“If you’re trying to get under my fur, Mason, it’s notworking.”
He leveled his eyes on her chest, then raised them slowly. “I’m sorry, but I don’t doPines.”
Her grin faltered. “That wasn’t me propositioning you, youprick.”
Cocking one side of his mouth up, he filched a fry from the plastic basket next to her plate, his forearm brushing against her chest. She jerked backward. His eyes flashed with undisguised amusement that heightened when Sarah glared athim.
She relocated her basket, shoving it to the farthest most edge of the table. “Hands off myfries.”
“Possessive, aren’t we?” Lucas wiped his fingers slowly on his wadded-up napkin, as though buying himself more time. “You deejaying tomorrow night,blondie?”
“Like every Thursday night.” Her skin tone had returned to normal, but her earlier glee was gone. “Don’t forget your earplugs. Or better yet, don’t come at all.” She turned back toward me. “Will you go,Ness?”
I was about to say maybe when the front door of Tracy’s flapped open, dragging in the scent of summer rain and male perspiration. My heart stuttered when I laid eyes on Liam. His dark hair was slicked back, and his body was wound so tightly it looked like he was about to pounce onsomeone.
Pissed.
He lookedpissed.
All the more terrifying was that he looked pissed atme.
17
Istoodup so fast my knees bumped into the table, sending bolts of pain through my shins. The last time Liam had looked at me with so much scorn was when I’d come out of Julian Matz’s maze brandishing the Boulderrelic.
Aside from the low drone of the sports commentator and the unrelenting rain niggling the windows, the bar had become eerily quiet. When a cue stick hit a resin ball, Ijumped.
For a long moment, Liam didn’t move. Neither did Matt who flankedhim.
Lucas’s thick eyebrows dipped as he watched his Alpha, the slant deepening when Liam stalked over to me, boots pounding the wornflooring.
“You ratted us out?” Lucas asked, voice low. So verylow.
Sarah, who’d spun around in her chair, whirled towardme.
Combined with Liam’s lethal gaze, Lucas’s accusation chilled the blood racing through my veins. “Wh-what?”
Heran!
Liam’s voice resonated so shrilly inside my skull that I gripped my forehead, digging my fingertips into my temples. “Wh-who?” Istammered.
Your cousin!Rainwater mixed with sweat dripped from his matted hair into the collar of his black V-neck.
“Why are you screaming atme?”
“Because it’s your fault,” Liamgrowled.
Matt folded his arms in front of his huge chest. “Everest left Aidan a voicemail telling him what a prick he was to have sold himout.”
I sensed two large bodies coming up behind me. I could smell August. I assumed the other one was Cole. Were they corneringme?
I squared my shoulders, trying to inject bravado into my posture. Bravado I wasn’t feeling. “What does Everest’s voicemail have to do with me?” I asked, voicefaltering.
“He said you texted him that we were coming,” Mattsaid.
I reeled, but then I grabbed my phone, unlocked it, and shoved it in front of Liam’s face. “Check it. Check my messages. I never sent Everest athing.”
He stared at the bobbingphone.
