Mason
As I pulled into my driveway, I saw a girl on the porch of Cassie’s house. It looked like she was looking for house keys.
Cassie?
I’d come to grab some things, but my errand was immediately forgotten. I expected the girl to disappear as soon as I blinked, just as she’d disappeared every other time I imagined I’d seen her. My mind liked to torment me when it came to Cassie. However, the girl remained even after I’d blinked. And she appeared not to have noticed I was there.
I glanced at the white car in Cassie’s driveway. I didn’t recognize it. I slipped swiftly across the yard. I didn’t speak or make any noise. I grabbed the girl, spun her around quickly and captured her mouth in a kiss. The girl fought and shoved against me. When I released her, I saw my mistake. It wasn’t Cassie, but she had Cassie’s eyes.
“Who the hell are you?” the girl asked as she took a swat at me with her hand.
I dodged the blow.
“I thought you were Cassie.”
“Well, I’m not.” The girl put her hands on her hips. “I repeat, who are you?”
I thought better of knocking the girl’s teeth down her throat. She could be Cassie’s relative. It wouldn’t do to draw suspicion on the GRMC or myself.
“I’m Mason. I’m…” I thought about the best way to put it and continued with a smile. “I’m Cassie’s boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” The girl eyed me doubtfully. “If you say so.”
The girl waved aside all the nonsense,
“Look, we haven’t heard from her in ages. Frankly, I’m worried. She was mad at me but not angry enough to ignore our parents’ calls. Do you know where I can find her?”
My blood ran cold. My assumption had been wrong. Cassie’s family hadn’t seen her. No one had seen Cassie since she’d left.
“We had a fight and she ran out on me. I haven’t seen her since. I was hoping you were her.”
“Fucking hell! Where can she be?” The girl shook her head. “Sorry. My name’s Pearl. I’m Cassie’s younger sister.”
Ah. The one that had slept with Cassie’s fiancé, huh?
I cleared my throat.
“Nice to meet you… Look, I gotta go.”
I turned, but the girl’s hand on my arm stopped me.
“You know where she is, don’t you? I can see it on your face.”
Pearl had that same determined look Cassie got when she wasn’t about to let me off the hook for something.
I nodded. “I think she’s with some very bad people and I think it’s my fault. I’m going to get her back though.”
“Let me go with you,” Pearl pleaded. “I don’t want her to die mad at me. She’s my sister.”
I waved off the girl’s words.
“Cassie isn’t mad at you. She never was. She’s just hurt.”
I turned around, but the girl was right behind me.
“Get in your car and go home,” I said firmly. “When I find something out, I’ll let you know.”
Pearl opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off.
“Don’t push me, Little Girl,” I warned her with a growl.
Pearl nodded, taking a wary step back. She scrambled toward her car.
Cassie would have my ass for threatening her little sister, but I had to focus. The Cartel had Cassie. They’d had her this whole time, while I was drinking myself into a stupor and feeling sorry for myself. I cursed under my breath and hurried back over to the truck. I had to find out where they were holding her.
I burst into the safehouse. Diesel looked up from the card game he and a few of the boys were playing.
“The Cartel has Cassie.”
Diesel’s brow furrowed.
“I thought she was with her family?” he said.
I shook my head as I ordered some of the boys to gather up weapons. I explained to Diesel about my run-in with Cassie’s sister.
“We need to find out where they’re keeping her,” I concluded. “Wherever it is, I guarantee Ruiz will be there.”
“We’ll find her,” Diesel said, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “We’ll get her back, Boss.”