Page 28 of Freed By Fire
“Don’t underestimate me,” I snap. “I’ve made it this far. I’d appreciate it if you gave me some credit.”
Mason stares at me in disbelief. “You can’t expect me to give you props for not dying. It certainly isn’t because of how careful you are, or do I need to remind you what happened the last time you tried to help?”
“I remember what happened,” I say. “I was there.”
“It seems like you’ve forgotten. Maybe you need another reminder—”
“Howdareyou. You weren’t the one being held prisoner. Do you think I could ever forget what it felt like to be held in that room, to wonder if I was going to be left to waste away and not knowing if each breath or each meal was my last?”
A shadow settles over Mason’s face, and a muscle ticks in his jaw. “You could’ve come to me, and you chose not to.”
I throw my hands up in the air and shake my head. “Un-fucking-believable. That’s what you want to focus on? The fact that I didn’t come to you so you could fulfill your hero complex? I don’t need you to swoop in and save me, Mason.”
“Yes, I’m sure you would’ve figured out how to get out of that mess on your own, or was it your father who was going to get you out of it?” Mason says.
“Don’t be a bastard.”
“Don’t be stupid.” Mason’s eyes narrow. “You knew what you were risking when you went to save your dad and Noah, just like you knew what you were risking when you went out there today.”
“Are you more upset that I was in danger, or that I didn’t listen to you?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Mason says. “You constantly underestimate the danger, so don’t expect me to applaud your recklessness. It’s not just your life on the line, London.”
Guilt gnaws at my insides. “You think I don’t know that?”
“I think you don’t know a fucking thing.” Mason’s voice is filled with fury. “So don’t come crying to me when things go to shit.”
“Fine then. I won’t.”
Without waiting for a response, I throw the door to his room open and slam it in his face. A moment later, the door opens, and Mason comes into the room, a tight expression on his face. Ina few quick strides, he has me pressed against the wall, and my heart stops when he places one arm on either side of me.
“I give you a lot of leeway,” Mason says quietly. “But don’t ever forget who you’re dealing with.”
My eyes sweep over him uneasily. “Is that you talking, or your dad?”
“On some things, we do agree.” Mason’s face is pressed against mine now, and I have nowhere to go. “Don’t ever slam the door in my face again.”
I refuse to be the one to look away.
Someone raps on the door, and for a minute, I think Mason will ignore them. Eventually, slowly, Mason draws back and crosses over to the door. A heartbeat later, the door clicks shut behind him, and I’m left alone with my thoughts.
Olivia, you’d better know what you’re doing, and this better pan out.
Otherwise, we’re all screwed, and I don’t want to be the one to face Mason’s wrath with nothing to show for it.
Bringing his enemies back to the table is a start, but stopping the war before it escalates will cushion the sting.
I have to see this through before the lies catch up to me and make sure it’s worth it.
It has to be.
Chapter Six
Mason
See to it that I’m not interrupted.”
The door clicks shut, and I sink behind the desk. A moment later, I reach for the glass decanter on the bar cart. After pouring myself a generous amount, I frown into the glass and picture London’s face. I take a long sip of the drink, and I don’t stop until I feel it settle.
