Chapter 39

Ashton

"Come on, Ash," Mason called me so I walk as fast as I can. This place is not what I expected Mason and I would go. We are now in the middle of the forest, walking and running just to get to Freya's safe house. I no longer asked why Freya had a safe house and why it was in the middle of the fucking forest. My heart was beating so fast as I walked, Mason's steps were too fast so there are times that he left me behind and he needs to stop to wait for me. I can't help but be scared of the thought that Ron and Klen might follow us here or that there is a wild animal in here.

"Hurry, we're almost there," Mason said and he suddenly stopped walking, he waited for me to get close to him and he then grabbed my hand before we walked again.

After a few minutes of walking in the middle of the forest, we finally reached what Mason says is the safe house. The house is not that big, it looks like a cabin type only but the design is good even though the grass around is a bit lush, it looks like it's been a long time since anyone comes to this house.

"I was 15 when Freya took me here," Mason said even though I did not ask him. When we got to the front door of the house, Mason suddenly knocked on the door and my brows furrowed at what he just did.

"Why are you knocking?" I asked wondering. Is there anyone inside the safe house today?

Mason kept knocking on the door but no one opened it and I did not hear any footsteps inside so I don't know what Mason was doing.

"Don't you have the key in this house?" I asked Mason and he shook his head in response to my question. I heaved a sigh, waiting for someone to open the door.

"Lautner, open this goddamn door," Mason shouted when he runs out of patience. I frowned, even more, when I heard him call someone inside the safe house.

"Who's Lautner?" I asked in confusion and Mason was about to answer my question when we heard weak footsteps inside the safe house.

I swallowed my saliva and tried to hide my face inside the hoodie I am wearing. I slowly backed away and prepared myself to run in case something that is not on the plan happened, I do not know who is inside the safe house so I need to be wary and prepare myself.

While we were waiting for the door to open, I suddenly thought what if Fred had ordered Mason to bring me here? What if Luciano or one of Luciano's assassins opened the door? I couldn't help but think badly, I suddenly thought that maybe Mason was just playing with me.

"Hey, are you okay?" Mason suddenly asked me but I don't have the chance to reply when suddenly the door opened and I just stared in shock when I saw the man who opened the door.

"No way! What the fuck?" I cuss sharply as I was looking at the man in front of me and Mason in disbelief. It feels like I'm dreaming as I look at Mason then to the man who opens the door.

"Miss you, bro," the man greeted with a smile and walked towards Mason's direction.

"Miss you too, it's been months since the last time I saw you," Mason replied and hugged the man while I was still standing here and I couldn't manage to move because until now I still can't believe what I just witnessed.

When Mason and Lautner parted ways and then faced me, I couldn't help but swallow my saliva because I no longer knew who's Mason and Lautner were.

They are fucking identical.

"Hey bro, I want you to meet, Ashton. Ashton, this is my twin brother, Lautner." Mason introduces us, I see Lautner smile and approach me.

"Nice to meet you, Ashton," Lautner said and held out his palm, I immediately accepted and shake his hand but no word came out of my mouth. I just stared at Lautner then at Mason.

"Is he deaf, bro?" Lautner asked with curiosity. I heard Mason laughed and shook his head firmly.

"No, he can hear you," Mason replied still laughing softly. Lautner turned his attention back to me and raised an eyebrow at me as if he were waiting for me to speak.

"I don't know you have a twin brother," I said to Mason as my eyes are staring at his twin brother.

"Well, everyone thinks I'm dead," Lautner replied frowning, what does that mean? Why would everyone think that he is dead when he is in front of me alive, it doesn't make sense to me?

"It's cold here, let's get inside," Mason said and walked into the safe house first, Lautner just shrugged his shoulder and turned his back on me to follow his twin into the safe house.

"Shit!" I cuss when I heard something rustling behind me, I instantly ran inside the safe house and immediately closed the door. The fear still lingered in my chest as my eyes searched for Mason and Lautner, but I could not find them here in the living room.

"Wow!" I couldn't help but marvel as I looked at the design inside the safe house. When I saw the grass lushing outside the safe house earlier, I thought that the furniture inside the safe was maybe dusty and messy but it was the total opposite. The furniture inside is shiny and I can't even see any dusty furniture inside, it looks like this living room in the safe house is being cleaned every day.

"Want some coffee, Ashy?" I immediately turned around to find where the voice is coming from. I saw Lautner walking towards me and he was holding two cups of coffee.

"Ashy?" I asked Lautner with a confused face.

"Yeah! I hope you don't mind if I call you Ashy, in that way you can differentiate me from my twin brother. You see we're so identical that even my parents didn't know which is Mason and which is Lautner." He explained and smiled slightly, he then handed me a cup of coffee which I immediately accepted after I say my thanks to him.

"It's fine." I sparingly responded and drank my coffee carefully since it's still a bit hot. Lautner and I sat on the sofa, waiting for Mason to come out of the kitchen.

"Why are you here, Lautner? Why you don't live in your parent's house just like Mason and Jackson?" I asked Lautner, he raised an eyebrow at me and laid his cup on the table, and took a deep breath.

"Would you believe me if I say that I am Mason and that man you met in the house is Lautner?" Lautner said seriously causing me to frown in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him with furrowed brows.

"I am Mason, I let Lautner borrow my identity." Lautner or Mason replied. Fuck! I don't know who is in front of me anymore. As I stared intently at Lautner, Mason came out of the kitchen.

Mason suddenly stopped walking, "why are you looking at my brother like you're trying to figure out something?"

"He said he is Mason and you're Lautner," I replied to Mason and we have the same reaction when Lautner told me he is Mason. I saw Mason frowned and look at his twin who was grinning.

"Oh damn, stop messing with Ashton's head, Lautner, he's been through a lot with all those goons following us," Mason said and sat down next to me, I heard Lautner's weak laugh.

"Where's the fun, bro?" Lautner replied and took his cup and sipped his coffee while Mason just smirked at him.

"We're just staying here for two days." Mason suddenly said. I was not surprised anymore because he already told me earlier that we were only staying here for two days.

"Why? It's safe here." Lautner asked with a raised brow.

"It's not, we need to go to Mazatlan. I'll meet someone there that makes fake passports and visas." Mason replied.

"Are you out of your mind?" Lautner shouted causing me to back away in shock especially when I saw his angry face.

"Don't you dare go to that place, Mason. I'm warning you." Lautner said emphatically, I can't help but think that the place Mason wants to go is a dangerous place that's why Lautner is acting like he is an angry dad scolding his child.

"I'm going, don't worry nothing will happen to me. I just need to get Ashton a fake passport and visa, then he'll be back in the Philippines. That's all I need to do." Mason replied and it looks like he is determined to go to the place he called Mazatlan.

"Who are you working with?" Lautner suddenly asked and I immediately look at Mason with a confused face.

"Wait, what do you mean?" I asked Lautner but I was looking at Mason, I was trying to read the expression on his face.

"Mason is working with dad, he is a CPO," Lautner replied as my eyes widened. How did Mason become a CPO when he was still seventeen years old?

There's something that he's not telling me.

"That was before and I can't tell you who's my client. This is what you want Ashton, right? You want to go back to the Philippines. I'm helping you now." Mason said and drank his coffee.

"Are you helping me?" I asked Mason in a serious voice. I no longer know who I can trust at this point.

"Yes, I wouldn't waste my time saving you from those goons and bring you here if I don't want to help you," Mason replied as if annoyed by my question.

"Okay," I said sparingly and drank my coffee even though I knew it would not help me now, I became even more nervous every time I sipped my coffee.

"Well, then let's not waste your two days here, let's go camping tonight. For now, I think you need a lot of sleep. I'll wake you up when brunch is ready." Lautner said and left, I did not know where he was going.

"Hey, let's go to bed. I know you're so tired right now, want some massage?" Mason asked and stood up, he held out his hand in front of me so I could do nothing but accept his hand and stand up.

"No need, Mason. I know you're also tired." I replied and just let Mason take me to the bedroom. When we entered the room we both fell on the bed and I closed my eyes, feeling the soft mattress.

"You're a fucking liar, Mason," I said in the middle of the silence that envelops the room.

"What? I'm not lying." He replied defensively.

"You're not seventeen years old, there's no way that you're gonna be a CPO at that age," I said and looked at Mason, I stopped moving when I noticed that Mason was also looking at me.

"I'm seventeen years old, my father trained me everything that he knows when I was a child and then he enlists me to the army when I was 13, both Lautner and I." Mason replied and I can't help but raised my eyebrow. I don't know what I should feel, Mason and Lautner, seem too young to be enlisted in the army, I don't know if that is legal in their country.

"Do you regret it?" I asked Mason and I could see the sadness in his eyes.

"No, I don't have any regrets. I just hope that dad didn't force Lautner to join the army with me." Mason replied and I could not help but feel pity when I saw tears dripping from his eyes. I slowly approached Mason and hugged him.

"Something happened to Lautner when we were on the first few months of training, it was so heartbreaking every time he says he's okay but I can see the terror and fear in his eyes," Mason added and I just cried as we hugged each other tightly.

I don't know why he is telling me this now, but maybe he just wants someone he can share the burdens he's been carrying for a long time and I'm ready to listen to him.