She flushed. “I won’t now.”

When she turned and stomped away, he called after her, “Good to know. I’ll look for someone else.”

She froze, twisted back around, and opened her mouth. Kate yanked her behind as she led them away now. “That was stupid of you.”

We heard Parker mumble, “He wasn’t supposed to call my bluff—”

“Idiot.”

I turned with a grin on my face, but—slap! My head snapped to the side, and a stinging spread from my cheek. I sucked in my breath at the pain and looked back with a glare.

Cassandra had her arm extended back for another slap.

A growl burst out of me and I started to charge her when she was yanked to the side and an arm pulled me backwards. I kicked at them. “Let me go!”

“She’s a bitch!” Cassandra screeched. “Let me go, Adam! She deserves this.”

His head was bent low as he whispered something to her. It enraged her further, and she clawed at his arm. “Let go! Let go! Let go!”

“Get her out of here!” Nate’s voice was rough. His arm tightened around my waist, and he lifted me in the air. When he started to walk away, he barked again, “Get her the hell out of here. All of you go!”

“Nate,” Mark started.

“Out!” he roared back. He glanced at the crowd. “Get ‘em out. Now.”

The guys clipped their heads in nods and started ushering Adam and Cassandra towards the cars. Mark stood closer to his girl, but when the guys descended on them, she waved goodbye to him. He was scooped up with the rest of them.

“Sam!”

Becky was being led away by a guy I recognized from the bonfire earlier. She tried to duck under his arm. “Let me stay.”

Nate growled in my ear, “She goes with them. I don’t want any of them here.”

I clambered over his shoulder and yelled back, “Go home. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Sam? What about my car?” I saw Adam at a different car. Amelia and Cassandra were already inside. They were both sulking and crying at the same time.

“I’ll get it home. Go.”

Nate swept around the barn’s corner then and they were gone from our sight. He settled me on my feet but kept a hand on my arm. “You okay?”

I nodded and pressed my palm to my face. “That was a bitch slap.”

“Yeah.” He nodded and grinned ruefully. “You were going to lay one out on her.”

“I wanted to.” I studied him. “Why’d you stop me?”

He jerked a shoulder up. His tone was rough. “Because I could barely contain myself. If I didn’t get you out of there, I was going to lay into her too.”

That image brought a smile to my face. “I would’ve liked to see that.”

He shuddered. “Not me. I’d be in jail and my folks would have me shipped back to Brazil. It would be a year before they’d allow me back here.”

“Brazil?”

“It’s where they’re at.”

“Oh.” I frowned as I remembered I had no idea what Nate’s parents did for a living or where he lived besides his cabin. I was about to ask when Mason separated from a group by one of the bonfires. He approached and a frown grew the closer he got.

“What happened to her?”

“Hello. Right here.”

Nate held his gaze. “She got attacked.”

“Who?” Mason bit out and his hand crumpled his can. The savagery in his tone made me breathless. My heart skipped a beat.

“Kate and Parker were the first ones. They didn’t touch her, but after I sent them off, she was slapped by that Cass bitch.”

A derogatory name slipped from Mason before he caught my face and lifted it for examination. “Ouch!” I hissed from the sudden movement, but he rubbed a gentle thumb over my cheek.

“It’s already getting red.”

I sensed the anger in him and knew he was struggling to control it.

“Bitch.”

Nate nodded in agreement. “I had them all shipped out.”

Mason cursed. “No more f**king parties with Academites.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Then Mason held me against him and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You okay?”

“She was getting ready to wallop her when I pulled her back. She would’ve socked her a good one.” The amusement was evident in Nate’s voice. There was pride too. “She’s a fighter.”

CHAPTER NINE

When I woke, the room was dark, but I felt Mason climb off the bed. “Where…?”

He patted my arm but went to his door. That was when I realized someone had been knocking on it, and I sat up as the hallway light filtered inside. Mason kept the door tight behind him and blocked my view to whoever was there. After a quiet conversation for a few seconds, he shut the door again and padded over to me.

“Who was that?”

Mason crawled next to me and slid a hand over my waist. He tugged me close and then raised himself up on an elbow. “My dad.”

“Your dad, but why—” And then I remembered.

Becky had been crying.

Kate and Parker had been mean.

Cassandra had slapped me. I hissed at that memory and touched the side of my face. Nate ordered all of them gone.

I spent the rest of the night tucked between Mason and Logan. Nate was beside Mason, and we remained around a bonfire until three in the morning. When we returned to town, Mason had been about to drop me off at Garrett’s, but I told him to head to the Kade mansion instead.

I wanted to be in his bed. Then I had the other realization that shook me.

The Kade mansion was my home. Somewhere over the last five months, this place had become my home. When I admitted that to myself, I had to hold back tears. I didn’t know why, but for some reason it made me tremble. I tucked my hands underneath my legs. It was never good to show weakness.

Mason hadn’t said much, but I knew he could tell. He made love to me in a tender way that left me breathless during and afterwards. Then he held me as tears slipped down my face. Neither of us spoke a word. We had fallen asleep like that.

“What time is it?”

He groaned as he checked the clock. “Six thirty or so.” He nuzzled underneath my jaw and chuckled. His breath teased my skin. “Guess we know what time Garrett got home, huh?”