Mason was a cement slab of stone. As he grilled her with his eyes, I touched the side of his face. Nothing. There was no reaction. It was as if he had forgotten I was there. It made me wonder if there was more to his loathing than just the Logan situation. Had something else happened between the two? Or maybe he had wanted her as she had him? But no. I sucked in my breath. That couldn't have been the case. Mason hated this girl because she hurt Logan. She had been the one person who had managed that feat.

It was enough for me. "You might want to leave before you're thrown out."

Her eyes snapped to mine. She seemed energized by the new target. "Oh really?"

"Really."

"I heard this isn't their house."

"No, but it is Nate's."

Her smile fell flat.

My own doubled. "You don't think he'll kick you out because Mason told him to?"

She straightened away from us and backed up a few steps. Her eyes went flat as she skimmed me up and down. "Look, I came here as a sign of respect."

Mason snorted in disbelief.

"I did." She glared at him. "I'm moving back. I don't want any trouble from you guys."

"Off on the wrong foot, don't you think?" I snapped at her.

She ignored me and transferred her gaze to Mason. Her tone softened. "I still love Logan—"

He released me in a flash and gripped her arm. "You never loved Logan."

Her eyes widened in fear, but she shot back, "Yes, I did. I made a horrible mistake. I was stupid and an egomaniac, but I loved him. I really did—"

His hand tightened around her arm. "Get out of here, Tate. Now. And stay away from my brother." He pushed her back. There would be an imprint from where his hand had been. It was already reddening on her skin.

She stumbled back a few more steps. Her eyes seemed in a daze as she took in the sight of Mason, but then she found her footing and straightened again. A wistful smile came over her. "Man, I forgot what you look like when you're threatened."

"I'm not threatened. I'm pissed." He stalked closer to her until he was in her face again. "I can make your life hell."

"Yeah." She nodded with a thoughtful look in her eye. "You can, but I can do the same to you." She glanced over his shoulder to me. "I think I'm the one of two people who could do that to you. You might not want to piss me off, Kade. I can take your brother away from you and you know it."

"Get. Out."

She looked ready to say something more, but at that moment, Nate entered the kitchen. He took everything in and wrapped an arm around her waist. Picking her up, he grunted when she started to struggle. "You're not welcome, Tate. Ever." Then he gave Mason a reassuring nod before disappearing with her. The crowd that had formed to watch was silent now.

Mason barked at them. "Get lost!"

They jumped back into action. The conversations doubled in volume.

Sighing as he came back to me, he raked a hand through his hair and growled. "I hate that bitch."

My hand touched the side of his jaw, but it was still rigid. Then I sighed. "Looks like the next semester won't be as much fun as you thought."

He grimaced and his jaw flexed against my hand. Then, because it had been bugging me, I had to ask, "Is she right?"

"About what?"

"Does Logan still love her?"

A wall slammed over him, and he turned away. That's when I knew it was true, and that's when I realized how threatening this girl really was to their relationship. Maybe it was karmic coincidence, but it was at that moment when I looked up and saw members of the Elite in the kitchen. They had stayed away from me since Logan dumped Miranda so long ago, but she was there. In Peter's arms, dressed all in white, laughing at something one of the others had said and looking radiant in her happiness. But she hadn't been, not after Logan screwed with her. She'd been humiliated.

Miranda had been a blip on Mason's radar from the one time she taunted him that Logan might've had feelings for me. If he had reacted like that to her, I had no idea how he would handle Tate. She was the real threat.

Chills went down my spine.

When Nate returned, he gave Mason a look. An understanding transmitted between them, just the two of them. My teeth gritted together. For some reason, I didn't like the closeness those two had, not anymore.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Later in the evening, I was on the back patio. Mason lounged next to me with an arm around my waist and his head next to my shoulder. He lay there as if he were a lion, resting for his next battle. Since Tate had left, he kept a hand on me at all times. It was a possessive touch, not the loving touch from the apartment, but I couldn't deny the reaction it was having with me. A primal thrill had been burning deep in me. It mixed with a sick excitement.

Everyone else seemed to react to this side of Mason too. They were more alert, a bit more silent than at other parties. Nate hadn't left Mason's side since Tate's arrival either and sat on the other side of him. One of his legs was kicked up to rest on the table in front of us while a few of their guy friends sat in the remaining seats across from us.

Logan emerged from wherever he'd been and joined us on the patio.

As if it had been practiced and scripted, Ethan, Strauss and another guy stood up and left. When a few girls started up the stairs, they blocked them at the bottom. Then all three of them got comfortable. They were the guard dogs.

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