Trigger's Light - Carol Dawn Page 0,34

away.

My heart is racing from his sudden outburst. I’ve never heard him raise his voice once since I met him. I’m both shocked and scared at the anger I saw on his face before he walked away.

I take a deep breath to calm my racing heart only to have the sound replaced by Brendon’s cries.

I want to be angry that he scared the baby, but the concern I have is so powerful that not even anger can penetrate it.

I take Brendon out of his seat and cuddle him to my chest.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” I whisper. “Today is just a really hard day for him.”

I sing songs, I pace back and forth, I bounce, but nothing will stop Brendon from crying. After a few minutes, Mason walks back to me and gently takes Brendon from my arms.

“I’m sorry, big guy,” he says softly. “I had no right to scare my favorite little man like that. I never want you to be afraid because of me.”

Not even half a minute later, Brendon was silent and content.

Little monster.

Not knowing what to say, I clasp my hands and look down at the headstone.

Ava Granger. 1980-2014.

She was only thirty-four years old.

“She was in an abusive relationship,” Mason finally says. “I never liked her boyfriend. My gut told me he was bad news, but I ignored it because Ava said she was in love.”

Mason sits down, holding Brendon against his chest and pats the ground next to him. Taking the hint, I sit.

“There were never any marks. She never complained about him. But every single time I would meet up with her, she was a little less of herself. I knew something was wrong, but she insisted that she was just tired from working all the time.”

I scoot closer and lay my head against his arm. Not sure if he would accept my touch or not, I wait. He doesn’t move away, and that gives me hope.

“One day, she didn’t show up to our lunch date. I didn’t hesitate in speeding to her house. I found her lying on the kitchen floor, surrounded by her own blood. She was already dead.”

Tears fall freely down my face, but I don’t utter a sound.

“Her boyfriend was arrested for murder. He admitted that he pushed her, and she fell and hit her head on the side of the kitchen table. If I had just listened to my damn gut, I would have forced her out of that relationship. Or, at the very least, killed the fucker before her killed her.”

I cuddle closer to his side.

“If I tell you that none of that was your fault, would you believe me?” I ask, already knowing the answer.

“No.”

“What happened to her boyfriend?”

“He was accused of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to seven years in prison. But the fucker was dead within the first year.”

I peek up at his face and see a small hint of satisfaction in his eyes. I hide my grin. He got his revenge even if he wasn’t the one pulling the trigger. Why the thought of him having someone killed doesn’t scare me, I’ll never know.

I must be a freak.

“Will you at least believe that I accept you for who you are?” I ask.

Mason looks down at me but doesn’t say anything for the longest time. Finally, he buckles Brendon back in his seat and lifts me up, depositing me on his lap.

My favorite position.

“Will you forgive me, little one?” he asks.

Confused, I ask, “Forgive you for what?”

He shoots me a look like I’ve lost my mind.

“For shouting, Thea,” he says. “For raising my voice to you. For shutting you out.”

I lean up and kiss his slightly bearded chin.

“There’s nothing to forgive, silly,” I tell him. “I completely understand.”

Shaking his head, he replies, “There is no excuse for me raising my voice and scaring you, both of you, the way I did.”

I don’t argue. It wouldn’t do me any good. Mason has the hardest head that I’ve ever seen in a human.

So, instead, I cuddle against his chest and give him my truth.

“I love you,” I say against his chest.

He squeezes me until breathing becomes a struggle. But I don’t complain. If I could dig myself further into his body, I would.

“You have my heart, little one,” he says roughly. “You own me, heart, and soul. I love you so fucking much.”

I grab his words and lock them tightly inside my soul. He’s never getting them back.

Brendon whimpers, breaking our moment.

“And I love you, big guy,” Mason says to