When Miranda looked back, I was struck by how focused she seemed. She’d been a shadow of her former glory after Logan had ground her heart into the ground. But now, with a shiver, I knew the former queen was back.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

Miranda’s smile turned cold. She lowered her voice and moved even closer. “I know why Logan dated me. It took me awhile to figure it out, but I finally got it. When I figured it out, I couldn’t believe it. I really couldn’t, but then it made me evaluate Mason in a whole new way. I mean, really. I never knew the boy was capable of such cattiness, but he’s earned new respect from me.”

Everything shattered inside of me, but I asked through clenched teeth, “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, you know.” She sounded so casual.

I wanted to punch her.

“How he manipulated Logan into dating me. I know now that Logan thought he was doing it to protect you. I would look the fool after publicly going against them both and calling my friends whores for sleeping with him. He made me look like a hypocritical bitch. Yes, he did. I lost my place with the Elite. I almost lost the entire group and you were swooped up. Adam got you in, he got his way, and you were protected while I was in the cold. It would’ve been a marvelous plan if that had been the real intent, right? But that wasn’t it. Logan didn’t really date me to protect you, did he?”

I couldn’t look away, and I knew I should’ve ended the conversation then and there. I felt sick to my stomach again.

She kept going. Her laugh grated against my ears. “That was the thing. I couldn’t figure out Logan. He liked to screw me, but he never really liked me. He never took me on dates. He never did anything that told people I was his girlfriend. I was the only one telling people, but then I almost missed it one night.”

Dear Lord, help me now.

Miranda lifted her head. Her eyes narrowed and the purpose that reflected in them had me looking as well. Logan was in the same room as us. He was in the corner with his arm around a girl. As she nuzzled her way up his jaw, he watched us. He reminded me of a hunter, with his gaze on the prey, biding his time.

Miranda lifted a dainty hand and waved at him.

His eyes narrowed to slits.

I held my breath. This wasn’t going to be good.

“He’s so delicious.” Miranda’s mouth twitched at the corners. She heaved a deep breath. “But he’s not mine. Oh no, dear Samantha. He’s yours, isn’t he?”

My eyes went wide. An odd sound gurgled out of my throat.

“And what’s worse is that you know it, he knows it, and the king himself knows it. Oh yes. That’s what I saw one night. You left a party one night with your pathetic friend and the way he looked at you, it made everything make sense.”

“Stop the dramatics and spell it out.” My teeth ground against each other. “I’m getting tired of the game.”

Her eyes went flat and she swung closer. She was in my face now. “Fine,” she breathed on me. “I know that Logan has feelings for you, and I know that he used to love another girl who wanted Mason. The rumor mill might not be current when it comes to Logan’s ex-girlfriend, but I heard all about her when I was dating him. I remembered every bit of it. By my calculation, that makes two girls who Mason got over Logan. Now tell me,” she inched closer. “What’s the one thing that could get in between two brothers as close as them?”

My hand itched to slap the self-righteous look on her face.

She sneered at me. “Only a girl can do that. Mason hated me that night at the hotel party. I pushed that button, and I didn’t even know it. What would happen if I continued to push that button? Mason wanted Logan to be distracted, didn’t he? He wanted him to feel that he was important and that he was helping you. That’s why Logan dated me, but the real reason was just to distract him from the realization that Mason got another girl Logan had feelings for.”

She paused. The smug look that came over her made my stomach churn even more. The feeling of being ill was now violent inside of me. She murmured, “They ruined my life. Why shouldn’t I ruin theirs?”

“Sam?”

The sounds of the party had faded. I was in a vacuum, and I could only hear my heart pounding. It grew and grew. The sound overtook everything else. As I heard my name, I swung my head. Laura waved at me. She looked so far away. She looked confused, why did she look confused? Then Miranda’s words sounded again in my head.

They ruined my life. Why shouldn’t I ruin theirs?

I snapped. My arm lifted back. My hand clenched into a fist, and I let it loose. Miranda’s eyes went wide, but then my hand made contact. I heard the sickening sound as I punched her and something turned off inside of me. I was only aware that I needed to keep hitting her. I had to. So I raised my arm again, and again.

Everything else went away.

“Stop!” Mason’s voice yanked me out of my fury, and I gasped. He had red welts over his arms and face. My arm was lifted, but I dropped it immediately. I’d been hitting him, not Miranda. He had gotten in the way. She stood to the side, shocked and pale. Logan was in front of her. He acted as a barrier, but I wasn’t sure if it was to keep me or her away. She had a hand on his arm, and I felt the need to growl once more.

I launched myself in the air, but Mason caught me. He held me back as I lashed out, “Get out of this house!”

Miranda jerked back a step. Her whole body jumped from the movement, but she didn’t respond.

A wall slammed over Logan, and he turned to her. Then he lifted his hand in the air. “Get her out!”

Two guys lifted Miranda from underneath her arms and carried her away.

Mason had a hand under my arm and lifted me in the same manner, but we went up the stairs. As soon as the door was closed, he continued to the next level. I assumed he would take me to my room, but he bypassed it for his. The door was shut and locked before he stared at me. His eyes pierced mine, and I felt myself wanting to shrivel away from it. It was too intense at times.

Then he ground out, “What did she say to you?”

I shrugged. It was meant to look casual. It came out awkward.

“Sam.”

I shook my head.

“Sam.” He touched my should this time and turned me to face him.

I hadn’t realized that I had moved away, but I swallowed a knot in my throat and met his gaze. He looked inside of me. I didn’t know how he could do it, but it gave me the chills. Every time. Then I grimaced and sat on his bed. “It was nothing.”