Page 96 of Please Open Me
It hit her like a bullet. She flinched, her whole body recoiling.
I almost blurted the truth—I did it for you, your mom wanted to sell you into trafficking—but even I knew that wouldn’t help.
Cameron stayed stone-faced. Sophia’s shock looked faker by the second. And Mattie… Mattie sat in the corner wearing the kind of smug grin that made my hands curl into fists.
“What the fuck did you tell Mason?” I snapped, storming toward her. She didn’t even flinch when I grabbed the front of her tank top and lifted. I was ready to—
Asound stopped me. The softest, most broken noise from the couch.
I turned back. Mason’s face was wet with tears, her shoulders jerking as she shoved Cameron’s hand away. My grip on Mattie loosened instantly, and I spun toward Mason.
“It’s not what it sounds like—”
“I asked a simple question,” she shot back, voice trembling, “And two out of three of you got weird. It’s not crazy to want your partner to say no when you ask if they’ve killed anyone!”
Her eyes darted around the room like she was looking for an escape route.
“Mason—” I reached for her shoulder.
“Don’t touch me!” She stepped back, putting space between us. Then her gaze snapped to Cameron. “Did you know?”
“Mae, come sit down. We’ll talk in the morning,” he said.
“Oh my God, youknew.” Her voice cracked. She swung back to me. “How many people have you killed? When was the last time?”
Mattie’s smirk deepened, but I kept my eyes on Mason. Less than a year. But that had been for work. That didn’t count… Right?
“I’d never hurt you,” I said, moving closer.
Her back hit the wall, rattling the picture frames above her head. She gasped, eyes darting, trapped.
“When you learned about the cult, you defended Calvin—”
“He never killed anyone!”
A soft thump upstairs.
The kids.
No, no,no.
I finally reached her and cupped her shoulders, forcing her to meet my gaze. But the second I saw her eyes—wide, terrified, like she was finally seeing the monster I kept buried—I wished I hadn’t touched her at all.
She tore free and bolted for the nursery.
The room went silent except for the pounding in my ears. Sophia, Cameron, and I locked eyes, the unspoken question hanging heavy between us.
What the hell do we do now?
A moment later Mason emerged with a diaper bag over her shoulder and Rosemary on her hip.
“Mae, you can’t take my baby,” Cameron said, following her as she started up the steps.
Mason didn’t slow, her grip on Rosie tightening like she expected someone to rip her away.
“She’smydaughter, and I’m not leaving her with–” Mason looked down at me, and I could see the word on her lips, but she didn’t dare say it. Instead, she started up the steps quicker.
“Jasper! Juniper!”
