Fallen Crest Home

by Tijan

  to exude warmth. She turned, pulling Adam over to where Cass and some other girls were helping put up the decorations. “Come on, Adam. I need your opinion about where we should put the cake.”

  Becky overheard. “There’s a cake?”

  I pulled her past everyone, motioning for Heather to follow, and tugged her downstairs.

  We found Mark on the couch playing video games.

  “Hey, wha—” he started to say, but I cut him off.

  “Get out. This is girl time.”

  He paused his game. “Where am I supposed to go?”

  “Logan’s determined to create a new drink. Go over and be his guinea pig.”

  He groaned, but turned the game off. “I’m going to get wasted off my ass, aren’t I?”

  Heather patted him on the back as he moved past us, going upstairs. “Just have fun doing it. That’s the trick.”

  He muttered something under his breath, but then the door shut behind him.

  Becky bit her lip, hugging herself. She eyed Heather.

  “Heather’s fine.”

  “She’s your friend, not mine,” Becky said.

  Heather snorted, sitting where Mark had just left. “If you want to start a fight, keep reminding me of that.”

  “Heather’s loyal to me, and as long as I’m loyal to you, so is she.”

  Becky continued to stare at Heather, doubt evident in her gaze. Then she turned to me. “You pulled me down here. What’s going on?”

  “Something’s wrong.”

  “I know. What’s up?”

  “No.” I shook my head, sitting on the couch next to Heather. “With you and Adam. What’s going on?”

  Becky seemed to shrink as she sat on the couch across from us. “You noticed that, huh?” She rubbed her hands together, sticking them between her knees. “I thought I’d perfected the plastic look.”

  Heather laughed. “The fact that I know exactly what you mean makes me think Sam’s not all that crazy for liking you again.”

  Becky looked up, warily, and shrugged. “Plastic and shiny. It’s the fake look we rich people offer, isn’t it?”

  Heather lifted a shoulder. “It’s the equivalent to the tough, I-don’t-give-a-fuck look we not-rich people have.”

  A cloud came over Becky’s features. “Adam might not be able to go to law school. We might have to stay here after we graduate. He’s going to have to take over his dad’s business.”

  This.

  This was the moment—I could feel it—what Mason had been searching for since James had sicced him on Adam. I tried to quell my adrenaline.

  I leaned forward, keeping my voice casual and steady, “What do you mean?”

  Heather sent me a look.

  Becky shook her head. “It’s so messed up. I don’t even know what to say.” She looked at the ceiling. “It’s nothing Adam’s done. It’s what’s being done to him. His dad’s fucked up in a major way.”

  Heather leaned forward slowly. She softened her voice. “What’s he doing?”

  “He’s breaking the law.”

  “How?”

  “He broke down and told Adam this morning. It’s all complicated, but from what I understood, when he has to get permits to develop land somewhere, he bribes whoever gives him the permits. He found a copy of the emails on a computer somewhere. He doesn’t know who made the copy, but he knows it’s out there and everything could blow up in our faces. He’d go to jail.”

  “Bullshit.” Heather leaned back. “Rich people pay fines. Poor people go to jail. That’s a fact.”

  “Not with this.” Becky suddenly looked so tired, like a slight wind could knock her over. “It’s been going on for years, and there’s enough to worry about that even I’m in the know.” She shook her head, getting up and beginning to pace the room. “You guys can’t say anything. I mean it. Adam would break off the engagement if he knew I was telling you guys this. No one can know.”

  “Yeah, of course.” I nodded.

  Becky sighed. “I mean, in the long run, it’s not that bad. Adam could take over the company and run it until he finds someone else to step in for him.”

  “What would he do then?” Heather asked.

  “He’d go to law school as he’s planning. And then he’d go into politics after that. This would just be a speed bump along the way.”

  Heather shared a look with me. It sounded like a doable plan, but anything could be planned out on paper. Only sometimes life didn’t turn out that way. I stood up and went over to Becky, pulling her in for a hug. Then I lied to her because that was what she wanted to hear at the moment.

  “Everything will be fine.”

  She hugged me back, and as those words left me, she sagged in relief.

  “Thank you, Sam.”

  The door to the basement opened, and Malinda called down, “Everyone’s starting to arrive. Becky, are you down there?”

  She took a deep breath as she pulled away from me.

  “I’m here.” Smoothing her dress and fluffing her hair, she flashed Heather and me a smile. “Thank you, guys.” She squeezed my hand. “I mean it. I’m coming, Malinda!”

  Heather stood next to me, watching her go up the stairs.

  “Samantha? Heather?” Malinda called back down.

  Heather asked softly, “Why do you look like you just killed her puppy?”

  “Do you really want to know?” I kept my voice low so Malinda couldn’t hear.

  “Do you have to ask?”

  “Girls?”

  “I know who has the copy of those emails.”

  “Who?” Heather stopped me.

  Malinda watched us, a slight frown marring her face. “Just come up when you’re ready.” She moved back, shutting the door.

  “Sam,” Heather prompted me. “Who has that copy?”

  “Mason.”

  I went upstairs. He just might not realize what he had a copy of.

  Heather was right behind me, and she took my arm and pulled me out to the back porch. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  I could see through the window. Becky’s smile was more relaxed. She had a fresh glow to her, and she tipped her head up so Adam could drop a light kiss on her lips. She looked happy, and I was going to be the reason it was taken away.

  I nodded. “It’s her or Mason. I’ll always pick Mason.” I studied her. “Are you with me?”

  She gave me a look. “You know I am. I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were doing. You recently decided to become friends with her again, and now you’re going to do something I know you loathe.”

  “I know. I’m going to stab her in the back.”

  And with those words, I went back inside. Heather was right behind me. There was no confusion. I knew exactly what I’d just become, and so did she.

  I was the bad guy now.

  I was sitting on the back porch at Helen’s house when the doors slid open behind me. I didn’t look up from my position on one of the couches. I continued surveying the pool, pool house, and the second lower deck and veranda. None of it seemed impressive or surprising anymore to me. It was like the other mansions, and I couldn’t remember the day when I had been impressed.

  I was so far from that person now.

  “Logan said you were out here.”

  Mason sat next to me. He lifted my legs and placed them in his lap, starting to knead my calves. “You okay?”

  “I was just thinking about the beginning.”

  “That seems to be the theme this summer.”

  I looked over and felt my breath catch. The moonlight shone on him, casting him in a romantic, hazy glow. He was gorgeous.

  “Sam?”

  I gave him a quick half-grin. “What do you mean by that?”

  “About the theme?”

  “Yeah.”

  He shrugged. “Just that you’re friends with Becky Sullivan again. Adam Quinn is in our lives. We’re dealing with my dad and your mom. I know a lot has changed, but in some ways, nothing�
��s changed.”

  “Well, I have.”

  He quieted. I knew he was waiting for me to say what I’d come out here to get the nerve to tell him. I laughed, and winced at how bitter it sounded.

  “I have to tell you something, and I’m questioning whether I really want to. And then I’m questioning why I’m even questioning it in the first place.”

  “Sam.”

  I calmed, hearing his voice grow stronger, more authoritative. “Whatever it is, nothing is your fault. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

  That wasn’t true, but I said, “You know that illegal thing you’re supposed to get on Steven Quinn?”

  Mason’s eyes sharpened, and I continued. After I told him what Becky had said earlier, he didn’t comment for a moment.

  “They know someone has a copy?” he finally asked.

  “That’s what she said.”

  “Okay.”

  “That’s it? Just ‘okay’? That’s all you’re going to say?”

  “I don’t want to put you in the middle any more. I’ll handle it from here.”

  “Meaning you’ll give the copy to your dad and tell him what transactions to look for?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “After I make a second copy for myself. I don’t trust my dad either.”

  “So this might not even come out on us?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. It could, but more than likely my dad will use it as leverage to have Steven step out of some decisions. It may never come out.”

  “Isn’t that illegal?”

  A ghost of a smile teased across Mason’s face. He continued rubbing up and down my leg. “Doing something illegal isn’t exactly outside our wheelhouse.”

  I flushed, leaning back against the cushions. “I know. I just… I’m feeling bad. That’s all.”

  “Sam.”

  I lifted my head to meet his gaze. His eyes smoldered, and instantly I felt a fluttering in my chest. My body warmed.

  “Are you sure this is about what Steven Quinn is doing? Or is this about something else?”

  My lips parted. My throat suddenly dried up. “What do you mean?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “About me being disloyal to Becky?”

  “About whatever had you running for almost five hours the other day.”

  The fluttering picked up its pace. My heart was flying around like a damned rocket trying to take off inside of me.

  I looked away, shrinking in my seat. “I can’t talk about that.” I could hear Heather as clearly as if she were out there with us. Tell him, Samantha! Tell him! I ignored her voice. “It was nothing anyway. It’s stupid.”

  He stopped rubbing and cupped the underside of my leg. I looked over at him in reflex, and he leaned forward, making sure I couldn’t look away.

  “Anything you’re scared to talk about is the opposite of nothing or stupid. And whatever it is, you don’t have to worry. Unless you cheated. Then you need to worry.”

  I grinned, kicking him lightly with my foot. “You’d have to worry about that, too.”

  He caught my foot and held it. “So it’s not that you were unfaithful.”

  “What?”

  “You didn’t flinch when I said that. I know that’s not the issue.” He leaned his head back, resting it against the side of the house behind us, still watching me intently. “What it is, Sam? Please tell me.”

  My heart stilled. This man—he’d been a boy, but I didn’t think he’d ever been a child. He was already a man when I met him. Powerful. Alpha. A mastermind. Beautiful. His presence captivated so many, but right now he was under my control.

  I leaned forward, though he still had my foot, and touched the side of his face. “I don’t think I could love you any more than I do right now,” I whispered.

  His hand rested over mine. “You’re not going to tell me?”

  “Yes,” I breathed out. “I will, but not now. When I’m ready.”

  “You have to tell me.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  My fear was real, but when Mason stood and lifted me with him, I knew I’d been granted time. I wound my arms and legs around him, kissing him as he carried me through the house to our bedroom.

  It was a few hours later when he left the bed. I rolled over, able to see his silhouette as he dressed in the darkness. I didn’t ask where he was going. I already knew.

  He came over, dropping a kiss to my forehead. “I love you.” His hand rested against the side of my face.

  My hand covered his. “Just be safe.”

  “Always.” He left, and a moment later, I heard Logan and Nate’s voices outside. Headlights came on, and I heard the sounds of a vehicle leaving the driveway.

  Whatever was going to happen had been set in motion.

  MASON

  My dad hadn’t wanted the meeting at his house, where Analise was, and that had been fine with us. We’d met at his office instead. I’d handed over the copy of the files I made for him, and he’d said he’d take care of the rest. I hadn’t asked what would go down or how he’d use it. I knew he would, and I also knew James Kade had questionable connections. Probably better not to know.

  With the meeting over, Logan, Nate, and I traipsed back outside, all quiet. I glanced at Logan as he bypassed me for the front passenger seat. We’d learned a year ago how far on the other side of the law our father could travel. He’d helped keep a crime boss off our backs. But this—something was nagging me.

  I reached for the door handle on the Escalade and was about to open it when someone stepped out of the shadows.

  “I can see I didn’t do my job very well.”

  Caldron and a bunch of his guys surrounded us.

  I stepped away from the door. “Excuse me?”

  He held a bat in his hands and gestured with it to the office building. “That was you taking that copy of Quinn’s files to your dad, right?”

  “What makes you think that?”

  These guys were here to stop us. I don’t know how Caldron knew, what business it was of his, but if they were going to stand against us, I knew my dad wasn’t safe either. I caught Logan’s gaze and jerked my head toward the building. He nodded and began easing his way backward. He’d get James to safety—or try.