Cataclysm (Four Horsemen #4)(11)

“Yes.”

I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Well, you shouldn’t exactly be surprised considering you’re keeping me here against my will.”

His hands tightened around the gun. I should be scared, but I wasn’t. He wasn’t going to kill me.

“I’ve had about enough of your attitude today. Get in the bedroom and stay in there.”

“You’ve had enough of me, huh? Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but this is what you’re getting. I did not ask for this. And I don’t fucking want you.”

Mason walked into the kitchen and placed the shotgun down on the counter. Then he turned and approached me, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. I didn’t back away. He needed to understand I wasn’t going to be a willing victim.

“Get in the bedroom, Scarlett, before I do something I regret.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“What a way to take responsibility. Blame your inability to control yourself on me because you don’t like how I’m talking to you. Did you think I would be the same sad little meek girl once I remembered who I am, hmm? Did you think Stuart broke me so I’d be an obedient girl for you?”

I saw it coming from a mile off and yet I did nothing to stop it. His hand came up, and he struck me across the face. My head snapped back, but I took it. I let him do it because it proved my point. He was as bad as Stuart.

I turned my face back towards him. Then I smiled before I spat blood at him. He glowered, then took me by the arm and dragged me along to the bedroom. He threw me into the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

I went over to the mirror on the dresser and looked at my face. Opening my mouth, I found the source of the bleeding. The impact of his fist had knocked my cheek into my teeth. I rubbed my jaw and got a tissue to wipe the blood from around my mouth. Stuart had hit me in the face enough times for this to be a minor assault as far as I was concerned.

Provoking Mason hadn’t been my smartest idea, but I was no longer in the mood to be nice. Not after the way he’d behaved. Not after he’d kidnapped me. I was done being a pawn for other people. No, I was a warrior. I’d survive this shit and get back to my men.

I went over to the bed and lay down, staring at the wardrobe, and wondered how long Mason intended to keep me in here. He needed to cool off, so I wasn’t going to go out and ask him.

I must have fallen asleep because I jolted awake to a faint tapping sound. Looking around, I couldn’t locate the source of it. It had got dark, but the room was lit by the moon streaming in through the windows.

The noise came again. I hopped off the bed. Something was tapping against the glass. I walked towards it and realised there was a hand there. I looked out, but I couldn’t see who the hand belonged to. I almost jumped out of my skin when something slammed against the glass. It took me a second to register that it was a piece of paper. I peered at it, wondering what the fuck was going on.

Open the bathroom window. Get the shotgun. Bring it to us.

It was gone a moment later. I stared at the space it had been for a long moment. There was only one logical explanation for who had written that. They were here. They had to be here. The four figures I’d seen in the distance had been them.

Oh shit!

They’d found me. My heart burnt in my chest, but I shook myself. I had to do what they’d asked of me. I couldn’t let them down.

Turning away, I walked over to the door and carefully opened it. I could hear the noise of the TV coming from the living area. Hopefully, it would mask the sound of my footsteps. My feet were silent as I crept into the bathroom. I had to lean over the sink to reach the window. Thankfully, this one opened as the ones in the bedroom didn’t. It wasn’t big. I didn’t know if anyone could actually fit through it. I took it off the latch and pushed it open. Then I retreated into the hallway, pulling the door to behind me. As far as I knew, Mason had left the shotgun on the kitchen counter. I wondered if he’d moved it. Then again, they wouldn’t have asked me to get it if it wasn’t still there, would they? No, they wouldn’t have. I didn’t think it was loaded, but we couldn’t take any chances.

I got to the doorway of the living area and looked in. Mason was sat watching TV. He didn’t look around, so he hadn’t heard me. My eyes went to the kitchen, finding the gun resting on the counter. He hadn’t moved it.

Lowering myself to the floor, I shuffled into the room, trying to be as quiet as possible. I kept checking the sofa to make sure Mason had stayed where he was. It took me some time to make my way to the counter. I hid behind it for a long moment before carefully peering over it. Reaching out, I gripped the gun with both hands and lifted it off the counter. I slowly brought it towards me before dropping back down behind the counter again.

My heart raced at a million miles an hour as I crouched there with a fucking shotgun in my hands.

You can do this. You can get back into the hallway without him noticing. You have to. This is the only way you’ll escape.

I looked out at the sofa. Mason had his gaze fixed on the screen. I moved, inching along towards the door whilst keeping my eyes on him. It wasn’t exactly easy with a gun under my arm, but I had to make do. Mason let out a noise, making me freeze until I realised he was laughing at something on the TV. I tried to keep my breathing even as I moved again, a little faster this time.

By the time I made it into the hallway, I was panicking and wanting this to be over with. I rose to my feet and crept back along to the bathroom. The moment I reached it, a hand reached out and yanked me inside. The gun was removed from my hands before I had time to blink.