by Tijan
As they did, the blonde muttered under her breath to Logan, close enough from me to hear, “High school or not. You’re a hot one, buddy.”
“Buddy?” Logan smirked at her, but the girls moved out of earshot, disappearing through the door. He saw me and winked. “See that, sister dear? I got the college cougars all over me already. I might have to be single going into Cain U next year.”
I gave him a small grin, but I was still tense. He’d been restless. When he threw out that challenge, I hadn’t been surprised. Logan wanted to fight. He’d been spoiling for one for a while. When he looked away, my gaze lingered on him. He had a carefree smile on his face, but his eyes were dark. He was hungry still.
Mason saw my frown, leaning in close so no one could hear him, and asked, “You okay?”
I nodded, but let out a sigh. Logan was going to be trouble. I could feel it. I just didn’t know what he was going to do.
“Shit.” Another guy who stood next to Jesse Hunt grunted. “I thought we were going to have a battle royale here. Monson, you know how to pick your friends.”
Nate laughed, but he sounded uneasy. “Yeah. How’s it hanging, Tatum? I didn’t see you there.”
“I came up to see Jamie get his ass handed to him.” He pounded his fist to Nate’s then grinned at his friend. “Gotta admit it, Jesse. That was fun to see.”
Nate laughed, but turned and met Mason’s gaze. A look of relief was in his eyes. He said to the other guys though, “Yeah, glad you think that.”
Jesse chuckled, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it, Nate. The second I would’ve dropped Mason Kade’s name, Jamie would’ve backed down anyway.”
Mason frowned. “You know me?”
Jesse nodded. “I might play a different sport, but your rep is solid. You’re supposed to go pro. Of course, I’ve heard about you.”
Mason relaxed.
Then Jesse said, “Come on. I know the guys at this party and promised we would go for a little bit, but we can head to my house afterwards. It’ll be a lot less intense, and the girls can relax and actually have fun.”
As the guys moved inside, I followed behind, holding Mason’s hand. I had to admit, the last idea sounded a lot more fun than being at this house party. As we got inside, Logan was studying the layout. Over the music he shouted at us, “I’m going to get drinks. Mase?”
Mason shook his head.
Logan pointed at Nate. “I know you want one.”
Nate nodded, letting out a small breath. He looked frazzled.
Then Logan gestured to me. “Sam?”
I opened my mouth, ready to tell him no, but Mason said for me, “Get her one.” He glanced down at me. “You can have fun tonight. I’ll watch over you.”
Remembering the earlier tension with Logan, remembering his digs at Heather, and knowing that he was angry with me, I found myself nodding. Maybe a few drinks, away from home, would be okay. I was with Mason. I was with Logan. I let out a breath and felt some of the wariness leave me. I was with my family. Still.
*flashback ends*
“Oh, I remember now.” Sam grinned up at him. “You ended up punching that Jamie guy later on.”
Mason shrugged. “He had it coming. He called Heather ‘Slut 2.0’.”
“I liked Alex. She was nice.”
“Hunt was cool too.”
“He was. He had other friends, right? A band?”
“I think we’ll meet them here. They’re in the band Sustain.”
Sam’s eyes got big, but Mason ignored the look on her face and guided her until they were in the doorway of the kitchen. An eating area was directly connected to it with a long wooden table that ran the entire length of the very large room. Two couches were at the end, positioned to face each other. A grand fireplace was on the other side of the couches and a large flat-screen television was positioned in the corner of the room. It was mounted up on the wall so everyone could see, but as they stood there and watched, no one in the room was paying attention to the news report.
“There’s so many people,” Sam noted in awe under her breath.
Mason grunted. He gestured to the head of the table where a guy was sitting. He had darker blonde hair, striking blue eyes, and a physique that was noticeably well-toned, even under his business suit. A lethal aura came from him and Mason knew he was Carter Reed, the guy who had mafia ties. Logan and Sam knew he was a killer, but they didn’t know he had once been an assassin. Mason kept that information to himself. His gaze drifted to the woman next to him. She had a striking beauty, shorter hair that grazed the tops of her shoulders, and a trim figure. She glanced towards them, but turned her attention back to Carter when he murmured something. She sat almost demurely next to him, but Mason knew it wasn’t real. From that slight look, even though it was brief, he saw the strength in her eyes.
Mason wondered if she realized how she came across, as timid almost, then he looked around the rest of the room and stopped thinking about it. Sam was right to be surprised. There were a lot of people there. He skipped over some of them when he saw Jesse Hunt introduce Logan to a group of people.
“There’s Alexandra.” His hand touched Sam’s arm, and he nodded to the far corner beside a counter where food was being placed by staff.
“Oh!” She started forward. “I want to go say hi before this whole thing starts.”
When they approached the group, Logan threw his arm around a guy. His hand came up from the back and ruffled the darker blonde curls. He had green eyes that reflected the dazed and almost giddiness Logan was exuding. He said, “Holy shit. Hunt knows Steele, here.” Logan pointed at a guy who could only be described as a walking magazine-cover. He had high cheekbones, dark brown hair slicked to one side, and hazel eyes. Logan added, “Steele’s a movie star. He’s worked with both Nate and Hunt’s parents. Our dad needs to get involved with Hollywood. Drop the Analitch and meet someone else just as crazy.”
Mason frowned.
“Logan,” Sam murmured.
Logan laughed, removing his arm from the guy who he still hadn’t introduced. He jerked a thumb at him now. “This is Corrigan. He and,” he moved to the next guy who had black hair and sea blue eyes, “Bryce and,” he paused, frowning as a girl moved through the crowd to stand on the other side of Bryce, “I don’t know who she is, but she must know them. Anyways, they’re all from around the L.A. area too. We should hook some parents up and make inbred babies with each other.”
The girl who had just joined the group lifted an arm and rested it on Bryce’s shoulders. She leaned against him and pursed her lips together, her cool gaze moving up and down Logan in a slow inspection. She had dark hair, dark eyes, and a don’t-fuck-with-me attitude. She hadn’t said a word, but the entire group was silent until she finished studying Logan. Then she said, “Inbred babies, huh? What’s your name, Daryl?” Her voice had a sexy, husky sound to it, but she seemed impervious. “Or Brother Daryl? Wait. How about Cousin Daryl?” She sneered at him. “Inbred shit’s not funny.”
“Sheldon.” The guy right next to her, Bryce, touched her arm. It was only one word, but it seemed to have worked. She stepped back and her shoulders lowered a fraction of an inch.
She rolled her eyes, but said, “Sorry. I could only see the headlines with that one. Not only did I kill my friend, but they’d be saying we were cousins or some shit like that.”
Logan didn’t look fazed. He cocked his head to the side, and a slow grin started to appear. “You’re a killer too? How many killers do we have here?”
Sam muttered, “Oh my god.” She grabbed Logan and pulled him over to them. “Stop talking about killers. We have enough problems, remember?”
Logan laughed. “Exactly. I want to be friends with these people. Fucking Sebasstian won’t even retaliate once word hits him who we roll with.”
Mason chuckled, though his brother had a point. He turned towards Jesse. “Your season is doing well this year.”
Jesse grinned; his eyes had been narrowed, waiting out the introduct
ions, but they opened wider now. “Oh yeah.” His hand was resting on Alexandra’s back, and she moved further against him, melting into his side. “I’m hoping we’ll make it to the Final Four, but sometimes we have no idea. Your season was amazing, though. Cain U trampled Grant West. It wasn’t even a close one. I’ll admit. I was bragging that I knew you during that game.”
“Wait.” The guy whose hair that Logan had been pretending was a bird’s nest lifted a hand in the air. “Logan Kade.” He pointed to Logan, then moved to Mason. “Cain University. Holy. Fuck. You’re Mason Kade, aren’t you?”
Mason nodded. “Hi, hello. We didn’t get the introductions finished, but yeah, I’m Mason.” He gestured to Samantha beside him. “This is Sam, she’s my girlfriend—”
Logan cut in, adding, “And my future stepsister.” He smirked at the girl, Sheldon. “Make an inbred joke. I dare you. It’s amazing.”
The girl frowned, her eyebrows furrowing together. “Huh?”
“Exactly. My quick wit has no match. Bow down, my future killer friend.”
“Oh god,” someone whispered.
Logan flashed her a grin. “Again. Exactly. #Logansagodandnooneforgetaboutit. My tweets go out every Friday.” He glanced at Mason, and with a hint of fondness in his voice, said, “I’m missing Matteo. I need my one Soul Brotha Connection to meet our other Soul Brotha Connection.” He gestured to Corrigan, who lifted a hand and waved. “Sam,” Logan continued, waving a hand towards Sheldon, “use your magic and thaw-out this Queen Bee Killer. Oh yeah, I’ve heard of you, Sheldon Jeneve.” He spoke to Samantha again, “You and Jax need to bring her into the fold. If she’s connected to Corrigan, she’s going to have to learn how to love me. One way or another. I won’t let another Soul Brotha Connection slip away.”
“Thaw me out?” Another sneer began to form on Sheldon’s face.
Logan kissed his fingers and held them in the air. “SBC-er. You won’t stand in our way.”
Her sneer faltered. “Are you on crack?”
Sam spoke up, “No. He’s just mind-fucking you. He does this to certain people.”
Sheldon swung her gaze back to Logan, her eyebrows still bunched together. Then she moved back a step. “I’m having enough problems between these two.” She motioned between Corrigan and Bryce. “I don’t need another guy being added to the mix. Sorry, SBC-er/mind-fucker/god-person, but I’m out. Banter with me tends not to end well, for either parties.” With those last words, she went to the table and took a seat, then poured herself a hefty glass of wine.
Logan laughed. “How’d you know I was mind-fucking her?”
“Because I felt like I was getting mind-fucked too.” Sam’s hand slipped back into Mason’s. She said to Logan, “You can’t sleep with her, you know.”
“Whoa.” The two guys who were friends with Sheldon, Corrigan and Bryce, both jerked backwards. The one with black hair said, “Seriously. We have enough problems.”
Corrigan bobbed his head up and down firmly. “Oh yeah. Trust us. We have stalker issues. You don’t want our baggage.”
“We burned someone’s house down,” Logan replied.
Corrigan asked, “Was someone inside it?”
“No.”
“Then we win. We have people dying in our saga.”
Logan’s head tilted to the side, glancing at Mason.
“No.” Mason shook his head quickly. “We’re not killing Sebastian.”
“Okay.” But Logan had already moved on. He was studying the black-haired guy, Bryce, and he asked, “Don’t you play soccer?”
“Yes, well, not right now.” He grimaced, sharing a look with his friend. “Like we said before. We’re going through some things right now.”
Corrigan grunted. “That’s putting it lightly.”
“Okay! Everyone!” a voice boomed from behind the kitchen counter.
“What the fuck?” someone grunted.
A woman, who had her hair pulled back in a bun, held up two wooden spoons in the air and circled them around. She wore a chef’s white coat. It was unbuttoned and showed a red apron tied around her waist. Two guys carried a large cake from the kitchen and placed it on the counter before her. They were also wearing red aprons, the ends tied around their necks, and they were shirtless underneath. The woman brandished one of the wooden spoons to the side. As she did, another woman scurried up to her and took the spoons, replacing one with a knife and the other with a flat-end spatula. As she bent over and began cutting the cake, she shouted to the room, “I need everyone to take a seat. There are assigned seats so some of you don’t use the other people as snacks.”
“Snacks?” someone asked.
“Again,” Logan grunted. “What the fuck?”
But the chef wasn’t answering questions. People began moving around, looking for their assigned seats. A large section at one end of the table was empty. When everyone sat down, they saw the empty seats and looked around for the people still not sitting, but there was no one else in the room.
The chef glanced up, saw what was going on, and rolled her eyes. “Like I said. Those would be the snackers.” She tipped her head back and yelled, “DAVINA!”
At the command, the doors opened from the front entrance, and a suspended pause settled over the crowd. The group sensed something powerful was about to enter the room. They waited, watching the hallway as another group appeared. In the lead was a woman with bright-red hair and fiery eyes. She wore a black leather corset top that blended seamlessly into black leather pants. A sword was strapped to her back, along with a bow and arrow. Behind her, another man appeared, but he was dressed in athletic clothes. Standing above six feet with a trim figure, he could’ve passed for a professional athlete. The third man wasn’t a man. He was a giant. As he walked around the first two, everyone moved back an inch in response to his overpowering presence.
“I repeat for a third time,” Logan said in an awed tone. “What the fuckkkkk?”
But that wasn't the whole group. There were two more people, and as they came in, the first three moved aside. It was obvious these last two were the leaders. The guy was trim with tapered shoulders, but he moved with an athleticism that could only be described as both predatory and dangerous. He had dark hair and almost black eyes. Like the woman with red hair, he had two swords strapped to his back. He was dressed in black leather too, but had the clothing of a warrior. The last person stepped into the middle of them and took the lead. She didn’t seem to fit in with the group, but she was important. They were waiting for her to speak first.
She had brown hair, an almost petite build, and was dressed in a white tee shirt and baggy jeans with frayed ends covered in dirt.
“Davina,” a voice echoed through the room. It echoed into all corners, as if someone had spoken from above them.
People glanced to the chef, but it hadn’t come from her. She continued cutting the cake. As the echoes reverberated, the girl, who looked like an average college student, sighed from annoyance. She tilted her head back and spoke, “Saren, we have to attend this meeting.”
The air exploded, then a woman with glistening black hair appeared, standing in the middle of the table. Her red eyes snapped to attention and she leapt in the air, landing right in front of the college student. The woman with red eyes drew upright, standing erect.
Logan leaned over from his seat to Sam, and whispered, “She’s got your hair. What the fuck?”
Sam nudged him in the chest. “Hush.”
Mason glanced over to them and said, “They’re from the paranormal franchise. If I’m remembering right, I believe some of them are vampires, but I don’t know about the girl who just showed up. She seems different.”
“What about the girl called Davina?”
Mason shrugged, but recognized the look of interest in Logan’s eyes. He warned, “I wouldn’t even try to make a move. I’m pretty sure she’s with the warrior guy.”
Logan snorted. “Warrior guy. Whatever. We can hold our own.”
; “Logan, he has two swords on him. Do you walk around carrying your own sword?” As soon as the words left his mouth, Mason regretted them. He muttered, “Don’t even respond to that. Please—”
Logan smirked. “Are you kidding me? My sword has its own Twitter account.”
“I walked right into that one,” Mason muttered.
Logan added, “I’m thinking of starting its own Instagram account: Logan’s Sword.”
Sam hissed, “If I start getting pics of your dick, I’m reporting you to whoever owns this franchise Mason keeps talking about.”
“Guys.”
Mason silenced them and turned back to the new group. He noticed that the newcomer was dressed similar to the other two warriors, but her leather outfit was all blue. She hissed, “We have important matters to handle. Jacith is approaching with his army—”
Suddenly, the college student girl snapped. Her eyes had been dark brown, but they flashed a blinding white. As they did, the others around the room started murmuring as their confusion and fear swept through the room. When they looked away from the girl with the blinding white eyes, they realized their plates and silverware were rising in the air. People grabbed for their things, then a few screamed.
The entire table and everyone's chairs were in the air.
The higher everyone was lifted in the air, the college student’s skin grew translucent. Red lines that almost looked like veins appeared in her skin and rose sharply over her body, but would disappear in the next instant, only to appear again.
“Yeah.” Logan leaned over. “That chick’s not human. You’re right, Mase.”
Mason gave his brother a dumbfounded look, but shook his head. He reached for Sam, making sure she didn’t fly away.
The girl who was causing everything to float addressed the woman in front of her. She spoke in a deep voice, one that sounded powerful and ancient, like a separate entity of its own, “I told you and Sireenia gave me approval, not that I need it. We have to be here; this is important. We’ll go right back as soon as it’s over. You think I enjoy being held captive by Roane’s psychotic twin brother?”
The male warrior frowned, but didn’t say anything.