I scowled. “Unbelievable. You talk about crimes, yet you are working with these criminals. You do realize that, don’t you? These people,” I pointed, jabbing a finger at Maddy’s evil face, “Are far worse. Why are you so set on vilifying your son?”
“These two individuals claimed to know your brother and were confident in their ability to track him down, so I paid them to bring him to me so I can convince him to face the consequences of his actions.”
I shook my head. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing.” Brian was being a hypocrite in his quest to ensure Mason went to jail. “Mason should be rewarded, not punished. He exposed a corrupt politician’s murder.”
Brian ignored my argument. “It’s a shame, Carly. He has manipulated you and you don’t even know it.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but the door to the hotel room burst open and in stalked Mason, his face a mask of rage, blood running down the side of his face.
Oh my God, I thought with horror, knowing that Mason must’ve fought through terrible pain to find me.
Andre moved to cut him off, but Brian gestured sharply. “No. I need to talk to him.”
Andre backed off, but kept a watchful eye as Mason walked into the room. He glanced at me to make sure I was alright and then turned his baleful gaze on his father.
“I knew you hated me,” Mason snarled, “but I didn’t realize you hated me enough to consort with these,” he gestured at Maddy and Andre, “lowlives.”
Maddy placed her hands on her hips, scowling at his insult. “Asshole.”
Both men ignored her and Brian walked over to face his son.
“Let Carly go, Dad,” Mason growled.
Brian made a face. “Let her go? Let her go where? Away with you?” He shook his head. “She can go wherever she wants, just not with you. You aren’t going anywhere. I’ve already alerted the F.B.I. — they will be here shortly.”
“Un-fucking-believable,” Mason growled. “That you hate me so much that you would have me put in jail and your own stepdaughter put in the middle of this.”
Brian glared. “I didn’t bring her into this, Mason. That’s all your fault. It’s time for you to face up to that — your callous attitude has been a thorn in my side for far too long and I’ll be glad to pluck it out.”
Mason looked extremely agitated, as if he still wanted to fight. “You know what, Dad? All my life, you’ve blamed me for everything that’s gone wrong in our family, including blaming me for Mom’s death. Well you know what? I’ve had enough!”
Without warning, Mason slugged his father in the face and Brian crumpled to the floor.
Satisfied that his dad was down, Mason moved to come for me, but Maddy stepped in front him, pulling out a gun.
Mason froze and quickly put his hands up.
“Don’t you take another fucking step,” she growled in a deadly voice.
I looked around, wondering what I could do to help us. The situation was quickly getting out of hand.
The only thing I saw that I could use as a weapon was the hotel room’s landline phone. But I’d have to rip out of the wall to bash Maddy in the head with it, and by the time I did that, she’d have shot Mason.
Brian stood up, yelling. “What the hell are you doing?! Put that gun away — we agreed that no one would get hurt!” He got up from the floor, his lip bloodied and swollen.
The room fell into silence. Andre was white in the face as if knowing the situation was out of hand. Even Maddy, who was the one with the gun, seemed unsure of what to do.
“Shut up!’ Maddy snapped shakily, her hands trembling on the trigger. I couldn’t tell if she was truly frightened or overjoyed at the opportunity to kill her ex-boyfriend. “All of you! No more talking!”
Brian held his hands out. “Maddy, you don’t want to do this. Regardless of what he’s done to you, it’s not worth taking his life over. You have my word — I’ll see to it that the authorities take him in. Whatever they want to do with him, let that be the end of it.”
I looked over at Andre, hoping to use reason to persuade him to my side. “Please,” I begged.
“Be quiet, Carly.” Brian commanded. “You’re going to make things worse.”
I ignored him. “Please Andre. You don’t have to go through with this.”
“Shut up!” Maddy yelled. “You especially,” she said, meaning me. “Why are you talking to Andre when I’m the one with the gun here?” Then she told Mason in a quiet voice, “On your knees.”
“No,” I moaned, hopeless despair spreading through my body.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” Maddy hissed. “Ever since you killed our baby.”
“It wasn’t his baby and he didn’t kill anything,” I yelled.
“One more word from you and you’re next!” Maddy snapped. Then she looked at Mason. “Razor, on your knees. Now!”
Mason glanced at me, and I was surprised to see no fear in his eyes. He wasn’t going to let Maddy see him scared nor was he going to beg for his life.