The Mercenary Next Door (Rogues and Rescuers #2) - Lucy Leroux Page 0,87

face red and puffy.

“Mason, let go of him.” Laila shook his arm, sounding distinctly nervous as a crowd of officers pressed in.

“This asshole’s family sent someone to kill you—” he snarled, aware of an annoying buzzing in the background. It sounded like a subspecies of irate lawyer, ranting at the edge of the crowd.

“I did not do that!” Despite being held by the neck, Joseph was nowhere near breathless. Which just means you should squeeze harder.

Detective Silano chose that moment to wade through the crowd. “Mr. Dubey has consented to come in and give a statement,” she said, mugging at him furiously before pitching her voice low to growl, “Get your girl out of here.”

Mason chanced a glance at Laila. She wasn’t even looking at him. Her gaze was fixed on Joseph, her face nearly bloodless.

Shoving her ex away like the piece of trash he was, Mason roughly let him go, transferring his now-gentled hold to Laila. Not wanting her to spend another second in her abuser’s presence, he began to usher her out.

“Wait, his girl?” Joseph stared at Laila with lost puppy-dog eyes. It made Mason want to kick him.

But Laila twisted in his arms. “Joseph, tell them the truth about Jasmine. Tell them how she really died. She deserves that.”

Her voice shook, but her conviction—the sheer emotion—cut through the air like a knife. Even the lawyer shut up.

Mason had her out the door before anyone could reply.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Mason’s face was grim as they exited via the police station’s main entrance.

“I didn’t interrupt a necessary confrontation, did I? You’re not going to be talking to a therapist someday about how I ruined your one chance at closure?”

“I’ll let you know when I calm down,” Laila said, reaching out to brace herself on his arm.

Her pulse pounded, and her legs were so weak she was having trouble standing. Breathing hard, she bent, instinct making her put her head between her knees.

Swearing, Mason picked her up, ushering her to a bench just to the left of the doors.

His arms went around her as she fought to regain her composure. Laila squeezed his biceps, her head pressed to his chest. But despite his attempts at comfort, she was still trembling.

“I’m sorry,” she said after a few minutes. “I had no idea I was going to fall apart like this. Even though I had no plans to see him, I thought I was prepared. I was just fooling myself.”

Laila had pictured herself confronting Joseph a million times. In her imagination, she had been brave and aggressive, getting in his face and slapping the shit out of him. The reality had been so different. Just the sight of him had knocked the breath from her lungs. She had felt small and violated all over again.

The fact she’d found her voice and gotten any words out was a victory, she told herself. But her reaction now that he was out of sight—the way she was clinging to Mason—made her feel weak and pathetic.

Mason disagreed. “Do you know what I saw? I saw a strong, brilliant, and beautiful woman confront her abuser. And you made the most of it—telling him to do the right thing for Jasmine when you could have focused on what he did to you. I wouldn’t have blamed you. Had it been me, I wouldn’t have had the wherewithal or selflessness to say anything like you just did. I would have just started swearing and not stopped.”

Her lips quirked in a wan smile. “Had you been in my shoes, you would have defended yourself when he tried to hurt you—and you would have wiped the floor with him…although, honestly, I’m having a lot of trouble seeing you two as a couple. You’re not really each other’s type.”

Snorting softly, Mason pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Why don’t we get the hell out of here so you can have a bubble bath and I can beat the hell out of the punching bag I have in the garage?”

“That sounds like a good plan, but I have a better one.”

Closing her eyes, Laila leaned against his chest. She shut out the police station, letting the sun and the warmth of Mason’s embrace warm her chilled bones. With a voice that grew in strength and firmness, she detailed a scheme that involved candles and her decadent hot fudge sauce, followed by even hotter sex in the shower.

Mason’s hand gripped the back of Laila’s neck reflexively. It took him a minute to find his tongue. “You