The threat lingered in the air for a moment.

The corners of Adam’s mouth flattened and he skewered me with a look. I felt torched by it and splayed a hand over my stomach. A storm had started inside of me, and I needed to calm it down. Everything tightened in me, and my heart beat was a slow loud thump as I waited for the moment to pass.

“Ass,” someone whispered in the back.

Nate rolled his eyes. “What a shock. Get out!”

Mason and Logan shared a grin.

“Fine.” Cassandra twisted her elbow clear from Amelia’s hold and started for the door. She took one step, and her knees buckled. Adam and Peter both grabbed for her. Adam’s hand held her up from the arm while Peter’s had a weak hold on her hand. They glanced at each other as Cassandra whooshed between them. A drunken giggle came over her again. She tried to steady both her feet, but one of her heels had fallen off. A frown came over her. “I can’t…stand. Why can’t I stand?”

Adam and Peter still studied each other.

Miranda rolled her eyes and shot between them. She grabbed Cass by the waist and propelled her for the door. Once there, she deposited her on the porch and whirled back. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Let’s go. They don’t want us here.”

Mark went between the two guys and patted both on the shoulder. “Let’s go, dudes. Sleep over at my place?”

Amelia swooned.

The strained moment was broken and Adam cleared his throat. He blinked a few times before he met my gaze. I sensed his confusion but stepped back. Mason curved a hand around my leg and pulled me between his. He tucked his head around the side and gave Adam a pointed look. “Get out.”

Adam flushed. “You’re an ass.”

“Well aware.” Mason yawned and let me go to stretch in his chair. “Well aware.”

As they went, Becky gave me a shaky smile and giggled before she lifted both her thumbs in the air.

“Let’s go, nerd.” Miranda reached for her and was the last. She started to pull the door behind her but glanced at Logan for a second. Her face shuttered, and the corner of her mouth dropped abruptly before she shut the door behind them.

Once we were alone, Logan let out a loud sigh of relief. He tipped his head back. “Finally. Hell.”

Nate grinned and moved towards the freezer. “Sam, do you have ice packs in here?”

I shrugged. Mason nudged me against him again. He pressed a kiss to my stomach and my hand cradled the back of his head. The knot in my stomach unraveled a bit more. “Probably. Garrett seemed to have everything here.”

“Ah ha!” Nate produced three ice packs and tossed them over.

Each of them was caught in a smooth grab.

“We’re sleeping over.” Logan pressed his against his cheek and closed his eyes from the pain. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah. Uh, I think there are some bedrooms downstairs. You and Nate could use those.”

They both nodded.

Then Mason stood and moved into the kitchen. He started to look through some of the drawers and cupboards.

“What are you looking for?”

“Brandy. Your dad has to have some.”

My stomach kicked again. My dad. He wasn’t my dad. Well… I spread my hand against my stomach again. It kept doing somersaults. “I think there’s a cabinet in the living room.”

“I got it.” Nate found it and pulled out a bottle. He started to pull out four cups and held the last one out towards me. I shook my head. Three cups were placed on the table and he filled each one to the top. The three were stiff as they picked up their glass and tipped their heads back.

“Oh—ugh.” Logan wiped a hand over his mouth. His eyes watered a bit. “That stuff is nasty.”

Mason grunted and put his cup back down. “It’ll help with the pain.”

Logan groaned. “I’m going to bed. Where’d you say the room is?”

I showed them the rooms, and Nate and Logan bid me goodnight as I started up the stairs. Mason wasn’t in the kitchen, so I went up the next set of stairs and found him in my bed. He had pulled on a loose tee shirt with baggy sweat pants tied at his waist. His eyes were closed with the ice pack held to his ribs.

I shut my door and took a breath.

“You okay?” One of his eyes opened a crack.

I shook my head. “I’m supposed to ask you that.”

He held a hand to me. “Come here. I just want to sleep. Is that okay?”

I nodded, my throat was thick with emotion, and I padded over to him. It didn’t take me long to get ready for bed. I took his hand and crawled beside him. On a normal night, I would’ve nestled under his shoulder with an arm over his stomach. I curled into a ball beside him this night and held his hand.

As I heard his breathing quicken from the pain, I wanted to cry.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

When my doorbell rang at six in the morning, I had a good idea who was on the other side. I threw a baggy sweatshirt on and hurried to the door in my sweat pants. James gave me a tired look when I opened the door. “We seem to be starting a tradition.”

“Um, yeah.”

Then the gentle smile turned serious. He expelled a deep breath. “Are they here, Samantha?”

I nodded, my throat still thick from a few hours prior.

He nodded and grimaced. “The police arrived at my home twenty minutes ago. They would like to speak with them.”

“Okay. I’ll wake them up.”

“Have them come to the house. They’re waiting for them.”

When I woke Mason, he turned his head to me. There was no reaction, only a bleak look in his eyes. The bruises had filled with more color. Somehow, they made his green eyes seem brighter. A soft curse slipped from him as he ran a hand over his face. Then he lifted the sheets and swung his legs over. His stomach muscles bunched together under the tee shirt that was stretched tight from the movement. As he stood, his pants slipped down and rested on his lean hips.

There was another large bruise on his hip. A red rash spread over it and the knot doubled in my throat. Dried blood was smeared over the rash. Some was in clumps, they looked black. I was sick to my stomach. “What happened?”

He glanced down and grimaced. Pain flitted over him as he rasped out, “They dragged me.”

“They what?” I swung back to the rash. “That’s a road rash?” I went numb as I asked it. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe what else must’ve happened to them. I needed to know. I swallowed my knot. “How many?” My voice came out hoarse, but I cleared it. I needed to know.