Chapter 142
Alyssa
Phillips‘ office isn’t hard to find. It’s tucked at the end of the hallway on the first floor, eerily neat and pristine. The air feels heavy here, like the walls are holding their breath, waiting for us to uncover their filthy secrets.
And I’m sure there are more than plenty.
Mason wastes no time. He shrugs the black backpack off his shoulder and heads straight for the desk. “Look for any electronics where the files could be,” he says, already working to gain access to the computer. His calm demeanor steadies my nerves, even if only a little.
I start pulling open drawers, skimming through papers and notebooks, while Christine checks the closet. The room is tense and silent except for the rustling of paper until Christine breaks it with a question that makes me freeze.
“You’re not going to tell him are you?” she asks, her voice low but tight with anxiety.
I pause mid–search, narrowing my eyes at her. “Shouldn’t I?” I hiss, keeping my voice quiet but curting. “You’ve been lying to him all this time, Christine. Making him feel less than a man when you know damn well he’s carried the weight of the world on his shoulders since he was sixteen. And then, on top of that, you blackmailed me and my boys when this secret of yours is so much worse than ours. Tell me why the fuck I should keep quiet.”
Christine hesitates, her eyes darting to the floor. Her lips press into a thin line, and for a moment, I think she’s going to ignore me. Then, she sighs heavily, her shoulders sagging.
“Look, not that I owe you an explanation,” she starts, her voice sharp but faltering. Her hands tremble slightly as she plays with the hem of her dress “But I… had a miscarriage. It happened right before we got married”
Her voice drops to a whisper, like she hopes it’s low enough for the others not to hear. I didn’t tell him because because I was ashamed. I didn’t want him to see me as broken. That’s why I’ve been trying so hard to get pregnant again. I never meant to put the blame all on him, but I guess I was just trying to convince myself that it wasn’t my fault. And now it doesn’t seem to be happening at all for us.”
Her words hit close to home, but I don’t let the sympathy soften my glare. She’s obviously struggled with dealing with all of this alone, even though I know my brother would’ve been there for her, but it doesn’t excuse how she’s treated me all this time. If anything, after I told her my truth, it should’ve brought us closer–not made her judge and criticize my decisions to maintain her perfect image.
She’s literally made everyone in Gray’s life hate her and think she’s a total bitch. And even now, I’m still not entirely convinced she isn’t.
“You need to tell him everything tonight, I press, pulling open another drawer. “How the hell are we going to explain being gone half the day and you coming back without a single shopping bag?”
She hus, defensive. “I don’t know. Say it was all for your
I give her a pointed look. Yeah, like Gray’s going to believe that.
I bet she’s never gone to a store without buying at least half of the shit in it
“Fine,” she grumbles. “And maybe you should finally tell him you’re screwing all his best friends. He has a right to know.”
Yeah, I’m still not sure he’s going to handle that well. But we’ll get her thing out of the way
“One thing at a time,” I mutter, shoving a stack of papers aside.
My hand suddenly brushes something at the bottom drawer, and I find three hard drives buried beneath a stack of folders. “Mace, what about these?” I ask, holding them up.
He glances over briefly, nodding “Yeah, take them. We’ll figure out what’s on them later.”
I toss them into his backpack, and Christine resumes searching the closet. Her movements are jittery, her nerves clearly getting the better of her.
Suddenly, War’s voice crackles through the earpiece, low and irritated. “Cops just showed up. Looks like two uniforms.”
My stomach clenches, panic spiking, but I force myself to remain calm.
“Fuck. Hemember what I said, kitten, King growls through the line, his voice a steady and grounding, as always,
Christine freezes, her face draining of color. “Oh my God. We’re going to get caught,” she whispers, her voice rising with fear. “What the hell are we going to tell Gray”
1 grala her arm and tug her under the desk with me. “Hide, Now”
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Chapter 142
I remind myself to never rob a bank or anything with her. She’d probably get us busted before we even made it inside.
Mason remains unbothered, still typing away on the computer. “We’ll be fine,” he says, his voice calm and unwavering. Just keep quiet”
The tension in the room rises as the sound of the door opening comes through the earpiece. My breath catches as I notice the distinct voice of Logan.
“Good afternoon, officers.
How can I bel
can I help you?”
Fuck. This has to be the worst possible time for them to switch.
Mason catches my eye and leans down, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s okay, Alyssa. They probably agreed Logan would handle it better. War…well, he might’ve just killed them”
Oh. That actually makes sense.
“We’re looking for Amanda Phillips. Is she home right now!” one of the officers ask
know what I mean.”
“She’s resting.” Logan replies,
s, his voice oozing with a cocky arrogance. But
it’s d
different than War’s, at least to me. “We just had some fun, if you
“And who are you?
Logan doesn’t miss a beat. “What’s with the third degree? I’m Logan, just a friend of hers. I’m sure you know she has plenty of those,”
Damn Amanda gets around around.
at all.
Not that I’m judging at
The pause that follows is heavy and suffocating. If they search the house, we’re fucked. 1 don’t know how many years you get for breaking and entering, but I’m not trying to find out.
“Mind if we come in?” the officer persists.
Logan’s tone shifts slightly, firm but still smooth. “I’m sure she doesn’t want you harging in, especially not under these circumstances and not without a warrant. Why don’t you come back tomorrow? She should be up by then”
Another beat of silence. My heart pounds so loudly I’m sure Christine can hear it.
Please leave. Please leave. Please leave.
“Fine,” the officer finally says. “Give her this card. Tell her to call us ASAP, it’s important.”
The sound of the door closing is followed by Logan’s voice in the earpiece. “Coast is clear. But you need to get the fuck out of here. Now
Mason zips up the backpack and slings it over his shoulder. “Let’s go,”
grey eyes meet
mine with an unreadable
Christine looks like she might actually pass out, but she follows us as we move towards the back door. His g intensity. His boyish grin breaks through, but it feels…off. I can’t really explain how.
“I need to grab my bike, but War’ll stop by later. He’s expecting dinner.”
Before I can respond, he pulls me into a tight hug, his arms locking around me like he doesn’t want to let go. I swear I hear him sniff my hair before he whispers. This is where you belong, angel. Right here.”
I pull away, confusion clouding my thoughts. What is he talking about?
King’s voice growls through the earpiece, dripping with venom. “Tell me that son of a bitch didn’t just touch you”
Logan’s lips twitch at King’s voice, his expression turning into something darker. “Relax, Sterling. She’s safe with me.”
He’s acting differently than he did the last time we inet. There’s something possessive and unhinged in his eyes as he looks at me, something I’ve never seen from him before. The unease settles call in my chest
Why do I not feel…safe right now!
“Get her away from bin, Mace,” King marks. “Before I come in there and rip his throat out.”
Logan stiffens, and I watch his persona shift. His shoulders tense, his jaw tightens, and his eyes darken. War’s voice spills out, deep and commanding “Go, little paycho. You’ve got what you need now”
My heart races as I stare at him, his face clouded with something I can’t quite place. It’s like they’re fighting each other for control. But why? What
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Chapter 142
the hell is going ont
Mason grabs my hand, snapping me out
it of it. “Let’s go, Alyssa”
I nod, casting one last glance at Logan–no, War–before following Mason out
宙
