Mason Caveman Instinct -- Gypsy Curse Book 4

by Hazel Gower

  I eased out of Mason’s embrace and practically ran to the front of the house where I heard Annabelle arguing with Carl. “I’m only just two months pregnant you dolt, I can carry my daughter who I barely hold because she’s a girl in the Silverman family of boys. It’s bad enough she has your parents moving to Australia from America because your mother doesn’t want to miss out on her first granddaughter.”

  “Oh honey. My nephews are all searching for their mates. They’re not chancing getting a girl and having the stress I will in a little less than twelve years when she turns thirteen.”

  “If you weren’t holding our children I swear I’d slap you, you arse. Girls aren’t as bad as you and your brothers are making out.” I laughed as Annabelle put her hands on her waist and glared at her husband. I came up and held my hands out so I could have my first cuddle of Angelica. Annabelle spotted me and pointed. “Alexa, tell him that us females aren’t as bad as they’re all fretting over.”

  Darting my gaze from the baby I really wanted, back to her mother, and then her father, who raised his brow at me, I sighed and knew I couldn’t get out of answering. “Truthfully Annabelle, I’m not sure what they’re scared of. Sure we’re more of a target, but that’s men’s fault. Trust me, I learned real quick how to avoid me—”

  “Oh sweetie, I’m sorry to have brought this up. I didn’t think that it would have you thinking of the bad that—”

  “No, it’s okay.” I cut Annabelle off as Carl handed over his little girl. Angelica was so adorable with big brown eyes, dark little ringlets and light olive skin. She wore a pink tutu dress, which, if possible, made her cuter. I hugged Angelica close to me and she grabbed and yanked on my hair, giggling. My heart felt like it was going to explode at the sound, it was just so darn cute.

  “Angelica, stop. We don’t pull hair. That’s naughty.” Annabelle came up to me and used her stern mum voice but Angelica totally ignored her mum and continued yanking on my hair.

  “I don’t mind.” I kissed each side of her chubby little cheeks.

  Jake yelled out, “No. No. No.” I laughed and looked over at him in his father’s arms, but caught an eye roll from Annabelle.

  “It’s his new word. But the little terror only says it when Angelica is getting attention and he isn’t.” She walked to her son and kissed his forehead.

  Watching this, I realized I wanted what Annabelle, Carl and the babies had, and I wanted it bad. I knew as I snuggled Angelica and walked with her to the family room where everyone was gathering that I didn’t want to wait years for this either. I wanted children now. I wanted a husband. No, not just a husband, I wanted Mason.

  Mason came and wrapped his arm around my waist and I relaxed against him. He leaned down and tickled and kissed each side of Angelica’s cheeks before pressing his lips to my forehead.

  I had a goal. I had things I wanted. I hadn’t had a goal or wanted anything other than to stay alive until I was eighteen since my parents had died. Now as I gazed around at the new family I had, I wanted more.

  I USED TO LOVE GOING shopping, but I hadn’t done much of that in the last couple of years. The massive building before me had me on edge. I didn’t have money to shop and I hated people staring, because that was all they did to me now.

  Ah, well, they had before, when I’d been hungry, dirty, cold, scared, and alone.

  Closing my eyes, I tried to calm my heart as it raced at just the thought of walking through the busy shopping center.

  “My mum can do this, you know. She loves having daughters. She’s always buying Bailey stuff.”

  Opening my eyes, I shook my head. I knew Gillian would do it. She’d already bought me a lot of clothes, and I wore them though they weren’t really my style. My underwear though, I wasn’t letting her get me. I had been wearing men’s boxers, I was sure they were Mason’s, but as comfortable as they were I was ready for some of my own panties and I was dying to get a couple of bras that fit. I had two bras and they were dead and needed to be thrown out. My goal today was to get new ones so I could do that.

  “No. I want to do this. I need to do this.” I could do this. I wasn’t that dirty and alone person anymore. I had someone . . . Mason. “Your mum is busy getting everything ready for your father’s parents to come and live.”

  “Argh, don’t remind me. Uncle Lewis has been bitching about us taking grandma and grandpa. I don’t know why he cares so much. All his kids are grown, and you’d think this might make him want to move here, too, and live with his brothers and nephews.” Wrapping my arms around him I hugged him tight. This was really working him up. It seemed to work up all the Silvermans, and I was eager to hear why his uncle hadn’t moved to Australia and why his parents had stayed with him in America instead of following their sons, but when one of the woman brought it up the men all got worked up like this.

  “Thanks, bear, I’m good now.” He tilted my head up and leaned down, brushing his lips over mine. He moved out of my embrace and stood beside me staring at the huge mall. I reached for his hand and threaded his fingers through mine. At his touch any nerves I had calmed and I sighed in contentment. He brought my fingers up and kissed my knuckles.

  I had fallen in love with this man. It had been so easy. He was attentive, caring, and had been supportive. With him I felt loved and safe again. I wasn’t sure I believed him about the gift he and his family had about knowing their soulmate, but it did explain my feelings for him and why I’d never been scared of him, especially when I hadn’t had great experiences with men. The kiss we’d shared the other night had been my first real kiss, I shivered as the other kisses I’d had that were forced on me came to mind. I squeezed his hand and gave myself a mental shake and focused my gaze on Mason. Turning into him I rose on my tip-toes, letting go of his hands and sliding my own up his chest and circling his neck before pulling him down and kissing him, needing another new memory to replace the ones I didn’t want in my head.

  Mason pulled away from our kiss and I hated that he was the one who always put a stop to our intimate embraces. “Come on my cuddly bear, you make it so hard for me to be a gentleman.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead and took my hand back into his. “Let’s go get the things you wanted from the mall.”

  Resisting the urge to giggle, I nodded. Mason had no idea I’d begged him to take me shopping today so I could buy underwear. I was sure if he knew he wouldn’t have come.

  I COULDN’T HOLD BACK MY laughter as Mason groaned and looked around like he was ready to run.

  “Please, bear, not this one. It was bad enough I saw what you got at Target, but not Honey Birdette. This is evil.” He tried to tug his hand away, but I wasn’t letting him go.

  I’d seen Honey Birdette lingerie shop when my parents had been alive, but my parents would never have spent so much on bras and panties for me or let me wear such sexy things at such a young age. I was old enough now though and I intended to not only get myself some sexy underwear, but have a little fun with Mason.

  Honey Birdette was a lot different from Target underwear. It was blacks, reds, whites and tans in all sexy porn style. Just walking into the store had me straightening and feeling a bit racy. I went straight to the red lacy stuff, and got matching sets.

  “You’re being very cruel, Alexa.” Hearing Mason say my name instead of bear, I turned and bit my lip to hold back my giggle. He was standing stiff, his muscles locked and his jaw clenched. You’d have had to be blind not to see his eye ticking, too. I bet if the music in there hadn’t been so loud I would’ve heard his teeth grinding also.

  Power, like I’d never felt before, flowed through me. I did this to him. Bouncing on the spot I grabbed him and dragged him towards the change room. He shook his head franticly and I let my giggle slip free. “So, I take it you’ll wait out here while I try these on?” I held up the lacy numbers I chose.

  “You, little bear, are treading on very thin ice. If you keep going on like you have, I won’t be holding back being a gentleman.”

&nb
sp; Pausing at the change rooms the sales lady smiled and asked how many I had and to call if I need help. I leaned in close to Mason. “Maybe I don’t want you to be a gentleman.” Before he could reply I went to my allocated change room, but I didn’t miss his moan.

  My confidence sky rocketed and I smiled as I looked at myself in the mirror before I slipped off my clothes.

  By the time we left the store, I’d bought four sets, two in black, one in red, and one in tan. Mason looked like he’d just been tortured. He was so distracted he didn’t even notice one of the sale ladies flirting with him.

  Tony, one of our bodyguards, had the bags shoved at him as we left the store and Mason hooked his arm around me and brought me up against him. He leaned down and his breath brushed my ear sending a shiver of pleasure through me. “Next time you pull a stunt like that, don’t expect me to be the gentleman. You’re mine, bear, and I intend to take what’s mine but I’m barely clinging on to my resolve that I won’t rush you.” He huffed and his hot breath tickled. “When I take you, you’ll beg me to. That’s a promise.”

  I bit my lip to hold back my groan and turned to gaze in molten warm chocolate eyes blazing with pure need. Oh crap, maybe I pushed him too far. He tilted my chin and his lips came down on mine. It wasn’t a long kiss, but it showed me just what he wanted.

  He held my hand and guided me towards the food court. “You hungry?”

  I nodded, my mind still on the kiss and what I’d just done teasing Mason. I had never been this brazen in my life. With the experiences I’d had with men the last couple of years I was surprised at what I did, and wanted to do, with Mason. The more I was with this man, the more I fell under his spell. It wasn’t just him though, it was his family. I’d learned not to trust so easily, but from the moment I met Mason and his family not only did I just know I was safe, but I trusted them and I knew Mason was mine.

  Maybe I needed to talk to my therapist more about this. Was this right? Should I have fallen in love with him so soon? Should I be trusting him and his family?

  Mason gave me a gentle squeeze and I noticed we were at seats. “You want anything in particular? I’ll go get it. You wait with Tony and Seth. ”

  Looking around I noticed it was busy, but not packed, and there were a couple of tables free. Around the food court were about ten or twelve different choices of food, from Chinese to McDonald’s to Indian and many others. “I’ll have a chicken kebab with everything, please, and a bottle of water.”

  He nodded, leaned down and brushed his lips over mine before going off to get my food. I watched him with only the noise around me until, Tony spoke up. “You’re making it hard for him. You know that, right?”

  I tore my gaze from Mason’s firm round butt. . “How? It was just a bit of fun.”

  Tony shook his big, beefy head. “You’re young. With what you’ve gone though, he doesn’t want to scare you. Gillian, or even Bailey, would have happily come with you today. You’ve just made it that much harder for him to hold out for you to be ready. You’re not ready, are you? You’re just using him?” He shook his head. “Poor guy. You don’t get what he’s missing following you around like a puppy.”

  My heart sank and I felt sick. I turned from Tony, duly chastised. Was what I’d done so cruel? I was ready for more, but only with Mason. The thought of doing anything like what I’d done in the lingerie store, or even kissing someone else, made my skin crawl and I felt like I needed to vomit. “You’re right. I’ll apologize to him.” I didn’t bother to look at him, as guilt assaulted me. I needed to talk to my therapists. I clenched my hands and then grabbed onto the end of my shirt and fiddled with the stitching as my brain went into overload. I wasn’t using Mason, was I? I had fallen in love with him. I loved him and I wanted a relationship with him. No, I wanted to be more than just a girlfriend, I wanted everything with Mason. Maybe I should give him a break though, sleep by myself or go out with his aunt or mother. My stomach rolled and I didn’t feel hungry at all.

  Crossing my arms over my chest I ignored the guards and knew that I would ask when I spoke to my therapist if she could make sure anyone but Tony was my guard from now on. He got me thinking. I knew what I wanted, but maybe Mason did need a break or wasn’t on the same page as me. Was Tony right? Was I not ready to have a relationship with Mason? I needed time without him to see how I felt. Yes. That’s what I’d do.

  Mason came back and I picked at my food. My mind kept repeating what Tony had said over and over. I thought I’d been doing so well, but I needed to speak to my therapist.

  FUCK. THE OTHER SHOE HAD fucking dropped. Alexa was spending the afternoon with her therapist and had refused to sleep in the bed with me the night before. Since seeing her the first night all bruised and battered, this was the longest I’d been away from her and it was driving me nuts.

  I paced back and forth in the gym, too hyper to concentrate on a workout. I was supposed to be training for a fight, but I was too preoccupied with Alexa and knew I was going to miss it. Mikey, my coach, was pissed to say the least. He gave me the if-I–wanted-to-have-a–carreer-as-a-professional-boxer-I-needed-to-focus-on-my-training-and-not-let-my-social-life-interfere speech. I was young, though, and I knew that I would have time to focus on my career later, but right now I needed Alexa to be my world.

  My mind went over the previous day trying to think of what had happened between her teasing me at the lingerie shop and kissing me, and then the food court. She’d barely touched her food and I know she didn’t come down for dinner last night.

  I needed to talk to the security who was with us yesterday. Leaving the gym, I went to the security house, only to be stopped by my mother. Tears glided down her face.

  “Mum, what’s wrong? What’s happened? Is it Alexa?” I grabbed her shoulders and resisted the urge to shake the news out of her.

  “Dus . . . Dusta . . . Dustan!” she wailed.

  “What about Dustan?”

  “They had him. They shot him. He’s . . . he’s in a . . . a coma.” Her whole body was shaking with sobs. “We need to get to the hospital.”

  “Who’s they mum?” I swallowed the vomit that made its way up my throat and tried to take deep calming breaths as my heart raced.

  “The bikers.”

  Holy shit. “How the hell did they get him?”

  “I don’t know. We need to go now.” She yanked on my arm.

  I looked back toward where I knew Alexa was and then down at my mum. “Where’s dad?”

  “He should be at the hospital now. I wanted to be here for Alexa, but . . . but, oh, Evelin. I have to get to her. We have to.” I hugged my mum, still in shock. It had to be why I wasn’t freaking out over my cousin being taken, shot, and in a coma.

  I DIDN’T REMEMBER THE DRIVE to the hospital. I didn’t remember coming in and meeting the family, but when Alexa, my Alexa, was brought up in the details, I paid attention. The Devil’s Queens wanted my woman. I didn’t know why or even how they’d found out where she was. The police had questioned me and had been given permission to enter our property and speak to Alexa if an adult was present. My dad had gone back to be with Alexa when they spoke to her. I wanted to go, but I was torn. Would she even want me there? I hadn’t seen her all day and she didn’t sleep with me last night, which caused me not to get much sleep at all. I was so used to sleeping with her scent surrounding me and her warmth against me, I tossed and turned all night.

  Pacing the waiting room along with my cousins, I wished I’d gone home. Dustan had been shot close to his heart and when he’d fallen he’d hit his head and cracked it open. We’d been told he’d been shot escaping, and he was lucky that someone driving by found him on the side of the road before the Devil’s Queens got him again. A ransom had been sent to his family and it had asked for Alexa and money in exchange for Dustan. The ransom had only come in a couple of hours before his family got a phone call from the police telling them they thought they’d found Dustan at a hospital, but because he had no ID on him they
were going off photos from magazines. I was angry at my parents for waiting until the last minute to tell me about this.

  “Holy crap, she came.” I turned at Jade’s mumbled words and saw Cassie, Dustan’s soulmate, who had done a runner when Dustan was an arse. She looked good, better than what I thought for someone who’d been hiding from us and refusing to see Dustan. He’d only just moved everything back home and settled his business in America a month ago. He’d told me Cassie was back at her parents and refused to see him. She’d gone as far as to get an AVO out on him.

  Cassie looked hesitant as she shuffled into the room they’d given us. “They, ah, um, sent me in here.” She looked behind her and I could see she was ready to bolt. Someone needed to stop her and reassure her.

  I darted my gaze over to Jade to see her getting up off a devastated Stephan, but I was shocked when Derick, Dustan’s other brother, made it to Cassie first and yelled, “This is all your fault. If you hadn’t fucking run, if you’d just gotten over yourself and let him apologize this wouldn’t have happened. He would have had fucking guards!”

  Shocked at Derick’s outburst it took me a moment to move, but Ryder and Divinity were quicker. Divinity shoved Derick. “You’re an arse. That was a dick move.” She whacked him upside the head and then spun back around to face a retreating Cassie. Ryder was now blocking the door so she couldn’t escape. “I swear to fucking God, lady, if you leave I’ll hunt you down. Get back in here.” Divinity pointed to a seat next to where she’d been sitting. “And sit your arse down, because I’m pregnant and ready to pop and not in the fucking mood to chase you. I’m sure the girls have told you I can kick arse, too, so park your arse until you’re told you can move.”

  Cassie’s mouth opened and closed once, twice, and a third time before she nodded slowly and made her way to the seat Divinity pointed to.