Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen
Kelley sat in the passenger seat of the SUV as Connor followed the ambulance. They had gotten Lee discharged after a week and Ulrich had transformed one of the guest rooms into a hospital room. Lee wasn’t on his feet yet but he’d be safer at Kelley’s house.
Mason stood by the front door as the ambulance pulled up and he smiled when the doors opened. Lee was strapped to a gurney but he lifted his head and gave Mason a smile. Kelley and Connor helped to get him upstairs and together they got Lee settled.
“Any word from Blain?” He was anxious, just like everyone else. He had no idea how Kelley did all of this because the worry was getting to him. Everyone were safe on the island but he still worried and at night he dreamed about Grace. She was alone, in the enemy camp, and probablly so fucking afraid and he couldn't do a thing to help her.
Kelley sat down in an armchair close to Lee’s bed and leaned back against the headrest. “They’re in Puerto Rico.”
Lee nodded his head but didn’t say anything else. Mason shifted on the other side and both Kelley and Lee looked at him. “I want to speak to Kirk.”
“We should. With everything happening I haven’t been down to the basement. Black’s there too.”
Lee frowned. “Why’s Black in there?”
“How good were your drugs, Lee? I told you in the hospital that he was here.” Kelley smiled and Lee lifted his middle finger. “He was the photographer.”
“Shit, Kelley.”
Kelley gave him a grim look. “I’m feeling a bit out of my depth here. I don’t know what to do. We don’t torture and kill people, that’s not who we are. On the other hand, we need them to talk and tell us what they know.”
“Kelley … we’ve always made decisions together but the truth is that you’ve always been the leader here. People naturally follow you, so decide what you think is our best course.”
Lee shifted on the bed and sat upright. “Mason’s right. I killed my father and whether I want to admit it or not I’d kill Lewis too.”
Kelley looked at them and rubbed a hand over his face. “Black’s different … Charles asked him to kidnap Milana and he said no, he didn’t even hesitate. I have to believe there’s some good in him.”
“There might be some good in him but he broke the trust.”
Mason had a point and Kelley had to agree. Black could give them information but how much of that information could he really trust? Another realization hit Kelley and he leaned forward, an anguished sound coming from him.
“This is all my fault.”
“It’s not your fault, Kelley.” Lee looked like he was about to get out of the bed and Mason stepped closer to him.
“You guys remember when Lewis came to see me about Hanson … he said innocent blood would be spilled.”
Mason and Lee looked at each other and Mason gripped Kelley’s shoulders. “And we all agreed to stand our ground, all three of us. This is not on you, Kelley, it’s on them.”
“Lewis Blackwell shot me, not you. Get your head out of your ass and let’s do something about it.” Lee was angry, hell, they were all angry.
“I’ll go down to the basement. Mason, check on everyone on the island.”
Mason gave him a grin. “You can’t call your wife and ask?” He knew exactly how pissed off Milana was. He'd spoken to Carey already and he liked ribbing Kelley. They needed a break from the seriousness of the situation that was now their lives.
Kelley’s eyes hardened and Mason stifled a laugh. “She’s not taking my calls at present.”
Lee and Mason both laughed and Kelley glared at them. “What did she say?”
“She mentioned divorce and smashing Steel’s phone.”
Lee was still grinning and shaking his head as he winced in pain. “She’ll come around, you’re too pretty to divorce.”
“I thought I was the pretty one.”
Lee laughed again with another wince. “You are, Mason, but Kelley’s prettiness comes with a scar, that’s legend man, just legend.”
Connor appeared in the doorway and cleared his throat. “Forgive me for interrupting your male bonding session but Kirk’s asking to speak to Mason and only Mason.”
Mason stood up from where he’d been sitting on the edge of Lee’s bed and looked at Kelley. “I’ll go, Kelley, I need answers about Andrea.”
Kelley nodded his head. “I’ll be watching from the parlor.”
“Mase … ask him about the shooting too. Tell him that we know it was Lewis, he might be more forthcoming with information if he knows what we know.”
They all filed out of the bedroom, leaving Lee to his own devices. He laid his head back on the pillow, exhaustion taking over. He needed for all of this to be over so Marella could come home, so he could tell her why he’d gone home that afternoon.
Mason and Kelley split up in the foyer downstairs, Kelley heading to the parlor and Mason heading to the kitchen with Connor. He needed to control the anger bubbling inside him because Kirk had brought Andrea to him, to safety. He would've preferred Kelley to do the interrogation because he wasn't sure if he could have a civil enough conversation with Kirk. He wouldn't hurt the man, but if he didn't talk, Mason had no idea what to do, he wasn't that type of person, to beat information out of someone.
Connor opened a steel door at the bottom of the stairs in the basement and motioned for Mason to follow him. “He’s in the first cell.”
“Is he …”
“We haven’t touched him or Black.”
Mason sighed in relief, not sure why he was relieved, these were bad people, people with an agenda, people determined to ruin lives, to ruin them. Mason hardened his features, he wouldn’t feel sorry for either of them.
Mason wasn't a violent person by nature. He'd had enough aggression for football but that was different. He knew he'd step over the line for his brothers, for Grace and for Carey, but the idea of watching someone get tortured didn't sit well with him.
