Mason (Trinity Academy 2)

“Oh, God!” Serena whimpers. “I can’t believe you’re taking this so far.”

I turn my head to her, and growl, “I’ll never forget Falcon’s face while they were treating Layla. Honestly, if I could kill you, I would. Unfortunately, I can’t so I have to settle for this.”

“Shut it down!” Senator Weinstock yells, when it’s clear they can’t bypass Preston to take back control of the system.

Then Serena’s voice echoes loudly from the speakers, “You made a big mistake.” The image switches to Layla collapsing and being rushed out of the room. “You made a big mistake.”

The screen blacks out again, and Senator Weinstock’s voice returns to the speakers, “Shut it off!”

“Mason!” Serena screams as she turns to me, fear tightening her face.

My eyes meet hers with a glacial stare before I look back to the screen. “We’re not done yet.”

The footage from the indoor pool begins to play, and my heart painfully constricts as it shows Kingsley’s near-drowning. Her face has also been blurred out, but not Serena’s.

There’s chaos on stage as people rush around to try to stop the footage from being broadcasted on live television, but the cameramen keep airing.

“I had them eating out of the palm of my hand,” Serena’s voice sneers and then the scene plays out where she pushes Kingsley into the pool.

Seeing it again doesn’t make the blow of pain any lighter, and I bring my hand up, shoving my fingers through my hair as I watch Kingsley go under. She only comes up once before she sinks again.

I turn away from the screen, facing Serena because I know what’s coming next and I want to see her expression as she watches Kingsley’s body stop fighting for air. The only time I watched it, it left me puking my guts out.

Knowing everyone is preoccupied, I take a step closer to Serena and growl, “I had to watch the woman I would die for, gasping for her last breath,” When she glances at me, I snap, “Watch the fucking screen.” Her eyes dart back to the footage, and she lifts a trembling hand to cover her mouth. “Her heart stopped because of you. To me, you are nothing more than a fucking murderer.”

Every bit of anger I’ve been holding back, every speck of hatred I had to swallow rushes to the surface when I hear Serena’s voice come over the speakers again, “You made a big mistake.”

“I didn’t mean for her to drown,” Serena sobs and then her face crumbles as she begins to cry. Suddenly her head snaps up, and a look of desperation flashes in her eyes. “Mrs. Reyes told me to give Layla the pie. I only did as I was told.”

What the fuck?

The icy prickles of shock ripples over me.

Surely Mrs. Reyes wouldn’t have gone that far?

Would she really hurt her own son like that?

The questions are fleeting before the answer settles hard in my gut.

Yes. Yes, she would.

Needing to make sure Serena isn’t lying, I ask, “Do you have proof?”

“Of course.” Serena digs in her bag and hands me her phone. “All the texts are on there. Please, Mason. I never meant for it to go that far.”

Rage makes it hard for me to speak, as I bite out, “You’re getting off light, Serena. If I had my way, you’d be dead. You just saw it for yourself,” I gesture to the screen where all the plans the good Senator had for CRC’s investment, scrolls over the screen, “accidents happen so easily.”

“You’re a corrupt bastard,” a man shouts from the crowd.

“Thief! That money was meant to better our lives!”

“Down with Weinstock!” another yells, and it catches on until the crowd is chanting, “Down with Weinstock!”

I turn to face Senator Weinstock who’s frozen with shock, his skin almost looking grey from worry.

“Your microphone is active again,” Preston’s voice sounds up in my ear. “You’re good to go.”

Leveling the senator with a glare which shows everything I’m feeling, I say, “I am shocked to my core by what I witnessed here today. CRC Holdings will look into this horrifying matter, and if proved to be correct, then CRC Holdings will no longer support Senator Weinstock and charges will be brought against the Senator and Miss Weinstock.”

When I finish, an elderly woman asks, “What happened to those poor girls?”

“She’s a murderer!”

“Get them!”

Absolute chaos breaks out in the stadium as people rush the stage. Security quickly surrounds us, escorting us to the back.

I split away from the security team, who’s trying to get the Senator and his family to safety and jog over to where Falcon is waiting.

“Let’s get Preston and get out of here,” I say. “The crowd’s going crazy.”

“Preston, get your ass to the rendezvous point right now,” Lake’s voice sounds over the earpieces.

“I’m coming.” I hear Preston’s breaths as he runs, and then he gasps, “Next time can we pick a place that doesn’t have so many stairs?”