Visitor in the Night

LAUREN

I felt a touch.

At first, I thought it was just a dream. But when the covers started to slide off me, I snapped awake.

It was dark, and I couldn’t see who it was. But the figure was tall, looming over me.

I tried to scream, but a hand quickly covered my mouth.

My heart pounded in my chest. We stayed like that for a few seconds.

I couldn’t see more than a shadow, but I knew it wasn’t Mason. I knew his touch. I knew how my body reacted when he was near.

So who was it?

I tried to speak, but it was just a muffled sound. I tried to sit up, but then his mouth was on mine, pushing my head back into the pillow.

I fought back, scratching and biting.

His dark hair caught the light as he bent down to me again. His face was hidden in shadow, but I could see the harsh, excited glint in his eyes. It took my breath away.

“Stop,” I whispered.

He was bigger and stronger than me. I couldn’t break free.

He laughed, a cold sound, as his hand moved down to my breast. I twisted away from his touch, feeling like I was being burned.

I gasped for breath as I struggled.

He held me down, his fingers spread across the back of my head, his lips hard against mine.

His kiss was fast and hard. Then his mouth moved to my neck, kissing me quickly, fiercely. His weight pressed down on me.

I didn’t think twice. I bit down on his shoulder, hard enough to draw blood.

He screamed and let go. I took my chance and kneed him in the stomach.

With a strength I didn’t know I had, I pushed him off and jumped out of bed. I ran for the door.

“Mason! Mason!” I screamed, loud enough to wake the dead.

I stumbled out into the hallway, tripping over my own feet and falling to my knees.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway. Then they were all there, looking at me with annoyance.

“What is the meaning of this? Bothering people in the middle of the night! Do you have any idea what your bloody screaming might do to my ears?”

I ignored Rebecca’s words and ran to the only friendly face I could see.

I grabbed onto Sebastian’s shirt and hid behind him, my breath coming in ragged gasps. I pointed at the door as the figure emerged from my room.

I wasn’t the only one who gasped.

“Dominic?” Chloe shrieked. “What were you doing in her room?”

“Oh my god, is this what you two have been up to?” Rebecca asked, disgust in her voice.

“You bitch!” She stomped towards me, but Sebastian stepped in front of her.

“Is this how you repay my brother for loving you? Shagging his cousin behind his back?”

I gasped at her words and shook my head, trying to hold back tears.

“Bloody hell, I knew there was something wrong with her. You aren’t satisfied with one Campbell, so you want to sink your teeth into another one? Are you that much of a gold digger?” Chloe spat.

“Let her speak,” Sebastian said, glaring at them.

I looked at Dominic, who was leaning against the door, smirking. I wanted to slap him.

“He came to my room,” I said, my voice shaking. “I was sleeping and he…he tried…”

“Shut up!” Rebecca screamed. “You dare come into our home and accuse my cousin of such a thing? Do you think anyone would give you a second glance? Much less Dom, who only dates supermodels?”

“Are you crazy?” I yelled back. “How would you explain him coming out of my room or me screaming?”

“Dominic,” Sebastian said, his voice deadly calm. “What were you doing in her room?”

Before Dominic could answer, Mason stormed in. He was furious, his chest heaving, his teeth bared.

Our eyes met. He looked at me with a wild, murderous rage.

I wasn’t the only one who was startled.

“Mason,” Dominic started.

Mason didn’t let him finish. He punched Dominic in the face, sending him stumbling back into the room.

Mason looked powerful, his body glistening with sweat, his eyes filled with rage.

He hit Dominic again and again. With each punch, my heart pounded harder.

Rebecca and Chloe were screaming at him to stop, but I just stood there, frozen.

It took all of Sebastian’s strength to pull Mason off Dominic, who was barely breathing on the floor.

“You’re going to regret ever touching her,” Mason snarled at him. Two security guards rushed in and dragged Dominic away.

“Where are you taking him?” Rebecca demanded, following them out. “Mason, stop this!”

“Are you really doing this for her? She is no one!” Chloe yelled.

Mason ignored her. He walked over to me, looking wild and fierce.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me along, ignoring Chloe’s threats.

We walked until we reached a door. He let go of my hand and stormed inside, leaving me standing in the doorway.

“Get in,” he ordered.

The Mason Campbell I'd come to know as kind and considerate seemed to have vanished, replaced by a jerk. He spun around, his glare piercing me for my defiance.

I let out a sigh and stepped inside, shutting the door behind me.

He stood just a foot away, his gaze studying me intently.

His scrutiny made me nervous, especially since he looked so attractive in a snug T-shirt that accentuated his muscles and sweatpants hanging low on his waist.

His face was etched with worry, his hair tousled, his fists clenched at his sides. I had to resist the urge to reach out and unclench them.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded, feeling a bit overwhelmed by his imposing presence. Who wouldn’t be, when he stood there looking so strong and ready to take on anything that came his way.

I yearned for him to wrap his arms around me, to hold me close, even though I didn’t need it. But the chances of that happening were slim to none.

Taking a deep breath, I ran my fingers through my curls. “I’m okay,” I reassured him, realizing my silence was making him anxious.

“Promise.”

He ran his fingers through his hair, down to his nape, then let his hand drop with a sigh. “I shouldn’t have brought you here,” he confessed quietly.

“It’s not your fault,” I said, trying to alleviate his guilt.

He stared at me. “I didn’t say it was.”

Asshole.

“But for some reason, I hate that it is. I shouldn’t have left you alone. I knew Dominic was a jerk.”

His tone caught me off guard, and I couldn’t help but notice the fists he had just formed at his sides and the murderous look in his eyes.

“We are leaving,” he declared.

“What? I thought you wanted to bring me here for a few days?”

His brows furrowed. “You want to stay, Lauren?” he asked.

“No…”

“It’s settled.” His tone left no room for argument.

I felt a twinge of guilt that we were leaving so soon after arriving, but a larger part of me was relieved.

No offense to Mason, but his family was a nightmare. He could be as harsh as them, but he wasn’t as vile as Dominic.

The one who surprised me the most was Sebastian. Despite our rocky start, I felt like we could have gotten along well if I had stayed longer.

We left the next morning without saying goodbye to anyone.

No one came to see us off, but how could they when we slipped away at five in the morning?

I was convinced that Mason never slept. His habit of doing everything in the wee hours of the morning was far from endearing.

But looking at him, you wouldn’t see any signs of sleep deprivation.

We hadn’t spoken since we left the house, and the plane ride was just as silent. When we landed, I felt a mix of relief and anxiety.

I was eager to see my dad and Beth, but I decided not to tell them about the drama with Mason’s family.

I didn’t want to upset my dad or worry Beth unnecessarily.

“Well, that was a nice short visit to your family. We should do it again sometime,” I said with a bitter laugh, looking out the car window.

His laugh echoed mine.

“I’m glad you’re finding humor in this. I was worried you might have lost it.”

I turned to him, confused. “What will happen to Dominic?” I was curious about his fate.

“Let Dominic worry about that.” His eyes were narrowed in anger.

“You’re not going to kill him, are you?”

His lips twisted into a cynical smile. “As a matter of fact, I’ll have him executed on live television. It’d be a hit, don’t you think?”

I stared at him, bewildered. “What?”

Mason rolled his eyes. “I have a sense of humor too, Lauren.”

I let out a deep breath and chuckled. “You had me worried there for a sec.” No matter what Dominic did, I wouldn’t wish death on him unless he truly deserved it.

“You’re weird, do you know that? He almost raped you, but you’re more worried about whether I will kill him or not,” he said, his mouth set in a hard line and his eyes filled with disbelief.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re incredibly blunt?” I said. “You don’t care about what comes out of your mouth.”

“I believe in getting straight to the point. I don’t care if someone doesn’t like my choice of words,” he replied flatly. “Cold hard facts make you stronger.”

“Or they make you gain enemies.”

“If I didn’t have enemies, Lauren, I would worry.”

He was serious. He truly believed what he was saying.

There was no denying that Mason Campbell was a madman. Having enemies wasn’t something to be proud of.

If I were in his shoes, I’d be afraid to step outside for fear of getting shot.

But Mason was an arrogant and conceited man who believed that no bullet could touch him unless he allowed it to.

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

“You’re crazy, Mason, you know that?”

His gaze didn’t waver.

“Einstein was believed to be crazy too.”