Chapter Fifteen
London
I don’t know if I am going to be sick or pass out.
Half of me wants to tackle my father to the ground, knocking the knife out of his hand before he does something stupid, and the other half wants to drag my parents and Mason out and disappear somewhere with them.
I step in front of Mason and wait for my dad to look at me. “Dad, put that knife down before this gets out of hand.”
“You should listen to your daughter,” Mason says evenly, “before you hurt yourself.”
My father grips the knife tighter and makes a vague motion with his free hand. “I know enough. I’ve seen enough. There’s only one way to deal with people like you.”
“You’re testing my patience,” Mason replies dangerously. “If you were anyone else, you’d already be choking on your blood.”
My father launches himself at Mason. I throw my arms up on either side of me and barely keep him back. We grunt as I throw my weight forward, and we topple over and slam into the wall as I try to pry the knife from his hand.
Mason is doing his best not to intervene, but even he has his limits.
My father has already pushed him too far.
Thank God you got there when you did. Who knows what would’ve happened?
I shake away the image of Mason looming over my parents and focus. My mother is saying something in the background, but I can’t make out the words. Then, her hand is on my back, and her voice is in my ear. Still, I keep my father pressed against the wall while he bucks and curses.
“Dad, look at me,” I hiss. “You’re not helping anyone right now. You’re only making things worse.”
“I didn’t…” The color creeps up his neck and cheeks. “I’m here to make things better.”
I release him. “How is bringing out a knife better? Explain it to me.”
Slowly, he turns hate-filled eyes to Mason, who is calmly standing by the bar cart.
Mason is hanging on by a thread, and I know that he’s about to snap.
I’ve seen the lengths he is willing to go to.
You need to contain the situation now before it spirals even further.
I throw my hands in the air and step back in front of my father, blocking Mason from view. “Dad, look at me. Really look at me, okay? I’m fine.”
My father’s dark eyes move over me intently.
His pupils are still dilated when he meets my gaze, but he’s not gripping the knife as tightly. “I was just trying to do the right thing.”
“I know you are, and I know we’ve been through a lot the past few months. I know none of this is easy for you…”
“I should’ve come sooner.”
“You came.” My breath hitches slightly. “That’s what matters. I want you to give me the knife, okay?”
My father’s eyes move to Mason, and then back to me. “It’s my job to protect you.”
“I’m not in danger.” I muster a small smile. “See?”
My mother comes to stand next to me. “Please, Berrett. Let’s all walk out of here.”
His gaze swings between us, his breathing still labored.
He stiffens when I reach for the knife, and no one in the room breathes.
Then, just as suddenly, his grip on the knife slackens, and I gingerly hold it away from me.
My eyes don’t leave his face as I take a few steps backward and let the knife fall onto the desk with a clatter.
As soon as it does, I walk back to my dad and throw my arms around him.
My mother chokes back a sob and throws her arms around us.
We sink to the floor, and I don’t realize I’m crying until my mother strokes my face. In silence, I squeeze my eyes shut and hold on for dear life until the tightness in my chest eases.
Fuck.
That was too close.
How many more people will be put in the line of fire before you realize what you’ve done? You could have lost your parents tonight.
I draw back to look at them, lingering on their gaunt, tired faces longer than necessary. My mom does her best to hold my gaze and offer me a half smile, but my dad is looking anywhere but at me.
I can’t blame him when I spent months trying to hide all of this from him.
It takes several deep breaths for me to steady my nerves. When I finally do, I stand up and help my parents do the same. My mom accepts my help without question, but my dad inches away from me like I’m contagious.
I want to throw myself at their mercy, curl up into their laps, and let them take charge.
Life was so much simpler when you could still do those things. Now, they can barely look at you, their precious golden daughter, fallen from grace.
“I appreciate the fact that you came,” I begin, “but like I said, there was no need. If you had answered your phones, you’d know.”
My mother shakes her head and reaches for my hand. “Let us take care of this, sweetheart. We’ll figure something out.”
I frown. “I’m not a child anymore, Mom. I don’t need you to agree with my choices, but you can at least respect them.”
Especially when it comes to things they don’t understand.
Neither of them can know that my contract—the reason I set foot in this place in a desperate attempt to make a deal to save my father—no longer exists.
They wouldn’t get it, and they wouldn’t leave without causing more problems.
How are you going to get them to walk away? Your parents haven’t seen eye to eye on anything in years. Doesn’t the fact that they’re both here, in the lion’s den, mean anything to you?
My chest swells with emotion as I look at them.
I open my mouth, ready to spill my guts, but think better of it.
It’ll break their hearts if they find out the truth. In time, they might learn to accept that you’re here, but if you tell them you’re pregnant…
They’ll think Mason did it on purpose, a sick attempt to keep me chained to him.
God help me, but I do care what they think.
I want them to accept Mason, even when I know the odds are stacked against him.
As far as they’re concerned, he doesn’t hold a candle to Noah.
Normal, polite, chivalrous Noah…
Mason will never measure up to their impossible standards, even if my dad didn’t owe him money.
“Dad, you’re not giving up the diner. You’ve worked too hard for too long to give up now. I know business is finally picking up.”
A furrow appears between my dad’s brows, but he doesn’t say anything.
I turn my gaze to my mom. “And Mom, you need to go home. You have a whole life back in Florida. This isn’t your mess to deal with or clean up, remember?”
I make myself meet my dad’s gaze, and instead of anger and frustration, I see pain and compassion.
I wish it had come sooner.
You’ll always wonder about your old life and how things could’ve gone differently if your father hadn’t taken the loan.
Nothing could’ve prepared me for the whirlwind that is Mason and his world, but I wouldn’t trade it, not even for a chance to go back to my old life.
I study Mason, the familiar set of his shoulders, and the purse of his lips, and I realize why the gleam in his eyes is familiar.
He’s considering their offer to let me go with them.
A part of me wants him even more, knowing how hard this is for him, but I also know it’s no use.
We’re forever intertwined now, and I can no more walk away from him than I can give up our baby.
A lump rises in my throat as I look back at my parents and reach for Mason’s hand. He doesn’t react at first, but when he turns to face me, I see a small smile on his face, and my heart gives an odd little somersault.
Nothing on earth can tear me away from this beautiful, chaotic man.
Not war on our doorstep, not my life being in danger, and not my parents bursting in here, full of good intentions.
I wait for Mason to look at me and clear my throat. “The contract isn’t the reason I’m here. Not anymore, at least. I’m staying because I want to.”
“I don’t know what you have on her,” my dad begins again, “but this ends now.”
“Do you really think so little of me?” I say. “He doesn’t have anything on me, Dad. He hasn’t given me anything, and I haven’t been brainwashed. He’s tried to get me to leave, but I refused.”
“Because you want to save me,” my dad says.
I sigh. “At first, yes, but now… everything is different. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, not even Noah. Mason makes me feel… alive.”
“Sweetheart, we all have our phases, but we don’t throw our whole lives away because of it. You can come back and work in the diner,” my mom says. “Your dad will get some help, so you can go back to college—”
“You’re not listening,” I interrupt. “Mom, it’s not a phase. Mason isn’t some bad boy I’m going to get out of my system.”
Not anymore.
“I don’t want to go back to my old life. Or the diner,” I insist. “This is me talking. I know what I’m saying, and I know what I’m doing. I’m staying with Mason because I want to. I want to be with him.”
Please, God, let that be true. Please let them stop pushing me on this.
“You have no idea what you’re doing,” my dad interrupts. “I think we’ve indulged this long enough.”
I look at my father and stiffen. “Do you remember what happened when I came to visit you after those men broke into the house and made you call me?”
A myriad of emotions dance across his face as he stiffens. “I had to leave the house.”
“I got into an accident that day,” I tell him. “Katia and I got run off a bridge, and I helped drag her to safety. I didn’t even know if I would make it back, and I…”
Mason takes my hand in his and squeezes. “Your daughter is one of the strongest, bravest people I’ve met. A lot of people in her position would’ve faltered, but London has never. Not once.”
“This isn’t any of your business,” my father replies. “This is a private conversation.”
“You brought a knife into my office,” Mason responds. “You gave up your right to privacy the minute you set foot in my club.”
“Mason…”
He looks at me with a storm brewing behind his eyes. “No. Ask me for something else.”
I squeeze his hand and use my free hand to gesture to the couch in the middle of the room. “I think we should all sit down.”
I have no idea how I’m meant to diffuse the situation or keep it from spiraling any further.
Should I let Mason handle it?
Should I lead my parents outside until they have no choice but to leave?
I don’t like either of those options.