Redemption Crash Series Book Three

He went there.

Aria

“What are you doing?” Mason catches me leaning against his study door, folder in hand my eyes glued to him. His hair has grown out a tad longer than before giving it a more messy look than he’s ever worn. His face is covered in more than just stubble, a beard looks good on him. It gives him a more rugged look. Clean-shaven he looks edible a little shaggy and he looks unfathomable.

“Oh, nothing. Just struck by how lucky I am to have you.” Biting my lip I try to gather all the overwhelming jittery feelings swirling inside me right now. “I love you,” I sigh.

“Come here.” He scouts away from his desk on his desk chair. We're still in the penthouse until all the construction is done on the mansion. It's been taking months but the work is intricate for Mr. Perfection.

“Yes. Sir.” I salute. His penthouse office is now set up just like his office at work as it was at home, the man loves order. Even down to the framed photo of the two of us sitting in the corner of his desk.

His deep low chuckle vibrates the room, his lap wide open and waiting. I rest my hand on his shoulders his settle on my waist, him pulling me down into his warm welcome embrace.

“Twenty-eight more days.” Stars in my eyes I gaze up at him wondering how it can possibly be this very close.

“Until what?” Mason asks in confusion.

“You mean to tell me Mr. Narratoic forgot a date?” Shocked I gasp.

“What did I forget?” He groans, leaning into my shoulder.

“Our wedding?” I raise my eyebrows looking at him in fake awe.

“Oh shit.” His eyes grow bigger, his hold tighter.

“I feel like I should be offended.” I bite my lip as I lean into him my hand dragging down his hard front.

“But you aren’t?” He looks hopeful.

“No. Our lives have been crazy.” Shrugging I lean closer eliminating the space between us.

“Not really anything new.” He slowly kisses my neck.

“Definitely not new but last week was pretty intense.” In all honesty, I feel pretty numb to the whole incident. Levi is okay, he survived despite my fears, despite how bad it looked they haven’t managed to take any of us down permanently. Leo is back, he’s been back for a month or so now and I think he’s having more PTSD than any of us.

Mason too. I’ve tried reassuring him that I’m really okay, but he doesn’t believe it. All he sees is me standing there dripping blood, dress torn and a huge Russian man bleeding out at my feet. Not only is that something that he’ll never be able to rid his mind of but it’s unavoidable to be reminded of it constantly when the photos are censored yes but all over the internet. Photos were leaked to the tabloids and picked up by every new station from local to national. It’s not pretty.

Me? Well, I think it’s good Edward and Stasevich can rot in their prison cells watching me foil another one of their disturbing plans. I know it has to burn them from the inside out. I’m a slow drip of tasteless poison. They had no idea I was as deadly. Now though they know. Everyone knows.

I hate that, hate the photos, hate the scene that was created. Hate that I was so overwhelmed and worn out that my mind got so dark, so forlorn. Yet I don’t regret what happened how can I when I’m okay. I’m alive. Levi is alive. Mason is alive. We made it out with some injuries but no death. I did what I needed to do when I needed to do it.

“That’s one way to describe it.” He mumbles, he doesn’t like thinking about it let alone having a discussion on the matter. I think it’s been taking everything in him not to send me off to the panic room for the rest of my life. Time to change the topic.

“Guess what?”

“Hmm? You found out what happened with Tara and Wyatt?” He mumbles into my neck. It’s a good guess, it's our favorite thing to discuss and theorize about. We know they broke up but we can’t figure out why or why no one will discuss it.

“No! Did you?” I ask, needing the info if he has it.

“Nothing. It’s weird though isn’t it?” He isn’t wrong, they were really happy, secure, and in love. Whatever happened it was big enough to have them avoiding each other at all costs during work or any time we’re all around one another.

“Very. They were so happy before they left. Maybe they got too much of each other, but I don’t understand why neither of them will talk about it. Grace won’t say a word either.”

“She’s loyal I’ll give you that.”

“She’s amazing I’m happy I hired her. Anyways here look!” I hand him the manila folder I've had gripped in my opposite hand.

“What is this?” He asks peeling away and making some space. As much as you can get while straddled on a desk chair.

“I already cleared everything with Michelle. I thought after all that happened we deserve a real honeymoon. I booked everything even couples massages and scuba diving. It's right after the wedding so even if you decide to run it won't really interfere with your campaign…why do you look so disappointed?” I stop noticing his frown and wide eyes as he flips through the pages. Not the reaction I was excpecting.

“I’m not-I mean I am, I am disappointed.” He stutters, his eyes not meeting mine.

“What did Michelle forget something on your calendar?”

“No, it isn’t that.”

“Then what.”

“I want to marry you more then anything.” I pull off his lap against his deeper hold, his but is clear, his dejection and despair even more obvious. What comes next will be the Bullshit I’ve been waiting for the second shoe to drop. The evidence that all of this, him, us, would forever be just a dream.

“But-” I egg him on not wanting to further draw out my downfall nor my own despair.

“But I talked to Dibb and we both agree you need to go into witness protection.” For a moment there is nothing but silence stilling the room. Until my agitation springs forward against my awe and astonishment.

“Bullshit,” I whisper harshly.

“Aria-” He groans, standing while I turn in retreat I want to get away from him right this second and his ridiculousness. There’s no f*****g way I’m going into witness protection. He’s on some Bullshit right now and I won’t be any part of it.

“You’re coming too correct? You’re in just as much danger as me so…” I call him out, pointing out the obvious.

“I can’t Crash. With the state of Dixie…not to mention the bullseye that will put on Jaxson.” I’m in agreement but hell if I’ll let him know that. Walking down the hall I make my way into our bedroom suite, it’s smaller than the one at the mansion but that isn’t to say by any means that it’s small, it certainly is not.

“You aren’t running for office then? You made your decision?” I ask flatly.

“No, I need to get Dixie under control and after last week's incident things aren’t looking good with the investors or our publicity.” I of all people know what that feels like, what he means. Shirleys and my show are in jeopardy.

“So what you need me out of the picture? You can’t afford to marry the crazy murderer.” I accuse him defensively.

“Are you f*****g serious? You know I don’t think that.” He argues, astonished like he has more of a right to be feeling some type of way in this horrible conversation. “There is nothing more in this world that I want to do than to marry you. To get to show you off to the world, tell everyone I claimed you for f*****g ever. But I need you alive, that…” He pauses his eyes growing heavier as he bows his head defeated. “Well, that f*****g trumps my wants.”

“Get something straight Mason Maverick…” I walk right up to his controlling ass poking my pointer finger right into his thick pec, making sure he understands I’m not playing here. “I make my own decisions including this one. I also have a business that needs looking after. I have a whole f*****g life I’ve built that I can’t run away from including a f*****g show deal that’s currently up in shambles, you just expect me to leave that all behind. Not happening. No matter what you say.”

Grabbing my hand away he holds it tight to his chest, his mouth curving down, his eyes pulling tight across his thick brows. “You’re being unreasonable. Look at what just happened!”

Pulling away I shout, “I’m here. I’m alive.” Pointing from my feet on the ground standing here today straight to the beating heart in my chest to prove it, to get it through to him. It may have been scary, thinking about it will never not be scary but to run away? That’s not who I am anymore.

“For how long? How long until they come again? You know as well as I do they won’t stop…”

“They can try all they want Mason. They’ve already tried worse and look at us both.” He sinks to the edge of the king sized bed his elbows clanging into his knees as he drops his head into his hands.

“Okay listen.” Taking a deep breath, I try to calm myself down. It’s obvious he’s distressed I need to talk him out of this but getting angry isn’t helping. “You gave me this,” Pointing to the beautiful too expensive ring wrapped around my ring finger. “You asked me to marry you with it but when you gave me this,” I spin my bracelet until I find the ring charm holding it up I continue, “You meant it. You made me a promise. So you leave I’ll go with you but I say we stay we fight we win like every other time we can’t cower back now.”

“Sweetheart, please. Think about it please.”

“No. I won’t we both saw what running did last time. My past caught up to me as it will again. As it always will. This time we’ll both be prepared but I will not run. I won't stop living my life not when it’s just getting good. When I finally have things to live for, reasons to be happy. Not when I have you.”

“Damn it. Why the f**k do I have to love you so goddamn much? You make everything impossible. Do you know that? I don’t know how to stop worrying I’ll get an awful call or come home and see you-”

“I worry too Babe. You almost died on me because of all of this. That’s not even touching all the stress you’ve been under…” Shaking my head I grab his cheeks pulling his head up, he looks at me under long lush lashes, the beautiful lashes I hope all our children inherit. If he shaved I’m sure I’d see signs of age and sunken cheeks. He’s lost some weight in all of this, sure he’s been happy to take his frustrations out on the mat not so much on a plate of anything I’ve handed him lately. It’s like his stomach is on strike.

Me? When I’m stressed I eat more. I eat everything and anything until I feel like my jeans buttons won’t close any longer. Or I go out and chose violence like Mason, he gets in the ring- fighting like a beast in the wild. While I go to the inner workings of mob bosses and dive bars looking for information on fish to fry.

Either way is semi-toxic but better than running. So sorry but he's stuck with me.