there for me. I didn’t, however, miss the way Mason stared daggers at Deacon when he thought I wasn’t looking.

“So you want to gather surveillance footage from the club cameras? Is that where you were going with your idea?” Mason asked, and I was glad to get back to what mattered.

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