Mason: The Sinner Saints #4 Read Online Free PDF
Author: Adrienne Bell
came on the line.
Mason immediately handed the phone over. Tears overflowed Sara’s eyes, spilling down her cheeks.
“M-Mom,” she sputtered. “Are you all right?”
Sara balled her hand into a fist and pressed it against the center of her chest as her mother answered.
“I’m going to get you out of there, Mom,” she said. Her voice might be shaky, but there was no denying the resolve that shone through in every word. “I swear to God. I don’t care what I have to do. I’m going to get you and Dad out. No, don’t go. Not yet.”
Mason reached over and tried to take the phone back. He had to pry it from her tight grip, but at least she didn’t fight him this time. The hysteria that had raged out of control in her eyes just a few minutes ago was nearly extinguished, leaving only the charred remains of fear and weariness behind.
But he could deal with that later…after he was finished with the matter at hand.
“Satisfied?” the man asked as Mason pressed the phone to his ear.
“For now.”
“Good,” the man’s voice grew colder. “Then we can move on to my demands.”
Mason straightened his shoulders. He’d known this was coming. In fact, he’d counted on it. Every word the man said gave him more clues about who he was dealing with…and how Mason would eventually bring him down.
“My original arrangement with Sara was that she was not to bring any outside parties in to assist with the heist,” the voice went on. “But since she has disregarded our agreement, I have no choice but to do the same. Before, I was perfectly content to allow her to serve out her sentence for this single crime, but now I’m afraid that arrangement will no longer be sufficient.”
Mason’s teeth ground together. So, that’s why Sara had said that she wasn’t trying to get away with anything this morning. She knew all along that she would be taking the fall for the theft. It was all part of the plan.
“What are you proposing?” Mason asked.
A long low laugh sounded in his ear. “I’m not proposing anything. This isn’t a negotiation. It’s a simple ultimatum, and one that I’m not certain Miss Baumgartner deserves after breaking her part of the bargain.”
Mason’s attention snapped to Sara as she tugged on his jacket. She looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes. The tip of her nose was bright pink, both from the wind and her tears. She looked battered and worn down, but not defeated. Not yet anyway.
“What does he want?” she asked.
“Go on,” Mason said through tight lips.
“Now she will have to confess to the Kelham job as well,” the man said.
Mason had no idea what the man meant, but the razor-sharp glee in his voice made Mason’s stomach churn. Whatever he was asking for, it couldn’t be good.
“He wants you to take responsibility for the Kelham job,” he repeated.
Mason’s fears were confirmed the moment that all the color drained from Sara’s face. He opened his mouth to tell the bastard no deal, but Sara stopped him before a single word came out.
“Tell him I’ll do it,” she said.
Mason narrowed his eyes. He pressed his lips together tight. She was in no condition to agree to anything.
Sara must have sensed his hesitation because she leaned forward and practically shouted into the mouthpiece.
“I’ll do it.”
Mason puffed out his chest as he slid back a step.
“There you go,” he said with an evenness he wasn’t feeling. “You have your deal.”
“Not quite,” the man said cryptically. “We still need to arrange your end of the bargain.”
“All right.”
It didn’t matter what the kidnapper said. This wasn’t going to be any different than any other hostage situation he’d dealt with. He just needed to stick to the script—placate the kidnapper, show all signs that you’re going along with his plan, all the while secretly exploiting his weaknesses until the moment you can take him out.
Mason was already thinking ahead. The moment he was off the
Mason immediately handed the phone over. Tears overflowed Sara’s eyes, spilling down her cheeks.
“M-Mom,” she sputtered. “Are you all right?”
Sara balled her hand into a fist and pressed it against the center of her chest as her mother answered.
“I’m going to get you out of there, Mom,” she said. Her voice might be shaky, but there was no denying the resolve that shone through in every word. “I swear to God. I don’t care what I have to do. I’m going to get you and Dad out. No, don’t go. Not yet.”
Mason reached over and tried to take the phone back. He had to pry it from her tight grip, but at least she didn’t fight him this time. The hysteria that had raged out of control in her eyes just a few minutes ago was nearly extinguished, leaving only the charred remains of fear and weariness behind.
But he could deal with that later…after he was finished with the matter at hand.
“Satisfied?” the man asked as Mason pressed the phone to his ear.
“For now.”
“Good,” the man’s voice grew colder. “Then we can move on to my demands.”
Mason straightened his shoulders. He’d known this was coming. In fact, he’d counted on it. Every word the man said gave him more clues about who he was dealing with…and how Mason would eventually bring him down.
“My original arrangement with Sara was that she was not to bring any outside parties in to assist with the heist,” the voice went on. “But since she has disregarded our agreement, I have no choice but to do the same. Before, I was perfectly content to allow her to serve out her sentence for this single crime, but now I’m afraid that arrangement will no longer be sufficient.”
Mason’s teeth ground together. So, that’s why Sara had said that she wasn’t trying to get away with anything this morning. She knew all along that she would be taking the fall for the theft. It was all part of the plan.
“What are you proposing?” Mason asked.
A long low laugh sounded in his ear. “I’m not proposing anything. This isn’t a negotiation. It’s a simple ultimatum, and one that I’m not certain Miss Baumgartner deserves after breaking her part of the bargain.”
Mason’s attention snapped to Sara as she tugged on his jacket. She looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes. The tip of her nose was bright pink, both from the wind and her tears. She looked battered and worn down, but not defeated. Not yet anyway.
“What does he want?” she asked.
“Go on,” Mason said through tight lips.
“Now she will have to confess to the Kelham job as well,” the man said.
Mason had no idea what the man meant, but the razor-sharp glee in his voice made Mason’s stomach churn. Whatever he was asking for, it couldn’t be good.
“He wants you to take responsibility for the Kelham job,” he repeated.
Mason’s fears were confirmed the moment that all the color drained from Sara’s face. He opened his mouth to tell the bastard no deal, but Sara stopped him before a single word came out.
“Tell him I’ll do it,” she said.
Mason narrowed his eyes. He pressed his lips together tight. She was in no condition to agree to anything.
Sara must have sensed his hesitation because she leaned forward and practically shouted into the mouthpiece.
“I’ll do it.”
Mason puffed out his chest as he slid back a step.
“There you go,” he said with an evenness he wasn’t feeling. “You have your deal.”
“Not quite,” the man said cryptically. “We still need to arrange your end of the bargain.”
“All right.”
It didn’t matter what the kidnapper said. This wasn’t going to be any different than any other hostage situation he’d dealt with. He just needed to stick to the script—placate the kidnapper, show all signs that you’re going along with his plan, all the while secretly exploiting his weaknesses until the moment you can take him out.
Mason was already thinking ahead. The moment he was off the