Chapter Twenty #3
I almost want Katia to put me out of misery, and the longer she takes, the more convinced I become that she will drag me back upstairs. While I hate being locked away, I’m not ridiculous enough to think that convincing Katia will be easy.
Not when trouble has a habit of finding me.
How can she focus on helping Mason if she has to stop me?
You should just let her go. She’ll be more useful to Mason if she doesn’t have to worry about you.
Except I know she won’t be of any use to Noah.
And although a trickle of guilt is building inside of me, I know I need to be careful because Mason will never understand.
Regardless of how I act, there will be consequences.
But for the first time in months, I’m tired of sitting around and waiting for a better option to fall into my lap. Noah might no longer be in my life, but that doesn’t mean I can turn my back on all our history, laughter, tears, and all the times he’s been there for me.
You were going to build a future together, remember? You can’t just stand aside and do nothing.
Even when I know Mason will turn his wrath on me.
Just as I’m about to venture further into the secret exit and take my chances, Katia hangs up and swivels to face me. Wordlessly, she reaches out and binds my hands. My eyes widen as I look at the restraints. Katia steps in front of me and tugs me after her.
Fear and uncertainty rise within me.
Have I pushed her too far?
The passageway is barely lit, forcing Katia to stop every so often and glance at me.
I focus on quieting my breathing and placing one foot in front of the other.
The damp, moldy smell fills my nostrils, making me want to gag until I spot a beam of light ahead.
I stumble, but Katia hoists me up before I fall.
My forehead is drenched in sweat as we stop in front of another door.
She pulls another lever, and the door creaks open.
Mason’s right-hand man is waiting for us on the other side, with a gun in his hand that he’s examining intently. Every inch of me grows cold as I stand there and wonder if our mission is over before it’s begun.
Has someone betrayed Katia?
“You know this is a bad idea.”
“I can handle whatever punishment he comes up with,” Katia replies tightly. “We both know that none of this is like him. He needs people out there who know better. Who are loyal to him.”
“You’re taking a big risk,” he says.
“So are you.”
He sheathes the gun. “I was never here. You, on the other hand, are walking right into trouble.”
Katia presses her mouth into a thin line.
“Taking her with you will only make things worse,” he adds. “Sure you want to do that?”
“I don’t have a choice,” Katia replies.
He raises an eyebrow and looks at me, a flicker of amusement moving across his face. “Not many people can handle Katia, you know.”
I swallow past the lump in my throat. “I know.”
“You’re both insane.” He’s no longer blocking the exit, and I see a beat-up Chevy bathed in the pale light of the moon, parked on the side of the road. Another look passes between him and Katia, and I glance away. Then, he says something in the same language I heard earlier.
Katia’s response is short, but there’s no mistaking her impatience.
We’re running out of time.
I don’t know how much of a head start Mason has on us.
Suddenly, Katia yanks me against her, and I bite back my retort.
She shoves me into the backseat of the car and motions for me to crouch low.
I do as I’m told, knowing that each moment I waste arguing is another moment that trouble draws closer to Noah.
As Katia slams the back door shut, I hunker further down and stare straight ahead.
A few moments later, the engine revs, slicing through the stillness of the night.
I can’t believe I am doing this.
Mason isn’t just going to punish Katia.
He has warned me about interfering, and I know he’s hanging on by a thread.
The famous Mason restraint I’ve seen in action is about to snap, and I offer a silent prayer that it won’t be for nothing.
I can’t be too late.
Katia pauses at the main gate, and I hold my breath until the iron gates swing open. Katia keeps both hands on the wheel as I give her directions to Noah’s. She races past several traffic lights and breaks at least a dozen driving rules as we race through the city streets.
On the outskirts of the city, Katia presses harder on the gas.
“Please don’t let us be too late.”
“Didn’t take you for the praying kind.” Katia swerves onto a smaller street and hits the brakes as a group of kids appears. “Still, I’d consider my last words carefully if I were you.”
“Mason won’t hurt me for interfering,” I tell her with more confidence than I feel. “You said yourself that he needs us.”
Katia snorts and turns her attention back to the road.
I lurch sideways when she presses on the gas again.
She pulls to a stop in front of Noah’s parents’ house, and I feel sick all over again. Katia unbuckles her seatbelt and reaches into her boots. She tosses me a gun and shoves open the driver’s door.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” Katia snaps before disappearing behind the house.
My fingers close around the gun.
For a long while, nothing happens, and I wonder if we’re too late.
Then I hear a gunshot, and I scramble forward.
Using the edge of the gun, I slice the zip ties open and scramble to open the door. I race up the driveway, every muscle screaming at me in protest. On the front porch, I stop and suck in a deep breath.
Then, I burst through the door with the gun held firmly in my hand.
Noah is sitting on a chair opposite the kitchen, and Mason is crouched in front of him, gun held in his hand The lights are dimmed, and there’s no one else in the house, and the two of them turn to look at me.
Mason’s expression turns from shock to icy fury.
I lower my gun and clear my throat. “I’m here to help.”
Mason crosses over to me in a few seconds and leans forward, so I have to tilt my head to look at him. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“I’m here to help,” I repeat.
Mason’s expression darkens. “Me or him?”
“I… both of you,” I stutter. “We talked about this. You know he’s part of my past, and I can’t just turn my back on him.”
“Evidently not,” Mason replies. “I never should’ve told you about this.”
His words feel like a punch to the gut, but I try not to let it show. “You did the right thing by telling me. It would’ve been worse if you hadn’t.”
Mason’s expression remains blank. “Where the fuck is Katia?”
“I don’t know.”
Mason’s nostrils flare, and his eyes flash. “Don’t lie to me, London. You couldn’t have made it here without help. I’m only going to ask you one more time.”
“Leave her alone.”
Mason levels Noah with a withering look. “It’s not your turn. Mind your own damn business. The first shot was a warning. The next one will go into your skull.”
“Anything that concerns London is my business.”
I wince and look over at Noah. “Noah, you’re just making this worse. Stop it.”
Noah frowns. “But, I—”
“I’d listen to her if I were you.” Katia materializes out of the shadows, a blank expression on her face and a gun in her hands. She presses it to Noah’s head. “Otherwise, I might get trigger-happy.”