Chapter 2 - Mason Enters The Mahogany Study With Cold Precision
The heavy oak doors of the study swung open before Mason even knocked, revealing his scarred face and imposing frame.
He stepped inside with the silent, predatory grace of a man who spent his life cleaning up messes in the dead of night.
Lorenzo remained seated behind his desk, his expression carved from granite as he watched his head of security close the door.
“Close it tight,” Lorenzo instructed, his voice dropping into a register that commanded absolute obedience.
Mason stopped, noting the rigid tension in his boss’s shoulders and the whiskey glass sitting untouched on the blotter.
“What’s happened, boss?” Mason asked, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the room and noticed Sophia standing near the corner.
“Sophia’s little girl saw something yesterday,” Lorenzo said, gesturing slightly toward Emma who still clutched her stuffed rabbit.
Mason glanced at the child, then back at Lorenzo, wondering what kind of threat could possibly rattle the most feared man in Manhattan.
“She saw a woman near the old Meridian freight district,” Lorenzo continued slowly. “A woman who looked like Isabella.”
Silence descended on the room like a physical weight, broken only by the crackle of the fireplace throwing shadows across the wall.
Mason didn’t laugh, and he didn’t dismiss it as childish imagination because he knew Lorenzo never entertained idle nonsense.
“That’s impossible,” Mason said flatly, his voice carrying the hard edge of a professional fixer who relied on cold facts.
“Is it?” Lorenzo asked, leaning forward over the mahogany desk. “Tell me about the body recovered from that ravine two months ago.”
Mason’s jaw tightened imperceptibly as he recalled the tragic aftermath of the rainy night north of Manhattan.
“The vehicle was incinerated,” Mason stated, ticking off the details from memory. “Dental records matched the state registry.”
“And the coroner?” Lorenzo pressed, his gray eyes locking onto his security chief. “Who signed off on the final identification?”
“Dr. Alistair,” Mason replied cautiously. “A man with thirty years in the county morgue and an unblemished professional reputation.”
Lorenzo stood up from his chair, walking slowly toward the window where the lights of New York twinkled through the glass.
“Sophia saw her too,” Lorenzo murmured, his back turned to the room. “And she saw Bruno.”
Mason’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of the massive black dog that had vanished the very same morning.
“Bruno?” Mason repeated, stepping closer. “The dog was supposed to be inside the burning vehicle with her.”
“That’s what the initial search reports claimed,” Lorenzo said, turning back around to face them. “No remains of an animal were ever recovered.”
Sophia clutched the laundry basket tighter against her hip, her breath catching in her throat as she listened to the grim exchange.
“A gray SUV followed Sophia and Emma home yesterday,” Lorenzo added, his voice dropping an octave. “Someone is watching them.”
Mason’s hand drifted instinctively toward the concealed shoulder holster beneath his tailored suit jacket.
May you like
“Give me two hours,” Mason said coldly. “I’ll tear the Meridian freight district apart block by block until we find out who’s playing games.”
“No,” Lorenzo commanded, holding up a single hand. “We don’t kick the hornet’s nest until we know what’s inside.”
Related Stories
