Chapter Twenty
“This is the place?” Mason asked as they came to an abandoned brownstone.
“Yes, let’s go,” Paul answered.
Mason broke through the barrier covering the door and rushed up the stairs as he heard Brandi scream. “He’s hurting her!” He raced toward the sound and crashed through the door of the room.
Mason’s heart nearly exploded with fright at the sight that greeted him. Rodney straddled Brandi, holding a knife over her.
“No!” He charged at Rodney, knocking him off Brandi.
Rodney had been so intent on his victim that he’d obviously hadn’t heard Mason’s explosive entry. Mason barely felt the pain coursing through his body. All he could think about was saving Brandi.
“Mason!” Thank the Lord she seemed unharmed.
“Get out of here, Brandi,” he said, then lunged at Rodney, who was getting up. Brandi scrambled out of the way, but didn’t leave the room.
“I won’t leave you!”
Mason would have argued but he had to keep his concentration on Rodney. He slammed Rodney into the wall.
“You bastard! You were going to kill her!” he raged as he slammed his opponent against the wall again.
Rodney brought up his knee, but Mason had anticipated the move and twisted aside. Unfortunately, he wasn’t quick enough to completely escape the blow to his groin. He fell back, gasping for air.
“Why aren’t you dead, motherfucker? You’re still trying to take Brandi from me, but it won’t happen. She’s mine!” Rodney’s fist connected with Mason’s jaw.
Mason’s head snapped back, causing him to lose his footing.
Rodney searched the floor. Mason knew he was looking for the knife. Mason jumped to his feet and tackled Rodney at the knees, sending them both crashing to the floor.
Brandi looked on. “Kick his ass, Mason!” He never would have thought she’d be so bloodthirsty.
Mason punched Rodney directly in the face, smashing into one of his eyes.
Rodney howled, grabbing the injured area. He fell backwards and grabbed a candlestick holder.
“You’re not going to get a chance to kill me again.” Mason was about to hit him in the face again when Brandi called out, “Watch out, Mason!”
Rodney blindsided him in the head with the candlestick.
Rodney pushed him off and laughed, repeating his blow.
“Again? The first time wasn’t successful, but I’ll make sure that this time will be!” The men stood and circled each other, waiting for the other to strike.
Mason’s head was spinning from the recent pounding, but the blood that dribbled down a cut from the side of Rodney’s face gave him some satisfaction.
Rodney grabbed Mason. He must have noticed Mason’s tender spot because he slammed his fist right into Mason’s collarbone.
“Aargh!” Mason screamed in pain.
Brandi had obviously found the knife on the floor because she lunged toward them and plunged the blade into Rodney’s arm. He howled in agony. The wounded man turned on her and slammed his fist into her stomach.
She doubled over and fell to the floor.
Mason saw red and grabbed for the knife, but Rodney had already removed it and slashed it in Mason’s direction.
“You’re going to die tonight, asshole.”
Mason jerked away from the slash of Rodney’s knife. “Like I already said, you won’t find it easy to kill me again.”
“I haven’t killed you yet, but I will. Are you that eager to die?” Rodney swung the knife at him.
This time Mason wasn’t quick enough to completely dodge the knife as it sliced into his side. Brandi grabbed Rodney by the ankle and pulled him off balance, tripping him to the floor. This gave Mason the opportunity to recover.
Mason kicked Rodney in the side, but Rodney still held onto the knife. Rodney’s sleeve was drenched in blood from his wound.
“Oh, you killed me, all right. Didn’t you get my letters? Don’t you recognize me?” Mason’s eyes glared at him before he kicked Rodney in the stomach.
“What…the…hell…are you talking about?” the fallen man asked between breaths, as he tried to raise his knife.
Mason stepped on his hand and Rodney dropped the weapon.
“Take a good look at me. Who do you see? Do I remind you of anyone, friend?”
“Damon?” Rodney’s tone was disbelieving. “How…but…you’re not him.”
“No? Let’s just say I have powerful connections, and I’m here to make sure you don’t get your hands on Brandi or the children. I’m not going to give you another chance to take away my life.”
“You’re crazy. You’re not Damon!” Rodney attempted to get to his feet, but Mason kicked him in the chest and made him crash back to the floor.
Mason stole a quick glance at Brandi, who was staring at him with eyes full of unshed tears. “Damon?” she whispered.
“Get the knife.” Mason didn’t answer her question.
Rodney tried to reach for it, but Mason brought the heel of his foot down on Rodney’s fingers, crushing them. Rodney howled again.
“Don’t even think about it,” Mason hissed. “You took away a part of me I will never get back. You were my partner and my best friend. I trusted you around my wife and children, but you took my life and for what? Brandi never loved you.”
Rodney glared up at him. “You’re making this up!”
“How else would I know what you did? That you shot that man, took his gun, and shot me; how you plotted and drugged Brandi the night of your supposed engagement; what you did to little Tina Reed. It’s time to pay the piper, and I’ve come to collect.” Mason let his rage take over and kicked Rodney in the face.
Rodney went out like a light.
Mason tried to kick him again, but once again something was holding him back.
“He’s out,” Paul said in his ear.
Brandi ran over to Mason and fell into his arms, bursting into loud sobs. He held her tightly, petting her. “Shh. It’s over.”
She cried long and hard, her body shaking. He rocked and soothed her, kissing the top of her head. “Shh.”
She looked up at him with a tear-streaked face. “Damon?”
“Yes, it’s me, but I’m Mason now. It’s part of the conditions for coming back.”
“I knew there was a reason why you always seemed so familiar to me. Oh, my God, why didn’t you tell me who you were? I missed you so much.”
“I couldn’t tell you. Would you have believed me?”
“I…I guess not, but it was always there in your eyes. You always seemed to know how to touch me, and what I liked. I’ve no more doubts about who you are. Why did you wait two years?”
“Well, actually, it doesn’t usually work this way. Once you’re gone, you’re gone, but I cut a deal with Peter. I mean St. Peter.”
“You know him?” She sounded impressed.
“Yes. I couldn’t let you go through with your engagement. I didn’t know how crazy Rodney was until the night he shot me.”
“I began to suspect that things weren’t exactly right with him around the time we got engaged, or rather around the time he tricked me.” She shuddered. “I didn’t actually realize he was insane until I saw this room.”
“It took this to make you realize it?”
“You have to remember how long he was in our lives. He had you fooled, too. Now that I think about it, I know he probably trashed our house. Oh Dam—I mean Mason. Why me? Why did he have to pick me?”
“Who knows what runs through the mind of a psycho.”
“I love you so much. Wait until I tell the kids.”
Mason shook his head. “No. You can never tell them.”
“Why?”
“I’m Mason now. For all intents and purposes, the Damon you knew no longer exists.” His heart broke at her crestfallen expression. “Baby, we’ll talk about this when we get out of here. Let’s go.”
“Yes, and the sooner we call the police the better.”
He was about to usher her out of the room when Brandi screamed. “Mason, look out!”
Rodney was upright again, but this time he was holding a gun aimed at the both of them.
“Ha! Looks like you forgot something about me. I always have a gun strapped inside my pants.” He laughed wildly. “You’re not taking her away from me, motherfucker!” There was no doubt about it, all vestiges of Rodney’s sanity was gone.
He pulled the trigger and to Mason’s horror, Brandi lunged at him. “I can’t lose you again, Damon,” she said as she jumped in front of him.
“No!” Both men cried out as Brandi fell to the floor.
No! No! No! This wasn’t supposed to happen! Not to Brandi!
Rodney looked at him with loathing. “That bullet was meant for you!” he screamed. “You’re going to pay for this!”
Mason rushed forward, not caring whether he lived or died anymore. Rodney pointed the gun again and attempted to fire.
Nothing.
Mason tackled him to the ground and they wrestled for the gun. He punched Rodney’s mouth and was sure that he’d cracked a few teeth, and his knuckles in the process. Mason grabbed Rodney’s wrist and slammed it continuously on the floor until he released the gun, which went flying across the room. When Mason made an attempt to get it, Rodney gave him an uppercut that sent him backwards. Rodney took advantage of his stunned state and straddled him. He grabbed a handful of his hair.
“I’m going to enjoy killing you…again,” he said, slamming Mason’s head into the floor. He then seized Mason’s throat and began to squeeze.
Mason gasped for air as he began to lose consciousness. No, he couldn’t let Rodney get away with what he’d done. He reached for Rodney’s throat.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Rodney hissed, smacking his head back to the ground.
No, God, no. Not again.He failed Brandi, and now she was dead. His head swam and he could barely think. It felt as though his body was shutting down as the hands tightened around his neck.
“Rodney!”
Mason opened his eyes in surprise.
Rodney loosened his grip.
Brandi stood over them with the gun. She looked weak. “I won’t let you hurt him,” she yelled at Rodney.
“This is all for you! Haven’t I proved my devotion to you? You still don’t get it, do you? No one loves you like I do.” Rodney’s eyes filled with tears.
Brandi lifted the gun higher. “Let him go.”
A savage expression crossed Rodney’s face and he squeezed Mason’s throat even harder.
“No! I’ll kill him and you’ll be mine again. He doesn’t love you like I do—no one does!”
“Thank God for that,” she whispered and pulled the trigger.
The recoil thrust her backward. Rodney looked stunned before his body fell on top of Mason.
Mason could barely move, his head was swimming, he ached, and he was losing the battle to the darkness.
Just as he passed out, he saw Brandi slump to the floor.
Mason found himself standing in the dark, a bright light stood off to the side and he knew he was standing in the gateway. Was it all over? Should he have left well enough alone? If he had, would Brandi still be alive?
Paul appeared behind him. “She’s not dead.”
“Thank the Lord. Will she make it?”
“Yes. The bullet didn’t hit any vital organs. As long as she gets to the hospital on time, she’ll be fine.”
“And Rodney….”
“Is finally gone. He won’t be bothering her again. Brandi and the children are safe.”
“How will she be found? No one knew where she was.”
“A passerby heard the commotion and called the police. Your bodies will be found.”
Mason was almost afraid to ask, but he had to know. “What about me, Paul? I failed, didn’t I?”
“Peter isn’t happy. You weren’t supposed to tell her who you were.”
“I know and I didn’t. I told Rodney.”
“You’re splitting hairs again.”
Mason sighed. “Purgatory?”
Paul was silent and Mason feared the worse. Did he foul things up so badly that he had to go to the other place? The thought sent chills coursing through him.
“You’re one lucky son of a gun, because they’re going to let you stay.”
“What? Are you serious? That’s fantastic!”
“What you did for the people in Mason Collins’s life make up for your indiscretion.”
“Even if I didn’t work things out with Karen.”
“You tried, but that’s not to say that when you go back you stop trying. You have to keep on trying.”
“I understand.”
“There is one other thing,” Paul began hesitantly.
Mason didn’t like the sound of his friend’s voice. “What?”
“Brandi won’t remember that you were Damon. She’ll only ever know you as Mason Collins. Her feelings, of course, won’t change for you.”
“I can live with that,” Mason shrugged.
“You won’t remember your life as Damon, either, and you won’t remember your time in heaven…or me.”
“What! Do you mean that I’m going to stop loving her, and I won’t remember my kids? I won’t remember you?”
“You won’t forget how much you love her. You’ll remember everything from the time you returned to earth, and, as before, you’ll retain enough memory to function as Mason Collins.”
“So all the memories of the past will be gone?” Mason felt the walls caving in his heart.
“I talked to Peter, and he agreed, that when your time on earth is up again, which won’t be for a long time, by the way, your memories will return, but not before then.”
“But I won’t remember a big chunk of my life.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s the way it will be if you return to earth.”
Mason wanted to scream and rage but he realized that he had no choice if he wanted to be with Brandi again. “Paul, will…will you be watching us?”
“You couldn’t stop me.” Paul smiled.
“Paul…I’m going to miss you, man.”
“This isn’t goodbye, you know. We’ll see each other again.”
“Promise me.”
“I promise.”
They embraced. Mason’s chest was tight with emotion. He pulled back and looked at his friend. “One more question.”
“What?”
“Did you stop that gun from firing?”
Paul winked. “What do you think?”
Mason closed his eyes and shook his head. Paul was one in a million.
When he opened his eyes, he was in a hospital bed. Again.