My breath catches in my throat, but Mason’s warmth and soothing touch releases the tension. “Drake and Hatch were working for the cops, but that doesn’t mean things couldn’t have backfired.”
“Right.” His muscles tense. “I’ll never forgive Drake for using your life in this sick fuckin’ game.”
Relief washes over me. “If not me, then who?”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean, if it wasn’t me they took, it would’ve been some other girl.” I shrug, suddenly more grateful than ever for the past few days of my captivity. “I’d never wish that kind of fear on any woman. Can’t even imagine how scared Lana must’ve been.” Tears burn my eyes, but I push them back and hold Mason tighter.
“Amazing.” The word drifts from his lips with an exhale. “I keep waiting for you to break down, for this all to be too much and for you to spiral, but you never do.”
“Just because I don’t wear the gloves doesn’t mean I’m not a fighter like you.”
A low chuckle rumbles in his chest, making me grin. “No, you’re ten times the fighter I’ll ever be, Beatriks.” His lips press softly into my hair.
“Poor Gia.” To consider what she must be going through makes my heart hurt. She always said Rex would kill Hatch if he ever found him. She’ll never admit it, but as much as she hates what Hatch became, I know she feels some kind of friendship with him.
Just as I did.
“She’ll be okay, Trix.” Another kiss to my head. “And so will you.”
His words remind me that this could be our last time together. He took human life with his bare hands and could be thrown in prison to pay for his sin.
“What’s going to happen to you?” I whisper.
He sighs, long and heavy with meaning. “I don’t know. I guess I’ll get officially arrested, be taken to jail. Hodgeson says the DA won’t prosecute and the cops are hoping all this shit is seen as justice served.”
I wrap my arms tighter around him, and he grunts, but when I try to pull my arm away, he holds it to him. “I’m sure he’s right.” No way could I stand to lose Mason to jail time. If I could somehow physically fuse our bodies together, I would. “Hatch’s involvement explains a lot.”
“Yeah, Detective Hodgeson said he’s requesting solitary—”
“Wait, what?” I plant my palm on Mason’s chest and push up to sitting. “Hatch is alive?”
He rolls his eyes. “Unfortunately, yes. Rex knew what he was doing, thought a lifetime in prison would be a better punishment than death, not to mention the cops needed as much info as they could get out of him. Can’t get shit from a dead man.”
“But Eli . . .?” I’m afraid to ask, but want to make sure I didn’t misunderstand.
“Elijah is dead.” A shadow passes through his eyes followed by resolve. “I killed him, and I’d do it again if it meant saving you.”
Mason
Saying good-bye to the Las Vegas County Police Department less than twenty-four hours after being taken there was better than I expected. I don’t know who pushed my case to the front of the line, but when I shove through the glass door and out into the desert sun, the grins on the faces of the three men waiting for me gives them away.
“Baywatch, welcome to the LVPD Ass Rape Club.” Blake loops an arm around my neck and thumps my back. “Now you gotta learn our motto.” He stands up tall, puffs out his chest, and cups his crotch. “You fuck with the law; they fuck right back. Protect your junk and your ass crack.”
I scratch my head, my lips curling. “I’ll pass on the membership, but if it’s okay, I’d like to transfer it to my brother.”
Blake laughs just as Rex approaches.
“Glad you’re out, man.” He shakes my hand but pulls me in for a quick hug.
“Hey, I have one question.” I scowl between Blake and Jonah. “Was it just some crazy coincidence that Hodgeson and Blake have history and he’s the one who orchestrated the whole takedown?”
I wait for them to fill in the blanks, to sate my curiosity.
They share another look and I shake my head. “See, that shit right there. What do you guys know that you’re not telling me?”
Blake steps forward. “Gia called us right after you two took off. I called Dave and he told me what was going down.”
Jonah shoves his hands into his pockets and shrugs. “Couldn’t let you face that shit alone, brother. Hodgeson told us to hold back, let them do their job, said they had a shit ton of undercover men with Elijah and Hatch’s crew.”
No wonder that night didn’t end up a bloodbath. We thought we were outnumbered. But some of them were cops. Makes sense because none of us should’ve walked away.
“I made it clear that wasn’t an option.” Blake shifts his gaze from me to Rex. “We have each other’s backs. Always.”
Fuck if all this shit doesn’t make me want to cry like a *-ass baby. “So that’s why you guys kept holding me back that night. You knew the cops had a plan and—”
“We didn’t want you to fuck it up by getting killed.” Jonah slaps me on the back of the head. “Looks like your official.”