Razor: A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance

by Landish, Lauren

  I sat down at my desk and logged onto my laptop. For a moment, I felt a twinge or foreboding at going against Mason’s orders, but I pushed it away. I wasn’t going to live in fear no matter what happened. I’d done nothing wrong in helping Mason expose a fraud and a murder, so I didn’t fear the police. If Anonymous wanted to get to me, well, if people in the organization were as good as Mason, me logging on won’t matter and they’ll find me anyway.

  I typed my blog address in the address bar and got this:

  404 ERROR – Sorry the page you were looking for was not found.

  WTF, I thought.

  What asshole took down my blog? I suppose I should’ve been expecting it. It could’ve been any number of people. But after what we saw on the news, it had to be everywhere by now and it didn’t matter.

  “Damn it!” I yelled, banging on my laptop keys in anger.

  I began typing in the search bar, “Mayor Bradley murder video” to see if it was anywhere else on the internet and images of a screen capture of the footage came up in the results, but when I tried to go to any of them, I was met with the DMCA notices and 404 messages. I tried every sort of video site, YouTube, Livestream and a few others, but all had the same results.

  “This is ridiculous,” I muttered. “They’re really trying to cover this thing up.” As mad as I was at Mason, it only went to show how right he was about the corruption that was rampant.

  Eventually, I found a place where the video was still being circulated, on Reddit of all places. The sentiment there was as I expected. People were calling for the Mayor’s head and complaining about a mass coverup and only a few gave him the benefit of the doubt.

  After I had my fill of reading comments, I checked my e-mail inbox. The screen froze for several moments before it loaded.

  “Jesus,” I whispered at all the results. My inbox was almost completely full, two gigabytes worth of mail from people who were interested in talking to me for posting the video on my blog.

  There were even offers from news stations who were willing to pay me in exchange for an interview. Some even offered me a job.

  Normally, this type of news would have filled me with joy. I mean, it wasn’t exactly a far cry from what I’d been hoping for when we released the video. Hell, I’d been looking for a serious journalist gig since graduating college. I should have been over the moon.

  But I felt nauseous. Sick to my stomach.

  None of it meant anything without Mason. Now that we’d expressed our feelings for one another, the need for him had grown exponentially.

  I paused for a moment, another one of Mason’s warnings coming back to me. Ignoring it, I powered on my cell, when my ringtone immediately went off.

  “You knew!” Rosemary cried with accusation as I answered. “You knew this whole time and you didn’t tell me.”

  Why in the hell did I answer the phone? I thought with exasperation. I could also see that I had about two-hundred voice mail messages from Rosemary, Brian, Mom and some unknown phone numbers.

  “I’m sorry, Rosemary,” I said my mouth dry. “I couldn’t contact you in time before the video went—”

  “Three months!” she wailed. “Three months I agonized over Ashley’s death, wondering who killed her, and the whole time you knew.” She sniffed and then a rush of air followed as if she was blowing her nose. “I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you!”

  “Rosemary, if you’ll just give me a chance to explain—”

  “But you know what? It doesn’t matter anyway. My lawyer says that the Mayor will go to jail, no thanks to you.”

  “Rosemary please—”

  Click.

  The nerve of that woman. She didn’t even give me a chance to speak. I didn’t understand her. Shouldn’t she have been happy that the video was posted on my blog, even if I hadn’t told her before it went live? She now knew who murdered her daughter, and hopefully she would finally have the closure she deserved.

  I had no time to ponder her ungratefulness, because no sooner had I hung up, my mom was calling.

  “Carly!” she snapped shrilly. “Where on earth have you been? I’ve been calling you for days!”

  I gritted my teeth. I really didn’t feel like having this conversation right now. “Mom, I can’t talk right now.”

  She ignored me. “Brian is furious. He says Mason is on the run from law enforcement and that you’ve been abetting him.”

  “I know nothing about it,” I lied. “And if all you’ve done is call me to bitch and complain, I think I’ll be hanging up right about now.”

  Cause I’m not in the mood for this shit, I thought.

  Hanging up would be a good thing, because with the mental state I was in, it wouldn’t take much for me to go nuclear on my overbearing, over-critical, always-blame-me-for-everything-even-though-it-wasn’t-my-fucking-fault mother.

  “You disgust me,” Mother hissed. “This is all your fault. Had you been nicer to Mason when he was growing up, he wouldn’t have turned out the way he did.”

  I knew it, I thought. I knew this was coming.

  If I didn’t hang up now, she’d be blaming me for her separation with Brian next.

  “You know what, Mom? You can fuck off!”

  “Don’t you dare hang up on me Carly Belle Washing—”

  I clicked the hang-up button and rolled my eyes. Right as I hung up, Brian rang in.

  I stared at his number and smiling face on my cell screen for a moment, wondering if I should answer it. Mom had just said that he was aware of me helping Mason. What would be the use in talking to him?

  Because, if I can convince him Mason was doing the right thing, he might be able to help us get Mason out of trouble.

  I knew Brian was mad at him for many reasons, but surely if he knew the truth of what was really going on, he would soften up.

  On top of that, the man had money and connections. He wasn’t Donald Trump, but he was well off. Surely if I could get him our side he would be able to pull a few strings, at least when it came to Mason’s impending legal troubles.

  Brimming with hope, I answered the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Where is Mason?” Brian demanded, not bothering with a greeting.

  “What makes you think I know where he is?” I asked coyly.

  “Don’t play games with me, Carly,” he snarled. “I know you’ve been harboring him.”

  “He’s done nothing wrong,” I said, surprised at how ardent I sounded in support of Mason considering how pissed off I was at him. “The police are only after him because he exposed a murder done by the Mayor and massive corruption.”

  “He’s a felon, that’s what he is!” Brian snapped. “And you have no business consorting with him or trying to cover for him.”

  “You just misunderstand him,” I accused. I couldn’t understand why he was so hard on Mason. He was his son. You would think he was talking about a thug off the street. “You’ve never given him a chance.”

  “That’s bullshit!” Brian raged. “The boy has had plenty of chances and has been nothing but trouble since the day he was born. I need to know where he’s at now or . . .”

  His words trailed off, but I understood his meaning. If I didn’t tell him where Mason was, he was going to get the authorities involved.

  I bit my lower lip, thinking. I couldn’t tell him where Mason was because I didn’t know where he went.

  Still, I held out hope that Brian could see reason. Surely, if I could show him the video, he would finally understand.

  I just need to show him the truth, I thought. Just show him he’s wrong.

  I had the flash drive containing the damning footage. Mason must have left it for me as a parting gift.

  “Haven’t you seen the video?” I asked.

  “What video?”

  “The one of the Mayor murdering the prostitute, the video Mason stole. It’s been all over the news.”

  “No, I haven’t,” Brian replied tersely. “And from what I under
stand, this supposed video was a fake.”

  “That’s the coverup at work.”

  “Jesus, Carly, listen to yourself. You sound just like that damned idiot Mason.”

  “I have the video.”

  Brian grew quiet. “Do you now?”

  “If I show you, do you think you could see reason? Mason could really use your help.”

  He was a long time in responding, but when he did, he sounded more cooperative. “Send it to my email and we’ll see.”

  Relief swept through me. Maybe I could finally get some help.

  “Okay.”

  And then he hung up.

  Madeline

  “Mr. Keller will see you now,” said the leggy blonde secretary standing in the doorway. Dressed in a black skirt, white blouse, and glossy heels, the woman carried herself as if she was high-class, when in reality, she probably had the self-esteem of a gutter rat.

  I stood up from my seat and glanced at Andre. He appeared to have nodded off. I hadn’t noticed because I was too engaged with texting a few friends, trying to find out if anyone knew of Razor’s whereabouts.

  Those fuckers probably wish they still had my talents right about now. Or should I say, Andre’s.

  I kicked Andre sharply in the ankle and whispered out of the side of my mouth, “Get up you big oaf!”

  Startled, his head snapped to attention and he wiped at the saliva that cornered his mouth. “Crap. Sorry Maddy.”

  I sneered with revulsion. I swear I must’ve done something wrong in a past life to be saddled with Andre.

  He got up and followed me to the door of Brian Keller’s office. As I passed the secretary, I cut my eyes at her and was rewarded with a flash of fear in her eyes.

  I grinned wickedly. Bitch better be scared. I always let women who I saw as a challenge know that I was the alpha female.

  The blonde led us into Brian’s office and I did a slight double-take.

  He looks just like him, I thought with awe.

  Seated at a giant desk in the middle of the swanky room, was a man who highly-favored Razor. He looked so much like him that anger knotted my stomach.

  Brian looked up from a paper he was studying and nodded at the blonde. “You may leave now, Cindy.”

  Tossing a nervous glance my way, she hastily fled the office.

  As soon as she was gone, I adopted my most pleasant smile and came forward, extending my hand out. “Mr. Keller,” I purred, “it is so nice to meet you.”

  Brian studied my face for a moment and then glanced at Andre, who stood beside me, before taking it. His grip was warm and firm as he shook it and his eyes bore into me with an intensity that made even my cold heart shiver.

  I knew right then that this man was powerful, cold, calculating and ruthless — just the type of man I liked.

  Brian let go of my hand and leaned back into his chair. “So what can I do for you two?”

  I cut right to the point. “We have information regarding your son. Information that we are sure you will pay dearly for—”

  Brian raised a hand to silence me. “Wait a minute. First of all, who are you and how do you know my son?”

  “Your secretary didn’t tell you?” I asked with some surprise. “We are Razor’s friends . . . or ex-friends I should say.”

  Brian frowned with confusion. “Who is this Razor?”

  I almost laughed. He didn’t know who Razor was? But then I remembered, Brian had little contact with his son over the last few years.

  “I’m sorry, sir, Razor is Mason’s hacker name.”

  Brian grunted. “Sounds stupid as hell to me.”

  I chuckled. “That it does.”

  Brian remained unamused. “As I said before, how do you know my son?”

  “We were a part of a hacker group called Anonymous,” Andre answered before I could part my lips. I shot him a venomous glare for talking in my place, but the oaf was too dumb to know when to shut up. “Mason was one of the best hackers we’d ever seen. That’s why we call him Razor, because his focus and concentration is so sharp it can cut you.”

  Oh my God, I thought at Andre, go lick his ass why don’t you?

  Begrudgingly, I knew Andre’s words were true, but I hated Razor so much that I refused to give him credit for his talents.

  Brian was unimpressed by Andre’s praise for his son. “So you mean to tell me that you people are the reason for my son turning into some wannabe rebel?” he snarled.

  “No,” I said quickly to stave off his anger. Judging by how quick he seemed to nearly fly off the handle, I could tell that Brian had an anger problem like me, though I doubted he was on my level. “Anonymous has been around for a long time, long before we joined. It’s likely that Razor, er, Mason, just agreed with Anonymous’ principles and wanted to join.”

  Brian let out a noncommittal grunt. “I see.” He waved a hand at me. “Now tell me about this information you claim to have.”

  I licked my lips. “We believe that your son is staying with a woman who is helping harbor—”

  “I already know,” Brian said, surprising me. “The woman who is helping him is my stepdaughter.”

  “Oh.”

  Didn’t look like they were just siblings to me on that footage, I thought, seething with jealousy at the memory of the two holding hands.

  “Do you know where your stepdaughter lives?” I asked.

  Brian shook his head. “No, I don’t. And unfortunately, I don’t think she’s with him anymore,” Brian continued. “So that information you wanted to sell me? It’s absolutely worthless.”

  He had me there. Now I had nothing to leverage a big payday out of him with. It was shame too, because I knew the man was wealthy. I was hoping we’d get information and a payday. “Come on Andre,” I said, turning to leave. “Looks like we wasted our time. Good day, Mr. Keller.” Not giving the man the satisfaction of seeing me upset, I turned to leave.

  I made it two steps before Brian commanded, “Wait.”

  I slowly turned back to regard him with a raised eyebrow.

  “You came here looking for a payday, and perhaps more information pertaining to my wayward son. I don’t have that unfortunately, but perhaps we can work together toward a common goal.”

  Now he was talking.

  “You obviously want something from Mason, no? Well, I do too. You two find him and I’ll pay you a handsome reward for your efforts.”

  I glanced over at Andre and he had a goofy grin on his face. God, he looked stupid. But I couldn’t be bothered with getting annoyed at him.

  For once, I was happy. We were going to track down Razor, something we’d been doing anyway, and get paid big money to do it.

  “We’ll be honored to help you sir,” I said with my most charming smile.

  We quickly hammered out the details of the deal and Brian gave us all the information he knew about Mason and his stepdaughter Carly and then we left his office.

  “Well shit,” Andre said as we got into an elevator to go down to the bottom floor. “How the hell are we going to find Razor when we haven’t found him all this time?”

  “We don’t have to find him,” I said darkly, my mind formulating a blueprint of a plan.

  “Huh?” Andre asked stupidly.

  Normally, I would have yelled at him already, but I didn’t even have the urge to say something nasty. I was so proud of myself.

  “Because,” I said, “he’s going to come to us.”

  Chapter 18

  Carly

  “It’s a fake,” Brian said over the phone about the footage I’d sent him. “This is not even real.”

  “What?” I asked breathlessly. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Surely he could see that it was Mayor Bradley in the video. How could he not? “Are you serious?”

  “I am,” Brian replied calmly. “This video is just a hoax, a setup by Bradley’s political opponents to see him out of office and Mason was foolish enough to let himself be used as a pawn.”

  “I�
�m sorry, Carly,” Brian continued, “but you’ve really got to stop doing this. You are grasping at straws in your effort to protect your brother.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” I half-shouted. I think this was the first time I’d ever been angry enough to swear at Brian. “I know you can see that the man’s face in that video is the God damn mayor!”

  “Calm yourself, Carly,” Brian said with unnerving calm. I was shocked. After what I just said, he should’ve been yelling at the top his lungs. “This is very much unlike you. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you swear at me.”

  “Because I’ve never had a reason to until now!”

  “Well, you still don’t have a reason to and you need to show a little bit more respect for your stepfather. I’m the one paid your way through college, remember? Me. Not you. Not your mother. And not Mason. Me.”

  I’d hoped to never hear those words, to be reminded that I owed my stepfather for his generosity, but now I didn’t give a flying fuck.

  “I appreciate what you did for me,” I said carefully, “and I thank you deeply for it. But this video is not fake, and you of all people should be on Mason’s side. He did the right thing!”

  “Mason didn’t do anything but be the criminal that he is,” Brian growled. “And if you don’t want to wind up sitting in jail cell beside him, I’d suggest you stop defending him.”

  I couldn’t take anymore. “You know what? Mason was right about you being a heartless, cruel bastard. I don’t know why I didn’t see it until now. Something is not right about a man who is only too happy to vilify his only son. And I don’t care if he wasted your money by dropping out of college or whatever. It wasn’t even that big of a deal for you. You don’t treat your children this way if you love them.”

  “Are you in love with Mason?” Brian asked suddenly, ignoring my insult.

  The question came so far out of left field that I froze.

  “You’ve slept with him, haven’t you?” Brian pressed. “I just know it. I can hear it in your voice.”

  Shit.

  I didn’t realize I’d given myself away just by defending him. But in the end, did it really matter? Who cared what anyone thought about it. It’s not like Mason and I were together anyway.