Cataclysm (Four Horsemen #4)(10)

I needed to get away from here. I had no other choice but to find a way to escape him. Who knew how long it would be until he decided he wasn’t going to wait any longer? Was he planning on trying to woo me or something? There was no way in hell I would ever willingly sleep with him. The thought of it made me ill. His friends had tried to force themselves on me. Did he even know about it? I hadn’t asked. It didn’t matter in all honesty. What fucking difference would it make? It wouldn’t change the situation I was in. It wouldn’t make him buying this house away from everyone else to keep me in any less disturbing. I think that was the worst part of all. He’d planned this for years. He knew how I felt about being locked away. He fucking knew. And even knowing that, he’d done this.

I shivered, shoving it all out of my head. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to cry. The more I wanted to run and never look back. But Mason would come after me. He’d chase me the fuck down and then where would I be? In a worse situation. He would probably stop being nice to me. I couldn’t have that.

I turned to look out over the landscape behind the house, trying not to judge how far I’d have to run. There were hills everywhere, but it didn’t mean there were many places for me to hide. The track to the house was dirt. Who knew how far the main road was from here?

Movement in the distance caught my eye. I blinked, then squinted. Unless I was seeing things, four figures were walking this way. My heart lurched, imagining it might be my men.

Had Prescott, West, Francis and Drake found me?

“Scarlett.”

My head whipped around to the house. Mason stood by the patio door. My eyes went to what he was holding. I swallowed. My heart thumped hard against my ribcage, making me even more nervous.

Why the fuck does he have a shotgun?

I’d never seen a gun in real life before. The sight of him with one made me fear for my life.

“What is it, Mason?”

“Come inside.”

I didn’t want to. Not when he had a fucking gun on him. Why did he even need that? What was the reason he had it out right now?

My eyes went back to the figures I’d seen, but they weren’t there any longer. I must have been seeing things.

“Now, Scarlett.”

Letting out a sigh, I made my way towards the house. I couldn’t take any chances. Not when he was brandishing a shotgun like it was normal behaviour.

When I reached Mason, he looked down at me with annoyance written all over his face.

“Get in the house.”

“Why on earth do you have that?”

He looked down at the gun.

“I was cleaning it.”

“No, I mean, why do you have it in the first place? I didn’t know you owned a gun. Do you even have a licence for it?”

He looked slightly taken aback by my questions. They were valid as far as I was concerned. The only reason people in this country owned rifles or shotguns was for hunting or sport. Mason wasn’t interested in either of those, as far as I knew.

“Of course I have a licence for it.”

“Well, how am I supposed to know? You could have a stash of illegal handguns.”

He let out an exasperated noise.

“Where do you think I’d get hold of one?”

“Well, you shouldn’t have one, considering who your father is. But oh wait, you helped a man kidnap me, so excuse me for being sceptical.”

I probably shouldn’t have been giving him attitude when he had a shotgun in his hands, but I didn’t think it was loaded. He said he was cleaning it. Didn’t make me feel any better about him having it. Not to mention I was a little on edge after thinking I saw four people in the distance.

“My father…” he paused and scowled. “They told you.”

“Of course they fucking told me, Mason. How do you think I found out about you and Phoebe?”

He stepped closer.

“What else did they tell you?”

“That you used to watch me when I was a teenager and have been obsessed with me since before my accident.”

I didn’t mean to blurt those words out, but apparently, my common sense had fled. Mason’s eyes narrowed on me. I didn’t step back. Despite the fact he had a weapon on him, I wasn’t going to be a meek, obedient girl any longer. It was time to stand my ground.

“And you believed them?”

“What’s not to believe? Unlike you, I’ve known them my whole life.”

“They lied to you for months about not knowing who you are.”

“I was there to destroy them. They couldn’t trust me. I couldn’t trust them. Go figure. You’ve lied to me too, so don’t you stand there and act like you’re on some moral high ground.”

His expression hardened to stone.

“Get in the house, Scarlett. Now.”

“Or what?”

“Or I will use force and I don’t think you want that.”

I wanted to fight him. I really fucking did, but I didn’t think I would win. Besides, this argument wasn’t getting us anywhere.

I shoved past him and went inside. Mason glanced around outside before he followed me, shutting the patio doors and locking them.

“You’re not going back outside without me. Is that understood?”

“Why? Do you think I’m going to run off?”