Chapter 19

“Have you talked to his accomplices?” questions Mason.
“Yeah, they’re tied up in the front. They’ve promised not to say a word or get involved with creeps like him again but...should we let them go?” answers Cole. Mason mules it over. Although none of them are innocent, they haven’t actively done anything to Katy or even to him. He suspects they’re nothing more than greedy scumbags rather than a psychopaths like Richard had been. But...they would need a sincere warning, and what better warning than to show them what the future may hold for them if they continue on their disgusting ways.
“Yes but first...they need to see what could happen to them as well,” grimly reports Mason, “Cole, you and Mike put that into perspective for them. Brad, Sean go search upstairs for anything that may hint that he’s torturing more people out there. Will and I will start pouring the gasoline.”
As they get started with their tasks, Mason and Will grab the gasoline tanks from outside. Good thing, Mark had remembered to take them out before driving off.

With the friends sent well away and Richard’s laptop and a few other items that maybe of importance in a bag, Mason trails the liquid to the grass before taken out a lighter and letting the blazing trail run to the wooden house. The whole place starts smoking and burning. Mason transforms into his wolf form, letting out a howl at the freedom. It’d been so long since he could just release it all and let his primal side out.

Hours pass before he returns back home and back to his responsibilities.
The phone goes off as soon as he shifts into human form in his office. Sighing he picks it up to answer to the Sheriff.
“Son should I even bother asking what the hell happened?” sighs the Sheriff.
“It’s over Sheriff. Don’t worry, I won’t cause you any more trouble,” promises Mason.
“Trouble’s not what I worry about, boy. It’s your safety, I worry about.”
“I’m fine, Sheriff, everything’s fine.”
“Well...okay then son. Rest up, sounds like you’ve had quite an eventful day.”
“Thanks Sheriff,” mutters Mason ending the call and crawling upstairs on his weary feet. He slumps onto the couch, fatigue finally catching up with him.

“Mason?” softly calls her voice.
“Hey baby, go back to bed. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?” he gently tells her, too tired to move from the couch.
“But you haven’t eaten anything or washed...come on.”
Mason groans as Katy pulls him by the arm up. She pulls his arm around her shoulder and hoists him up, staggering slightly from the weight before up-righting herself. As her arm winds around Mason’s bare back and to his muscular sides, Katy’s body is made well aware of the fact a handsome and well endowed man is leaning against her.
“Baby, honestly...” mumbles Mason as they shuffle into the bathroom. She sits him on the closed toilet lid and forces herself not to look down into his lap, or even down his chiselled torso.
“Stay here, I’ll go heat up some dinner, tell me when the tub’s full,” instructs Katy placing a kiss at his forehead and turning on the hot and cold water, whilst pouring in some scented, soothing salts. Everything that’s happened today, all of it, she just doesn’t want to think about it. Not now. Tomorrow, maybe she’ll brave it but right now...she needs to take care of Mason. Her saviour.

“Mmm...right there, baby,” moans Mason as Katy’s hands massages his tense back.
“Mason...I have to know...did you...did you...” she mumbles struggling to get the words out. Mason grasps Katy’s wrists and softly cups her face in his wet hands.
“Cale killed him, Little Doe, not me,” he gently informs her pressing his lips to hers as she let out a small sigh. Their tongues entwine tenderly, the kiss relinquishing all that’s happened and all that the brighter future would hold.
“Thank you...I...Mason, I love you,” whispers Katy as their foreheads rest against each other. Mason’s deep blue eyes spark in shock, before he tugs her into a fiercer kiss. The mere statement fuelling his body into life.
He pulls back just as they’re both about to run out of breath.
“Katy, I love you too...You have no idea how much I love you, Little Doe. I love you so, so much,” he murmurs, pecking her lips again.

The next morning came much too early for Katy. She closes her eyes and groans lightly remembering everything from yesterday. So many...life changes. She’s well and truly free from Richard now and as much as it should cause her happiness; the overwhelming joy is not as much as she’d imagined. Instead there’s a warm contentment brewing in her. Finally she can lead a life filled with love and warmth as she’d imagined so many times before.
Her head twists to the side, eyes gazing at the sleeping figure of her saviour and lover. His breathing’s still even and eyes shut, indicating he’s still in his deep slumber. And with good reason. She couldn’t spot any bruises on him but she’s sure it must have been tiring to say the least. She can’t help but just...reflect- on everything.
Blue eyes blink open to see glazed over oak coloured ones.
“Katy...” croaks Mason, his voice still husky from sleep.
Katy jumps slightly before returning to the present.
“Good morning,” she greets just as quietly.
“How are you feeling?”
“..Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” retorts Katy with a soft smile. After all he is the one who had to go through all the physical labour. He’s the one who planned it all out and mostly executed it.
“I’m fine...happy actually.”
“Happy?”
“He’s gone now...he can’t bother us anymore. I’m glad it’s over...So? What about you?”
Katy sighs, thinking how to answer such a complicated question, “I-I...honestly don’t know. I’m relieved and sort of...blown away. I mean, it’s all over...I-”
She can’t help it, tears break through and all the emotion from yesterday lets loose. Mason just holds her tightly, waiting for her to let it all go.
“...Thank you,” she breathes pulling back from the sticking, tear stained t-shirt.
“You know I would do it all over again for you,” whispers back Mason.
“I know and that’s why I love you. You’re so good to me.”
Mason breaks out into a grin and strokes back her unruly morning waves.
“So what do you want to do now he’s gone? Anything. Name it and I’ll try make it happen.”
“I...I want to visit my parents...I haven’t seen them in years, it’ll be good to see them again,” confesses Katy grinning wildly. Mason’s face falls and he sighs, “Katy..I can’t...I can’t do that.”
“Oh...Okay,” she dejectedly reports.
“No. It’s not because I don’t want to and I wish I could but...Fucking hell, okay...” he sighs before continuing, may as well get it out there, he thinks, “you know how I said the contract was void?..Yeah well, it’s because...shit, Katy, baby...a year ago..your parents were in an accident, on the freeway...They didn’t make it, baby, I’m sorry.”
Katy’s hand covers her mouth, before she sobs irrationally. Her wide eyes, dart for an escape and spotting the bathroom, she rushes to it. In there, she locks the door and sliding down it.
Her knees rise to her chest and she pants trying to comprehend with the information. Right now, she doesn’t need Mason’s comfort, she just...wants some time alone.
Her parents...they can’t...they couldn’t...no! No!

Mason rubs his temples in despair before trudging to the bathroom door and knocking softly.
“Little Doe...sweetheart?” he calls.
“I...Ma-Mason...I just...need...a...min-ute...” she pants back through broken gasps of breath.
“Okay, baby. I’ll be in the lounge. Just...come to me when you’re ready but Katy...we’re a team now, okay? You don’t have to deal it alone, share with me. I’m here for you,” he reassures her only to get a mumbled incomprehensible response and with that heading for the lounge. Richard’s shiny laptop is the first thing to greet him on the coffee table. Mason frowns not remembering having placed it there last night. A yellow Post-it is stuck to it and seeing Mark’s scribbles on it, he realises the sly devil must have managed to sneak in and leave it for him. Mark’s impressively tainted past means that he’s skilled in a lot of disapproving acts. Some of which do sometimes come in handy, especially ones like hacking and programming. Although not to Mason’s brother, Eli’s, level, Mark’s scrawl indicates that he’s managed to bust into the laptop and no doubt with much ease.
Mason switches it on, flipping the note over to see more writing on there.
‘Click on the files on the home screen. You need to see them.’
Mason’s eyebrows pull in confusion at that however, he does as Mark instructs and clicks open the file. A new screen pops up and he can see the movie start playing. The first image of his mate screaming is enough to cause him to stop it. He pauses for a minute, gathering his thoughts before clicking off the sound and playing it. His stomach churns and heart twists painfully watching Richard ripping the clothes off his mate while she struggles uselessly. When he sees the part where Richard is pushing her against the bed and holding her there, he can’t take it anymore. He exits off the video and tries to calm down. But the anger has just returned tenfold and with Richard already dead, Mason cannot release the rage on the culprit. His hands subconsciously bend the screen backwards and in with a crack echoing out, the laptop is in two separate sections in his hands, but it’s not enough. He has to destroy it all; especially before Katy sees any of it. He doesn’t need her to ever accidently stumble across it and relive those moments of her past again. It’s over now and she’ll never go through that again.


Splashing the water on her weary face, she runs her fingers through her hair, after which she tip-toes to the lounge. Mason sat there staring blankly at the adverts on the screen and she knows that all of the drama is affecting him just as much as it’s affecting her, and for that she’s truly sorry. He doesn’t deserve the extra hassle or emotional and mental strain but then again, a selfish part of her is glad to have him to talk to and share her thoughts with.
Sliding in next to him, she snuggles into his side, one arm wrapping around his torso and the other curling beside her. His body welcomes her embrace and she relishes in the feel of being held by someone who truly loves her.
“We could still go...you know, to see them. Back to your home,” he softly tells her.
“No...that’s not my home anymore, this is. I want to remember them as they were, I don’t want to stare at an empty house and chipped headstones...I don’t need that,” she firmly states causing him to take a moment to digest those words.
“If that’s what you really want, then I can’t object...”
“Thank you. Maybe, sometime in the future we could visit but...not now, I just can’t. And I don’t want to. This is my life now. With you. I want to start fresh.”
“I want you to too...I’ll tell Liz to take today off, shall I?”
“Please do. It’s getting better by the way.”
“What is?”
“The...pain, I suppose. The aching. You were right, talking to her really is helping. It’s like...it’s there, you know. The past but..I’m not scared by it anymore. And it’s because of you Mason. I owe you so much.”
“You owe me nothing, remember...” smiles Mason cutting her off with a deep kiss before she can protest. She tries pulling away in laughter but as he kisses down her neck, they diminish instantly and turn into moans. Pulling back, he gives her a small peck and smiles contentedly.
No words are needed to convey the love as each of them can see it in the other’s eyes. 

A/n yep! A speedy update, next one will be...Sunday(ish). I think you all know what's about to happen, right, in the next chap? Well, I hope I do surprise you, nicely of course! But, yeah, one more chapter then an elipogue. xxx