by E. K. Blair
She turned to me, more tears brimming in her eyes. She whispered as they fell, “I have to leave your father, Mason. It’s the only way if I’m going to live. I can’t stay here anymore and be in this marriage. I just can’t.”
My eyes narrowed. I heard the pain in her voice, but I shook my head. Anger jolted me and I growled, “Whatever. Fucking leave him if you want.” I turned to leave.
“Where are you going?”
“Out. What do you care?”
“Mason,” she gasped.
I ignored her, and left the kitchen and threw open the back patio doors. I could hear Logan trailing behind me. Ignoring him, though I knew I shouldn’t be doing this in front of him, I circled around to the parking area where my dad was. He was still on top of that bitch. Their mouths were fused together.
I hollered at him, “Hey! When you’re done macking on your newest whore, you might want to book a vacation for mom.”
He whipped around, looking at me. “Mason?” The blood drained from his face. “What are you doing here?”
I snorted. “Doing my fucking homework. That’s what I’m doing, or what I was trying to do before I heard mom sobbing like she’s on the Titanic tonight.” He stiffened. I laughed. “Yeah, she saw the whole show, dad. Not that it’s a big surprise. The new fucking shocker is that you’re bringing them here.” I lifted a hand. “No offense to you, lady, but he’s my dad and there’s a whole family factor here that you’re helping to break up.” I turned my hand around and gave her a thumbs up. “But good for you. I’m sure my dad will pay you with lots of dinners and diamonds. If you don’t get the private jet ride while you’re sleeping with him, you’re not holding out long enough.”
“MASON!”
I ignored my dad. “Oh, and just so you know, now I’m leaving for Ethan’s. I’ll be staying at his place all weekend or Nate’s.” I turned to go, but twisted back around. “And I’m going to be drinking beer. I’m telling you now considering that you’ve got no leg to stand on with your parenting skills.”
Logan was right behind me. He held two bags in his hands, mine and his. As I bypassed him, he held mine out. Then he asked, “Can I come?”
“Yes,” I ground out. I’d never leave him alone again. No way in fucking hell.
He trailed past me. Helen was gone, but I didn’t care where she had disappeared to. This was normally the time she took a pill or started drinking.
He asked as we went out to the sidewalk, “Can I drink beer too?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
Hearing his disappointment, I sighed and tugged him close. My arm went around his shoulders and we walked to Ethan’s like that.
*
MASON POV: GAS STATION
“Mason, we have a problem.”
Logan was laughing like a hyena beside me while Strauss was dissecting the exchange we witnessed twenty minutes earlier between Kate and Jasmine. I adjusted the rearview mirror so I could see Ethan better. “What?”
“We have a problem.”
“Then Kate whipped out that bottle and Jasmine pissed her pants, I almost lost it,” Strauss continued to say as Logan kept laughing.
“Shut the fuck up.” I punched my brother. He was drunk, he’d just gotten laid by two girls, and he loved hearing Strauss’s commentary on any chick fight we could see, but I couldn’t take anymore.
“Mase!” Ethan hit my seat. “I told you. I have a problem.”
Logan glared at him. “Shut the fuck up, Fischer. Strauss is talking.”
“You shut the fuck up. I have a problem. Now.”
We were all silent. Waiting. When Ethan didn’t comment right away, Logan reached over and punched his leg. “No follow through, man. That’s your problem. On the field and off too.”
“Ouch. That hurt.”
“Fucker.”
“Yeah.” Strauss shook his head. “We were all quiet, but you lost your turn. You didn’t perform. You gotta think quick on your feet, Fischer.”
“You guys are pissing me off.”
Logan started laughing again. When I heard his voice starting to rise again, I spotted Quickie’s and turned into a slot. That was enough. As I wheeled next to a filling station, I turned the engine off and twisted back around. “Logan, go inside and get something to sober up. I’m not taking you home like this.”
He smirked at me as his eyes were glazed over. “We’re not going home. You heard Ethan. He’s got a problem.” Then he clambered outside.
When Fischer didn’t follow him right away, I shot him a glare. “Go with him. Calm him the fuck down.”
He grunted, but did as I told him. Logan waited at the front of the car and when Ethan joined him, I heard him say something about Molly’s pussy.
Strauss started laughing. “I know your brother isn’t high as a kite, but man, he’s acting like it.”
“What do you expect? Two girls sucked him.”
That wasn’t the truth, though. As I lifted the gas handle and put the nozzle in my car, I knew that wasn’t why Logan was acting how he was. We’d gotten the news about our dad’s mistress. She finally broke it off with her husband and she was moving in the next day. Her and her daughter. When James told us, Logan hadn’t taken it the best way. He wanted to fight someone and kept asking if we could go after the Broudou’s tonight. I kept saying no. When we fought them, we were going to make sure they wouldn’t come around for a long time, but I felt the itch inside of me too. I wanted to fight someone. I wanted to do physical damage. That bitch broke up our family—well—that wasn’t the complete truth. My dad’s dick broke up the family, but his bitch had been panting around him for a long time.
Logan couldn’t fight anyone so he went the other way. He was acting like it hadn’t happened. I sighed and leaned against my car, waiting for the gas to fill up. We were supposed to help them move the next day. Fuck me. There was no way we were going and no way in hell he could even pay us to help them move. The bitch and spawn would have to move themselves, even though I knew James would end up paying for movers if we didn’t go.
Then I saw her.
Someone punched me in the stomach. That was the feeling I had. It was the same girl Logan had googled. Samantha Strattan. We found out who our dad’s mistress was years ago, knew the husband was the football coach at the Academy, but until last night we hadn’t known about the daughter.
It was her.
She was waiting by her car. Her arms were crossed over her chest, hugging herself, but that wasn’t what caught my attention. She was staring at Logan, who was now inside of the gas station. She had long black hair. It whipped around her from the wind, but it was like she didn’t even feel it. No. She didn’t give a damn. That’s what punched me in the gut.
She was strong. I saw it from her. She had dark eyes, petite lips, and high cheekbones. Her rack was decent. Her body was long and thin, but her legs were strong. Shit. She was tiny, but her eyes were dead.
This was the bitch’s kid?
Then her shoulders tensed. She’d been studying Logan. Her eyes were eating him up, but not like the two chicks who just sucked him. She loathed him.
I narrowed my eyes.
I saw her turning—and here she came. Her gaze was locked with mine now. Her eyes widened and a look of wonderment came over her. She moved away from her car, just a step. It was the same look I got from wide receivers after I sent them to the ground with one touch. They were always shocked by the force and they reassessed me. Every time. I shook her. I saw it because I recognized it in myself.
Strauss came to stand beside me. He studied her a second before he commented, “Kate’s going to shit her pants by the looks of that one.”
He saw it before I saw it, but I wanted her. I hadn’t realized it, but he was right. Then I smirked at her. This was going to be interesting.
She saw the exchange. Her eyes narrowed and she lowered them for a second.
I couldn’t stop watching. What was she going to do? She knew that it was
about her, but then her jaw hardened. She jerked her head back up and there was that same loathing, but it doubled. She stared right at me. Her shoulders squared as she faced me and then her chin lowered. Whether she realized it or not, her stance was challenging me.
I fought against smiling at her. She was hot. I knew Logan was going to think it, but damn I didn’t know if I could pass this one up.
Logan and Ethan came back. My brother said my name, but I didn’t hear him. He said something more to me, but I wasn’t paying him attention. All of it was directed on her.
“Who is she?” Strauss asked as she went inside to pay. “You know her, don’t you?”
I wasn’t sure what to say. He’d say something and I didn’t want the guys to dissect her like they normally did. I shrugged and said, “I’m going to pay.” As I did, she was coming back. The challenge was back in her gaze. I couldn’t help myself. Veering towards her, I purposefully walked right at her. At the last second, I moved away an inch so my jacket brushed against her. I wanted to brush against her. Shit. I wanted to do more than that to her already, but I glanced back, watching her the entire time as I passed by.
She never wavered. She held her ground and stared right back.
She had balls, whether they were real or not, the girl had balls. After I paid, I was itching to test her for some more. I wanted to see what she’d say, but when I went back outside, her friends had been right behind me inside. I heard their giggling and I didn’t want to get locked into a conversation with her. They would come back out at that moment and I’d have to endure them, but still... I paused by her car. She straightened, expecting me now. I started turning towards her without thinking, but the sound of screeching brakes pushed everything out of my head.
“What the hell?” It was the Broudous. Two cars had pulled into the lot and one of their buddies jumped outside with a smoke bomb.
Everything else was forgotten. I rushed past her. I knew Logan and the guys were behind me, but I didn’t care. I grabbed the first guy to pound. After that, it was game on. Logan took the smoke bomb from the guy and handed it to me. I launched it. If they wanted to fight, they were going to pay for it. Their second car emptied and we were all fighting.
“Mason!” Logan shouted somewhere, but I lifted my fist for another hit. I kept ramming it at the guy and then moved onto another when he couldn’t fight it.
It was later, after the guys were tugging on me that I realized the cops would be coming. As we headed for my car, I remembered her. Our eyes caught and held for a second, but then Logan pounded on the car again and we peeled out of there.
We never went to Molly’s that night so Ethan could get laid. We went somewhere else.
*
MASON POV WHEN SAM CATCHES JEFF
"Come on, Mason," the girl purred and rubbed her rack against my chest. I took a deep breath, not from enjoyment. This girl was drunk, too drunk, for anything to happen. I laid back on the bed, pissed that I had wasted my time. Logan said to get laid. He said it would be fun and what I needed to take the stick out of my ass.
Fuck him. A growl escaped me.
The girl gasped. She had crawled on top of me, straddling me. Mistaking my growl for a groan, she started humping me harder. Her hips constricted and stretched as she sped up her pace. She murmured, flashing me a smile as her hair fell to cover her face, "Oh, baby. I'm going to make you feel so good."
I was bored. And pisssed. And, as she rubbed over me harder and harder, I grunted. Okay, that did feel good. My hand went to her ass and cupped her there. She squealed from excitement, rubbing harder against me, more sensually.
Maybe? I was tempted. Kate had been too possessive lately. She would hear about this chick and learn her lesson. She wouldn't be happy, but I wasn't her boyfriend. I wasn't anyone's boyfriend and had no intention to be.
"Omph!" The girl fell off of me. She caught herself, grabbing hold of the bedsheets, but the weight of her body tipped the balance and she slid to the floor.
It happened in slow motion. I could've caught her, but I made no move to grab her. The girl was drunk. She was grinding on me, but it was haphazard and she was grunting more than I liked to hear from girls. As she laid on the floor, dazed at what happened, I sat up on the side of the bed.
I was about to stand up, when she grabbed my hand. "Wait."
"Listen," I peered down at her.
She shook her head. Her lips were pressed together and she looked ready to puke. "No, no." Scrambling back to her knees, she started pawing at my jeans. "Don't go. I'll blow you. You'll like it. I promise."
"You're way too drunk."
"I'm not." She was pale in the face. I could almost smell the vomit coming from her. It was a matter of time.
"Look—" I started, but heard from the hallway, "Are you kidding me?"
"What—" The girl swung her head to the door. "Who was that?"
I didn't care. Logan was right. I needed to get laid, but not by this one. She was a mess. "Look," Fuck. What was her name? I took hold of her arm and lifted her to her feet. "You need to find your friends—"
"You're my friend." With one movement, she jerked her shirt down and her breasts sprung out. She wasn't wearing a bra and as she licked her lips, gazing up at me, I was starting to wonder if she had come to the party with this plan already in her head. She rubbed her breasts against me and slid a hand down my chest, resting over the bulge in my pants. She cupped me, applying pressure with her palm, as she whispered, "See? He's my friend."
I removed her hand and smirked down at her. "I'm a guy. Don't get a big head. He springs up for no reason sometimes."
Her eyes went flat and she pressed her lips together for a moment. I could see the thoughts flying through her head. She wanted to keep going. I could've said anything and she would counter with another move.
This chick wanted a boyfriend. I shook my head. I thought she was a screw 'em type of girl, one that was down for what we needed and kept her mouth shut about it. It was now that I realized she wasn't. I would bet a hundred bucks she wanted to leave and announce to everyone we had screwed. Shit. I wasn't going to screw her and she was still going to say something anyway.
I rolled my eyes. "Look, lady."
"Lady." She giggled, pressing her face into my chest so her laughter was muffled. Her hand began tickling my chest. She was trying to be seductive. She was being annoying. "Stop." I caught her hand, both of them and pushed her away. When she tried to come back, I held her away from me. "Stop. You hear me?"
She did, but she was confused. Then the anger filled her gaze.
I shook my head. "I don't do random hook-ups."
"I know." Her eyes lit up. "And don't worry. I can handle it."
"Handle it?"
"Being your girl—"
"Do not say girlfriend. You are not my girlfriend."
Her shoulders dropped. A hurt expression came over her.
"I will not have a girlfriend and you're not going to tell your friends we screwed up here. You got that?"
"What's going to stop me?"
"Me." I'd been nice to her. That was done. I let her see that I was pissed. As she did, she took a step back. I narrowed my eyes at her. "I'm sick of being used to up someone's social status so if you breathe one lie about what happened up here, I will come for you or I'll let Kate have at you."
Fear flashed in her gaze.
I hated using Kate as a weapon, but it was the truth. Kate kept quiet. She'd been more nuts than normal lately, but she could be ruthless if I allowed it. I'd allow it this time. I held a hand up. "No lies. That's all I'm saying."
She nodded and swallowed over a lump.
Then we heard again from the hallway, "You were making out with another girl!"
The girl's lip started quivering and a whimper left her. "I thought you liked me."
"You're drunk."
"I know, but I thought you really liked me. We danced—"
"You came over and started grinding on my leg."
> "I did?"
I nodded, then sighed. "Look, you can hook-up with my brother. I'll put in a good word for you."
"Really?" Her eyes lit up.
For fuck's sake. I'd give Logan the full download on her, but he wouldn't care. He liked blow jobs. Everyone knew that. I nodded. "Yeah. Let's go out okay. No lies, remember?"
She made an exaggerated motion of zipping her lips and throwing the key away. That was what she meant, but she hit her nose, didn't know it, and almost fell as she threw the imaginary key away. I caught her around the waist and held her up. Then I ushered her out to the hallway, but stopped as I saw Sam in the hallway.
She was talking to a guy. His back was to me, but it was obvious the douche thought he was hot shit. I was tempted to step forward. I didn't. I wanted to see how she handled him. She had balls of steel. I saw it in her at the gas station and she'd been proving me right. How would she handle this?
"I know it looks bad."
I wanted to grin. His pants were undone. His shirt was off. The guy got caught. I wished Logan could watch this guy grovel. He'd have a few jokes for him.
Sam stiffened. "Are you dense?"
The girl had leaned back against my chest. She was content to watch this live entertainment. Fine by me. She wouldn't go off to her friends and say something she'd regret later. As we listened, the douche blamed Sam for his cheating, then he started to grovel. I couldn't hold back my smirk as he started with the promises of how much he loved her. Wait. As I listened, the guy went a different path.
He snapped at her, glaring, "Why don't you get off your high horse? Fine, we're done. I'm not even going to kiss your ass. It hasn't done me a damn thing in the three years we've been dating or the two it took me to get you. I can be half the nice guy I am to you and I've got no problem getting panties to drop."
He had more coming. My eyes narrowed to slits and anger had started in me. This guy was a dick. He expected things. I'd seen it so many damn times and I hated these guys, every single time I saw one show himself. They expected things when they were nice.
