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  “You’re right, I will never harm a woman. But you are mistaken not to fear me. I can make you stay here, inside and alone, for eternity if I wanted. I can make you beg and plead for just a snippet of fresh air until you go insane from want. But, for now, you want your punishment? Fine. You want your door gone? No problem.”

  Suddenly, Kat didn’t feel so high and mighty as Mason walked out of the room calmly. She had a sinking suspicion of what he was about to do, but she couldn’t believe it. Not until he came back with some tools. Oh God! He was really going to remove the door to her bedroom, the one place she had all to herself. He never went in there unless they argued and he followed her. This was her space, her place, and now he was taking it away. He really was an asshole.

  “You don’t want to do this,” she said to Mason.

  “You’re right, Kat, I don’t. I was perfectly content with the arrangement we had going on, but you seem hell-bent on being my friend. This should prove that we aren’t friends. Not even close.”

  “You made your point, but I hardly believe you were happy with the arrangement before.”

  “You presume to know what I like and don’t like.”

  “Yes, yes I do. I know you actually smiled genuine smiles when you were being friendly with me. I know you secretly enjoy our snarky banter whether you want to admit it or not and I know that the bond we shared last weekend scared you and that’s why you are being an ass now. Please don’t take away the last shred of normalcy I have just to prove your point, because secretly, we both know this is a façade and it won’t prove anything to me. I know the real you is hiding underneath.”

  He seemed to ponder her words for a minute before speaking. “I like seeing you backtrack and eat your words. I especially like hearing you say ‘please’. I’ll tell you what, the door is coming off, since I have to prove my point and all,” he said sarcastically, “but if you go back to work and don’t talk back for the next twenty-four hours, I’ll put the door back on. And if you don’t, the door stays off for the following twenty-four hours and the same rules apply.”

  Kat didn’t like it, not one bit. But she knew there was no point in arguing, so she simply nodded. She brushed past Mason, but she wouldn’t let him get the last word.

  “I’ll follow your rules for the next twenty-four hours and get my door back, but just so you know, the fact that you negotiated with me means I was right. There is a real you underneath this bullshit tough exterior. And he’s the one that’s my friend, not you.” She didn’t have to turn back to know that her words had stopped his work. She didn’t even have to turn around to know he was left with a dumbfounded expression on his face. She could do this, she could break through again.

  Chapter 19

  Mason was still a bit of a douche the next few days, but not as snippy as he had been the previous week. Kat had gotten her door back after a day, as promised, and it stayed on. She still hadn’t gone outside, and if Mason wasn’t going to take her in the next day or so, she knew she was going to have another outburst.

  She was standing on a stool, dusting a shelf, trying to figure out how to get Mason to open up again. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t hear Mason walk in until he was just a few feet behind her. “I’m home,” he announced, clearly letting her know that he came home early. His words startled her so much that she whipped around too quickly, lost her footing, and found herself falling backward.

  She wasn’t that high up, but she knew her head was about to hit the hardwood floor under her and that couldn’t possibly be good. She screamed in panic and flailed her arms, trying desperately to grab onto something, anything, but there was nothing near her. Damn! Time seemed to go so slowly as images of her twisted body lying on the floor flooded her mind as if she had taken a plunge from ten stories up.

  And then she hit something, but it wasn’t the floor. She looked up and was staring into Mason’s concerned eyes. He had caught her and was holding her, cradling her in his arms.

  “Didn’t mean to startle you, just wanted to let you know I was home early and thought you might take a break to make me lunch. Are you all right?” he asked softly as he set her down. She felt a little dizzy, but not because she had almost taken a spill. She was dizzy because she had just been in Mason’s arms, and damned if it didn’t feel good. He was hard and soft and held her so gently. The concern in his eyes was enough to take her breath away. And he was still holding her, making sure she didn’t fall. For some reason, she didn’t want him to let go. She wanted him to hold her.

  “Yes.” Her voice was shaky. “Uh yes, I’m fine. That was just a bit scary, but I guess it’s a good thing you were there. Thanks for, uh, saving me.” She placed her hand on his arm to keep herself steady.

  “You sure you’re all right.”

  No, she wasn’t. She wasn’t all right at all. This was getting to her. His moods were getting to her. He was getting to her. Damn it! When he was nice, he was very nice, and she couldn’t help but feel for him. Moments like this took her breath away. She wanted more of them. Stockholm syndrome flashed through her mind again. She thought about that a lot lately because she actually liked being around her kidnapper when he was friendly with her.

  She couldn’t tell him all this, so she put on a smile, straightened up, and answered, “Yeah, I’m fine, just…I guess being inside all day is getting to me. Just a bit jumpy lately.”

  “All right then, make me lunch and I’ll take you outside.”

  “Really?” she squealed. Okay, there was seriously something wrong with her if she was this excited to go outside.

  But then Mason laughed. “Damn, that’s all it takes to make you happy. Well shit, I guess you need to go outside more. Maybe it will help hold back that snarky attitude you got.”

  And just like that, the semi-nice Mason was back.

  Then he did something that amazed her even more. “I want to make sure you aren’t light headed, so go ahead and make us both lunch, and you can eat with me.”

  Holy Shit! She didn’t know what the hell had come over Mason, but she wasn’t about to question it. She just nodded and made her way to the kitchen.

  Maybe she was getting through to him after all. Whatever it was, she thanked her lucky stars and prayed it would last. If she wanted to keep her sanity, she needed him nice. If she wanted out, she needed him to be her friend.

  *****

  A few days later, Kat woke up feeling weak and tired. Her head felt like it was going to explode, and she could barely breathe through her nose. Great, she was getting a cold. She had probably gotten it from one of the guys the other day when they were visiting. Just what she needed. She tried to rummage through the bathrooms and kitchen to find some kind of cold medicine, but all she found was Tylenol. She popped a few pills and figured that was better than nothing. It helped a tiny bit, but as she worked all day, she felt pretty shitty. She did a crappy job cleaning up and when Mason barked at her, she just kind of nodded and mumbled an apology, promising to do better tomorrow.

  She headed to bed early and prayed that this would clear up overnight.

  *****

  It had actually been pretty hard being so tough and mean to Kat. He knew he needed to be, and he kept up the charade as long as he could, but when Kat called him out on it, he knew she was right. Even after he snapped, even after he took her door off its hinges, even after he yelled at her and tried to make her feel like crap, she didn’t back down. He admired her for that, and he’d be lying to himself if he didn’t admit it kind of pulled some strings in him. So the next few days, he tried to be tough, but it didn’t work so well. And when he caught her in his arms, she felt so good, so right. He had lied to her, he did care what she thought of him, even though he shouldn’t. He knew he shouldn’t give a damn, but he did. And he was secretly happy that no matter how much of an ass he was to her, she didn’t buy it and believed that he was a good guy. He watched how she reacted to her little fall and him catching her. He was worried, but thrilled to kno
w he had affected her. It had to have been him affecting her because she was way too off balance for it to be anything else, right? “Yeah right, keep telling yourself that buddy,” he whispered to himself.

  Oh, what the hell, it didn’t matter. He was right about something he had told her – she was there for a purpose and though he might be getting soft, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t break. No matter how much of a fight she put up and how brave she was, eventually, living like a slave would get to her. It might take longer than he thought, but it would eventually get to her. It had to. In the meantime, he truly was enjoying this arrangement. Hell, who wouldn’t? He had a free maid, a nice piece of eye candy, a very nice source of entertainment, was getting revenge, and well, shit, he liked being around her.

  He thought about all this as he made his way to the kitchen, but he stopped short in his tracks as he sensed that something was off. He didn’t smell bacon or eggs or anything cooking. He looked around and didn’t see Kat. What the hell? He wasn’t sure whether he should be pissed or concerned or even a little surprised.

  “Kat!” he yelled, trying to get her to come out.

  She didn’t answer and he listened quietly, but there was no sound.

  She had seemed a little off the day before, like she was getting a cold or something. He had heard her sniffling. Maybe she was knocked out? Well, that just wouldn’t do. Rain or shine, sick or healthy, she needed to be working.

  “Kat, get out here this instant unless you want me to remove your door again!” he yelled louder but still not sound.

  “What the hell,” he murmured to himself before practically busting Kat’s door down. He was well and truly pissed until he stared at an empty bed, unmade, but empty. He looked around the room, and he gasped as Kat lay unconscious on the floor, half-dressed, sprawled out with her hair fanned around her face. She looked like an angel and his breath caught for a moment before the panic set in.

  He was by her side in an instant. “Kat,” he urged as he tried to shake her, and her skin seared his; she was burning up.

  His doctor instincts took over, and he checked for any sign of trauma from when she collapsed. When he thought she was fine, he lifted her from the floor and placed her gently on the bed. She hadn’t even flinched; she hadn’t moved. Goddamn it! He raced to his bathroom and got the thermometer and was back in a flash. It read one-oh-four point one. Fuck! That was high. He needed to get her to a hospital, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t. He hadn’t brushed up on his skills in over six years since he hadn’t been able to practice, but he was pretty sure with the right equipment, he could do something.

  He reached for his phone and called Benny.

  “Yo, Mason,” Benny started, but Mason quickly cut him off.

  “No time for that. It’s Kat, she’s got a high fever and she’s unresponsive.”

  “What? What’s wrong with Kitty Kat?”

  “Benny, I don’t fucking know,” he answered, panicked. “I’m not a practicing doctor anymore and even if I was, I don’t have anything I could use to diagnose her. I need your help.”

  “You got it, what can I do?”

  “I need you to get some things for me, medicine, equipment.”

  Benny cut him off. “Mason, you know I’d get you anything I could, but medicine and shit is a little out of my league. I mean, I could probably get it sooner or later, but it will take me a while.”

  “Fuck, Benny, Kat doesn’t have a while. I don’t know what’s wrong with her and I don’t know how long her fever has been this high. If it gets any higher, she’s in trouble.”

  “Well, shit, you got to take her to the hospital.”

  “Can’t and you know that.”

  “What can I do?”

  “Nothing.” He hung up, frantic, desperately trying to figure out what to do.

  “Fuck!” he yelled into the room. He would have to call Adam.

  Chapter 20

  Adam was one of the few friends Mason had from his life before. They had met in medical school, and after a few study sessions together, they became friends. He had stood by Mason, believed he was innocent, and thought he got unfairly screwed over by the system. But they didn’t speak to each other that often now and saw each other even less. Mason didn’t blame Adam; they were both different and a lot had changed during the five years Mason was behind bars. Still, they were friends, and he knew Adam wouldn’t sell him out, at least he hoped not. And Adam was a damn fine doctor.

  He had no choice. He had to call him. He cradled Kat in his arms as he took his phone out.

  “Hey Mase, how’s it going?” Adam was always pretty upbeat.

  “Adam, I need a huge favor.”

  “What can I do for you?”

  “I have a patient for you that I need you to see immediately.”

  “All right, bring him over to my practice; I’ll squeeze you guys in.”

  “It’s a she, Adam, and I can’t bring her in. I need you to do a house call.”

  “She, eh? No wonder I hear the panic in your voice. What? A girlfriend?”

  “No, and I don’t have time to explain. She’s got a one-oh-four temperature, and she’s unconscious. I don’t know how long she’s been out, and I don’t know what’s wrong with her. It’s not like I can just diagnose her anymore.”

  “So what the hell are you waiting for? Get her to the ER or come here or, damn, do something.”

  “You don’t understand, Adam, I can’t take her to the ER and I can’t take her to your practice. Please, please, I really need you. You have to come here.”

  Mason heard Adam mutter a few choice words and then sigh heavily into the phone. “All right, be there in thirty. Try to get her fever down until I get there.”

  “Thank you, really, thanks. I’ll owe you.”

  “Yeah you will.” And then Adam hung up.

  Mason looked over at Kat. “You’re going to be fine,” he whispered to her, even though he knew he wouldn’t get a response.

  He ran to the bathroom, turned on the bath and waited only a few seconds before lifting Kat gently and getting in the tub, still holding her, clothes and all. He let the luke-warm, mostly cold, water rise around them. It probably should have been an ice-cold bath, but he was afraid of harming Kat. He stroked her hair away from her face and used his free hand to pour water over her body. She felt like fire, her skin burned against his, and a tiny voice in the back of his head said that it was metaphor for a lot more, but he didn’t have time to analyze his thoughts. He was worried; he was scared; he was helpless.

  “Please, Kat, please open your eyes.”

  It wasn’t unheard of for people with high fevers to black out, but it didn’t make him feel any better. She was his responsibility; she was his prisoner; she was his. And nothing like this should be happening to her under his watch. Nothing like this should be happening to her period.

  He wondered how the hell she got sick, and if she had some underlying condition that he was unaware of. He really hoped that Adam be able to help her. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if she had to go to the ER. It was a selfish thought and he knew the risks when he kidnapped her, but he didn’t want to go back to prison. More importantly, he didn’t want to lose her. She had become a stable part of his life, a constant he didn’t really have before. She grounded him; she kept the memories at bay; she kept the pain away.

  “Open your eyes, Kat, so I know you can hear me.”

  He kept holding her up and brushing his fingers against her skin, trying to absorb the heat and take it away from her, but she was dead to the world.

  He studied her, watched her. She looked like she was asleep. Sopping wet but asleep. God, she was beautiful. His heart clenched at the thought that there was something seriously wrong with her, but he wouldn’t think that way. He couldn’t. His sanity wouldn’t let him.

  He stayed like this for what seemed like hours, but soon, he heard knocking. He lifted Kat and wrapped her in a towel before setting her on the bed. “Coming!
” he called out.

  He was shaking when he opened the door and found a very puzzled and angry Adam.

  “You have to tell me what’s going on,” Adam said as soon as he walked through the door.

  “Please, Adam, look at her first, and then I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

  “I have a very bad feeling you are getting me involved in something I don’t want to know about.”

  “You are probably right, but please, I’m begging you, help her,” Mason pleaded as he pointed toward her room.

  “You are lucky I like you,” Adam huffed.

  Mason followed Adam into the room, while Adam asked questions about her history. Mason answered as best as he could, but really, he didn’t know anything of relevance.

  Adam looked at Kat, and Mason saw him furrow his eyebrows and then he inhaled sharply. “Mason, she looks awfully familiar.” Adam spoke with a shaky edge.

  “Just help her.” And Adam did. He checked her vitals, took her blood, and examined her.

  “I’m going to have to get her blood sample to the lab, but my first guess is a virus. She’s dehydrated and lacking nutrients. Her breathing is also very shallow. I’ll have to bring you an IV and some meds. I trust you know what to do with them. I’ll be back.”

  “Adam, really, thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me yet; I’ll be back in thirty minutes. That gives you enough time to either figure out how you’re going to tell me all about whatever the hell is going on here or come up with a damn good lie. I think I’d rather get the lie, but for what it’s worth, I know you care about her…a lot.”