Captured by him

Chapter 20: The car

Warning: Violence and Sexual assault towards the end (another warning closer to part).

The car came to a stop and Mason swiftly hopped out of the car. His driver had driven us so we were both seated in the back. I went to reach for my door handle and pulled it, excepting to get out of the car, but it wouldn't open. I sighed and waited for Mason to walk around and help me out. Sure enough, he came.

The door opened and he held out his large, tan hand for me to grab. I really wasn't in the mood to push his patience anymore today and we were also out in public. Had you asked me two weeks ago if I would cause a scene the answer would have been a definite yes, but now, now I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure that my body could go through another punishment. I wasn't sure that my mind could survive another one of Mason's fits of rage.

I could see that he was trying to contain his anger around me, but sometimes, actually quite often, I would bear the brunt of it. I studied his hand, deciding what I would do. His fingers remained outstretched to mine. Small callouses lined his palm and I could see a few veins popping out at his wrist. His suit had moved slightly up his arm, as he stood there waiting for me.

I could see some black mark on his wrist, but I couldn't quite make it out. It would probably be a symbol of his Mafia or something like that, but I was curious anyway. Mason cleared his throat causing our eyes to meet. He rose his eyebrow at me and said,

"Well, Annalise, aren't you going to take my hand?"

I slowly turned my body around in the car, my legs hanging from the car now. Raising my hand from beside me, I slid my hand into his. We walked into the restaurant and the night pretty much went downhill from there.

We were seated at a table that overlooked the landscape outside. The sun was still just peeking over the horizon, glowing through the window giving the restaurant an orange tinge. As I gazed out of the floor-to-ceiling window, I could hear Mason talking again. I listened to his voice, not his words. It was deep, husky. The words rolled off his tongue so smoothly. Slowly turning my head back around to look at him, I noticed his lips moving up and down. His jaw was lined with stubble that must have grown throughout the day. His eyes were blue today, not blue like the sky, but like the ocean after a storm. 

The presence of a waiter to my side caused me to shift my gaze. He asked something but Mason waved him off. Mason's hand drifted across the table and picked up mine. I glanced at it, then at him.

"Annalise? Are you okay darling?"

Was he concerned about me? No, that wasn't possible.

"Yes, I just have a headache" I lied.

I wasn't okay and he knew that, but there was no point making a big fuss when we were out. Especially with his guards lining every walkway of this building.

Mason reached for the water glass sitting on the table and placed it in my hand.

"Drink. You haven't had much to eat recently and probably not much to drink either. I think when we get some food into you, you will feel much better. I have already ordered for us." He smiled at me.

Cautiously I slid my hand out of his and wrapped my hand around the glass in front of me. I looked down at it, swirling it around. I looked up at him and sipped it. The food came next. Everything he had picked was vegetarian, which meant he knew I hadn't been eating the meat that was served to me at his house. It was unsurprisingly delicious, I didn't think that Mason would eat anything less. I watched outside as our plates were taken from us. Stars began to dot the sky.

Most of the night he talked at me, I don't remember what about but he was in a good mood so that was nice for me. He had ordered some cheese for him and me to share, and some wine for him. I lay my cutlery on my plate and looked at Mason, pushing out my chair.