Fallen Crest High

chapter THIRTY EIGHT





When we entered the top suite, I drew in a deep breath and let go of Mason's hand. He glanced back, but I shook my head. I needed to do this on my own, somewhat. Logan sat on a couch in the corner. He had two bags of chips on the table in front of him, a small television in his corner, and a cooler beside him. His smile couldn't be wider on his face and when he saw our entrance, his hand slid into the cooler. It came back up with a beer and he started to chug half of it down.

"Are they here?"

I flinched at the tone of their mother. When no one answered, she came around the corner. Her hand was raised to fix an earring in place. When her eyes lit on me, her hand fell down in slow motion. She straightened and crossed her arms over her chest as she lifted her head high and her shoulders were squared.

For a moment, I was speechless. She was beautiful. She had a model's body, tall and lean with long legs. She wore a white business skirt with a pale pink cashmere sweater over it. A necklace of white diamonds rested above her cleavage. They matched the diamonds in her ears and I caught a flash from her wrist. My eyes couldn't get any bigger at the sight of the diamond bracelet there. Even her pale pink high heels shimmered from the diamonds on their straps.

She had golden blonde hair, which looked streaked from sunlight and that rested high in a loose bun. Tendrils fell to the nape of her neck and with her clear blue eyes; she looked the image of a goddess. But her lips had formed into a sneer as she took her time to study me in turn.

Her wrist flicked at me with irritation. "This is Analise's daughter?"

Logan choked out a laugh, but guzzled some more of his beer.

Mason and their mother threw him a glare. He sank back against the couch and raised a hand across his lips. They were zipped.

Mason frowned at him, but sighed. "Yes, mother. This is Samantha."

Someone buzzed on the door and Logan jumped to his feet. He scurried around the room to open the door. Garrett Brickshire straightened as he viewed the room dressed in a navy blue suit. He'd been leaning with an arm near the top of the door.

"What's he doing here?" Mason rounded to his mother.

Logan's eyes widened. His smile grew and he hurried back to his seat. He picked up a bag of chips this time and started to munch on them.

Their mother grimaced, but swept past us. She rested a hand to Garrett's chest as his lips skimmed a kiss to her cheek. She gave Mason a small smile. "I figured it's appropriate. He is her real father after all, and you know about the two of us. We can deal with two birds with one stone tonight. Mmmm? Don't you agree?"

Mason glanced at Logan. "You okay with this?"

He made a show of showing his zipped lips again and shrugged.

"Thanks." Mason didn't hold back a wry tone to his voice.

Logan bobbed his head up and down as he reached for another beer.

And then there was another buzz at the door. Helen frowned as she walked to it and peered through the peephole. "Who could that be—oh my god." She turned back with a panicked look on her face. Her chest started to rise and fall at a rapid pace and she seethed at Mason, "Were you behind this?"

"What—no…"

Garrett rubbed a hand over his jaw and shook his head. A low baritone chuckle escaped him. "Now, darling, it only seemed appropriate for me to call her. She is my daughter's real mother after all."

"Garrett," she snapped and cursed at him. "Now's not the time to be charming."

He lifted a shoulder and arched an eyebrow before he perched on a couch's end. "Answer it, darling. They're going to find out anyway and it might as well be now. They can't be angry at us later for withholding information. I know Analise would throw that at me."

"Mom, what's going on…" The words died in Mason's throat as she opened the door and his father walked in, followed by my mother. Both of them wore reserved expressions, but when Analise saw Garrett, she sucked in her breath. Her face stretched at every angle over her skull. She looked in pain and then her eyes swung towards Helen. A confused look replaced the horrified one.

Logan groaned behind us. Something that sounded like a mix of laughter and curses slipped out. He snorted next and pressed his head into a couch cushion as his shoulders shook.

"Honey, what are you doing here?" Analise asked me. She was cold and formal.

"Helen? Why are we here?"

All eyes turned towards James, who was frowning at Mason.

Garrett stood from his perch and stretched to his fullest height. "She didn't call you. I did."

Analise jerked forward with fists clenched to her sides. "Why?"

He swung his head towards us. "Ask them. I was doing my fatherly duty." His lip curled up in a mocking manner.

"Sam?"

"Mason?"

"Garrett, what are you doing here? Sam, did you call him?"

I choked on my own vomit. "Are you kidding me?"

He drawled out again, "Nah, the girl doesn't want anything to do with me, Lise. You did a good job. She hates the sight of me."

I ducked my head and wished I could disappear. This was not somewhere I wanted to be.

"Why? What did you do to her?"

"Honey," James tone was soothing. "We were called here for a reason. Helen, you weren't behind this?"

She choked out an angry snort. "Are you kidding me? I'd like to handle our sons without your interference."

"And why would you have to handle them?" His tone cooled. "Mason? What is your mother referring to?"

Analise's look was filled with loathing as she glared towards Garrett. "Why in the world are you here?"

Helen's laughter peeled out this time. "I can take credit for that one, Analise." Her lip curled up in disdain. "You're going to find out anyway. Everything's going to come out now."

"What are you talking about, Helen?"

"Helen, let's spare some of the sordid details."

She threw a seductive grin towards Garrett. "I think I'm going to have to. Your ex doesn't look like she can handle all the details, not just yet anyway."

My mother paled and she jerked forward a step. "What are you talking about? Garrett, what is she talking about?"

He threw his head back and rolled back his shoulders. A cocky smirk came out. "I'm leaving my wife, Lise. I fell in love with someone else." And he threw a pointed look towards the middle of the room.

Analise seared everyone with a glare. "And why do I get the feeling you're not talking about your daughter?"

Helen smirked and poised with a hand to her hip. "He's talking about me, Lise. We were going to wait until his divorce was final, but we're engaged." And with that, she flipped a ring around on her finger. The diamond was double the size of my mother's. It sparkled as she wiggled her fingers around. "You like it? It matches the rest of my accessories. Only another woman can appreciate my outfit."

Mason groaned next to me and sat on the couch beside Logan. He passed the chips and the two munched away.

Analise gasped as the information sunk in and James cursed under his breath. He pulled his fiancé back with a hand tucked around her arm. "Are you kidding me, Helen? And how did the two of you meet? I'm supposed to believe it was by chance?"

"Oh no." Helen oozed with arrogance. "You see, when you started to run around behind my back with her, I hired a private investigator. And I learned all sorts of things, including the biological father of Samantha Jacquelyn Strattan. From there, all the pieces fell into place. It wasn't even hard to get the man Analise never could. Garrett and I had instant chemistry—"

He grunted. "We did. Screwed on the first date." He shrugged then. "Of course, it helped that my wife had already cheated on me and I learned about it that day."

"Oh my goodness." Analise bent over as she started to pant. "Honey, I can't breathe."

There was a look of enjoyment in Helen's eyes that had me snarling. I shot to my feet. "They called you here because of me. I'm screwing Mason."

And then someone else buzzed at the door.

James bit out a curse as he wrenched it open. He stopped in shock as David stood there, with Malinda behind him.

David scanned the inside and turned back. It wasn't long before Malinda left and he stepped inside.

"Great." Analise was livid. "This is great. Where'd your girlfriend go this time? She's not here to support you?"

David frowned, but his eyes rested on me. A tinge of concern had seeped into them. "I can see this is a family-only matter. Malinda came with me for support if I should need it. Her son came as well. I believe he's attending a party in this suite later on."

Logan choked on some beer and struggled to keep it in. Mason belted him on the back.

"Who called you?"

David glanced around, but Garrett lifted another finger in the air. The look of amusement was evident as he couldn't hold back a grin. "I did. Again, I thought it was only appropriate."

"Garrett," Helen hissed. "Stop interfering."

He extended a hand towards me. "She's my daughter. I called her mother and the man who's her real father. He raised her all her life." Then he strode forward and shook hands with David. "I'm the sperm donor. Nice to meet you."

"You too." The two sized each other up and after a moment stepped back.

Analise rolled her eyes. "You two are okay with each other?"

Garrett gave her a polite smile. "We've both had to deal with you."

David added, "It's a bonding experience."

Logan choked back another laugh. When everyone turned to glare, he displayed his zipped lips again and stuffed a handful of chips in his mouth.

"You let them drink in the open?"

Helen turned, at a loss. "Excuse me?"

"They're underage, Helen. They aren't allowed to drink." He gestured towards his sons, who both had a beer in hand. "And they're throwing a party here tonight?"

"Well," she glanced towards Garrett. "I had no idea. I had dinner plans for the evening."

My mother cleared her throat. "Can we get back to the part where my daughter said she was screwing her future stepbrother?" She glared at me. "I'd love to hear how this came about and why no one else seemed surprised."

No one spoke a word.

Her head started to swivel around. As her eyes found James, he gave her an apologetic look. "I had my suspicions."

She gasped.

Garrett lifted another finger. "I knew too. I caught 'em in the elevator."

"You did not." My hands found my hips. "We were standing in there and you got on. End of story."

"He had his arm around you and he kissed your shoulder. It was pretty evident, sweetie."

I snarled at him, "I'm not your sweetie."

David cleared his throat. "I knew as well, Analise. I was going to tell you, but I had hoped for a family dinner of my own this evening first." His eyes held mine. I felt my stomach drop at the sorrow in them. "That didn't occur as I had planned."

I looked away, burning. What did it matter? What did he matter anymore? He let me go… A small voice in my head told me that he didn't, though. He had fought for me since the beginning. I swung back to him and he gave me a small smile for encouragement.

"Who else knew about them?"

Helen gave her a polite, but lethal. "I walked in on them. They'd just had sex."

"You're screwed, brother," Logan whispered out of the corner of his mouth. Mason shot him a look, but stood beside me. He regarded the group with a grave look on his face. "What do you all care about? I screw girls. You know this."

"Not your stepsister!" my mother cried out.

He bore her down with a look that silenced her. Shivers went down my back, but I didn't dare glance up. I didn't want to remember that from him. Then he taunted her in a soft voice. "You should be happy, Analise. My father isn't a mechanic and my mother's not a cashier at the local grocery store. Your daughter did well for finding a bedmate."

Logan hooted out in laughter now.

She flushed as she remembered her own words. "This is not right. The two of you should not be—"

Garrett rolled to his feet again. "You can't do a thing to stop her, Lise."

She whirled to him. "Shut up, Garrett. You've had nothing to do with her all your life. You have no right to start now—"

With two steps he was in her face. "I have every right. I had a daughter that I didn't know about. You kept her from me! You had no right to do that. Maybe it's my turn now. Maybe I should be her parent now."

She paled even further. "No!"

David stepped forward. "I wouldn't be averse to that. I've been in talks with Analise about sharing responsibility of Samantha. I've offered to pay for her college already."

"You have?"

"I have." His eyes gentled as he turned to me. "I wanted to talk with you about some of those plans I've made with your mother at dinner tonight."

"You did?"

"Well, that's just dandy! You all knew my daughter was boning her stepbrother and no one had the decency to call me?"

"Watch it, Analise. Your age is showing." Garrett smirked at her. "And I did call you."

David stiffened as he turned. "Why would I call you when you haven't had the decency to consult me in any matter? You wanted to take her from me completely. You wanted to wipe her from my life."

"She's a bitch, isn't she?" Garrett threw an arm around David's shoulder.

"She is." Then his lip turned downwards. "Samantha, as the man who has raised you all your life…" He glanced upwards.

Garrett gave him an approving nod and patted his shoulder.

David continued, "I have to ask if this is a cry for help? Are you with Mason because you wanted all of our attention?"

Helen snorted and crossed her arms again. "Well, she got it."

I glared at her, but gentled as I looked at my father. "It's not a cry for help, David. It's—"

"They're hot as hell for each other!" Logan shot to his feet. "I can't keep quiet anymore. You all are stupid idiots if you think that. Don't you know her? Don't you know Mason? My god, I'm embarrassed to call you ass-dults!"

"Logan," his mother hissed. "Shut up. You promised."

He flipped up his middle finger. "I don't care. I can't handle this. My game is talk. You tried to take that away." He shot an arm towards Mason. "He fights. I talk. That's the magic of our twosome fearsome. Sam's one of us, man. She's got the guts to do the dirty deeds if we don't. She watches out for us too. Ya'll are stupid if you didn't see this coming." He thrust his arms out wide. "The three of us are a magical team. No way are you screwing this up."

James asked him with a dry voice, "Really?"

Logan puffed up his chest before he downed the rest of his beer. "You don't know what it's like being a Kade. Sam does. She's conquered and proved her loyalty runs deep." He flinched. "Real deep if I'm guessing at how far Mason goes in her—"

"Logan, shut the hell up!" Mason smacked him in the back of his head.

He came back up with a brighter smile. "And I'm proven right, again! You guys should hire me for this talent I have. Mom, I bet you have a better sex life with that Garrett dude than you did with dad."

"Logan!"

He turned towards James. "And dad, I bet your sex life is pretty good with Analise. She strikes me as the slutty type."

"Logan!"

He grinned broadly. "And David…I don't know you that well, but you strike me as conservative. You're only going to be with a conservative woman, maybe one that looks exotic though. I can tell you have control issues. You don't like anyone who is wilder than you, probably why you had problems with your ex, huh? As for the current one, she's hot under the covers, but I don't know if you want her to be." He shook his head in sympathy. "You might want to take care of that."

David frowned as he looked away.

"And Garrett," Logan tsked tsked him in approval. "You're a wild one, I can tell. That's why I know Mason's got a good one. You and Analise both are hot ones in bed. I can tell. It's why my mom and dad like the both of you. Both of them are vanilla in bed, I bet. I'm sorry about that. I bet the two of you had wild sex together." He shook his head in wonderment. "Two of the same types rarely work out, too much drama. A wild one and a vanilla one always go the distance. They balance each other out."

Garrett chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment as he regarded the sudden outburst. Then he nodded in approval. "I like you. You speak the truth. Inappropriate, but the truth."

Logan puffed out his chest. Then the smirk dropped from his face and he clipped out, "Good. Then leave Sam and Mason the f*ck alone. You've screwed up our lives enough."

Mason slid him a look. "I was going to get to that. I was waiting for the right time."

Logan looked annoyed. "Whatever. I had enough being quiet."

I slid my eyes towards him and he saluted me before he dropped back on the couch. "Continue on as you were…" He pretended to bow to them as he opened another beer, and passed one to Mason.

I caught mine as I sat on the couch with him.

Mason slid down beside me and Logan curled an arm around my shoulder. He drawled against my cheek, "It'll throw them off. Their visionary senses will tell them we're screwing and they'll get confused." His hand slid down towards my breast.

Mason warned, "Don't even try it, Logan. I'm the fighter, remember?"

His hand slid back up to my shoulder. He gave me a pat. "Threesome fearsome. No one stands a chance."

I grinned at him. "What about Nate?"

He tapped his beer with mine. "When he's around, it's the foursome fearsome. You can add any 'some to that name. Thank goodness, huh?" Then he groaned. "I really need to get laid tonight."

Mason tipped his head back. I felt the tension in his body and reached for his hand.

Logan leaned forward. "We might be having that party in your suite." Then we looked at the room as their voices were raised at each other. "Something's telling me the adults aren't going anywhere tonight."

My mom chose that moment to lift her hands in the air. "I don't care what you think I've done wrong in my parenting. I've been the one there for her all her life."

I closed my eyes. It was going to be a long night. I already knew it.