Page 50 of The Associate
There is no way in hell I am going to keep allowing him to abuse her. I promised to keep her safe, just like I had promised her mother, and it was a promise I was going to keep.
I look at her through the window again and her eyes meet mine. Her eyes are wide in sadness, her face scrunched in pain. A tear rolls down her cheek. It fuels my rage and Ihaveto protect hernow.“Fuck this,” I growl before standing back and kicking the door in, watching it splinter as it falls to the ground.
Sal’s hand raises again, ready to strike her once more. My voice is low and dark. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
He drops his hand and turns to face me. His eyes widen when he sees my Glock pointing right at him. “What do you think you’re doing, boy?”
“I’m stopping you from doing something you will regret.” I remain calm, my gun still trained on his face.
“Leave. That little gun of yours is not going to do much,” he warns, taking a step towards me. “So you would be wise to leave now.”
“No, Sir, I don’t think so,” I say, taking a step towards him. “I made a promise many years ago, and that is a promise that I aim to keep now and forever.”
“You are a damn fool, I wish that assignment I sent you on all those months ago had gotten you killed! You are pathetic now.” He raises his hand towards me. “Look at you! Coming to the rescue of a weak woman who doesn’t deserve to breathe the air of this house.”
I could pull this trigger right now and it will all be over with, but, as I glance at Viv lying in the bed behind her father, her eyes plead with me not to do it. That moment is hers. But there is no way he is going to strike me.
As his hand comes towards my face, I release the grip of my gun with one hand and catch his wrist. “Come now, old man.” I pull him closer to me, taking joy in the fact that he stumbles slightly at the sudden movement. The monster buzzes within. “You know who will win this one. And if you tell anyone what happened here, I will tell them all exactly what you did.”
“They wont do shit to me.” He spits at me. “They will listen to me and you’ll be fucking out of here in no time, preferably in a body bag.”
“You wont say shit,” I growl. “Now fuck off back to your office before I have to drag you there myself.”
I yank his wrist towards the now-empty doorway. He stumbles his way there before catching himself on the wall. He turns towards me, glaring. “Be fucking thankful you are good at what you do Viper.” The words are like venom on his lips. “Because if you weren’t, you’d already be fucking dead.”
He turns and storms out of the room. Releasing a breath, I close my eyes for a moment before turning and walking over to Viv. She watches me with a mix of anger and curiosity.
I know she is angry at me for what I did earlier, but I’m not going to make that mistake again. Now I am hers full-time. I will train her to be able to take down Sal once and for all. After seeing the way that he treats her when no one is around, even while she is in pain, I know that Murwood will be better off without him leading.
She tries to say something, but I just shake my head and place a finger against my lips. “Shhh, it’s ok,” I say as her eyes look back at the doorway. “He won’t come back down here, not as long as I am here.”
I place my hand gently on the bruises on her cheek and she flinches at the touch. The fear is still prominent in her eyes. Those beautiful, emerald green eyes. Leaning forward, I place my lips gently against her cheek. “I’ll be just over here in the other bed if you need me.”
Her eyes tear up and she nods. I can feel her eyes on me as I walk over to the other bed. It has been a long night, but I am not leaving her side. Not as long as Sal is still breathing and we are still under his roof.
Chapter 17
Mason
In the past two weeks, I’ve stayed glued to Viv’s side as she’s healed. The doctor released her a few days ago. She barely comes out of her room now, and only allows Frederick inside. I understand why she doesn’t want me around after what I’ve done. But I’m keeping my promise and make myself at home in the hallway outside her door.
“Sir?” The sound of Frederick’s voice makes me jump. “Miss Genevieve would like to see you.”
“Thank you, Frederick.” Standing up from where I had been sitting on the floor, I shake the pins and needles out of my feet. He walks back down the hall toward the staff quarters.
I push open the door slowly. “Viv?” I peek my head around the door.
“Come in Mason.” Her voice is quiet, almost a whisper.
“Are you ok?” I ask, stepping into her room, closing and locking the door behind me.
“I have been better.” She shrugs. “Frederick tells me you have been sleeping outside my room every night.”
It is more of a statement than a question, but I answer anyway. “I have. I promised you that I was never going to leave your side while your father still walked around this place and, well…” I pause for a moment.
“And what?” She sits up in bed, grimacing.
I sit down on the edge of the bed. She relaxes her body and lays back down again. I place another pillow behind her head before taking her hand in mine. “When we were younger, before you left for good with your mother…”
