No, it can’t be. Not Noah. He wouldn’t hurt you.
I take an involuntary step back, the unease and fear snowballing within me. “You’re talking like… like you’re almost glad you were bound and gagged.”
“At least we’re not in the dark anymore. They did do us a favor.”
“They tied you up and kidnapped me,” I point out. “They played mind games with me and tried to intimidate me. They starved me just to get back at—to make a point.”
“I’m sure they wouldn’t have hurt you.” Noah reaches for me. “You and I both know you’re in over your head. Now, I know you don’t put much stock in my opinion anymore, but what about your parents? Do they deserve to have their life ripped out from under them?”
I swat his hand away, my fear replaced by cold, hard anger. “How dare you! You have no right to accuse me of endangering my family. All I’ve done has been to try to protect them, even at the expense of my safety!”
Noah snorts and opens his mouth to say something.
Over his shoulder, I see Mason leaning against a nearby wall, his expression giving nothing away.
I hold up a hand to Noah. “Don’t say a fucking thing.”
Noah frowns when he sees Mason. “Doesn’t he ever give you any breathing room? Jesus Christ, Lo, what kind of leash does he have you on?”
“He doesn’t have me on a leash,” I snap. “Just stop talking.”
Mason crosses over to us and fixes his bright eyes on Noah. “You’re not welcome here.”
“I’m a paying customer.”
Mason takes a step in his direction. “Do I look like I give a shit? Get out.”
“I’m just trying to make sure she’s okay. She has a family, you know. And a life. Well, she had one before you took it away. Aren’t you the slightest bit sorry about what you’re doing to her? About what you’ve taken from her?”
I place a hand on Noah’s arm and squeeze. “Stop it, Noah.”
Mason looks at my hand and back at Noah’s face. “You should listen to her.”
“I’m not afraid of you, and someone needs to call you out.” Noah is defiant. “You’ve already broken us up. Are you going to drive her parents away, too? Is that your plan, to have her completely reliant on you and at your beck and call?”
Mason’s hand darts out, and I gasp as Noah crumples to the floor, and Mason gets on top of him. He lands punch after punch as I stand there, my mind racing. I force myself to take one step, then another, and ignore the pounding in my heart. When I reach out to touch Mason, he freezes.
He stops punching Noah and looks at me.
Abruptly, he stands up and dusts himself off.
Then, he storms off, and I look back at Noah, who gingerly rises to his feet. Blood is pouring down his nose, and his hair is matted to his forehead. I hand him a wad of napkins and wait until he looks at me again.
“I’m not sure what you were hoping to accomplish, but that was stupid.”
Noah tilts his head back and winces. “I meant every word I said, Lo.”
“I chose him, Noah. And that includes all of this.” I make a vague hand gesture and take a big step back. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I don’t need you to save me. You should leave before something worse happens.”
And then, I race after Mason.
Chapter Fifteen
Mason
I storm into the office and throw open the door with such force that it crashes against the wall behind it. I stop in front of the decanter, pouring myself a generous amount and picturing Noah’s smug face.
I imagine letting him loose in the forest nearby and then hunting him down.
