Fallen Crest Family (6 page)

Analise's eyes widened. Her hand clenched around the plate again.

I was frozen in place. Mason's hand reached behind him, and he pulled me close so I was pressed against his back. Then I closed my eyes. I was supposed to be the one fighting. I knew it had to be me, but I rested my forehead against his back. She had taken all the strength from me that I had accumulated over the last five months. She sucked me dry, and I was left trembling like I had when I was eleven years old.

"Samantha," she said in a sharp tone. "Look at me."

I trembled.

Mason laughed at her. "Fuck that."

"Screw you." This time it was Logan. His voice rose, as did his anger. "Who are you to talk to her like that?"

Analise sucked in her breath. "She is my daughter. I am her mother. That's who I am."

"Then act like it," Mason's tone was savage. He had stiffened to stone before me. "I don't know who raised you, but my mom and dad would never talk to me like that."

"Maybe they should've," she proclaimed.

My eyes clasped tighter, but I could see her in my mind. I knew her chin was in the air, her eyes were brazen, and she was open to a fight. My mother was a beautiful woman with dark black hair that was straight and sleek. She had a slim build and when she was dressed in form-fitting dresses, she looked elegant. A classic sophisticated look clung to her and made her seem angelic to men. I always knew when she wanted something because she would put on her soft-pink dress and cozy up to David with an endearing smile. She would use caresses over dinner to get what she wanted, and it always worked. He
folded every time and from what I had witnessed, James Kade wasn't any different. She could've beaten me up and she would only need a trembling lip, a few tears, and remorseful eyes to pull him back in.

Analise might've been crazy, but she had power over the opposite sex. She used it as a weapon.

"Analise!" James scolded her this time.

I sucked in my breath. My hands were now fisted into the back of Mason's shirt.

"What—James?"

Gone was the rage. Her voice softened. She had stepped wrong. I started the countdown in my head. 3…

"You can't say things like that, not about my own children."

2…

Logan snickered.

1…

"Oh, honey," her voice melted. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm so sorry. I am. It's just—I've been worried about my baby. He took her away from me, and I'm losing her, James. I can't lose my daughter."

Cue the sniffles.

She whimpered, "I just love her so much, James. You can understand that, can't you?"

"Oh my god." Logan's disgust was evident.

"Logan," his dad barked, but he had already softened. "It might be best if you leave the room. All of you."

"Are you kidding me?" Mason gutted out. His hands rose in the air, in fists. "She's working you, dad. You're falling for this?"

James sucked in his breath. Then he delivered with cold disdain, "Your mother called today. She would like for you and Logan to spend your break with her at the Malibu Estate. I think it would be best for everyone to leave as soon as possible."

He cursed. "I'm not leaving Sam here. If I go, she goes."

"What—"Analise started.

"Honey." James' sharp rebuke quieted her. Then he turned again. "Mason, I think it's best if there was some distance between you and Samantha. You have proven that neither of you can act responsibly. I had hoped you would've when we first learned of your relationship, but your disappearing trick did not help your credibility at all." He sounded tired all of the sudden. "I have asked you on many occasions to cease from being intimate, at least under this roof, but you have discarded my wishes on every matter. You have given me no other choice. I will not allow you to disappear with Samantha one more time. Her mother was beside herself and you put both of us through hell as we worried where you might've gone or even if you were going to come back."

When he finished, the room was silent for a moment. And then Logan threw his hands in the air, cursing as Mason bit out, "Are you fucking with me now?"

"No way." Logan shook his head. "We're not going. We go, she goes."

"I'm sorry, boys. I am. But neither of you are welcome in this home for the duration of your winter break." James seemed beaten down as he gestured to the side.

A large man came forward. He was dressed in a three-piece suit that stretched over his muscular shoulders and trim waist. His eyes lacked emotion as he nodded to Mason and then Logan. "Gentlemen."

"Are you serious, dad?" More curses came from Logan. "I can't believe this. What have
I
done?"

"Logan, we all know you support their relationship and have a soft spot for Samantha as well."

"She's like my sister."

"Regardless, you both protect her, which I find admirable, but you have become destructive to her relationship with her mother. You both need to go. You remember Howard?"

"And what if I refuse to go?" Mason stepped forward. His tone was hard.

"Mr. Mason." Howard stepped forward. "Your bags have already been packed and your mother is waiting for our arrival—"

"I'm not going," Mason cut him off. "Sorry, Howard, but I'm not twelve this time. You can't force me to go anywhere. I'm eighteen, dad. You can't bus me off anymore, and I won't play along this time."

"Fine, but you will not be allowed to see Samantha while she lives under this house."

"And what if she doesn't?" Mason folded his arms over his chest.

Everyone stood still at the stand-off between father and son.

I held my breath as my feet were still rooted where I clung to Mason's back. I yearned for his warmth, but my head hung down. I couldn't bear the idea of making eye contact with my mother. I knew she would've won then. She would've known that she had reduced me to that eleven-year-old so long ago again. I cringed as I remembered that time. I couldn't go back to that pain, not anymore.

"Howard," James spoke. "You will accompany Logan to the car. If Mason refuses to go with you, you are instructed to leave within ten minutes."

"But—"

"Yes, sir." Howard turned. "Mr. Logan? The car, please."

"What—no way." Logan's mouth hung open. He was speechless, but then he rebooted. "Dad, come on. This is insane. You're kicking me out? Are you kidding me?"

James turned to him. He was so stiff. "I have been forced to play my hand and this is it, Logan. If you wish to remain in my household and spend the rest of your high school years here, with Samantha, you will do as I have told. You will vacation with your mother for the break. When you return, you will respect my rules. If you do not, you will have two choices. You can live with your mother or I will have you arrested as a runaway. You are not eighteen, Logan." Then he turned on his heel and addressed his oldest son. "And Mason, those rules pertain to you as well. I cannot make you go to your mother's, but what we
can
do is enforce those rules to Samantha. She is still a minor. If she leaves her mother's household, she will be arrested as a runaway."

My eyes closed again as I heard my worst nightmare come true. She had trapped me. New panic came over me and I gulped for breath, but then I heard Mason's shrewd laughter. His voice was soft, so soft it sent chills down my spine. "You've forgotten one fact, dad."

"And what's that?"

"You've got one month. She turns eighteen in one month."

Analise sucked in her breath and James seemed visibly shaken, but he sighed. "Fine, then. I have one month to undo the damage you've unleashed on their relationship."

"What?" Logan cried out again. "You seriously think—"

"Logan, LEAVE!" his father roared.

Logan's mouth snapped shut as Howard cleared his throat. Then his shoulders dropped in surrender. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'm going."

When he shuffled past me, he folded me in his arms and whispered, "Don't worry, Sammy. The game's just begun. Take care." He pressed a kiss to my forehead before he headed outside. The big stiff followed behind, and then the door closed behind both of them.

Mason shook his head. "This is ridiculous. She's brainwashed you, dad. You don't see that?"

James closed his eyes before he rubbed a weary hand over his jaw. His hair seemed to have grayed over the last ten minutes. His voice was exhausted as he spoke, "I'm sorry that you feel that way, Mason. I truly am, but I have to stand with my future wife. Things have been run by you and your brother for too long. It's time I made things right again."

I glanced up at Mason. The dark promises in his depths made my stomach fall to the ground. I knew without asking that this was only the beginning. And for a second, I worried what he was going to do.

An hour later and I still couldn't wrap my head around how things had changed. Logan was gone, like gone gone. I wouldn't see him for two more weeks, when school would start again. And Mason was at Nate's.

I drew in a shuddering breath as I sat at my desk. My computer was on, but my hands hadn't touched the keyboard.

Mason was gone.

Mason couldn't see me.

Analise forbade me to see him and if I did, then what? I gulped. She made it clear that she would follow through with James' threat. The first moment that I would go to him, she would call the cops and have me arrested as a runaway. Could she even do that? I had no idea. Could she really force all of this? But Mason was right. I had one more month before I was legally on my own.

As I sat there, I saw a blinking light on my phone and pressed to hear the message.

A deep voice came over the phone, "This is Edward Grath, Coach Grath. I apologize for not getting back to you after last Friday, but I wanted to run your times by a few other coaches in the area." He drew in an excited breath. "Not only can I guarantee you a spot on our track team, but I will guarantee that you will get a scholarship after this year. I've already put feelers out for recruiters and one called me. They're very interested in you. If you keep running at these times, you will have no problem receiving a full scholarship to a college. Congratulations, Samantha. Give me a call this week. I'd like to start a training regime with you as soon as possible."

I sat there. I'd gotten on the team? He guaranteed a scholarship? I blinked as his words registered with me, then I scrambled for the phone again. This time I hit the button for Mason, but the line went flat. The operator informed me the line had been disconnected.

What the hell?

I pulled the phone away and stared at it. Had I hit the right button? He was on my speed dial. It should've been right, but after I did it again and then located his number in my contacts I was left speechless. Mason's phone was no more. I tried Logan, but it was the same results. They both disconnected their lines? Was it something against their dad? Why hadn't they given me their new numbers? I knew they would've.

Holy. I sat there, even more dejected than before. I had this great news and I couldn't tell the two people who cared about me.

Nate.

Even as the idea popped in my head, I knew I didn't have his number so I pushed away from my desk and grabbed my purse. I stepped into the hallway, but stopped short. Analise was there in a silk robe and a frown. She crossed her arms. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to see Mason."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

Her eyes narrowed and my old fear flickered in me again. Since I had remembered that night so long ago, I couldn't undo the effects. I thought I had been rid of that power over me, but she had me in the grip of her hand. If she squeezed, I didn't know how I would react.

"No," she said slowly and softly. It was menacing. "You're not."

I swallowed a ball of emotion and rubbed my hands against my pants. Then I rasped out, "What are you going to do, Analise? What are you going to do if I don't listen to you?"

"Analise," she hissed. "You call me by my first name now?"

"I'm seventeen. I'll be an adult in one month. Your attempt to control me is pathetic." My words were so brave, but I struggled to keep my knees from knocking against each other. She'd hear and she couldn't know.

To my surprise, when I expected the old rage to return, she shook her head and stepped back. Her head bent down, and she swallowed back a tear. I heard the hitch in her voice, and I sucked in my own breath. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. But she spoke so softly, I strained to hear her. "Do you realize that having sexual intercourse with a minor is against the law?"

Silence. Complete silence.

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt blown over and kicked while I was still down. She wouldn't—she couldn't—but, wait…she could. "You wouldn't."

She lifted her head. A challenge was there. "Not yet, I haven't."

"No way." I shook my head. She wouldn't do that. She could ruin his life…

Then she cleared her throat and sighed. "I don't want to, Samantha, but I have been losing you since we moved in. I won't stand for it anymore. No one is going to come in here and take my daughter away from me. No one. Not your father, not your boyfriend, not your friends, no one." Her chest rose with each statement. She was bristling with anger again. "I won't even let you get in the way of our relationship."