and pulls off my boy shorts before motioning to the steamy cascade. “Go on.”
I half expect him to follow me in, rape me, at the very least demand something from me, but he doesn’t. Instead, he drops the lid on the toilet seat, sits down, and lights a smoke.
My toes hit the warm tub, and the heat sucks away every last bit of my energy. I sink to the floor of the dingy motel tub, pulling my knees to my face and wrapping my arms around my shins.
Dear Father in heaven, if this is it, if these are my last few days on this earth, please let them pass quickly. Have mercy on me in my death that it won’t be painful or messy. Comfort my family. They’ll need you now more than ever. And please, God, please . . . let Mason know that I love him, that he’s the only man I’ve ever loved, and that, even in death, I’ve dedicated my heart to him wholly and completely. Svetlana, moya sestra, moye serdtse. I will see you soon. Amen.
Thirty-six
Present day . . .
Mason
Could it be this easy? I stare at my phone and read the words again. Majestic Mountain Inn. Thirty-six miles outside of the city.
Unease stirs my gut, screaming that something ain’t right. This has to be a set up, but even if it is, I’ll walk right into a firing squad for the chance to get Trix back. I shove my phone into my pocket and watch as Rex spills a shoebox of ammo onto the table.
He tosses me a blade that I catch on the fly.
“We have to get the cops involved.” Gia stands off to the side of Rex, his rage making it clear to keep a safe distance.
Lane, who interrupted Rex’s full-fledged freak out, ended up being sent home with a sore jaw. Rex is radiating fury like I’ve never seen before only mirroring my own.
“No cops.” He pops a clip in his Sig and shoves it behind his belt.
Agreed.
“Rex, don’t risk—”
He slams his fist against the table, his glare aimed at her. “He hurt you. Who knows what the fuck he’s doing to Trix. I owe that woman my life for finding me when you were gone. No way we’re callin’ the cops. Not until I rip that fucker apart and beat him with his bloody limbs.”
The robotic tone to Rex’s voice matches the same detachment I feel in my head. It’s as if my body is protecting itself from total self-destruction, allowing it to stay separate from the whirling feelings that threaten to send me into chaos. No, this is a time for clear thinking.
Like the hours before a fight, calm, focused, a calculating predator with an appetite for annihilation.
The doorbell rings and Gia jumps.
“It’s alright.” He continues to fill his pockets with knives and ammo. “It’s Wade.”
“That’s good.” Her shoulders relax a little. “He’s level-headed. He’ll keep you from killing someone—”
“He’s not coming with.” Rex moves to the door while I continue to pace the kitchen, every second that passes another second we’re not getting my girl. “He’s staying with you.”
“What?” Her eyes pop wide and the tension in her shoulders returns.
“Just a precaution.” I try to speak as calmly as possible through the turbulence of fear and anger that coils in my gut. “This could be a set up to draw us out of town so he can get to you.”
She stares between Rex and me, shaking her head. “He’s not like that. He’d never hurt me.”
“Don’t you fucking defend him in my house!” Rex’s roar practically shakes the walls.
Gia cringes before her shoulders sag. “Your house?”
He recoils and crosses to her in long strides. “I’ll be back by morning.” He moves to touch her, but she pulls from his hold. Reaching again, he loops her behind her neck and presses a hard kiss to her lips before releasing her. She turns and stalks to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
“Fuck.” He takes a long, exhausted breath. “Let’s get this over with.”
It’s about time. I move to the front door, tossing Wade a quick nod.
“Can’t believe I’m gonna miss this shit.” Wade shakes his head. “If you get a chance, grab a video.”
“My hands’ll be busy.” Killing. Maiming. Choking the life out of whoever stands between Trix and me. I eye Rex, who’s stuffing his pockets with weaponry. “Hate to rush this, but my woman’s out there.”
“Don’t get yourselves killed,” Wade mumbles to me as we pass.