Andre let out a gasp and dropped the chair, grabbing his knee in agony. Not wasting any time, Mason balled his fist and delivered a cross to Andre’s face.
Mason grabbed the dazed brute by the front of his shirt and pulled his fist back to deliver a blow that would probably render Andre unconscious, when a cold voice shouted out.
“You hit him again and your little stepsister is dead!”
Maddy.
I spun around . . . right into Maddy’s fist. Gasping with surprise, I stumbled, the blow leaving me temporarily stunned.
Mason quickly let go off the dazed Andre and advanced on Maddy, his face a mask of rage. “Get away from her.”
Maddy grabbed a hold of me before I could recover, placing me in a chokehold and using me as a human shield.
“Don’t take another step,” Maddy commanded.
Mason froze, eyeing her wearily. “You don’t have to do this Maddy,” he argued, his voice calm. “We can talk about this — we can make things right.”
Maddy sneered and shook her head. “Things will never be right between us. Not after what you did to me.”
“We can talk about that,” Mason said softly, gesturing with his hands. “Just let her go and I’ll talk about anything you want.”
By the tone in his voice, I could tell he was planning something, much like in the library where he’d rescued me from Aubrey. I watched as his hand slowly went to his pocket. He was about to do something and I needed to be ready when he did it.
Except there was one problem.
Andre was recovering and was picking up the large vase off of the floor. And I didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to know what he intended on doing with it.
I opened my mouth to warn Mason, but Maddy placed a cloth over my mouth and nose, muffling my warning.
A few seconds later, I became drowsy and my vision began to darken.
The last thing I saw before I slumped in Maddy’s arms was Andre raising the vase high above his head and slamming it against Mason’s skull.
Mason
On the floor, barely conscious, I watched through a haze of pain as Andre grabbed Carly and threw her over his shoulder and went out the front door.
I tried to rise to my feet to chase after them, but fell back to the floor, my skull pulsating with stabbing pain.
Fuck.
I stayed on the floor, gritting my teeth, fighting to stay conscious through the wall of pain. After about five minutes, the pain abated enough for me to be able to stand up.
A wave a dizziness hit me as soon as I was on my feet, threatening to send me back to the ground. I grabbed a hold of a nearby seat to steady myself, slowly breathing in and out.
I touched a hand to my scalp to assess the damage and pulled back blood. Andre’s blow had cut the skin, but it didn’t seem to be too deep. Still, I could have a concussion and not know it.
Well if I do, it’s going to have to wait, I thought, wincing at the stabbing pains. My main priority is finding Carly.
Pushing away the pain, I grabbed my mask, stumbled out of the lobby and back outside. I glanced around the building. One way led up the street back to the parade, the other went to a commercial area where there were a couple of hotels.
I knew that they couldn’t have gone to the faire — a big man carrying an unconscious girl over his shoulder would be bound to draw attention, so I made my way toward the hotels, ignoring my pounding skull every step of the way.
As I made it up the street, my blood boiled with rage and I grew more determined with every step.
I didn’t care where or how far Maddy and Andre took Carly, I was going to find her.
And when I did . . . there would be hell to pay.
Carly
“She’s awake now,” said a feminine voice.
My eyes fluttered opened. I looked around the room, rapidly blinking, until my vision became more focused.
I was lying on a large bed in a white room, filled with opulent furniture. It looked like a hotel suite of some kind. Maddy was standing over me, grinning down at me with malice and Andre stood off to the side. I was scared shitless.
But it wasn’t being in a strange room with the two villains that really made me do a double take, it was the vision of Brian standing in the middle of the chamber.
He was dressed in a suit, gazing at me with an expression of disappointment.
“Brian,” I gasped with shock, sitting up in the bed. “What are you doing here?”
Brian didn’t respond immediately and instead seemingly took a moment to gather his thoughts. “I came here to collect my son,” he said when he was done. “And ensure that he answers for his crimes.”
I shook my head in confusion. “What? What are you talking about?”
“Carly, Mason belongs in a jail cell. He’s never really had to suffer any consequences in his life, and it’ll be the best thing for him. The SFPD have a warrant out for him, but they’re not going to actively pursue him. But the FBI on the other hand . . .”