Page 1 of Mason
ONE
LENNON
The vice-like holdTristan Valentine has on the back of my neck leaves no room for argument. His fingers dig into my skin, but there’s no escape in sight from the hell he’s about to force me into. My eyes flick up toward the enormous two-story Georgian-style home before us. I’ll give him this much—it’s stunningly beautiful. From what I’ve been told, it was built during the years my stepfather attended Kingston University, but somehow, they’ve given it a certain Southern charm that makes it seem like it’s been standing here for ages, though it’s no more than thirty years old, tops. All the frats on campus are housed in buildings that are almost a century old.
The alumni of Bainbridge Hall are a tight-knit bunch of bastards—and so are the current members of the brotherhood, which include my stepbrother, Duke.
And Duke? He hates me. There’s no way in fuck I’m living here. I don’t even want to be at KU in the first place. I want a college education, but this is the last place I’d pick because he’s here. I can make something of myself on my own. That’s what I’ve been working so damn hard for, and I’m determined to see myself succeed whether out of sheer desperation or my keen instinct for survival. But then, as is inevitable when I ponder my future, doubt creeps in, delving deep into my fear that I'm more like my mother than I let myself believe. I hate to admit it to myself, but I’m concerned—no,terrified—that I’ll fail and end up marrying some prune-cocked old man like my mother, Nikki Bell, did.
I shudder at the thought, but then adrenaline surges through me as Tristan shuffles me roughly toward the back end of his Escalade and manages to keep a tight hold on me as he wrangles my suitcase from the back.
As if I’m going to take off like a shot and run down the expansive driveway and somehow get away? Where the hell would I go? My stepfather is one of the most powerful men in this town, and I’ve come to learn over the last few years, he’s not someone I want to anger. I’m stuck. There’s no way out from under his thumb because his reach is far and wide. This could be a way to distance myself, but will living here be worse? Maybe if I bide my time, I can find a way out.
My stepfather steers me toward the flight of stairs and ushers me up them. My legs are long, but his are longer, and it feels like he’s dragging me by my neck. “That hurts,” I hiss through gritted teeth.
He chuckles low, in a way that makes another shudder of distaste run down my spine. It gets worse the longer his hand is clamped down on me. Something prickles along my nerves in a way that is wholly uncomfortable. My mother’s husband is one of those men who manages to intimidate without saying a damn word.
But then we reach the front door, and he pulls me to a stop, turning me to look at him, his blue eyes assessing. “Keep your mouth shut until you’re asked to speak. Got it, Lennon?”
I suck in a breath and practically choke. The late August humidity is cruel, the heat oppressive. The sun beats down on us as we stand there, and sweat trickles down my back, sticking my tank top to my skin. It won’t help to argue. This man sees the worst in me, and honestly, I don’t give a fuck. He might make my mother happy, but he’s hardly given me the time of day—not that I want or need his attention—so I don’t know what’s crawled up his ass now. Doesn’t really matter. I give him a curt nod, tucking away my true feelings on the matter. “Yes,Tristan.”He hates that I won’t call him Dad. But… whywouldI? Shaking my head, my jaw locks, waiting for his next move because no way am I going to be the one to let a bunch of college frat boys know I’m about to blow up their lives by moving in.
Without knocking, he reaches forward and twists the doorknob, opening the door. I have an odd feeling that if the place were locked, he’d probably have a key, anyway. I can’t imagine the founding brothers don’t have access to the house. Ha. House. Mansion? Shit, maybe it’s technically an estate. This place is freaking huge, judging from the outside. I can’t guess the exact dimensions, it’s so unlike anything I’m used to. It’s even bigger than Tristan’s home with my mother.
He finally releases me from his grasp, placing a hand on my upper back instead, and guides me into the entryway, which boasts amazing twelve-plus foot ceilings with a sparkling chandelier that is meant to draw the eye upward.
It’s breathtaking.
And I’m so far out of my element, it’s not funny.
Tristan takes a moment to punch a code into a fancy security panel beside the door. Maybe in a home like this it makes sense to have an alarm set all the time. With a shrug of my shoulders, I go back to looking around while my stepfather sets my luggage beside the door.
I hate that my eyes are wide and wondering when I spot Duke coming toward us down the marble-floored hallway. I don’t know where he came from, as I was too busy gawking. Him catching me with my mouth hanging open is just what I need. He and I—we’re like oil and water, not that we’ve spent all that much time together but when we do, he’s always coming after me. Inwardly, I cringe. We’ve spent just enough awkward family holidays together to know he thinks my mother is a money-grubbing whore. His words.
“Stella Bella,” he mocks, running a hand through his blond hair, “what the fuck are you doing here?” My stepbrother’s fierce blue eyes train on me for a heavy, curiosity-laden moment before they flick to his father. “What’s she doing here?”
Oh, fuck.I study Tristan out of the corner of my eye, but he shows no sign of discomfort at all. Not even a hint of remorse that he’s putting me through this—because now I get it. He didn’t ask Duke if I could stay here. He’s going to demand it of him.
And I’ll be the one to deal with the blowback.
It’s because of this I let my mouth run away from me. I can’t even help myself when I get pissed off. I cock one saucy hip to the side, giving him a sweet smile that belies the words I’m about to spew. “I have a name, asshole, and it’s not fucking Stella.” His lip curls, but before he can fire back, I toss him an amused smirk. “And wait, didn’t Daddy tell you? We’re gonna be roomies. So much fun, right?”
I only get to enjoy the way Duke’s face is reddening with anger—or maybe embarrassment—for a split second because Tristan grabs my upper arm, practically encircling it with his meaty hand and yanking me face-to-face. His fingers bite into my flesh, his hot breath fanning over me as he grits out, “You disrespectful little cunt. I told you to keep your mouth shut. You willnotdisrespect me or the head of this house. If you want to get the college education you so desperately seek—” He stops to smirk at the way my brows jump high on my forehead. “Oh yes, I’m well aware of your desire to claw your way out of the circumstances you were born into. And for that reason, you’ll do exactly what my son tells you to do while you’re living here. He says jump, you nod your pretty little head and reply ‘How high?’”He squeezes my arm viciously. “Got it?”
Finding it hard to hide the wince tugging at my lips, I wrench my arm free and glare at him as I rub the injury with my hand.
He runs one hand over his bearded cheek as he shrewdly studies me. “Lennon, let’s not play any more of your little games. How many times do I have to tell you—when I ask you a question, I expect the courtesy of an answer.”
I exhale slowly, my eyes taking in both of them as they watch me—one irritated and the other adept at hiding all emotion. I can’t read him. Bastard. “Yes. I understand.” I wait a beat before narrowing my eyes on Tristan and adding a flippant,“Sir.”
I’m not surprised in the slightest when he doesn’t react to my attitude, but instead focuses on his son. “Duke. I’ll speak to you in the office.”
Letting out an exasperated groan, he heads in that direction. Before Tristan follows, he points a finger at one of two enormous stairways curving upward along both sides of the entry. “Sit. Right there on the steps, and don’t you dare move an inch.”
I wait until they’re both ensconced in the aforementioned room before I trudge over to have a seat. The marble step is cold even through my jean shorts, but it’s a relief after the sweltering heat outside. Propping my elbows on my thighs and my chin in my hands, I release an uncertain breath. This isn’t what I was expecting. Really, though, I never thought Tristan would stare at me like I had two heads when I said I’d saved enough money working at Stella’s Diner to attend the local community college.
I’m fucking proud of what I was able to plan and save for on my own. But apparently, it’s not good enough forthe Valentine name, and as his stepdaughter, he’s made damn sure I understand that it’s not permitted for me to be an embarrassment to him.
But here’s the thing—I’m not a Valentine, not by a long shot. I’m a Bell, and I’m definitely not good at taking handouts. It irritates the shit out of me that the idea of getting an education at KU is the tiniest bit enticing. I never would have asked, but hell, if he’s going to force me into this… maybe I should shut up and go with it. I let out a sigh because I’m still uncertain if my mother married for love or money. We aren’t super close. I can’t believe that her choices have landed me here.
