Mason
Thesunhadjustset, and the faintest glow illuminated the sky. We were gaining daylight now instead of losing it, and I longed for warmer days full of floating skirts and lots of time to play with the pretty woman beneath them. The city blurred past us as we returned to our home in the suburbs while thoughts of just flying away assailed me. I could take Claire away, bring her to an island, and spend the rest of our lives fucking in utter freedom.
Bringing her with me into this world felt so fucking wrong. More than wrong, it felt like sacrilege, like tainting the last pure and beautiful thing in this world. Leaving her wasn't an option; it never really had been. Running sounded so much better than bringing her into dark and dangerous places. My father and perhaps my best friend would come for us sooner rather than later. That made it less than an ideal plan, but it had to be better than the current one.
Aside from our problems eventually finding us, I didn't think Claire would want to leave now. The worry, the desperation to get away, churned inside of me in such a way, I didn't care that James could hear our conversation.
“Claire,” I began softly, “What would you say if I offered to take us away from all of this? Fly away and never look back,”
James glared at me, and I couldn't bring myself to care.
“Mm,” her voice was filled with sleep. I didn't realize she had dozed off. “Fly away?”
“Yeah, baby. Just you and me.”
She was quiet for a long moment, enough that I assumed she drifted back to sleep, “How long before they followed us?”
“Not long.”
“Who would stop what they're doing?” James' expression settled into one of satisfaction at her question.
“No one.”
“You answered your own question.”
She snuggled into my side, her pretty face tilted up as her chin rested on my shoulder. My gaze ran over the curves of her lips and the little tip of her upturned nose.
A few minutes later, she was snoring lightly, and James finally turned toward me, “That was a fucked up thing to do.”
“Like you wouldn't do the same for Emma.”
“I'm not the boss.”
I rolled my eyes. “Please, James. You know you're essential. I'd bet a lot of money you're still here because she said no.”
He ground his teeth, irritated at being found out. “I wasn't going to stay with her. I was going to get her out of here and come back. This shit is coming to a head pretty quickly. I'd either be dead or with her within a few weeks. We're already on borrowed time.”
I wished I could argue with him, but, “Christmas morning was…” I ran a hand over my face.
“...an open declaration of war?” he supplied for me.
“Undoubtedly. I need to keep Claire out of this.” I squeezed the arm wrapped around her more tightly. Maybe she and Emma would agree to go away together, bill it as a girls' trip. I wouldn't lie, but perhaps it could work.
“You can't, Mason. Once your father is dead, Vick and I have options. You don't. Not only is this city built on both your names, but you're the only man decent enough and evil enough to do it properly. You're going to marry her, and she will always be involved. You can't live without her, and she won't accept staying in the dark. You're not getting out of this, and neither is she.”
He was right. I knew that. That was why I was still here, why Claire was next to me, walking into places she didn't belong. “Why won't she just fucking stay home?”
“Because she doesn't trust you.” He looked at his nails, pointedly avoiding my stare.
“And?”
He sighed, slapping his hands against his knees. “You really need to find out what your tell is. If someone else picks up on it, that won't be good for you.”
“You're changing the subject with the subtlety of a wrecking ball.”
He leaned back with a smile on his face. “Fuck, if your father already knows it, we're all fucked.”
“Tell me what you think before I kick your ass, James.”