Page 13 of Mason

The club door creaks open behind me, and I whirl. “Thank God, Rachel! I’m so sick! I…”

My mouth clamps shut when I see it isn’t Rachel and Oscar joining me in the alley. It’s the stranger from the bar.

“Do you mind? My friends are out here fucking.” I huff, clutching at the wall as the ground shifts beneath my feet.

The man takes a step closer, grinning as he did earlier, only now his eyes somehow seem even darker. “Are they? I swear I saw them exchanging bodily fluids in the men’s room a second ago.”

The men’s room? I’m going to smack Rachel into next week. “My other friends.”

He sighs, assessing me with a pained expression. “Don’t lie, Emily. You’re terrible at it.”

Blinking rapidly, I struggle to keep my eyes fully open. “How do you know my name?”

The man chuckles, moving closer. “I know everyone’s name.”

I groan, letting my head rest against the wall. “I’m sick. Get away from me, or I’ll throw up on you.” It isn’t much, but vomit can be a useful deterrent.

“Don’t fight it,” he murmurs. “Relax. Give in.”

A chill runs through me despite the exhausted fog I’m operating under. “You drugged me?”

Oh, fuck. I’m so stupid. How did this happen? I know better. He handed me my damn drink.

“Shh. I’m helping you.” He extends a hand, but I stumble out of reach.

“Get away from me!” I cry, though it comes out as barely a squeak. “Rachel! Oscar! Anyone! Help!”

He keeps coming closer, sending me backpedaling. “Let me help you. You aren’t safe here.”

I throw my hands out, forming a cross with my fingers to ward him off as if he’s the devil. “My father will kill you if you touch me. I need to go home. He’s expecting me.”

“It’s not safe there either. You need to come with me.”

This guy is insane. There’s nowhere safer than our compound. Papa will crush any man that comes near me. Including this idiot.

My knees knock together, a heaviness settling in every cell. I’ll never outrun him. There’s no way out. My body is betraying me, shutting down with every step. “I don’t even know your name.”

His hands find me, one holding my arm while the other settles into the small of my back. He’s shockingly gentle. “I won’t hurt you. Just take deep breaths and sit down so you don’t crack your pretty little head.”

I want to believe him but can’t. He drugged me and now has me cornered in an alley. This won’t end well, no matter what he says. Good people don’t drug other people. He’s a monster.

“I don’t want to die without knowing your name,” I choke out, letting him guide me to the cement as tears streak my cheeks. “I need to know who to send the angels after so they can avenge me.”

It’s ridiculous to egg him on, but all I have left are my words.

A laugh escapes him as my body gives in, the last bit of fight leaking out. “They call me Death, Emily. Now rest your eyes. It’ll be over soon.”

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