I nod and begin to feel drowsy from all the unwanted excitement.
Mason might be an asshole, but he’s a powerful asshole, and right now I need him more than anyone else.
I need him to keep me safe while I can’t protect myself.
But mostly, I need him to take revenge for me because bitch-slapping that woman just won’t cut it.
When I feel him move back, my eyes snap open, and my breathing begins to speed up again. “Don’t leave.”
He leans back over me and pressing his forehead to mine, he whispers, “I won’t. Sleep, babe.” He presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “I won’t let anyone hurt you again. You’re safe.”
I drift off while feeling Mason’s breath fan over my face as he keeps reassuring me I’m safe.Chapter 17Mason“I thought Layla would come,” Kingsley mentions once I have her settled in the car. “Not that I’m ungrateful for you coming.”
“I asked Layla to do something for me,” I answer as I start the engine. Pulling away from the hospital, absolute relief washes over me. I just want to get Kingsley away from this place.
When she doesn’t question what I asked Layla to do, I quickly glance at her before looking at the road again. She’s just gazing out the window, which prompts me to ask, “Are you okay?”
“Huh?” She turns her head to me with a questioning look.
“Are you okay?” I repeat the question.
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”
She goes back to gazing out the window, which has me worried. Kingsley normally talks my ear off.
I get us back to the Academy as quickly as I can without breaking any traffic laws and stop in front of the dorm. Getting out, I jog around the front of the vehicle and open Kingsley’s door.
She’s busy pulling her bag onto her lap and stops to give me another questioning look. “What?” She glances to the driver’s side then asks, “Did you forget something?”
I crouch down and place my hand on her knee, a worried frown settling on my brow. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Dude, I said I’m fine.” When she glares at me, it brings a smile to my face.
“Why aren’t you getting out of the car then?” I ask.
“When you opened the door, I thought you forgot something, and you wanted me to grab it for you.”
Finally realizing what has her confused, I smile even wider. “Hunt, I opened the door, so you could get out.”
“Huh?” She looks at me as if I’ve grown two heads, and it makes me laugh, because her not knowing how to respond to me being kind to her, is funny.
I reach for her bag and standing up, I throw it over my shoulder while I hold a hand out to her.
She glares at me again, and placing her hand in mine, she mumbles, “Just so you know, this is weird.”
When she’s out of the car, I don’t let go of her hand, and say, “Shut the door, please. My hands are full.”
She begins to pull her hand away, which has me lacing our fingers and tightening my grip.
“Hunt, the door,” I repeat.
It’s easier fucking with her by being friendly than when I fought with her.
She finally slams the door closed, and I begin to walk, slowing my strides to match her shorter steps. When we walk toward the Hope Diamond’s entrance, Kingsley rears back.
“I just want to get into bed. I’ll greet everyone later.”
“Okay,” I say, but I still keep heading toward the entrance.
She tries to pull her hand free, and when she doesn’t succeed, she whacks me against the arm. “Mason!”
“Hu-unt.”
She darts in front of me and placing a hand against my chest, she forces me to stop. She lifts an eyebrow and gestures with a nod of her head to our linked hands as she brings them up between us.
“What’s going on here?”
The corner of my mouth lifts into a grin. “Oh, I moved you to the Hope Diamond.”
A look of surprise washes over her features. “Say what now?”
“Your suite is no longer in the Pink Star. Your stuff has been moved to the Hope Diamond. That’s what Layla was helping me with.”
“Whyyyy?” she asks, giving me a puzzled look.
I let go of her hand and bringing mine up, I wrap my fingers around the back of her neck. Leaning a little down, I say, “Because I made you a promise to keep you safe, Hunt. I want you in the same building as me.”
With her eyes locked on mine, her lips part and she sucks in a deep breath. “You meant it?”
I pull her closer as I begin to walk again and rest my arm around her shoulders. “I never say anything I don’t mean.”
We’re about to pass Layla’s old suite, when Kingsley says, “Let me just say hi to Layla.”
“She’s been moved as well.”