Page 116 of Relapse
Damn cockblock.
“Ugh, fine.” I rolled my eyes and pushed Harper and I up to sit. “You’re acting like someone died.”
“Someone did. My nanny.”
Damn. I was so happy to find Harper okay that it hadn’t occurred to me that there might be other casualties.
Parker’s light eyes locked on mine. “And she had a raven carved in her chest.”
The driveback to Oakleigh Manor was a quiet one. I sat quietly in my seat while Mason fisted the steering wheel and stared out the windshield. He was obviously angry, I just didn’t know if it was because of me, or Lana’s nanny.
I could understand it being the later. Bernice was such a sweet lady, who loved those babies. Poor Lana was broken up about it. I spent the last hour we were there trying to comfort her.
What kind of person would do something like that? How callous did someone have to be to open fire on innocent children? Daddy had his faults, but I’d like to think he’d never do something like that. Then again, there was a time I thought he’d never hurt me. Maybe I was a bad judge of character? I mean, I did sleep with Mason Kessler. And I liked it.
There was something wrong with me.
Mason pulled up to the house where Mr. Kessler was waiting, and grumbled, “Great. Just what I fucking need.”
My gaze swung from one to the other. I didn’t understand Mason’s animosity. Louis might not be his biological father, but he was more of a dad to Mason then mine was to me. Didn’t he realize how much something like that was worth? I’d sacrifice anything to have someone care about me the Louis did Mason.
Maybe I did have someone?
I couldn’t get what happened at Lana’s house out of my head. Mason clung to me so tightly, it was like he thought I’d vanish. No, he was scared I’d disappear. My gaze trickled over his dark hair and down to those bright green eyes sparkling with annoyance. Could that be true? Was Mason Kessler afraid he’d lost me?
“Come on.” He swung open his door and huffed back at me. “Don’t answer any of his questions.”
“Um… okay?” How exactly was I supposed to ignore Louis Kessler? Mason did understand who his father was, right?
He ducked down to glare in the car where I was still seated. “I mean it, Harper. Don’t say shit.”
“But–”
“Not buts. You’re mine, not his. Got it?”
I wasn’t sure if I could do what he said, but nodded anyway and stepped out into the fading evening sun. The events of the day caused one thought to roll through my head. It was warrior’s hours. How ironic was that? The pink hue in the sky was extra bright, as if the world itself knew I had to find the courage to go back in the past and unravel the tangle of lies I’d created.
Mason barged into Lana’s house, panicked that something had happened to me. The least I could do was give him the answers he wanted. Funny thing was, I wasn’t scared. I was relieved.
“Son.” Louis gave Mason a small nod.
He rolled his eyes in response. “Louis.”
“We need to talk.”
Mason clasped his hand in mine and shouldered past him. “We really don’t.”
“Yes,” Louis reached out and grabbed his shoulder, stopping him, “we do.”
When I felt Mason’s fingers tighten around mine, I thought he might hit his father. I kept waiting for his fist to swing through the air. But it didn’t.
Instead, Mason looked at the hand on his shoulder and said, “Not right now.”
And to my surprise, Louis sighed and let him go. I couldn’t help but stare back at the look on his face as Mason pulled me away. Louis Kessler was quite possibly the most self assured person I knew. Yet right now he looked defeated. It broke my heart to see such a strong man broken.
“You should be nicer to him.”
“Oh yeah?” Mason snorted. “And why’s that?”
