Chapter 10
Mason
W hat in the actual fuck did I just get myself into? A fake marriage to my boss’s daughter, just so she can kill him with my help? Well fuck! is all I can think right now.
It had been a few days since we had our little coffee date.
I start thinking of ideas of what I can do to prepare her for it all. What do I need to teach her? She can hold her own in a fight, given the way she handled those college frat boys at the bar earlier in the week. All I need to do is help make her fighting skills cleaner.
I think the first thing I should do is take her to the range and see how her shooting skills are. I don’t even know if she’s held a gun before.
I’ve spent the last few days sitting in my room, pondering what I can do to help Viv and the night I killed Carlos.
I need to burn off some energy I have building inside me; I need to go down to the gym.
Throwing on a pair of basketball shorts and a white V-neck, I make my way down to the basement. Walking over to one of the treadmills, I jump on, putting my headphones on, blasting some metal music and turning the speed up to a light run. Just a little warm-up before I start to push the limits.
Ten minutes pass and I’m already starting to work up a sweat as I push the speed up a little more, starting to stretch out. I take my shirt off as I run, throwing it onto the ground beside me. I zone out again, feeling the rhythm of my feet hitting the belt.
I catch a glimpse of the gym door opening out of the corner of my eye; at this time of day, it usually has a few of the men coming and going. The newcomer to the gym stands up onto the treadmill next to me and starts out at a walk. I glance over and, to my surprise, it’s Viv. She is watching me with a curious look, her eyes scanning my face and my bare chest. I watch her eyes tracing the muscles of my body.
“Do you like what you see?” The corner of my mouth lifts slightly, and her eyes widen.
“I— uhhh.” She stutters. “I—”
I laugh, the first proper laugh I have had in a long time. “It’s ok Princess, you don’t have to answer that question.”
Her shoulders drop in relief. I chuckle again and turn off my treadmill. “What brings you down here?” I ask, leaning my arms over the screen of the machine she is on. She is even more beautiful than she was when I saw her all those years ago.
“I, uhh.” She shakes her head, starting again, this time focusing on my eyes. My bare chest is distracting her. The way she stares has me puffing my chest out. “I needed to work out some frustrations. I have been cooped up in my room for days, with the one occasion of being able to take Mia out into the yard for a short moment of play time.”
I understand what she means. It is rough being locked up in a room for days, but I am working on a solution for her to be able to have some form of freedom.
She presses the off button on her treadmill and leans forward, her face now inches from mine.
“I know there are cameras in here and I know they listen,” she whispers, “but have you got any idea on what we are going to do, where we will start?”
“Not here.” I turn and make my way over to one of the weight benches, adding weight plates to the bar.
Sitting down on the bench, I lay down, placing my hands on the bar. Just as I am about to bench press the weight, I feel a hand press against my chest.
“Well, if not here, then where?” Her voice is a slightly louder whisper. “Because, in case you didn’t know, this whole place is being watched. Being heard.”
I ignore her, continuing with my presses. Counting each of them.
“Do not ignore me.” She is right in my face now, voice so loud she’s nearly yelling.
Carefully placing the bar back in its place, I sit up so fast that she stumbles backwards towards the wall slightly. I stand, stalking my way over to her, my eyes focused on her. I glance up at the camera above us. The only camera in the gym. I make sure we are out of its view.
My gaze locks onto hers, and I can almost see the full whites of her eyes as I step forward, closing into her personal space. With each of my steps forward, she takes one backward, until she pushes herself up against the wall with nowhere else to go. I press my body against hers, my hand at the base of her throat, holding her there. My lips move towards her ear. “Do not take that tone with me,” I growl. “I have been cooped up in my room for three days, trying to think of what kind of training you may need. What I need to do and how we go about everything.”
“I —” she starts, but I place a finger over her lips.
“No, let me finish.” My voice is low. “I am trying to figure out the aspects of everything we need to do. I want to be rid of this just as much as you, but I also need to work out how to ask your father for your hand without making it seem like it is just for a plan. He needs to believe me. That will be the first part of the plan.”
I feel her throat bob under my hand as she swallows. What is she thinking? I move my head backward to try and get a read on her face. Her eyes flicker to mine, a look of lust flashing for a moment.
Without a second thought, my lips connect with hers, that same spark from the first night at the bar coursing through my body. She pushes into the pressure around her neck as her hands trace the lines of my abs, and up over my pecs. I push into her, kissing her harder. Her lips part, her tongue pressing against my lips, and they part to let her in. She lets out a little moan into the kiss. A growl rumbles in my throat. I push against the wall with my left hand, shoving away from her, leaving us both standing there panting.
“That shouldn’t have happened,” I say, turning around and walking back over to where my shirt lay on the weight bench. “Maybe this is a bad idea.”
“Mason, please.” Her voice is hoarse.
“No Genevieve,” I growl. “No, we need to plan first.”
“There is more in that.” Her hand waves at the area we had both been moments ago in a lip lock. “That we both know means so much.” She walks over to me, placing her hand on my shoulder, her voice a loud whisper. “There is something between us and you fucking know it.”
“That’s what scares me.” I turn and face her. “It scares me because I am a monster, I was raised as a monster. I was raised to kill. It was your father who taught me to do the things I do, to be the person I am today.”
“I don’t care about that,” she says, reaching out to me, but I step out of her reach. “Please, Mason.”
“Viv, stop.” I look into her eyes but she shows no signs of running. “Why Viv? Why? I am a monster. Why don’t you fear me?”
“Because I know.” She steps towards me again; this time I stay where I am. “I know that you would never do anything to hurt me. I know my father trained you and even as cruel as he is to women, I know you would never be like that.”
“You are really trying my self-control right now, Princess.” I take a deep breath in and release it, trying to recentre myself. “If there wasn’t a camera in here right now, I would be taking you on that bench right there.”
“Then do it.” She stands on her tiptoes and wraps her hand around the back of my neck, pulling my head down, whispering in my ear, “I fucking dare you.”
A growl escapes my throat, but I hold my ground. I’m not going to let her get to me right now. I need to keep my focus on the job at hand; I can’t stray from the path, not until the job is complete.
“You’re no fun.” She steps back from me, turning around and walking out of the gym. The door closing brings me back to reality. What is this woman doing to me? She is going to be the death of me.
* * *
I had spent a few more hours down in the gym after that little episode with Viv. I don’t know what she was trying to accomplish but if it was getting me hard and distracted, then mission accomplished.
I half expected Sal to come down into the gym and ream me himself, because he likes to sit in his office and watch all the cameras to make sure everyone is doing everything he wants, but the rest of my workout was peaceful. Maybe he was away from his desk. I hate there being cameras all around the place, but at least we get our own privacy in our rooms; that is the only agreed-upon area where cameras are not allowed to go.
Walking over to where my towel, shirt and phone are placed, my shirt is the first thing I grab and pull it over my head. When I pick up my phone, the screen lights up. “Fuck,” I mumble at the sight of Boss flashing across my screen.
“Sir,” I answer.
“My office, now.” The call cuts out.
Shit! I am fucking screwed. I have no plans and no reason as to why things happened with Viv in the gym. I knew he had his eyes on that camera, I just fucking knew it.
Collecting my towel, I walk out of the gym and up the stairs to the main foyer. It is like a ghost town up here. There should be more people, it’s only… Wait, what time was it? The clock on the wall reads nine at night. Have I really been in the gym for that long?
I want to just keep walking up the stairs to the second level to shower and change before going to see the boss, but if I do he will have my head on a platter. So I continue towards his office. Past Viv’s room.
Her door is closed, but why did I expect it to be open?
Approaching Sal’s office, I knock on the door. “Enter,” he calls.
I walk into the room. Sal is sitting at his desk, and a look of defeat crosses his features. Sitting in one of the chairs directly in front of him is Viv.
I rub my palms across my face. Can this night get any worse?
“Viper, sit, please.”
I sit in the chair beside Viv’s. “What’s this about?” I question, probably looking as confused as I feel.
“My daughter here tells me she has feelings for you.” He looks at her and she nods, her eyes widening into an innocent stare. “She has told me that ever since she was a little girl, she has had a crush on you.”
I look in her direction. “Oh” is all I can say.
I remember that chance meeting I had with her ten years ago. Since that meeting, she has been on my mind every single day.
“She has also told me” — he clears his throat — “that she thinks it would be a good idea if you and her were to be married because Ricochet is no longer a part of Murwood, which I feel is a good idea. We want Murwood to stay amongst our own.”
A quick inhale, causing me to choke on my spit and start to cough. Viv stands, walking over to the sideboard and pouring a glass of water, bringing it back over to me and sitting again. I nod my thanks as I drink it.
“From that reaction, I assume you were not expecting that comment?” Sal asks, watching me carefully.
“I — uhhh — no, Sir.” I am at a loss for words. Viv sits beside me, smiling like the Cheshire Cat. She been fucking planning this all along .
“Well, I think it is a good idea.” He stands up from behind his desk.
“I’m sorry, Sir?” I look between him and Viv as they watch one another. There is a nervous tension coming from Viv and irritation coming from Sal.
“It’s a good idea. It will show Rico that he can’t always get what he wants and it will also show everyone here that you will progress into the role of boss should anything happen to me.” He glances over at the screen that displays his cameras watching people move around the house. “No one will be able to challenge you because everything that I own and built up will all go to my daughter and whoever she is married to.” He starts to walk towards his office door.
Does this also count if he’s murdered by said daughter? My mind jumping from thought to thought is making me dizzy.
“What the fuck is happening?” I whisper to Viv, before being interrupted by Sal’s booming voice again. The sudden voice causes me to sit up straight in my chair and face the front.
“So, Viper, I expect that tomorrow, you and Genevieve will go shopping for an engagement ring and spare no expense. I only want the best ring for my daughter.” He opens the door to his office, but, before walking out, he turns and looks at me with a serious expression. “Mason Hawthorne, you have my blessing to marry my daughter.”
My stomach flips around on itself as his words register in my mind.
With that comment, he walks out the door, leaving us sitting there. One of us with a look of shock on his face and one with the smuggest of smiles across hers.
This is about to get interesting, that I can be certain of.