Page 68 of Mason
It’s Lennon. This poor girl with the bag over her head is Lennon. My brain is near exploding with the knowledge that someone stuffed her in a motherfucking locker. My mind goes blank for a moment, unable to process.Who the fuck would do this? How did no one see it happen?
My eyes focus on the knot of fabric, trying not to completely spin out as anguish roars through my veins. “Nooo!” I dash forward, catching her as she begins to tumble from the locker. “Fuck. Fuck!Lennon.”With her limp body in my arms, I turn, shock slamming into me.
“I swear I didn’t do that.” Jimenez sucks in an astonished breath with his hands up, palms out in front of him. His head shakes rapidly back and forth, his eyes wide and panicked. “I-I didn’t put her in there. I swear. What is this, some sick fucking joke? She was in my locker like that when I opened it. I don’t know this chick. Like what the fuck? Why was she in my locker?” He’s beginning to irritate the shit out of me. “Is this her phone?”
“I’m sure she doesn’t know, and yes, that’s probably her fucking phone. Put it down.” My gaze sweeps the room, finding everyone’s eyes on us, and anger bubbles up inside me. I shout, “Get the fuck out! Every single one of you!” My chest heaving, I lay Lennon’s limp body on the floor. My head threatens to spiral into this terror, but I can’t afford to let myself flip out. Hurriedly, I feel for her pulse, fingers probing along her throat. My eyes slam shut as soon as I feel it strong and steady, if a little fast for my liking. I take a deep breath before my eyes pop back open again.
I tear at the strings on the bag, my fingers feeling like they’re made of noodles. Whoever did this. They’re dead. The twine is wrapped around her neck and tied off to keep the fucking thing on her head. Her pretty blonde hair is sticking out from the bottom.Fuck.
In my peripheral vision, I notice our quarterback, Bradley Gaines, who apparently didn’t piss off when I told him to. “Here, man. Use these.” He hands me a pair of scissors. Without a word, I snatch them from him and snip the ties, then toss them to my feet as I fumble to loosen the bag. Gaines steps in to help me, and together, we pull the bag off.
“Damn. Is she breathing?”
I straddle her body, leaning in to slip my hand under her neck and elongate her airway. I pause, my face close to hers, listening for breath sounds. “Yeah. Yeah, she is.”
“What the hell, man? Who would do something like this?”
“I don’t know.” My jaw locks tight. Frustrated, I mutter, “Go out and see if you can flag down Duke and Mason for me.”
Nodding, he gives me a little salute. “You got it, man.” He takes off like a shot.
Protective rage wants to burst free, but I know that’s not what Lennon needs right now. I have to get myself under control.But fuck.I’m on the verge of losing it. I want to scream my fury and find the sick fuck who did this to her.
I also need her to be okay, to look into my eyes and tell me she’s all right. I need her smiles and sass. I need her witty comebacks and confidence. It hits me like a bolt of lightning. I needher.
Picking her up, I gather her to me in a cradle hold and ease myself down onto the floor. My lips find her temple, gently pressing there as I rock with her in my arms. “Little Gazelle, wake up. You’re gonna be okay.” My heart tugs hard. “Lennon,” I whisper, “please open your eyes, baby.”
THIRTY-FIVE
DUKE
I’ve run allover this stadium, checking everywhere I can think of and acting like a complete beast to everyone I encounter. It’s a lot of ground to cover, and with every second that passes, the level of paranoia racing through my mind rises. She could be anywhere, with anyone.
Fuck this. I need to find Bear and Mason so we can come up with a better plan because we’re wasting time.
I think we need to reconvene.
Come up with another plan.
Mason:
Haven’t heard from or seen Bear.
Heading back to locker room area.
I quickly shoot him a response.
Good idea. OMW.
It doesn’t escape me that Bear isn’t responding. My gaze scans over the screen, letting the five unanswered calls to Lennon’s number sink in. Something is definitely not right. She said she’d meet us back at the original goddamn seats we were in, but she’d never materialized. I should have known there was a problem right then, especially after what she said about Bear’s dad in that text. Who knows what the fuck Derek said to her. Goddammit, we hadn’t prepared her well enough—at all, really—for what she might encounter in that VIP suite. I have no real excuse except that my head has been a jumbled mess, the state of my emotional well-being seriously cracked and ready to break this week. My fault. My own fucking fault.
I head in the direction of the locker rooms so we can sync up, like Mason had suggested, but— Pinpricks of dread jab along my spine at the sight before me.What the fuck is this?The entire football team has spilled out of the locker room, grumbling and confused. My brows draw sharply together.
Gaines, the team’s quarterback comes flying at me. “Bear needs you. He’s in there with her.”
Her.Lennon.
At first, a sweeping sense of relief rushes through me. We’ve found her. Bear has her. But that feeling is immediately obliterated by the questions that surge to the forefront of my mind as I begin to move, pushing and elbowing my way through the mass of bodies. Why was she in the locker room of all places? If she were fine, why would Bear have kicked everyone out? A sense of foreboding makes my stomach churn. I can only think of awful twisted reasonings. And why my mind immediately jumps to worst-case scenarios, I have no idea.
