Mason
The long days and longer nights were taking their toll on me. I drove back to the safehouse where I had left Cassie sheltering. Diesel had texted to say he had given her my message, so at least she wouldn’t have sat up all night waiting for me. The boys were in another safehouse a few miles from our current location. It was better for us to split it. It would help to keep us under the radar.
I parked my bike and kicked the stand down. I sat for a moment a heaved a sigh. Cassie and I had barely spoken over the last couple of days. I hadn’t been looking forward to spending the night negotiating a new deal with Khloe, but I needed to have as many people on my side as I could. Khloe was a trusted figure with a lot of the groups, and I needed her on my side. It had taken the better part of the night, but I’d finally secured her backing.
Weariness settled over me as I swung my leg over the motorcycle. I saw the shape of Cassie move away from the kitchen window. Had she been watching for me? I needed to let the girl go. The talk with Khloe had made me see that Cassie was just going to get hurt.
The door to the cabin opened before I’d made it just a few feet from my motorcycle. Cassie strode toward me and I admired the way she moved. Her brown hair swung with her strong and purposeful gait, as did her other assets.
She stopped a few feet from me.
“I need you to be straight with me,” she said, her fists clenched by her side.
I shrugged.
“About what?” I asked flippantly.
“I know you were with Khloe last night. I know it doesn’t take all night to do whatever it was you were doing, and it certainly didn’t take the better part of today as well.”
Cassie’s eyes sparked, and her nostrils flared. She was jealous, I realized.
“You’re right,” I chuckled. “It doesn’t take all night.”
I strode past her.
I pondered not telling her the truth and just letting her believe that I had fucked Khloe. It would be a quick and easy way to get her to break ties with me. The pain in her voice stopped me in my tracks however.
“Tell me the truth,” Cassie pleaded.
Turning toward the petite brunette, I noticed tears welling up in her eyes. The story of how her engagement had ended sprang to mind. That had taken its toll on the girl.
I sighed.
“I was negotiating a new deal for the GRMC with Khloe. We need all the alliances we can get.”
Cassie eyed me for a moment. I could see her watching me for some sign I was lying, and I stared back at her defiantly, challenging her to find fault with what I’d said.
She took the challenge head-on. She shook her head.
“I don’t believe you.”
“That’s up to you,” I told her as I spun on my heel and headed toward the house.
Let her believe what she wanted. I had things that I had to do.
Cassie was right behind me, dogging my every step.
“Have you and Khloe slept together?”
“No,” I said simply.
Khloe was a fine piece of ass. But business was business, and I liked to keep it that way. Of course, that hadn’t worked out so well where Cassie was concerned.
The girl’s eyes held distrust. Her fiancé had really done a number on her, but I really didn’t have time for this. I slammed through the front door and went into the bedroom, where I gathered up some clothes.
She followed me, all the time asking questions about Khloe and our relationship.
“You keep asking me bullshit questions because you’re so fucking afraid you can’t keep a man,” I growled.
Cassie’s mouth fell open.
“That’s the last time you get to say that to me,” she hissed when she had finally regained her composure.
“Don’t forget who’s in charge here,” I reminded her.
I was gratified when she took a small step back. I hated throwing my weight around, but I didn’t have time then for unruly bitches – or for anyone, for that matter. It stung that she didn’t believe me, but I was never one to plead. If she chose not to believe me, that was her problem.
Cassie flipped her head haughtily.
“Is that what you had to remind Khloe of?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I had to remind Khloe of,” I ground out.
The girl seemed to have her mind made up and was just looking for evidence, the way she blew off everything I said. There were good reasons that I chose not to get close to others, and this kind of bullshit was just one of them.
Cassie glared at me as if I owed her something. What, honestly, did I owe her?
It dawned on me that I owed the girl her life back. It was because of me she was here and in this position. It was because of me that the club was in the position it was in.
Fuck, I owed everyone.
Cassie’s face was a picture of hurt and mistrust.
“She knew about Dana long before I was even in the picture,” she said. “I know you don’t like talking about that. I know, because it took so much for you to let me in. What did it take for you to let her in?”
I shook my head.
“I didn’t tell her anything. She just heard about it. We’ve been friends for a long spell. I don’t bother her, she doesn’t bother me. That’s all there is to it. If you don’t like it, then that’s just too bad.”
Cassie raised her chin defiantly.
“Maybe it would be better if we slept in separate rooms tonight.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” I agreed.
I dropped the clothes I’d been gathering up and grabbed a pillow and blanket off the bed. I tossed them at Cassie.
“There’s a room down the hall.”
She looked like she was going to start another fight, but she just turned on her heel and stalked out of the room.
I had to admit she was sexy when she was mad. That thought made me think of the first time I’d fucked her. That brought a smile to my face.
Sighing, I rubbed the smile away. I couldn’t let the girl distract me. I had to get ready for Ruiz’s next move. Khloe had heard he was insisting on taking care of me personally> And, frankly, that suited me just fine. There were a lot of things I wanted to do to Ruiz and punching a few teeth down his throat was just the start. If it hadn’t been for that fucker, I wouldn’t be in the situation I found myself in.
Everything was Ruiz’s fault. I knew my own flaws, but that sick bastard had driven us all to this. It was time he paid.
Cassie didn’t come back out of the guest room. I thought at one point that perhaps she’d tried to run again. But when I knocked on the door, she told me to “Fuck off.” I assumed that meant she was just fine. I settled down in the kitchen and pondered what to do next.
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I instinctively reached for the gun at my side. No one was due here. And only the crew and Khloe knew the location of the safehouse.
I turned the door handle and held the gun at the ready.
Ruiz’s face greeted me as I cracked open the door.
“Evening, Mason. Thought we could have a chat.”
***
“Relax,” Ruiz said with a smile. “I’m alone. I thought I would come and parlay. Perhaps we can reach a resolution to all this unpleasant business without all the drama.”
I opened the door wider and peered past the man. He was telling the truth. Or else his thugs were really good at hiding in the desert.
“I’m listening.”
I pushed the door open and motioned with the gun for Ruiz to enter.
“I don’t really think the gun is necessary. After all, I’m unarmed.”
Ruiz went over to the kitchen table and looked around the small safe house.
“Quite the dump you have here,” he said.
“Enough bullshit,” I growled. “What do you want?”
“You know what I want,” Ruiz said reasonably. “I’m willing to forgive the GRMC and you for all your transgressions. There’s plenty of room in the desert for all of us.”
I eyed the man. My thoughts went to Khloe and her girls.
“Yeah, we all know how good your word is.”
“You aren’t seriously pissed about those whores I put down, are you? They’re just playthings. Hell, I probably did them a favor, putting an end to their miserable lives.”
Ruiz shrugged and sighed.
“Besides, if Khloe hadn’t jerked me around, that wouldn’t have happened. I have to set an example. You, more than anyone, must understand that.”
I did. I hated how much I did understand that. It sometimes took a firm hand to control the people that were drawn to this trade. Unfortunately, Ruiz was one of the worst of those people.
A noise from behind me made me curse under my breath.
Ruiz smiled broadly over at Cassie, who looked between the man and me several times. Her face was set in a grim line.
“I know what you’re here for, Ruiz, and the answer is still no.”
I put my gun back in its holster, but I didn’t snap the holster closed. I wanted to be able to get the gun out quickly if I needed to. Cassie kept me between her and Ruiz.
Ruiz nodded.
“I figured you might say that. It’s a shame really. This could all have ended right here.”
“We both know that’s not true,” I assured Ruiz. “You never let people stand up to you and get away with it. It just wouldn’t look good. You see, I do understand how you think. So, the answer is still no.”
A smile crossed Ruiz’s face.
“Such a pity... Oh well, you’re probably right. The bastard that I am, I’ll probably kill all of you. Hell, I might even keep a few of you to play with.”
“Get out,” I said in a low growl.
If Ruiz was concerned about the gun at my side, he certainly didn’t let on. Perhaps the man was mentally unstable.
The thought crossed my mind that I should waste him right then and there, but the man had come here to negotiate. If word got out that I’d killed someone under such circumstances, then my reputation among the clubs and other underground denizens would be ruined. I gritted my teeth and knew the man had to leave alive.
Ruiz turned to go. As he opened the front door, he stopped and looked over at me.
“Odd how things happen sometimes, isn’t it? Who would have thought that, when you set her car up to fail, we’d all end up here?”
The man gave me a smile before he slipped out the door.
I shook my head and turned around.
The look on Cassie’s face stopped me cold. She was staring at me as if she had never seen me before. No. She was staring at me the way she’d stared at me the night I’d bought her. Like I was some kind of monster.
Her voice was barely a whisper.
“Is that true?”
“Cassie,” I began, but the look on her face stopped me.
I nodded. “Yeah. What he said was true.”
She nodded slowly as if letting the words sink in.
“It wasn’t just dumb luck. You did this to me.”
“You knew that already,” I said, shaking my head. “Don’t let him get under your skin, Cassie. That’s what he’s trying to do.”
Cassie bit her lip and nodded again.
“Yeah. I know.”
“You know what I am and who I am. You’ve known that from the start. I’ve never lied to you.” I sighed. “You act like I tricked you, but I never did.”
She pushed some strands of hair behind her ear.
“You’re right. You’ve always been honest about what you are. I’m the one who keeps trying to paint you in different colors.” Cassie took a deep breath. “How long do you think he’s known where we are?”
“Not long, I’d wager,” I said as I walked back to the bedroom. “We’ll leave first thing and go to another safehouse that no one outside the GRMC knows about. I can’t risk anyone who might have been compromised. It must have been Khloe who told Ruiz where we were. Get a couple of hours sleep, then we’ll head out. I need to let Diesel know what’s going on.”
Cassie didn’t bother to respond in words. She merely nodded and headed into the bedroom in a stupor. I didn’t much blame her. The last few days had worn me down as well.
I collapsed in a chair. I might not like it, but maybe Ruiz had just done me a favor by reminding Cassie of what kind of man I really was. It definitely didn’t mean I had to like it.
And I didn’t like it. Not one bit.