Page 62 of Unburied

“N-no.” Her teeth chattered. “Not yet.”

“I’ll take care of it,” he promised. “Just stay where you are, and I'll be there in fifteen.”

“Okay,” she whispered. “See you then.”

She clicked off the phone and set it on the edge of the desk, then curled up in the chair, wrapping her arms around her legs. The door was partially closed, but clatter from the kitchen provided steady noise, and she felt like an hour had passed before the sound of footsteps came down the narrow hallway and stopped in front of the door.

Her entire body tensed, and she looked up to see the familiar form of her brother filling the doorway. But he wasn't alone. Over his shoulder, she spied Mason, his face set in an intense expression.

Her brother stepped to the side as Mason moved straight toward her, his gaze sweeping over every inch of her from head to toe. He ran his hands over her arms and legs, checking for injuries before slowly grasping her hands and pulling her to her feet. One arm went around her waist, and the other buried itself in her hair as he tugged her into his broad chest. The myriad of emotions swirling inside her finally bubbled over, and the tears she’d been holding back finally broke free as she clung to him.

CHAPTER

THIRTY-FOUR

Mason wondered if Vivi could hear his heart slamming against his ribs where she rested against him, her cheek pressed to the space over his heart. He was a train wreck the whole way there, driving fifteen miles per hour over the speed limit in his need to see her. He held her tightly as sobs racked her body, the stress of the situation finally catching up to her. “I've got you,” he murmured against her hair. “I won't let anything happen to you.”

In his peripheral vision, he watched Knox as he stood off to the side, hands shoved in his pockets, one foot propped on the wall behind him. They hadn't spoken much since Knox had walked in on them last week, and Mason wondered how Knox felt about him comforting Vivi. Not gonna lie, it stung a little that she’d called him first. Mason had been sitting in a parking lot waiting for his mark to show up when Knox called.

“Whatever you're doing, drop it,” Knox had said. “Meet me at Mulligan’s as soon as you can. Something’s happened to Vivi.”

Mason hadn't had a chance to ask any questions because Knox had already hung up, and he immediately started the engine, threw the truck into gear, and headed in that direction. He hit the parking lot running, needing to see her for himself. A hundred different scenarios flitted through his mind on the drive there, all of them involving some kind of bodily harm.

He swore he couldn’t get a full breath until he saw her sitting in the chair, looking small and vulnerable. Thank God, whatever had happened must have just scared her, because she didn’t appear to be hurt in any way. Whatever it was had to be serious, though—Vivi wasn’t the kind to make a big deal out of nothing. In fact, she tended to downplay things, so it made him even more curious to find out exactly what had happened.

Several minutes passed before her heart-wrenching sobs quieted to sniffles, and he ran his hand up and down her spine, offering silent comfort. Finally, she drew back and dabbed at her tear-streaked cheeks, her chest spasming with the occasional hiccup as her breathing returned to normal.

Vivi pulled from his arms, and he reluctantly released her as she moved toward Knox. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he pulled her into a brotherly hug. “You okay, squirt?”

She bobbed a nod against his chest but didn't speak.

“Can you tell us what happened?”

She nodded again, and Knox shifted her against his side, keeping one arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders. “I…”

A shiver racked her body, and she fixed her gaze to a spot on the floor before continuing. “I was walking out to my car, and I’d just unlocked it when a man came out of nowhere. He was… he had a mask and gloves, and he pointed a gun at me and told me to get in the trunk.”

Mason's blood boiled, and a red haze flashed across his vision at the thought of anyone pointing a pistol at his girl.

Knox’s laser-like gaze met Mason's, a hardness in their depths that promised retribution, and Mason watched his grip on her tighten. “What did you do?”

Her gaze slowly rose from the floor, over Mason's feet and legs, and finally up to his face. “I punched him.”

Mason's eyes widened with surprise, and he saw a tiny flicker of a smile dancing at the corners of her mouth. Her next words were directed at him. “I remembered that day in the parking lot… what you said. I—I punched him as hard as I could, then ran inside.”

So brave. Most people, men and women alike, would have followed the man’s instructions and climbed right into the trunk, hoping that he would eventually let them go. But not Virginia. “Good girl.”

Now that the fear had finally begun to recede, pride glowed brightly in her deep brown eyes, and she straightened away from Knox. Mason held out one hand, and she moved toward him. He stared down at her as she slipped her palm into his. He squeezed her fingers gently before lifting his hands to cup her face.

“I’m so proud of you.” He couldn’t stop touching her. He petted her hair, her cheeks, every inch of her pretty face, thanking every deity known to man that she was okay.

“Thanks.” A real smile finally broke through, and his heart seized in his chest.

This woman… “I’ve never been as scared as I was when I got that call from your brother.”

Another shudder racked her body, but she managed to keep her chin held high. “I’m okay.”

“The whole way here I thought about what I would do if anything ever happened to you.” He spoke low, for her ears only. “It would gut me, baby, because I love you so damn much.”