Runaways
Authors: Beth Szymkowski
Runaways © 2014 DreamWorks Animation Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Based on “Runaways” © 2014 Awesomeness, LLC. All rights reserved.
Created and produced by Running Press Kids, an imprint of Running Press Book Publishers, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
ISBN: 978-1941341-45-2
This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher. For information address AwesomenessINK, 1000 Flower Street, Glendale, California 91201.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
19. You People Have Safes, Don’t You?
22. Where All Bodies are Buried
19. YOU PEOPLE HAVE SAFES, DON’T YOU?
Kaylee was home early from school and had been enjoying the quiet of the house when she heard familiar voices in the living room. Mason was talking with her father? It was more than unusual; it was unbelievable. Her father had basically declared war on Mason, yet here he was. She crept close and stood silently in the hallway.
Mason sat across from her father, the tastefully modern coffee table between them. Mason’s leather jacket contrasting with the socialite’s Oxford shirt and cashmere sweater. Mason hadn’t been sure what to expect when Abernathy called and invited him to the house. For a brief moment, he thought he might actually be trying to get to know him. Mason smiled. Kaylee’s innocence had been rubbing off on him. But then the prick spoke. “You need to break up with my daughter.” Mason immediately stood up and turned toward the door.
“Sit,” Abernathy commanded.
“Screw you. I’m not a dog.”
Kaylee smiled. She knew Mason would stand up to him.
“Sit. You’ll want to hear my offer.” To Kaylee’s dismay, Mason
sat. He wasn’t supposed to entertain anything resembling an offer about breaking up with her.
“So there’s an offer?” Mason was suspicious.
Abernathy pulled a pile of cash out from a shelf under the table and put it between them. He kept his eyes on Mason as he slid the money toward him. “You are going to break up with Kaylee.”
Mason picked up the cash and carefully counted it—one hundred fifty-dollar bills in all. “Five thousand dollars?”
Kaylee cringed. This was no small gesture. That was big money to anyone, let alone someone like Mason. She felt her body tightening, waiting for his response. He had to reject it. He had to. He loved her.
“You think I’ll break up with your daughter for five thousand dollars?” Kaylee felt herself relax. Mason was about to get going and tell her father what he could do with his money. But instead, he shook his head. “This isn’t enough.” She heard him drop the money on the table. Kaylee fought the urge to scream out.
“What?” Abernathy had expected the punk to protest before taking the payment just to save face, but he did not expect him to bargain.
“Double it and we’ll talk.”
“My offer is on the table.”
“You want me to consider it, stop insulting me. Go get your checkbook or go to your safe. You people have safes, don’t you? And get more money.” He pushed the cash back toward him. “You probably spend this much eating out in a month. I want real bones.”
Kaylee couldn’t listen anymore. She thought of the times she had defended Mason, had defended his honor and decency to people. She’d been wrong about everything. With that thought, she slipped away toward the back door of the house, already dialing her phone. In between sobs, she told Trevor she was going to the park where they used to play as kids. She knew he’d drop what he was doing to be with her.
In the living room, Abernathy considered Mason before quietly rising to do as he asked. Once alone, Mason looked around. Everything was beautifully decorated. It was modern, but somewhat warm. A wall of glass looked out on the pool. A party house. Mason wondered why Kaylee never had any. When Abernathy returned, the cash pile was twice as big.
He handed it to Mason, his voice authoritative. “Of course you won’t mention this when you break up with her.”
“Don’t worry. She’ll only hate one of us.”
This seemed to be the final insult. Abernathy nearly spat his words. “You’re just a blip in her life. A momentary diversion
that she might mention some day when she talks about boys she dated in high school. I’m her father.”
Mason grinned at the irony. “Right. Her image of a good man.” His blood was boiling. He never felt more sorry for Kaylee, to have this asshole raise her. She’d been given every advantage in life, except a decent father. What a role model. Mason mentally thanked his own dad. He may have been uneducated and downright gruff, but he was a good man. “Here’s the thing . . .”
“We’re done here.” Abernathy was accustomed to calling the shots, but Mason wasn’t accustomed to listening to anyone.
“Here’s the thing. I’m not breaking up with Kaylee.”
“Maybe I wasn’t clear. You’re breaking up with her. One way or another, I will make it happen. I didn’t have to offer you anything.”
“Add
generous
to all those great things people think about you.” Mason shook his head.
“If I see you with Kaylee, hear about you with Kaylee, anything. I will call the police and say you stole that money.”
“No. You won’t.”
“You little self-righteous shit. You seem to be mistaking me for some powerless sap like your father.”
Mason nearly hit him then. He made a fist but fought the urge. This had to end with him in control. “You won’t report me, because if you do, to anyone, I’ll tell them what I know.”
“Make up any story you want. No one will believe you.” But the man clearly was uncomfortable. Mason let the silence sit. The prick probably had several big secrets and wasn’t sure which one he was talking about. But Mason knew the one he had was a game changer. Screw this asshole for thinking he wasn’t good enough for his daughter. Screw him for thinking he could be bought like a whore. Screw him for underestimating Mason Henry.
“It’s sort of unethical, really, if you think about it,” Glinda reasoned. Kaylee’s dad offered money to Mason to break up with his daughter, and Mason took the money but refused to hold up his end of the bargain. “If I gave money to someone to buy a really great fringed leather jacket, and they took the money but gave me a jacket that didn’t have fringe, I’d be hellza angry. And this is way worse. I mean, he didn’t even get the jacket. Forget the fringe.” Glinda was sure William Abernathy must have felt the same way. “Do you think this might be what led to his getting killed? Like, the old man went after Mason and they fought?”
“So people at school knew what happened with her father?” The old detective sounded impatient.
“Of course. Word got out. And it was obvious when Kaylee started avoiding Mason.”
“They were still together as of last night.”
“But they almost broke up before over it. I saw the whole thing. I was on a balcony at school.” Again, very Ruliet.
“So they fought. . . .” The older detective was also tired.
“Right. Mason was sitting on the steps after school. He was
throwing rocks at a fire hydrant, looking all angsty. I waited around to see what was going on. He has a total crap arm, by the way. Couldn’t hit the hydrant to save his life.”
