Page 30 of The Associate
“Of course, anything.” He reaches forward and places his hand on mine.
“Ok, so how do you really feel about my father and the organisation?” I feel him squeeze my hand as soon as the question leaves my lips.
“I love the organisation, I love doing what I do and I love everyone like they are my own family.” His eyes darken slightly. “And, while I am happy that I am the main point of call to watch out for you, I hate that whenever he says ‘jump’, I always have to respond with ‘How High, Sir’. It’s degrading and frustrating.”
“So if I suggest something that would take my father out of the equation, would you be willing to listen?” I ask cautiously.
He thinks for a moment before looking back at me with a darkness in his features. “What did you have in mind?”
Not what I had expected him to say, but now I have a feeling he wants my father gone as much as I do. “Ok, so my mother’s last wish to me before she passed was to never let my father control me again,” I begin. “But ever since these threats and his paranoia, I cannot escape his control. So, I want to kill him.”
Mason watches me for a moment, assessing. It is a strange request, I know, but he also seems like he’s considering it. “And if I helped you, what is in it for me?”
“You lead by my side,” I say. “Because one, I can’t think of anyone else I would rather rule with and two, you know a lot more about the workings of the Underbelly and I could use someone I trust.”
He nods. “As you know, the only way to become the new boss is to either be voted into the position or the old boss dies from natural causes and you are the next person in line, but even if we kill Sal, there is no guarantee that you will become the new boss.” He pauses for a moment, his fingers stroke the stubble on his chin. “I know I have a lot of allies amongst the men and I know they want him gone too. The way Sal is demanding, changing plans last minute and then not giving us realistic time frames to complete jobs, I am surprised none of them have put a bullet in his head yet. I will have to teach you how to take him out though, especially if you want to be the one to end it.”
“I agree. It also means that you will still be doing what you love and keeping an eye on me.” I smile. “But there may have to be some late-night sneaking around so that he isn’t suspicious about us spending a lot of time together, too.”
“What if…” His eyes met mine. “No, never mind, that’s a silly idea.”
“No idea is silly, what is it?” I push.
“Well, to sell us spending a lot more time together…” He is trying to figure out how to word whatever it is he is trying to say. “Ok, let’s try this. I am your father’s second, right?”
I nod, still not seeing where he is going with this.
“Well, what if I asked him for your hand in marriage, then that way, I would become the new up-and-coming boss. But what he won’t realise is that you will be the one really taking over?”
As soon as he mentions marriage, I almost spit the last of my coffee all over him, but instead swallow it in one large gulp and start coughing because it goes down the wrong hole.
“Bad idea?” he asks, trying to backtrack. “I knew it was a bad idea.”
He sits back, removing his hand from mine and running his fingers through his hair.
“No, no,” I say quickly. “Not a bad idea at all. In fact, it is a great idea. I will plant it in his brain that these few days of spending time together has brought back old memories we shared and that I realised now how much I care for you.”
The idea has been playing around in my mind, but hearing those words out of his mouth has my stomach doing flips. I hold my breath waiting for him to respond.
He smiles again, intertwining his fingers on the table between us. I give him a pointed look before I reach out for his hand again. “You know, Princess, if there is one last thing I can be honest about, it’s telling you that before your mother took you away and out of my life forever, your father had told me that one day, Rico would be the man you would marry.”
“He what?” My voice rises slightly. This must have been something I had forgotten before my mother took me away.
“He told me that when you were of age, he had promised you to Rico and, whether you wanted to or not, you would become his wife, but that was while he was a part of Murwood. Now that he is with Blackmere, Sal doesn’t want you anywhere near him.” He looks worried about spilling that, but he did tell me he will always be honest with me.
“Well then, let’s give my father something completely different. Let’s put the marriage proposal of you and me to him and watch as his brain slowly melts.” I smile at him, pulling out a small amount of cash from my wallet and leaving it on the table.
Mason pulls a fifty out of his wallet and sits in on mine. “Just leaving it as a tip for our waitress,” he says and walks out to the car. “Come on, Princess, we’ve got work to do.”
What in the world am I getting myself into? The killing of my father is one thing, but using a fake marriage as a way to get closer is another. As I watch Mason climb into the driver’s seat of his Mustang, I can’t help but think that I want this fake marriage to be a real one.
Chapter 9
Genevieve
15 years ago
Irun around the corner, Mason right behind me.
