hated
them. It didn’t matter; Junior was a scumbag, a little shit who
thought he could play with the big fish when no one was around. He
didn’t comprehend the kind of hate Mason had toward him in that
moment. Mason raged at him, barely even registering the words
coming out of his mouth as he watched himself squeeze Junior’s neck
just a little more. He was vaguely aware of his friends gathering
around him. All he could see was a red haze before him. He was
projecting every ounce of hurt, pain, and betrayal he had felt onto
Junior. Mason wanted to end his life, not only for what he had done
to Kat and what he had the potential for doing, but for everything
that was done to him as well.
The entire time he kept thinking of Kat, of
the bastard hitting Kat, of Kat still sitting quietly on the floor,
watching the situation unfold. He finally released Junior and
watched him inhale deeply, drawing in the breath that Mason had
prevented. He knew Junior feared him. Hell, he almost feared
himself. He kicked Junior out with a warning and took a moment to
collect his own bearings.
Finally, when he felt like his pulse was
beating a steady rhythm – well, as steady as it was going to get –
he turned toward Kat, who he could have sworn was reaching out to
him. For a second, he let the weight of that reaction sink in. The
woman was almost raped, hit brutally, watched a pretty heated and
scary exchange, and she was reaching for him. He knew, in the back
of his mind, it was because she wanted to comfort him, to hold him,
to thank him. And for that brief moment, he saw Kat in a different
light. She wasn’t a junkie; she wasn’t his accuser; she wasn’t an
evil, sadistic person. But just as quickly as the thoughts came to
him they left.
He asked her if she was all right and
although he knew she wasn’t, she put on a brave face and answered
him honestly. “I will be.” He knew how that felt. He knew that
things weren’t okay now, but with time she would heal. That’s what
had happened to him.
He put her to bed, but sitting there,
watching her watch him, he almost broke down. Now that everything
had settled down, the memories exploded behind his eyelids and he
needed to escape them. He needed to escape her.
He ran out of the room and found Benny
waiting by the door. Benny looked at him with both pity and
understanding. All Mason had to do was nod and Benny understood.
Benny understood that Mason needed to be alone right now, but
someone needed to stay with Kat. No matter what he had done to Kat,
he made sure to never truly harm her, to never physically hurt her.
And here, under his watch and under his command, that had happened.
He wasn’t heartless, and he wasn’t without care. If a part of him
wanted to admit, he did care about Kat. God knew he shouldn’t, and
he’d never let himself believe that, but he did. She was spunky and
beautiful and even kind; she was truly like a different person than
the one he knew, than the one he had expected, and she had thrown
him for a loop. And as much as he had played up his hatred for her,
he wasn’t insensitive to her needs right now. Benny knew that and
was willing to help. He patted Mason on the shoulder and walked
into Kat’s room.
Mason went to his room, where he now stared
at the ceiling as if it held all the answers to the mysteries of
his life. He closed his eyes, but the memories flooded his mind. He
felt the hands holding him down; he felt the body parts pressing
against him, in him; he felt the bile rise up. He had pushed all
that aside, buried that part of himself after Benny and his friends
had saved him, after they took him under their wing and made sure
Mason was never harmed that way again. He owed them so much, but
right now, he couldn’t think. That episode with Kat had brought all
that to the surface. He opened his eyes so he wouldn’t have to see
the images replaying in his mind like a movie. He could have lived
with the rape accusation; he could have lived with
them. It didn’t matter; Junior was a scumbag, a little shit who
thought he could play with the big fish when no one was around. He
didn’t comprehend the kind of hate Mason had toward him in that
moment. Mason raged at him, barely even registering the words
coming out of his mouth as he watched himself squeeze Junior’s neck
just a little more. He was vaguely aware of his friends gathering
around him. All he could see was a red haze before him. He was
projecting every ounce of hurt, pain, and betrayal he had felt onto
Junior. Mason wanted to end his life, not only for what he had done
to Kat and what he had the potential for doing, but for everything
that was done to him as well.
The entire time he kept thinking of Kat, of
the bastard hitting Kat, of Kat still sitting quietly on the floor,
watching the situation unfold. He finally released Junior and
watched him inhale deeply, drawing in the breath that Mason had
prevented. He knew Junior feared him. Hell, he almost feared
himself. He kicked Junior out with a warning and took a moment to
collect his own bearings.
Finally, when he felt like his pulse was
beating a steady rhythm – well, as steady as it was going to get –
he turned toward Kat, who he could have sworn was reaching out to
him. For a second, he let the weight of that reaction sink in. The
woman was almost raped, hit brutally, watched a pretty heated and
scary exchange, and she was reaching for him. He knew, in the back
of his mind, it was because she wanted to comfort him, to hold him,
to thank him. And for that brief moment, he saw Kat in a different
light. She wasn’t a junkie; she wasn’t his accuser; she wasn’t an
evil, sadistic person. But just as quickly as the thoughts came to
him they left.
He asked her if she was all right and
although he knew she wasn’t, she put on a brave face and answered
him honestly. “I will be.” He knew how that felt. He knew that
things weren’t okay now, but with time she would heal. That’s what
had happened to him.
He put her to bed, but sitting there,
watching her watch him, he almost broke down. Now that everything
had settled down, the memories exploded behind his eyelids and he
needed to escape them. He needed to escape her.
He ran out of the room and found Benny
waiting by the door. Benny looked at him with both pity and
understanding. All Mason had to do was nod and Benny understood.
Benny understood that Mason needed to be alone right now, but
someone needed to stay with Kat. No matter what he had done to Kat,
he made sure to never truly harm her, to never physically hurt her.
And here, under his watch and under his command, that had happened.
He wasn’t heartless, and he wasn’t without care. If a part of him
wanted to admit, he did care about Kat. God knew he shouldn’t, and
he’d never let himself believe that, but he did. She was spunky and
beautiful and even kind; she was truly like a different person than
the one he knew, than the one he had expected, and she had thrown
him for a loop. And as much as he had played up his hatred for her,
he wasn’t insensitive to her needs right now. Benny knew that and
was willing to help. He patted Mason on the shoulder and walked
into Kat’s room.
Mason went to his room, where he now stared
at the ceiling as if it held all the answers to the mysteries of
his life. He closed his eyes, but the memories flooded his mind. He
felt the hands holding him down; he felt the body parts pressing
against him, in him; he felt the bile rise up. He had pushed all
that aside, buried that part of himself after Benny and his friends
had saved him, after they took him under their wing and made sure
Mason was never harmed that way again. He owed them so much, but
right now, he couldn’t think. That episode with Kat had brought all
that to the surface. He opened his eyes so he wouldn’t have to see
the images replaying in his mind like a movie. He could have lived
with the rape accusation; he could have lived with
Similar Books
