Prologue
Mason
Present day
“You almost ready?” My roommate, Liam, stands in the doorway of my bedroom chugging a beer. Both dressed in suits, we’re ready to go to the wedding reception our friend Hunter invited us to. His brother, Hayden, is finally getting married to his high school sweetheart, Savannah, and that’s definitely something to celebrate. Plus, free booze.
I straighten my tie and look at him through the mirror. “Yeah, give me two minutes.”
He nods and walks off with his nearly empty bottle. I hear the glass clank into the trash can in the kitchen. I sit on the bed and slide on my dress shoes before running my fingers through my hair. I scrub a hand over my face as I yawn, needing to wake up, though I’m exhausted from a long ass week. Between working for my dad at the District Attorney’s office and training in the testing lab, I have minimal free time, but it’ll be well worth it when I’m officially a forensic investigator in the fall.
After tucking my wallet into my back pocket, I meet Liam in the living room where he’s lounging on the couch. Once he notices me and I nod that I’m good to go, he stands to follow me and locks the front door.
“Think Sophie will talk to us tonight?” Liam asks, frowning. When we met her three years ago, she and Liam became instant friends. Hunter’s engaged to one of her sisters, and they’ve both been in our inner circle for years. I wish I could say our friendship has been great, but the only way to describe it would be rocky and unpredictable, which is mostly my fault for how I treated her.
We’re both a bit tense about seeing everyone tonight. Our group of friends hasn’t hung out in a while, mostly because Sophie’s been avoiding everyone. She didn’t appreciate the way Liam and I tried to warn her about Weston, her douchebag boyfriend, over a month ago and has pretty much written us off. The guy is a maniac who I’d punch out again if the situation presented itself. Love has blinded her from seeing his manipulative ways. I care a lot about her, but she doesn’t see that. She hates me right now.
Soon, we’re across town and pulling into the parking lot at the reception hall. It’s early evening, and the party’s supposed to last all night. Though I’d rather be in my bed, recovering from this long ass week, I’ve been looking forward to seeing everyone and celebrating.
“Think she’ll bring that fuckwad?” I ask since she and Liam are always texting each other. If she wasn’t with Weston, I’d assume they were secretly dating, but he has a thing for Maddie, Sophie and Lennon’s youngest sister, though he’d never admit it. Most days, he acts as if she doesn’t exist, which drives her insane.
“Well, he didn’t come to Hunter and Lennon’s proposal so who knows. He’ll probably be ‘working’ again. After you punched him out last month, I don’t know what to expect. Sophie hasn’t been responding to my texts lately,” he admits, which worries me even more.
We head toward the entrance where the music’s already blaring. As soon as we walk in, I see Hunter across the room. Almost instantly, Liam gets distracted by a tall blonde and leads her to the bar. The dude is a chick magnet, always has been.
Shaking my head, I walk over to where everyone is sitting. I grin when I meet up with Hunter and Lennon, who’s holding Alison, their six-month old baby. Maddie forces a warm greeting, but I can tell she’s annoyed. If I had to take a guess, it’s because she’s spotted Liam at the bar flirting with Blondie. I hold back a chuckle, knowing it all stems from jealousy, and settle for a smirk, which causes her to groan. Subtle is not her strong suit. She’s made it known she wants Liam, yet he continues to ignore her advances.
Deciding I need a drink, I order a beer from the bar and look around. “So where’s the third musketeer?” I ask Lennon and Maddie when I don’t see Sophie.
Lennon glances down at her phone and shrugs, her smile slightly faltering since her sister’s supposed to be here too. Her phone vibrates moments later. Lennon announces Sophie’s finally on her way and that she’s going to wait for her in the hallway. Lennon hands the baby off to Maddie, and Hunter follows Lennon out of the room.
Sipping my beer, I narrow my eyes on Maddie, knowing I’ll get the truth from her.
“Has Sophie talked to you lately?” I ask directly. If I’ve learned one thing over the years, it’s that these Corrigan sisters are terrible liars.
“Not much, honestly. She’s been avoiding us. But you already know that.” Maddie puts her attention back on the baby, and I can tell she wants to change the subject. They’re all being strange and walking on eggshells, which gives me a bad feeling.
I grind my teeth, holding back what I really want to say about Weston. All I’ve ever wanted is for Sophie to be happy and in a relationship she deserves. Something I can’t give her regardless of our past. When we met, I was still too damaged and needed more time to heal. Sophie’s a forever girl, but I could only give her one night. Now she’s taken, and while I miss her being around, I’m concerned about her well-being more than anything.
The moment Sophie started dating him, things changed. She moved in with him only three months into their relationship, and that’s when shit got worse. I didn’t trust him, and rightfully so, but instead of listening, she accused me of being jealous. Though I wish I could’ve been what she needed, that wasn’t my reason for snooping into this guy’s background.
Before I can ask Maddie more questions, Liam walks over and joins us, the blonde long gone, which Maddie notices. Though Liam tries to act like a hard-ass most of the time, I notice how his face softens when he sees Maddie holding Allie.
A moment later, my eyes land on Weston as he forcefully drags Sophie into the ballroom. My nostrils flare as the scene unfolds in front of me. The way he jerks her around infuriates the fuck out of me. After confronting him a month ago, and the way he responded, I know how bad this guy is for her, dangerous even.
Hunter and Lennon walk back to our table as I keep my eyes on Weston and watch him pull Sophie to the bar. The greedy asshole orders two drinks for himself as Sophie keeps her head down. She doesn’t order anything, and that alone is strange because we’ve partied with the girls dozens of times, and she usually has at least one. Sophie briefly makes eye contact with me long enough for me to see straight through her façade. My chest aches at her expression, all happiness gone from her soul.
I notice her eye is swollen and red though she’s tried to cover it with makeup. My jaw clenches at the thought of him hitting her. Hunter glances at me, and I stiffen, causing Liam to zero in on Sophie and Weston, who are having a not-so-quiet argument. Her voice is hushed while his is loud, and I can tell she’s embarrassed by the attention he’s bringing to them. She frowns, and it’s obvious she’s trying to ignore him, but he’s not having it.
Eventually, Sophie comes over to our table, leaving her dickhead boyfriend at the bar. As soon as she’s away from him, Lennon takes the opportunity to grab Sophie and takes Allie and Maddie with her to the ladies’ bathroom, knowing damn well Weston wouldn’t be ballsy as fuck to follow them there.
“Lennon’s going to get her to open up. Don’t worry,” Hunter tells me, but I barely hear him. I’m focused on Weston, who’s snarling before he chugs a beer. He may not be saying a damn word, but his body language is screaming to test him, and I want to get in his face the way he got in Sophie’s.
Liam crosses his arms over his chest and warns me. “Don’t, Mason. Not the time or place.”
“Did you see Sophie’s face?” I hiss, looking back and forth between the two of them. “He fucking hit her.” My jaw clenches, remembering the threat he promised when Liam and I got in his face last time.
Hunter frowns with a short nod.
“I’ve seen way too many domestic cases, and she has the signs written all over her. The way he jerked her toward the bar and how she cowered around him makes it more than obvious,” I say, my voice shaking with anger. Manipulation combined with a controlling personality can lead to abuse—or worse.
Her boyfriend orders another beer before stumbling to the table.
“What’re you looking at, you pussy ass bitch?” he asks, his voice laced with arrogance. “Wanna try me again?”
My brows shoot up. The fucking audacity. He’s goddamn lucky we’re in a public place right now, or I’d lay him flat on his back.
Liam steps in the way, hovering over Weston like a statue to put space between us. Considering he’s built like the Hulk and was a bouncer through college, he’s the last person anyone wants to fight.
The music in the room fades away, and all I can hear is my heart pumping blood through my body. Hunter tries to calm the situation, but it’s already escalated. The last thing I want to do is ruin Hayden and Savannah’s reception, so I step back.
Weston releases a maniacal laugh and raises his voice, garnering the attention of some of the guests. He’s intoxicated and out of control. “Where’s my whore at? I’m ready to get the fuck out of this lame-ass party.”
Hunter stiffens, and I can tell he’s ready to kick him out. Weston glances around again, his eyes are bloodshot. The fact that he’s already shit-faced makes me fear what Sophie has already dealt with today. Sophie’s reclusion and not acting like herself makes so much sense. She’s afraid of him, of what he’ll do, and the bruises on her face and swollen eye are proof of that. My nostrils flare, and I clench my teeth, anger mixing with my adrenaline. Balling my hands into fists, I try to calm down, but I want to kick this motherfucker’s face inside out.
“Did you hit her?” I ask flat out. I’m not going to play games with him.
“What the fuck is it to you?” He steps around Liam and gives me an evil grin. Stepping closer, he lowers his voice. “And I’ll do it again if she gets in my way.” Then he slams his palms against my chest, causing me to stumble back slightly before he walks out of the room, laughing. Though I shouldn’t allow my emotions to take over, I stalk after him. Hunter and Liam follow me into the hallway.
“Hey!” I shout from behind Weston as he exits the main doors that lead outside. Once I’m outside, I continue, “Don’t you ever lay another fucking hand on her,” I warn him with Hunter and Liam standing behind me.
“Or what?” He spins around and faces us. “What’re you assholes gonna do about it? Push me around again, you pussy? Pfft. You should mind your own damn business or else…” Weston sizes me up and straightens his shoulders as if he’s ready for a brawl. Unfortunately for him, I know how to fight, having had a boxing trainer for years. I may be slender, but my hands and body are weapons.
“You like punching so much, why don’t you hit someone your own size?”
“That all you got?” He stumbles as he takes a step closer.
“Don’t make me have to tell you again. This is your official warning: you touch her again, and you’ll be dealing with me.”
“With all of us,” Liam adds, stepping to my side with his arms crossed over his broad chest. He wasn’t a bar bouncer all through college for nothing.
Weston scoffs, rolling his eyes as if our threats mean nothing to him. He moves closer again, and the smell of alcohol oozes from him. “Keep it up, and she’ll be dead before you have the chance to save her,” he says with zero emotion in his voice. His words immediately cause me to see red, and I lose control of my actions. My anger guides me forward, closing the gap between us, daring him to throw the first punch.
Do it, motherfucker. Hit me. I puff out my chest, hoping his drunken ass does it.
Weston narrows his eyes and raises his arms. He swings at me, grazing my cheek enough to feel, but it barely makes a dent as I step back slightly.
“Bad idea, fuckface.” I lift my hands before he can even register it. My fist connects with his jaw, causing an ear-piercing crack. It should’ve knocked him out flat on his ass, but somehow, he only stumbles. When he regains his footing, it’s as if he snaps like a crazed psychopath. His pupils are full of rage, and he transforms from human to monster in seconds. I allow him to swing at me again, but he misses when I move. He tries again, but I throw another punch. This time, my fist smashes into his nose, and Weston releases a strangled cry as he curls down and covers his face. As soon as I do, Hunter and Liam pull me away, but I don’t budge. I need to make sure he stays down this time. Just when I think the asshole is done, and I step back to walk away, Weston fidgets and reaches behind his back.
“Hey!” he shouts, grabbing our attention, and that’s when I find a Glock pointed directly at me.
Where the fuck did that come from? I freeze, my heart pounding so hard I’m sure he can hear it.
“Now what, pussy boy?” He turns to the side and spits out blood. “You brought your fists to a fuckin’ gun fight.” Blood drips from his nose and lips that are split open and swollen, and his eye is nearly sealed shut. I slowly hold up my hands, hoping he’s not crazy enough to shoot me but knowing he just might be. You don’t pull a gun on someone unless you plan to use it, and I’m not stupid enough to call his bluff.
That insane cackle returns, piercing through me. I glance over and see Hunter and Liam standing behind me, both with their arms up too, and realize the situation I got them into. Fuck.
I think about Sophie’s beautiful face and how amazing she is, and how long she’s been with this terror of a man. I wonder how many nights she’s gone to bed scared of him, or worse, scared for her life. Just the thought of him hurting her has me seething all over again. She’s the reason I confronted him in the first place, because she deserves better than this piece of shit who lays his hands on her.
“Not so brave now, are ya?” He steadies his hand, continuing to aim at me. I look down the barrel, hoping these aren’t my last moments alive.
“Just put the gun down, Weston,” Hunter says calmly. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Weston snaps. “If any of you says another goddamn word…I’m pulling the fuckin’ trigger. Three bullets is all I’ll need for each one of you.”
My blood pumps faster when he narrows his eyes at me. I’ve seen enough shit to know what happens next. In my mind, I can imagine it all so vividly, the evidence they’ll collect, and the pictures they’ll take when they find my splattered brains on the concrete. Everything seems to happen in slow motion, but whatever I do next has to be calculated with no sudden movements.
The gun clicks as he chambers a round, and the sound echoes in my ear.
This isn’t how I want to die.
This can’t be the way my life ends. The way all of our lives ends. Fear, guilt, shock—my emotions hit me in full force as I think about the Corrigan sisters and how this will destroy them. He’d kill us and then kill Sophie too if he gets the chance.
Fuck. I should’ve just let him walk away and let Lennon handle Sophie since they left the room anyway.
In my peripheral vision, I see Liam move slightly behind me, and Weston quickly points the gun at him. He aims right above Liam’s head and fires off a warning shot.
“I’ll fuckin’ kill you all if you try anything,” he threatens. “All. Three. Of. You.”
“Weston, we can all walk away from this,” Liam says slowly. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret.” Fear smothers Liam’s voice, but his actions are steady as he tries to gain control of the situation. I want to turn around and tell them both how sorry I am, how much I fucked up, and how much I love them as brothers. If these are my last moments, I’d at least want to make them count. However, I don’t want to add more fuel to the fire by talking and pissing off Weston.
“Now. What was that you were saying earlier?” Weston glares at me. “I’m gonna be dealing with you if I lay my hands on Sophie again?” His head falls back with psychotic laughter. “You don’t scare me, but by the look on your face, I scare the fuck out of you.”
“You’ve proven your point,” Hunter interjects. “Let’s just all calm down and leave.”
“Not fuckin’ happening,” Weston hisses.
I contemplate my options, which aren’t many at the moment. I could risk everything and charge him, fighting for the gun and taking him out, or it could all go horribly wrong and he could pull that fucking trigger. I’d take a bullet for Sophie if it meant keeping her safe, but if I’m going down, then so is this motherfucking bastard.
“Weston…” I start.
“You’re gonna listen to me,” he cuts me off. Weston continues running his mouth, feeding from the control and attention almost as if he’s performing for an audience. If only he was a paid actor with a fake gun sent here to play a sick prank, but he’s not. Instead, he’s a maniac with the need to feel power. That much is obvious. Weston continues to wave it round, talking shit and calling me every name under the sun. A car pulls into the parking lot, causing him to lose focus, and in that split second, I make a move and charge him with all my strength.
We fall to the ground with me on top of him, but he keeps his arm above his head, causing me to struggle to reach it as he tries pushing me off. I knee him in the gut, and his arm bends just enough for me to reach his hand. He notices what I’m doing and pulls back, then points the barrel at me.
Hunter’s on the phone, begging for the cops to come as I push against him. Liam shouts at both of us to stop, and I’m literally living my worst nightmare. I’m glad they don’t intervene, though, because Weston could easily turn it on them. I manage to grasp the gun in his hand so it’s no longer pointing at me, but his strength doesn’t seem to be waning as he continues to fight for control.
Moments later, police sirens can be heard wailing in the distance, but there’s no end to this game. There will be no winner. They’ll either arrive and aim their weapons at us or Weston’s gun will go off.
We continue to wrestle on the ground, and somehow, I manage to twist the gun to face him, but he’s relentless as our hands tangle for it.
Then it happens too fast.
I hear the shot.
I feel warmth.
I see blood and skin.
Then all that can be heard is my erratic breathing. Am I shot? Did he shoot me?
Hunter and Liam pull me off him, and it’s then I see Weston’s lifeless body on the ground. I’ve never seen them so shook up in my life. Adrenaline pumps through me, but my mind can’t seem to handle the rush or the shock as I push them off me, rubbing my blood-covered hands down my chest and stomach.
“I’m fine. I’m fine,” I reassure them.
The three of us gaze down and see the bullet wound to his head.
Oh my God.
“Fuck!” Liam yells, running his fingers through his hair as he paces. A few people from the reception walk toward us, horror written on their faces as they screech. Hunter begins to panic as half a dozen squad cars race into the parking lot.
“Calm down,” I tell everyone, knowing shit’s about to get hectic as fuck. The cops are going to take our statements, and a team will analyze the crime scene. The people who surround us look at me like I’m a monster, like I’m a murderer. With red on my hands and clothes, I look guilty as fuck.
It was self-defense. I can claim it all day, and I have witnesses. But it doesn’t mean a man didn’t die because of me, regardless of the fucking circumstances. I didn’t like the guy, but I didn’t want things to happen this way. The emotions swirl inside my head, unable to sort them properly as the shock of this whole thing soars through me.
Several police officers whip open their car doors with their guns drawn, shouting at us to show them our hands and not to move. We lift our arms, surrendering so they know we’re not a threat. They can see Weston on the pavement, the gun next to me, and how I’m covered in his blood and confirm I’m the guy they want. The cops keep their guns pointed as one officer rushes over, shouting at me to get on my knees and put my hands behind my head.
I do as I’m told, and he forcefully cuffs my wrists behind my back.
As the officer helps me stand, I look at Hunter and Liam who look distraught and scared as hell.
“Wanna tell me what happened here?” the officer asks.
I ignore him, knowing my rights. I’m not saying a damn thing without counsel, even if it was self-defense. I know how fucked up the justice system can be, and I’m not about to incriminate myself.
“Call Serena!” I yell at Liam as the officer starts pushing me away from the scene. “Tell her to come to the station, but not to tell my father!”
He nods, knowing why I’d trust her. Before I can say anything else to them, the officer jerks me toward his car.
So many thoughts run through my head. Anger mixes with regret, but I remind myself why I confronted him in the first place. I did it for Sophie, for her safety, and I’d do it again if it meant keeping him away from her.
Glancing over my shoulder, one officer covers the body while others put up yellow caution tape around the crime scene. I catch sight of Lennon, Sophie, and Maddie talking to Hunter and Liam. The girls look confused and shocked. I wish I could hear what the cops were saying to them. Sophie’s hysterical, so I’m sure they just told her the news about Weston. I look away, unable to watch her cry for that piece of shit who hit and threatened to kill her. I have no doubt it would’ve led to that.
Right now, I want to be invisible. The world around me begins to fade, and I try to tune out the screams and cries of the guests as word of what happened spreads. As I’m forcefully shoved into the back of the squad car, realization of what took place begins to set in as an officer jumps into the front seat, then drives us away.
I killed Sophie’s boyfriend.
I fucked up, and I’m going to pay for it.
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