Fallen Crest Home (Fallen Crest High #6)(16)

He shook his head. “Don’t thank me. I was deep in pussy and booze. I got in a few good hits at the end, but not enough. I never should’ve left your side.” He spoke to Mason as Congo started the Escalade. “I’m sorry, man. I let you down.”

Mason waved him off. “This was my fight, not yours.”

Anything else Matteo was ready to say, Mason must’ve changed his mind because he closed his mouth. As we pulled away, Mason lifted his arm for me, and I leaned into him, my head resting on his chest and my eyes closed.

I could’ve stayed there forever, but soon enough I was pulled away to go into the hospital. A couple hours later, we checked out. The x-rays showed we were both fine, and I was back in his embrace.

Everything was just as it should be.





MASON


The girl at the front desk gasped when she saw my face the next morning. I couldn’t blame her. I’d woken to a pounding head, black eye, busted lip, and aching ribs as well. Fucking Caldron.

I didn’t want to shock this receptionist too much, so I kept my shades on. “James Kade said to be here at seven. I’m Mason Kade.”

“I know.” Hearing my dad’s name and mine seemed to settle her a bit. She glanced around. “My manager said you’d be coming in, along with another guy. I’m supposed to show you to the conference room you’ll be using.”

“And the other guy is here,” a voice announced.

I turned to see Adam Quinn standing next to me with his hand raised. He was about to slap me on the shoulder.

“Lay one hand on me and I’ll break it, Quinn.”

He looked the same as in high school. I knew girls thought he was pretty with his height and blond hair, but he still looked like a preppy douchebag who wore sweaters tied around his neck like some Ivy League pedophile to me.

He stepped back, looking at my face. “Your dad said you’ve been back a couple weeks. What shit have you already gotten into?”

I shifted to face him directly. He was trying to see my eyes through my shades. “You still got a hard-on for Sam?”

“What?”

“Enough with the bullshit. Let’s just cut straight to business.” I rested a hand on the desk. The receptionist looked like a deer caught in headlights. “I hear you’re with that Sullivan girl, but I was there. I know how obsessed you were with my girl. So do you still have a torch? Are you and I going to have another problem like we did back in school?”

A strangled laugh slipped out, and he cleared his throat. “Jesus Christ, Mason. We’re working together. I assumed you’d be over your issue.”

“My issue?”

His head lowered a fraction of an inch. He sighed. “No, I don’t still have feelings for Sam. Fuck’s sakes, I’m with Becky. Remember her? She was friends with Samantha.”

He seemed to be genuine when he said he didn’t still have feelings for Sam. I was watching. Quinn was sleazy, but he was a piss-poor liar. I would’ve seen a reaction from him. I clapped him on the shoulder. “We can get through this.” I turned back to the girl at the desk. “You can show us that conference room now.”

“Nope. That’d be my job.”

A tall, skinny woman dressed in a business skirt held out a hand, flashing us both a smile. Her black hair was pulled back into some type of bun, and she had a bird-like nose with a small chin and dark eyes.

“I’m Maxine. I’m in charge of cross-promotions with the country club, and that means I’m in charge of you two. I’ll be the person you go to if you need anything, okay?” She gestured with her head for us to follow as she started down a hallway. “The hotel is almost complete, but your fathers want you to have a room set up here as your office. The conference room I’ll show you is now yours to use. You’ll both be given keys for the property.” A second right, then she opened a door into a basic business room.

A table ran the length of the space with black leather chairs around it. She pointed to a smaller table in the corner that was loaded with coffee and water, as well as baskets and trays of food.

“Those will be changed every day. If you’d like lunch brought in, just call the front desk. They’ll have it arranged, and as I said, if you need anything, let me know.” Two business cards lay on the table. She touched them. “Here’s my contact information.”

She pointed out the white board behind her and showed us how to use the projector. Once Orientation 101 was completed, she folded her hands in front of her. Scrutinizing first Quinn, then myself, she lingered on my bruises. “We usually schedule a small press conference to announce a new partnership, but I’m assuming you’ll want that postponed?”

“Quinn can do it,” I told her. “He’s pretty.”

Adam coughed, frowning at me. “Uh, pretty sure they’ll want Mason Kade there.”

“He’s right.” There was a different look in Maxine’s eyes now, something close to a gleam. “Your dad wants to use your name. A football star is a big draw for publicity. They’ll want you to be there, but I don’t imagine you want the state of your face getting out. Soon-to-be-NFLer Gets Beat Up. Those headlines would double our publicity.”

Adam looked away, his shoulders lifted in silent laughter.

She noticed. “What?”