Chapter Fifteen
The look of disappointment in Brandi’s eyes tore him apart. Mason wanted to smash the smug smile off Rodney’s face. He desperately wanted to tell Brandi exactly what Rodney had done to him and the kind of man he was, but he couldn’t.
He didn’t know what he could possibly say that would reassure her that he was a new man. One thing was certain, however: he wasn’t going to let the sins of Mason Collins’s past destroy what he and Brandi had found together again. He’d have to work doubly hard to win her trust.
“Is that all you can say?” Her eyes seemed to plead for him to deny Rodney’s accusations.
“He can’t deny anything because it’s all true,” Rodney taunted evilly.
Mason’s fists clenched and unclenched by his sides. He ached to hit him. Worse, he felt like a fool for having let his guard down where this maniac was concerned.
“And how do you know all these things?”
“Oh, I have my sources. Brandi, you really should be careful about the company you keep.”
Mason’s control snapped. His fist slammed into Rodney’s jaw and the other man stumbled backward. To his amazement, instead of retaliating, Rodney laughed as he rubbed his jaw.
“Now do you see the type of man he is? The truth hurts, doesn’t it, Collins? I could have you arrested, you know.” His grin widened.
Brandi watched them with horror etched on her face. She turned to Mason with tears in her eyes. “I thought you were special,” she said. The hurt was evident in her voice.
“What we have is special, Brandi, but I refuse to defend myself in front of him.” Mason glared at Rodney, who gave him a menacing smile. His face was beginning to swell. Good. It was no more than he deserved, although Mason wanted to do much more.
“Defend yourself? You haven’t even tried. If it’s true then how could you possibly explain what you’ve done? When I asked you if you ever cheated, you were very quick with your little talk about trust. Now I know why you never answered me.” She took a deep breath. “I have to go pick up my kids. I’m sure you’ll understand when I say that it’s best that we not see each other again. I can’t afford to have someone like you in my life. Goodbye, Mason.” She turned her back on him and walked away, but not before he saw a tear slide down her cheek.
He ran after her and turned her to face him. She hastily wiped away her tears and glared at him. “Let go of my arm. I can’t believe what a fool I’ve been.”
“Are you going to condemn me without a hearing?”
“I already gave you a chance to explain yourself, but you declined, so now I’m asking you to let go of me and get the hell out of my life.”
Mason had no choice but to release her. “I can explain.”
“You know, I don’t care to hear what you have to say.”
“Brandi, how can you tell me you love me one minute and then tell me that you don’t want to see me in the next? I think you at least owe me a chance.”
“I don’t owe you shit.”
“Look me in the eyes and tell me that your feelings have changed. Tell me that you’re willing to walk away from me without at least letting me explain.”
Brandi hesitated, confusion clear on her lovely face. Mason felt his heart breaking with each silent moment that passed between them. Her lips parted. “I?—”
“Brandi, don’t listen to him. Whatever he has to say will probably be more lies. If he could do all those other things, what makes you think he would be honest with you?” Rodney walked up behind them.
In his frantic efforts to stop Brandi from walking out of his life, Mason had forgotten about Rodney.
A mutinous expression entered Brandi’s eyes. “You know what? You both can go to hell! I’m through with men.” She flung her arms up before turning and leaving the two men staring at her retreating figure.
Mason whirled around and landed a blow right onto the bastard’s nose this time. There was a loud crack, and Rodney hit the ground, screaming. “My nose!” Blood gushed from Rodney’s nose.
Mason felt murder in his heart. This was the man who had taken away his life, his wife, and his children in the first place. Then, just as he began to make some headway with Brandi in his new life, Rodney was hell-bent on coming between them yet again.
Something had to be done to stop him. Mason would have grabbed the writhing man off the ground, but some force seemed to be holding him back.
A woman in jogging gear who must have witnessed the exchange came rushing over. “Mister, I saw it all. I’ll call the police on this goon if you need me to. At least let me call the ambulance for you.” She knelt down next to Rodney.
“Get the fuck away from me, you stupid bitch!”
The woman gasped at his sharp words. She looked up at Mason, lips pursed. “My mistake. You probably should have hit him harder.” She got up. Mason barely acknowledged her before she jogged off. He kept his focus on his adversary.
“You’re going to pay for this. You’ve hit me three times now. There won’t be another,” Rodney hissed.
“Are you going to have me arrested? Fine. While you’re reporting me to the police, you can explain why you were violating the restraining order, and, oh, yeah, why don’t you tell them what happened to your partner two years ago.”
Rodney’s eyes widened as he slowly got to his feet and took a step back. “What are you talking about?”
“You know what I’m talking about. You think you’re so clever with the way you’ve wormed your way into Brandi’s life, but I know what you did.” Just remembering that night made the blood pound in his head. He tried to advance on the man, but again, something held him back.
Rodney threw him such a look of hatred that Mason should have been dead. Again. He tried to move, but his limbs were frozen. What was going on?
“You’re threatening me?” He laughed abruptly. “Who’s going to believe someone with your history? By the time I’m through with you, you’re going to wish you’d never set eyes on Brandi. She’s mine and nothing and no one will stop me from having her.”
Mason fought against the unseen barrier holding him, but he was still unable to break free. “You’re sick.”
Holding his nose, Rodney glared at Mason. “Watch your back, Collins.”
Mason watched helplessly as his enemy walked past him. “Chicken shit bastard.”
When Rodney was out of eyesight, Mason attempted to move again and still found that he couldn’t.
“If I hadn’t intervened, you would have killed him.”
Paul.
“Do you have any idea how much I want to make that bastard suffer for all he’s done to me and my family? Do you know what it’s like to look into the eyes of your murderer?”
“No, I don’t, but I told you, you aren’t allowed to retaliate against him. And you were getting dangerously close to telling him who you were.”
“You said I couldn’t tell Brandi who I was, not Rodney.”
“Now you’re getting technical. Fine, but I’m warning you to take it easy. He’s a very dangerous man. Letting him guess who you are has put you in even more jeopardy.”
“I don’t care. I want him to know. I want him to sweat it out and spend sleepless nights thinking about this.”
“And you would endanger Ben, and possibly Brandi and the kids, because you can’t keep your mouth shut?”
“What does Ben have to do with this?”
“You know as well as I do that Rodney isn’t playing with a full deck. He could easily take out his anger on Ben. Do you want to risk that?”
Mason raked his fingers through his hair. He hadn’t thought about that, but he wouldn’t put it past Rodney to harm a child.
“Damn, I’ve made a mess of things. Brandi hates me now. Why did Mason Collins have to be such a bastard? His past has ruined my chances with Brandi and I can’t really say I blame her. I wouldn’t want to be with someone who had done half the things he did.”
“Give her a little time. I’m sure when she has time to think more clearly, she’ll realize that you’ve changed.”
“How in the world did Rodney find out?”
“Most of it from public record and asking former employees at the car dealership. He’s also gotten friendly with Karen.”
A chill went down Mason’s spine. “Karen? She told him all this? Has he had contact with Ben? Why didn’t you tell me?” He paced in an angry circle. “As a matter of fact, where the hell have you been? I haven’t seen you in weeks.”
“Are you okay, sir?” A little old lady walking her dog stopped to stare at him as though he had two heads.
Mason realized it probably appeared as though he were talking to himself. He heard Paul’s soft chuckle. If his friend weren’t already a spirit, he would have choked him.
“I’m fine, ma’am. Thanks for asking.”
Her little terrier barked in Paul’s direction. “Rex, behave yourself. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. Well, if you keep talking to yourself, young man, people will start to wonder. Come, Rex!” She pulled the little dog along with her as it continued barking.
“Paul, if you were flesh, I’d strangle you.”
“But I’m not.” Paul smiled.
“Some guardian angel you’ve turned out to be,” Mason muttered.
“Would you rather go this alone?”
“I’ve been alone for the past few weeks. What would be the difference?” He sighed. “Tell me how Rodney has wormed his way into Karen’s life.”
“Take it easy. He was using her for information, nothing more. Now that she’s no longer useful to him, you needn’t worry, and, no, he never came into contact with Ben.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I had a few other things to take care of.”
“I thought you were supposed to be helping me.”
“I have been helping you.”
“How?”
“Rodney has been keeping tabs on Tina Reed since the night of your murder. The poor child has hardly said a word since that night.”
Mason had an awful suspicion that something bad happened. “Dammit, what did he do?”
Paul shook his head, almost as if he couldn’t believe what happened.
“Rodney went to see the Thornton’s because they told him that she was getting better. He was afraid Tina might have said something to them. They were all sleeping when he broke in and torched their house.”
“Shit!”
“The Thornton’s got out, but their house didn’t make it. Rodney had doused the house with gasoline, so the house lit up like a match. They tried to get to Tina, but the fire was already out of control.”
“That monster! He got Tina?”
“That was the plan, but Tina didn’t die.”
“What? How is that possible?”
“The kid was trapped, and I, uh, guided her out of the house.”
Mason closed his eyes in relief. “So she’s okay then,” he said hopefully before he caught the look in his friend’s eyes.
“Unfortunately, the only escape route was through the window; although I cushioned her fall, she fractured a couple of bones, but it could have been a lot worse. Right now, she’s in a light coma.”
“But if you hadn’t helped her, she could have died.”
“I know. Peter wasn’t happy about my meddling, but I couldn’t let her die. It wasn’t her time and she’s the only one other than you who knows what happened that night.”
“Paul, what can I say? Did you get in trouble? How could all this have happened?”
“I got a talking to, but you know Peter is a big old softie when he wants to be. Besides, JC has taken a special interest in this case. He’s rooting for you.”
“JC? Are you kidding me? He’s never involved himself in Watcher business before.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t normally, but then we’ve never let a Watcher come back to earth in the flesh before, either. There’s been concern that since you were able to come back, some of the others might want to do the same.”
“Have we started something?”
“Amanda Collins is also involved, so it’s bigger than you and me now. Anyway, perhaps you should think about visiting Tina in the hospital soon.”
“What’s going to happen to her? She’s been through so much.”
“Right now she’s at Children’s Hospital. The Thornton’s are no longer able to take care of her and she has no relatives to claim her.”
“So she’ll be just another victim of the system.”
“Unfortunately. Most people who are looking to adopt want babies or very young children. Tina is not only seven but she’s not socially developed for a kid her age. Now that this has happened, it’s another strike against her.”
“How could anyone do this to a child? Something has got to be done.”
“Actually, at the moment I’m more worried about you. I think you ought to be more careful.”
“I can take care of myself, but do you think he’ll do anything to hurt Ben or Karen?”
“I don’t think so. He hasn’t seen Karen since he got the information he wanted from her.”
“What about Ben?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll watch out for him and keep you informed.”
“And Brandi and the kids?”
“I’m only one spirit. I can’t be in two places at once.”
“Damn. We’ve got to stop him. He’s too dangerous.”
Paul was silent for a moment before he spoke again. “I have an idea.”
“Mom, what’s wrong?”
Brandi stopped chopping the vegetables for her stew. She plastered the biggest smile she could muster on her face before answering her daughter.
“Nothing’s wrong, sweetie. Do you want to help with dinner?”
“Sure.” Mya shrugged.
Brandi handed her a bowl of peeled potatoes. “Here, rinse these off for me and make sure they’re clean, then you can take out the table settings.”
Mya took the bowl from her. “Mom, I know something is wrong because you didn’t say anything when DJ called me bubble butt.”
“Did he? Well, I’ll talk to him about it later. I guess my mind has been on other things.”
“Is it your boyfriend?”
Brandi nearly dropped the knife. “What are you talking about? I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Well, ever since Uncle Rodney stopped coming around, you drop us off at Grandma’s and Aunt Lisa’s a lot, and when you pick us up you’re always whistling. Missy says it’s because you’ve got a boyfriend.”
Brandi gave her daughter a stunned look. When did the kids become so damned perceptive?
“I think your friend Missy talks too much, and you really shouldn’t be spreading my business out there like that.”
“She’s my best friend. We tell each other everything.”
“Even so, I will thank you to not share pieces of my life with your friend, okay?”
“Okay.” Mya was silent for a moment, then asked, “Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Do you have a boyfriend? Because if you do, I just wanted to say I’m okay with it.” Mya shot her a conspiratorial grin.
“There’s nothing to be okay about because there is no boyfriend.”
Mya’s smile widened. “Okay. I understand if you don’t want to tell me.”
“I said there was no boyfriend, so how about dropping the subject?” Brandi snapped.
Mya’s face fell, and she turned back to the sink. “Okay.”
Brandi closed her eyes in exasperation. Why was she taking out her anger on her child? When Rodney dropped the bombshell about Mason’s past, she hadn’t believed him. There was an innate goodness inside of Mason that she felt each time she was with him, but when he had not denied the terrible accusations, she walked away.
After losing Damon, Brandi didn’t think she could love another man that way again, but then Mason had come into her life. It almost seemed too good to be true.
And it was.
Brandi didn’t know if she was mad at him for all the things Rodney claimed or mad at herself because she hadn’t heard him out as he asked.
What was really eating her up was that a week passed without him trying to contact her. Maybe now that she knew exactly what kind of person he was, he moved on to the next fool. Still, a voice in the back of her head told her that there was more that needed to be said. What if he did have a good explanation for those things? Yet, even if he did, it still remained very damning.
Why did her foolish heart keep telling her to go to him? She just couldn’t allow that kind of man in her life, and especially her children’s lives.
“Mya, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”
“It’s okay,” the little girl mumbled, but she didn’t turn around.
Brandi walked over to her daughter. “Sweetie, look at me.”
Mya did so with obvious reluctance. Her lips were poked out mutinously.
“You know I love you and your brother, don’t you?” She affectionately tugged one of Mya’s long braids.
“I guess so.”
“There’s no guessing about it, young lady. The two of you are my world.”
“Mom, I just want you to be happy. You were smiling again, like you did with Daddy.”
It still amazed her how discerning her children could be. Maybe her daughter was mature enough to be told the truth. “There was a boyfriend, but not anymore.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t think he was a good man.”
“Is that why you aren’t with Uncle Rodney? DJ knew something was wrong, but I…I liked him because he gave me toys. I know now that he wasn’t so great. His messages were scary.”
Brandi tried to shield her kids, but... “You heard those?”
Mya nodded.
“Oh, sweetie, don’t think about them, okay? Rodney won’t be bothering us again.”
After the confrontation in the park, she phoned the police to report that he violated his restraining order. She wished she hadn’t taken so long to realize just how off Rodney was. She found it disturbing that she had allowed him so deeply into their lives.
“Okay, but what about your other boyfriend?”
“What about him? It’s over.”
“But you were so happy.”
Brandi sighed. She had been happy. Dammit, why did he have to turn out to be so damned rotten? “I told you, he wasn’t a good man.”
“Why? What was wrong with him?”
“He did some bad things.”
“Oh. Did he say he was sorry?”
“I don’t think sorry will fix what he’s done.”
“Why not? You said if you do something bad, you should say you’re sorry to make things better.”
“It’s more complicated than that.”
Mya obviously didn’t understand. She gave Brandi a long and inquisitive look. “It doesn’t have to be. I think you should make him say he’s sorry and then you can be happy again.”
“It wasn’t something he did to me.”
“Oh. Well, did he say sorry to the people he did the bad things to?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask him.”
“Why not?”
“You know, you’re asking a lot of questions.”
“You said I should ask questions if I don’t understand something.” Kids always had a way of throwing whatever you said to them back in your face. Brandi silently prayed for the Lord to give her patience.
“I didn’t like what I found out about him.”
Mya was silent for a moment. “I think you should say you’re sorry to him.”
Brandi looked at her daughter in disbelief. She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation with her eight-year-old daughter.
“Why should I apologize?”
“Well, it doesn’t sound fair that you didn’t ask him to explain. I would be sad if I was him.” Mya turned back to the sink to finish washing the potatoes.
Out of the mouths of babes. Had she been wrong? Should she have heard Mason out?