"Hi, guys!" Miranda gave me a big hug. "I'm so glad you could come. The rest were disappointed you didn't come to the dinner."

Mason gave her one of his unreadable looks and she shifted on her feet. Her hand twitched for a second. It was the only movement I caught that made me wonder if she was uncomfortable. I would be.

"Mason, thanks for coming." She was so formal and gracious.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and went to the bar.

As he did, she laughed and touched the base of her neck. "I'm not going to take that personal. I shouldn't, right?"

I shrugged. "I told you. They're ass**les."

"He certainly must like you. Mason Kade has never come to one of my get-togethers."

"I thought he showed up at the one last weekend?"

She peeled out another burst of laughter. It was high pitched enough to make me pause. Was she being fake or was she drunk? Something wasn't fitting with her. She giggled into her hand. "That wasn't him coming as a guest. We all thought he had come for his brother, but instead he came to lay into that girl." Her eyes lingered on my bruise again. "You remember—the one I heard you got into a fight with."

Miranda seemed to be waiting for me to say something, but I wasn't sure what it was. When I started to ask something stupid, I was picked up and thrown over someone's shoulders. Logan's hyena laugh sounded as he twirled me around, bent over with my rear on display. I felt him patting it and he whistled under his breath. "You've got a tight ass, Sam. No wonder your quarterback wants to bang you so hard."

Someone gasped and someone else choked on their drink.

"Put me down, Logan." I tried to be fierce.

He laughed some more, but lowered me down. As he sat me on my feet, he lifted back up, but was close enough to brush against my body. When his eyes met mine, I saw a dark humor in them. I tensed and got ready.

I didn't want to be friends with these guys, but I wasn't sure what to do about it. Mason asked in the ride over if I wanted to piss them off now or wait for the perfect moment. I didn't have an answer and I still didn't. Still, whatever Logan was doing I knew he wanted to piss someone off.

As I caught a jerking movement from the corner of my eye, I wondered if he'd come for Adam. I watched as my former friend had a scowl on his face and he downed the rest of his drink in a savage motion. Cassandra was beside him with his arm around her waist. She wore a frown as she watched him. I thought I saw some concern in her depths as well.

Miranda gutted out a laugh and stepped forward again. "Logan, you've come as well."

He curved an arm around my waist and raised an eyebrow. "Weren't we invited?" His tone was too confident, too smooth.

She visibly swallowed and looked around. "Uh, of course you guys were invited. I assumed Samantha told you. You're both here."

Logan shot Adam a look. "I thought about bringing Tanya, but she thought it would be awkward. Plus, she needed an hour to get ready…"

Adam's scowl grew darker, but he didn't respond. Peter Glasburg and Mark Decraw stood between the two. They tried to look casual as they stood with their pool-sticks, but each couldn't contain their frowns. They threw Mason looks as he remained at the bar, who had a drink in hand and looked relaxed.

"Uh…she could've come if you liked?" Miranda's nervous laugh rang out high pitched. She cleared her throat and sounded more normal as she said, "All of you could've brought dates with you. That option is always open to the group."

Emily snorted out, "Of course, most of us are already paired up."

Miranda stared hard at her. "What are you talking about, Emily?"

The brunette smirked at her and sipped from her martini glass. "Come on, Miranda. You're with Peter. Cass is with Adam now. Amelia and Mark suck face most of the time."

Logan's grin grew as she continued.

"You should've brought in a guy next, not Samantha Strattan." She lifted her martini glass to me. "No offense, Sam, but everyone can tell you don't care about social things. Everyone knew Jessica Larsen slept with your boyfriend for two years. That would humiliate most people, but you acted like you didn't care and I don't think that was an act. I think you really didn't care." She scoffed at Miranda again. "You just wanted to bring her in because you hoped Mason and Logan would come with her. You never cared about her until you heard she was close to them."

"You're drunk, Emily." Miranda glared at her. "You should go sleep this off. You don't want to be rude."

She snorted again and tipped her head back to finish the rest of her martini. Her thin legs wavered underneath her, but she kept her balance when she raised her empty glass. "Another, bartender!"

Logan chuckled as she went to the bar. "I like her."

"You do?" Miranda had grown pale.

"She tells the truth." He sent her a smirk. "That's all we can ask for…right?"

"The truth?" Adam barked out as he straightened from the wall in a sudden movement. Peter and Mark jumped back in reaction. "What's the truth, Logan? Huh?" He started to stalk forward, but Cassandra tried to slow him down. She was in front with a hand on his chest.

Logan slipped his arm from my waist and maneuvered me behind him. In the blink of an eye, Mason was in front of me too. Miranda gasped and looked around wide eyed. She kept glancing from the Kades to Adam.

Everyone watched him.

His angry scowl intensified and he bit out, "Why'd you take Tanya? You didn't care about her before."

Logan's shoulders jostled in silent laughter. "Are you kidding me?"

"No!"

His shoulders stopped and stretched out instead. "Are you pissed because you never got there?"

"I think…um…I think…" Miranda stepped between them. Her arms were shaking.

Peter moved her aside and puffed out his chest. "Guys, let's be civil here."

"No!" Adam tried to shove him aside, but Mark shot between them instead. Cassandra was pulled out of the way by Miranda.

Logan sounded calm, too calm, as he chuckled. "Let him through. He's got something on his chest. Let's help him get it off. This is the trust tree, right? Here we go, therapy group for everyone."