Fractured Loyalty
1442 Words
A suffocating silence hung over the grand foyer of the Sullivan estate.
Victoria Sullivan’s face had drained of all color, her lips pressed into a line so thin it practically vanished. Julianna stood frozen beside her, her mouth slightly open, the composure she had walked in with completely shattered by the sheer audacity of my words.
Beside me, Mason’s hand tightened around mine, his fingers warm and rock-solid. A low, dark sound escaped his throat—a quiet rumble that sounded alarmingly like suppressed amusement.
"Nora..." Jade stepped forward from the dining room archway, her brow furrowed in utter confusion. She looked between me, Julianna, and her mother, her eyes wide. "What... what are you talking about? Whose bed?"
The sharp prickle of panic flared in my chest, threatening to undo the icy armor I had just put on.
Careful, I told myself. Push, but don't break the door down.
I turned my head slightly, keeping my posture rigid and my chin held high. I didn't pull my hand from Mason’s, but I softened my tone just enough to address her without losing my edge.
"I’m talking about respect, Jade," I said, my voice steady, smooth, and laced with absolute conviction. "I came here tonight as your guest, as your Maid of Honor, to support your family. I didn't come here to be looked down on by your mother's chosen dinner guest, or spoken to like I'm a stray off the street."
Jade’s gaze flicked to Julianna, a sudden wave of irritation crossing her features. "Julianna, did you really just call Nora a charity case?"
"I—I merely assumed—" Julianna stammered, her cheeks flushing a deep, embarrassed pink as she adjusted the strap of her designer dress. "I was only referencing how close your family is, Jade. I meant no offense."
"You meant every bit of it," Jade snapped, her protective instincts over me instantly kicking in, just as I knew they would. She marched across the marble floor, stopping right beside us. "Nora has been my best friend since we were fifteen. She’s practically family. You don't talk to her like that in this house."
Victoria cleared her throat sharply, her composure snapping back into place like a steel trap. "That is enough, Jade. Julianna is a guest of this family, and she is your brother's betrothed. You will show her proper courtesy."
"Betrothed?" Mason’s baritone voice sliced through the air, dark and lethal.
He took a step forward, bringing me with him, his shadow falling over his mother and Julianna. The air in the foyer seemed to drop ten degrees.
"I signed nothing," Mason said, his dark eyes locking onto his mother with a terrifying level of hostility. "Father signed nothing. If you and the Van Dorens want to play house with contract papers, you can play by yourselves. I am not marrying Julianna."
"Mason, don't be ridiculous!" Victoria hissed, casting a nervous glance toward the dining room where the rest of the dinner guests were waiting. "This merger has been in the works for months. It stabilizes our European shipping lines. Your father agreed to the terms this morning—"
"Then he can wear the ring," Mason growled.
He didn't wait for his mother to respond. Without another word, he tugged my hand, turning us both toward the front doors.
"Mason, wait!" Jade called out, taking a step after us, her face a storm of confusion. "Where are you going? What did Nora mean about three weeks ago? Why are you two holding hands like that?"
My heart slammed against my ribs. I froze for a fraction of a second, but Mason didn't miss a beat.
He stopped at the heavy mahogany doors, turning his head just enough to look back at his sister over his shoulder.
"Three weeks ago at your engagement party, Jade, three guys from the country club tried to back Nora into a corner on the patio," Mason lied smoothly, his tone flat and unreadable. "I stepped in and pulled her out of there. I brought her to my place to calm down before she took a cab home. If my mother and her guest think they can treat her like garbage after everything she’s done for your wedding, they can host this dinner without us."
Jade blinked, the explanation sliding neatly into place in her mind. Her expression softened instantly into a look of deep guilt and indignation.
"Oh... God, Nora, I didn't know," Jade whispered, looking at me with wide, apologetic eyes. "I'm so sorry. Mom, how could you let Julianna speak to her like that?"
"Jade, that is not what—" Victoria began, but Jade turned on her heel and headed toward the dining room, clearly furious with her mother.
Before Victoria or Julianna could utter another word, Mason pushed open the heavy front door, pulling me out into the cool, rain-scented night air.
He didn't speak until he had escorted me down the marble steps and helped me into the passenger seat of his SUV. He shut the door firmly, walked around to the driver's side, and got in. The engine roared to life, the deep purr filling the quiet space between us.
As he pulled out of the long driveway, the distant lights of the mansion fading in the rearview mirror, I let out a long, shuddering breath. My hands were trembling in my lap.
"That was dangerous," I murmured, staring out the rain-slicked window at the passing trees. "She almost put it together, Mason. If your mother had pressed any harder—"
"Let her press," Mason rasped.
He reached across the center console, his large, warm hand covering mine where it rested on my thigh. His thumb dragged slow, soothing circles over my knuckles, his grip possessive and steady.
"You were incredible in there," he said softly, his dark eyes flicking to me for a brief second before returning to the road. "I've waited three years to watch someone put my mother and Julianna in their places."
"I meant what I said," I replied, turning my head to look at his side profile, carved in the dim glow of the dashboard lights. "I am not going to hide in the shadows, Mason. If you want me, if you want this baby, you need to understand that I won't be your dirty secret while you pretend to play the dutiful son."
Mason pulled the car over onto a quiet, tree-lined shoulder of the road, putting the vehicle in park.
He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned toward me, his broad frame crowding my space. His hand left mine and moved up to cup my jaw, his thumb pressing firmly against my chin, forcing me to look directly into his storm-dark eyes.
"Listen to me, Nora," he commanded, his voice thick with a fierce, terrifying intensity that made my breath catch. "You are not a secret. You are not a game. Julianna means nothing to me. My mother’s merger means nothing to me. The only thing that matters in that house, or in this entire damn city, is sitting right here in this seat."
His hand slid down my neck, his fingers resting over the pulse hammering in my throat, before moving further down to rest flat against my stomach. Through the fabric of my sweater, his palm felt like a brand.
"Nobody touches you," he whispered, leaning down until his lips brushed against mine, hot and demanding. "Nobody disrespects you. I will burn that entire family business to the ground before I let anyone stand between me, you, and our child."
Before I could answer, my coat pocket vibrated violently against my hip.
BZZZZ.
The sudden sound broke the heavy spell between us. Mason’s eyes darkened, his hand remaining anchored to my stomach as I pulled my phone out with my free hand.
I looked at the screen.
It wasn't Jade. It wasn't his mother.
Unknown Number: Nice show in the foyer, Nora. But telling half-truths won't save you. I have the video from the patio three weeks ago. Let's see how protective Mason is when I send it to Jade tomorrow morning.
The blood drained from my face instantly. Attached to the text was a low-resolution thumbnail image: Mason pushing me against the brick wall, his hands buried in my hair, his mouth crushed against mine in the dark.
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