Razor: A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance(43)

Ignoring the discomfort, I walked over to the dresser and found my red silk negligee that I wore only when it was hot. I put it on, feeling the silky material rub against my flesh. I couldn’t wait to see Mason’s reaction to seeing me in it, though there would be no funny business, I was way too sore for another round.

Grinning, I waltzed into the living room, expecting to see Mason’s jaw drop when he saw me.

“Hey, bad boy—” my voice caught in my throat and I froze.

Mason was nowhere to be seen.

What the hell? I wondered. Where is he?

Worried, I checked the bathroom. He wasn’t there. I came back into the living room, running my fingers through my hair. I bit my lower lip and looked around. Maybe he was outside. I was about to step out when I noticed a piece of paper sitting on the kitchen table.

I walked over and picked it up, starting to feel a sickness in my stomach with each step.

Carly,



I know you’re going to hate me for this, but I had to leave. I know you’re cursing me right now and wanting to claw my eyes out, and I can’t even begin to convey the pain I feel at having to do this, but it’s the only way I feel that you’ll be safe.

If you come on the run with me, all of this would have been for naught. The boon to your name and what it could do for your career would be useless. And while I know that won’t completely make you happy, at least you’ll be safe.

Please remember what I asked of you. Give me a couple days head start and then contact the police. Tell them that I threatened your life and made you cooperate with me.

I want you to know that I’ll cherish our time together for as long as I live.

Love,

Razor

P.S.

Should you need to contact me for any reason, I’ve included an emergency number you can use to leave me a message, but I’m hoping you will never have to use it.





“No,” I said, shaking my head in denial. “No! He couldn’t have.”

I clenched the paper in my hands, jumped up from the table and rushed outside. Mason’s bike was gone.

The world seemed to spin around me as reality set in.

He really was gone. Gone forever.

I went to my knees with sudden crushing pain.

“Mason!” I screamed.





Chapter 16





Mason




“I need a secure passage to Mexico,” I said, pacing back and forth in the small living room of Shadow’s apartment.

He looked up from his screen and scratched at his chin, staring at me through his wide-rim spectacles. “You sure about that?”

I stopped my pacing to regard my fellow hacker. Shadow, real name Peter Hall, was a scrawny little thing that fit a stereotypical hacker profile. Despite that, he was one of the best I knew, and was one of the few that I could actually call my friend.

I’d went up to his house after I left from Carly’s, knowing he could give me up to date information on my trackers and help me with mobility.

I nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be able to lay low for a while, get a plan together.”

Shadow appeared thoughtful. “Hmmm. I’ll see what I can do.”

“And I’m going to need you to help lead Maddy on a wild goose chase. As in, the complete opposite direction.”

Shadow nodded. “I can do that.”

“That goes for Anonymous too,” I added. “With how close Aubrey got, I don’t want to take any chances.”

Shadow frowned. “Razor, you’re asking me to betray the people that I work with. I told you already that I don’t want to get involved in that.”

“They’re basically one in the same. I know Maddy technically isn’t Anonymous anymore, but she still has friends that are. You’re already involved just by helping me anyway. Besides, they don’t deserve your loyalty anymore. Anonymous is more and more becoming associated as an online terrorist organization.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Shadow said thoughtfully. “The leadership is becoming just like the people we set out to expose. It’s made a lot of the hackers involved take more liberties, giving us a bad name. But still, it’s hard to turn my back on them.”

“Well, it’s time to choose. It shouldn’t matter that I exposed the information on my own. If anything, all they should be angry at is not getting recognition for it. But what I saw from Aubrey, they don’t see it that way.”

He let out a sigh and shook his head. “Fine, I’ll do what I can. Just know that I don’t like it. I have no problem f*cking with Maddy though. That bitch is off her rocker.”

I nodded. “What happened with her by the way? You said she was hot on my trail.”

“Not exactly sure. I know I interrupted her and Andre’s tracking several times, but for the past few days, it’s been really quiet on their front.”

“That’s not good,” I muttered. I knew without a doubt that when Madeline Bona was quiet, trouble soon followed. I hated that I’d ever met that crazy bitch. Even worse that I got involved with her.

Shadow shook his head. “Nope, not at all. All I can hope to do is draw them out onto your fake trail.”

“It’s going to have to be more than hope. I can’t afford her finding out about Carly.”