Fallen Crest Alternative Version

  “Logan, my brotha from another motha.”

  All three of us turned as one.

  Rex stood there with his hand in Becky’s. She peeked over his shoulder, biting her lip. Then he cocked his head up and sniffed the air. “Where’s a drink? I need a drink, stat.”

  Logan nodded and one was passed over. Then he turned to me and murmured from the side of his mouth, “This is going to piss off your quarterback.”

  Mason tucked me tighter against him. He’d heard the statement and I felt him breathe his agreement. Then he kissed the side of my jaw. “But that’s a good thing, right?”

  My heart fluttered. It was.

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  Logan and I were dancing on the dining room floor. The table had been pushed back and a set of speakers were set up. I wasn’t sure when it happened, but I took one too many of those shots he handed over and we ended up bopping our shoulders and bobbing our heads in tune with the music. My hips swayed back and forth and he bounced around me.

  It hadn’t taken much convincing to pull Becky on the dance floor with us. Rex was right behind her. When she tried to do her spins and fancy moves, he was right there. His hips thrust against her and he spent the night grinding against her leg. From the spark in her eyes and the rosiness in her cheeks, I knew she was enjoying every minute.

  When Logan caught my hand and spun me around, I couldn’t hold back my laughter. I hadn’t had fun at a party for—never. When I stopped at the edge of the dance floor, I glanced up and saw Mason in the corner. He was on a couch with Ethan and some of their other friends. My hand was caught again and I didn’t have a chance to see who else was with him before Logan spun me back the other way.

  I knew he would catch me, but before he did I bumped into another couple. “Oh, sorry,” I panted before I saw who it was.

  Jeff looked up and blinked a few times. His eyes widened and he backed away from the girl.

  I stopped short. Then it registered what I had seen. He was with a girl. He had been grinding with her and his lips were on her shoulder. The other had been under her shirt and her blonde hair was swept to the other side as he started to nibble towards her neck.

  Blonde.

  My eyes went wide when the girl turned in confusion. Jeff kept backing away and I knew he was going to try and sneak away. The girl he had been dancing with saw me standing there and she frowned. She had full pouty lips, dark eyes, and the dirty blonde hair I always knew he found attractive.

  I cursed and pushed after him.

  “Sam!” Logan shouted.

  I yelled back, “I’ll be back.”

  “Wha—” And then he stopped.

  I glanced over my shoulder before I turned down a hallway and saw Logan shrug before he turned towards where Mason was. But then I was in another hallway and I saw Jeff’s shoe slip inside a room. I hurried my pace.

  The door was about to shut, but I caught it and shoved it open.

  “Oh, come on!” Jeff groaned when I slipped inside. He backed up and slumped down on the bed. Then he rested his elbows on his knees and slid his hands through his hair. The spiky brown ends stood up as he shook his hand through them and looked back up with bleak eyes. “What are you going to do, Sam?”

  “You’re cheating on Jessica?”

  “I was dancing.”

  “You were going to do more! Or did you already do more?”

  Guilt flashed over him and he collapsed back on the bed. “Please don’t say anything to Jessica. Please, Sam. Please. I can’t handle her attitude right now.”

  I rolled my eyes. I was about to say something when the door opened again. Mason and Logan both came inside.

  “Oh my god!” Jeff groaned again as he saw them. “Really. I could do without the triad.”

  Mason’s eyes narrowed as he swept over me and lingered on Jeff. “What are you doing?”

  A disgusted sound ripped from the bottom of my throat. “I have no idea. This idiot cheated on me and he’s cheating on that girl now.”

  Jeff sat back up, but he watched them warily. “Oh, come on, Sam. Don’t tell me you’re not a little happy by this. She’s getting what she deserves, right?” He snorted.

  I stopped whatever I’d been about to say. He was right. I was happy, but I wasn’t. I glowered at him. “Stop cheating on girls.” It took two steps and I swatted him on the back of his head.

  “Ouch!” He rubbed at the spot and glowered back.

  Logan started laughing while Mason’s shoulder relaxed. He slid his hands in his jean pockets and leaned against the door, but then someone knocked and he opened it. Becky stumbled in, her eyes wide as she took in the scene. Mason and Logan both stood close to the door, but then her eyes fell on the bed and they went flat. She glanced at me and sighed. “What’d he do now?”

  “Hey.”

  Rex had followed behind her. He stopped and stared at Jeff with a frown.

  She turned back. “He’s my cousin.”

  He shrugged and went to lean beside Logan. All three of them were now lined up on the other side of the room.

  Becky shook her head. “What’d he do? Let me guess. He hit on you, didn’t he?” Before I could answer, she swatted the back of his head too.

  “Hey!”

  She ignored him. “What do you want me to do? I can sic my aunt on him. She’s already disgusted that her son is a manwhore.”

  “I am not.”

  I shrugged. “It wasn’t me. He was grinding on another girl. I’m pretty sure they’d just left a bedroom.”

  She turned with her hands on her hips. She struck an intimidating poise. “You cheated on Jessica? Wait, you’re still with Jessica, right?”

  “Yeah,” he grumbled. He hung his head.

  “I can’t believe you cheated on her. You usually cheat with her.”

  “I know. I know we do, but I don’t know.” He sighed as his shoulders lifted up and down. His head hung further. “Are you guys going to tell?”

  Becky’s eyes got wide again. “Tell Jessica? Are you kidding me?”

  “I will.” I spun on my heel and was through the door before anyone tried to stop me. I hadn’t gone far before a hand wrapped around my wrist and I was pulled into another empty room. This time the door was closed and locked before I could get back through.

  “What?” I glared at Mason.

  “Don’t do this.”

  “Do what?” My heart was racing. My chest heaved up and down.

  He moved away from me and a back lamp was switched on. He sat on the bed and looked up at me in the same pose as Jeff. Then he tugged me between his legs and leaned back. He rested his hands on the bed but watched me.

  “What?” I shifted underneath his gaze.

  “You know what. Don’t get involved with this.”

  “Why not?” I crossed my arms. “He cheated on me with her. I was the victim. She should learn what it feels like.”

  He continued to watch me. Those eyes never blinked, they never gave anything away. “Because you’re going to feel dirty if you do that. She’s going to find out anyway. Why do you have to get involved?”

  “Are you kidding me? This is something you’d do in a heartbeat.”

  He never blinked. “Yeah, but you’re not me. You’ll feel bad later. You’ll regret saying anything.”

  I groaned and tipped my head back. “Are you serious now?”

  His chuckle slid down my spine and then his hands found my hips and he urged me to straddle him. As I did and sunk lower, he leaned back up. A hand slid under my shirt, up my back, and his fingers took hold of my neck. He tilted it so I looked back down at him. Then he grinned as he leaned up to nip at my lips.

  My arms wound around him and I sighed as he explored my mouth.

  I melted into him and he pulled me down with him, but someone knocked on the door. We tensed and he lifted his head. “What?”

  Logan yelled through the door, “Broudou’s here.”

  Every muscle in Mason went solid. He felt like c
ement now, clenching and unclenching his jaw before he managed another response. His voice was gruff now. “Get the guys. I’m coming.”

  “What’s going on?”

  He pushed me off with a gentle hand and stood. “Don’t follow me, Sam.”

  “What?” I scrambled to my feet as he crossed for the door. “Why?”

  “I mean it.” He stopped in the doorway and held my gaze.

  It took my breath away. I’d never seen such intensity in him before. It verged on desperation and he tipped my chin up with a finger underneath. He whispered as he bent close, “Please, stay in here. We’ll send these guys away and I’ll come back. I promise.”

  He pressed a kiss to my lips and pulled the door shut behind him.

  “Who’s Broudou?”

  But he was already gone. I hurried to open it again and skidded to a halt. Two large guys stood against the hallway. Their gazes met mine and I knew I had inherited two bodyguards.

  “Are you kidding me?”

  One of them shook his head. “Sorry. Mason doesn’t want you out there. It’s for your safety.”

  An angry breath left me in a rush and my hands formed into fists. Then I heard from the hallway, “What are you guys doing?”

  The response was muffled. “Mason’s girl is in there.”

  The first person snorted in disgust. “Are you serious? It’s not the eighteenth century. I’m sure she’ll be fine.” And then the door was ripped open.

  I blinked at the sight of Kate in front of me. A slight sneer was on her face, but she gestured with her head down the hallway. My gaze slid over her and saw the rest of their friends. They had formed a barrier between the two bodyguards and me. Then Jasmine purred as she ran her hand up the guy’s leg. “Come on, Strauss. Let her go. She’s smart. She’s not going to be stupid and do anything stupid. He wouldn’t be with her if she did.” She tugged him forward. “Let’s use that room for something else.”

  My eyes went wide. She’d do that for me?

  And then I saw Jeff in the hallway. He met my gaze and let out a sigh in relief. “Come on, Becky wanted me to find you. We’re heading out.”

  Mason asked me to stay…

  Kate snapped, “Go!”

  I took off running and rushed past him down the hallway. He kept close behind. As we went down the stairway, a large crowd had formed in the living room, but everyone was pushing to get outside. Then I heard shouts from outside and knew that was where Mason and Logan had gone. When I started for the front door, against the swell of people, Jeff grabbed my arm and tugged me after him. He led into the kitchen. Another large crowd was in there as well, but he shoved towards the back door.

  It seemed to take forever, but we managed to push our way through. As soon as I stepped onto the back deck, I heard my name shouted and twisted around.

  Adam and Mark stood with the rest of the Elite group. My eyes went wide when I saw relief on all their faces, but I didn’t care. I hopped off the first deck and rounded the side of the house.

  “Sam!” Adam shouted after me. “Where are you going?”

  Jeff cursed behind me and grabbed to stop me.

  I twisted my arm free and kept going. More people lingered on the front lawn. As I started to push my way through a crowd on the edge, I saw the street was full of cars. A line of cars were parked on both sides of the street, but there was a line of waiting cars in the middle. I counted seven of them. When people spilled out of them in black and orange colors, I knew they didn’t come from either of the high schools in Fallen Crest.

  They were Roussou people.

  I gulped but started to shove forward again. Then I was pulled backwards in one violent yank. Two arms wrapped themselves around me. I tried to kick out of Adam’s hold. “Let me go!”

  He bent forward, but held tight. “Don’t, Sam. He wouldn’t want you there.”

  I kicked even more. “I have to be there. They can’t hurt them again.”

  “Sam, come on.” Jeff stood close on the side. His hand had a cement hold on his hair. He kept glancing from the crowd to me. “Be real here. You can’t help. It’s a dude fight. You’d get slaughtered.”

  Adam added, “And they’d know who you are. They don’t know about you. That’s key.”

  Emily had come up to us. With a worried look on her face, she frowned at me. “Sam, give it up. These guys are scary. If he wanted you out there, he would’ve taken you with. Mason and Logan are smarter than that. They’re looking out for you. Come to the back with us.”

  A police siren screeched through the air. The crowd went silent for a second. There was still pushing somewhere ahead, but then another siren went off and the crowd turned into a mob. Instead of fighting to get away, I tried to push myself farther up in Adam’s arms. I scanned the crowd. “Where’s Becky?”

  “She went with the stoners. They’re in the back.”

  Adam scooped an arm around my waist and he hauled backwards. The rest of the group ran with him. As he carried me through the crowd, Mark and Peter took each side. Jeff jogged behind us. Emily was behind him and then they tried to clear a path the rest of the way. I tried to climb up, but Adam grunted in protest. It didn’t matter. I climbed onto his back and scanned through the crowd.

  Everyone scattered in all directions.

  Mark and Peter were trying to help our group run past a few houses before we started to circle back around.

  After a while, as the crowd had thinned around us and the Elite group was alone, Adam allowed me back to the ground. As soon my feet touched the ground, I whipped past them and took off in a sprint.

  “Sam!”

  Jeff groaned. “Let her go. She runs for crazy.”

  Someone took pursuit.

  “Seriously, Quinn! Let her go. You’re not going to catch her. You’re too winded, she’ll outgo you.”

  And I did. It wasn’t long before I stopped hearing his footsteps, but a thrill rushed through me. I went faster and I darted from house to house. As I went, I tried to gauge where Ethan’s house was, and then I circled around from the right.

  I kept running.

  From the black and orange jerseys, I saw some Roussou people up ahead. I flashed past their cars. A few got out and watched, but no one chased me. I kept going. Then I was closer to the house. Three more cop cars had arrived, one that had two guys cuffed in the backseat. As I neared the house, they put another two in the squad cars.

  Then a cop reached out and caught me around the waist. “Whoa, girl.”

  I panted up at him. “Sorry. I like to run.”

  He eyed me up and down, but lingered on my eyes. “I can see that. You on anything?”

  I opened my mouth, but he had a flashlight on before I could respond. He flashed it on my eyes and bent closer. I felt his breath against my skin before he moved back. “Guess you really do like to run.”

  I flashed him a grin, slightly silly from the adrenalin that pumped in my body. Then I rasped out, “Where are the Kades?”

  He gestured to the house. “They’re being questioned in the kitchen. You should head home, kid.”

  “I can’t. They’re my ride.”

  He gave me an odd look, but I jogged up the hill and headed inside. A bunch of guys sat in the living room, on the couches, as five police officers stood in front of them. They had notebooks out and pens at the ready. When I headed for the kitchen, Mason and Logan were both at the table. Two cops stood in front of them in plain clothes. Their badges hung from around the necks and their eyes snapped to me when I entered.

  Mason groaned.

  Logan shook his head before his forehead slumped to the table.