Fallen Crest High(75)

She didn't stop for a breath.

"And then, you won't believe it, but Logan Kade showed up!" She sat back in a dramatic break. Her chest heaved up and down and she held onto the table. "I couldn't believe it either, but he was drunk."

"I'm going to go to the bathroom." Tanya shot out of her chair and was gone in an instant.

I twisted around, but couldn't find her. I looked at Adam. "Is she okay?"

He indicated Becky and remained quiet.

She took another deep breath. "And then Logan started making fun of Tanya."

"Wait—what?"

"Yeah. I know." Her head bounced up and down. "He was really tearing into her, calling her loose and easy and all sorts of things. Tanya started to cry, but you know what happened?"

"Adam told him to shut up?"

Becky's lips clamped shut. After a beat, she looked at him.

I did too. "What?" Neither said a word. "You didn't?"

He looked away.

Becky opened her mouth. "So no one stopped him, no one. Not even Peter and we all know Peter rules the roost at these things."

"Do we?" I had no idea.

"He does, but then she shows up."

"Who?"

"Her cousin." Her eyes flashed in giddiness. "And she starts yelling at Logan instead. I think Tanya texted her, but you'll never guess what else happened?"

"Probably not," I deadpanned.

"So Logan was yelling at Tanya and then that girl started yelling at Logan, who took it. He completely shut up and just let her yell at him, but then his brother shows up a half hour later."

I sat up straight and narrowed my eyes. "Mason was there?"

Her head jumped up and down again and she was panting like a thirsty dog.

I felt Adam's quietness next to me and knew he was studying me.

"And then everybody got real quiet. She shut up."

"Who shut up?"

"Tanya's cousin."

Adam offered, "Tate. Her name is Tate."

"Tate completely shut up and she looked like she was going to faint or something."

"Her face got all green." He grinned and that was when I knew that Adam didn't like Tanya's cousin at all.

"I heard that Emily thought Tate had soiled her pants or something, it was that intense. And Mason hadn't even said anything at that time."

"But he's going to, right?" I was starting to see where this was going and a sense of dread was settling in.

"Yeah. He looked like a cat who'd found his favorite mouse wounded or something. It was eerie. And he started to make fun of her, like all cruel and stuff. The things he said to her were horrible and he was only playing with her.

She didn't try to defend herself. I guess Mason Kade really hates that girl, and the way he ripped into her. It was something else."

"He enjoyed it." Adam's voice was quiet.

I looked over and held his gaze. Something dark was in their depths.

He spoke again, "It was like an animal that was playing with its kill before they fully killed it. That's what he was doing with her. I've never seen anything like it before."

I held his stare and the realization that he was scared of the Kades hit me hard. I could see he was terrified of them, but Adam broke the moment when he left the table.

Becky's eyes skirted between the two of us, but she leaned forward. "And then I guess Logan finally told him to leave."