“You aremine,” he snaps. “Where you go is absolutely my business.”
My lips part as I stare at him, a mixture of desire and disgust twisting in my stomach. The ground tilts slightly when he says that. Like it’s a fact, a certainty, no room for negotiation. I stare at his hard face. The devil-incarnate who terrifies me and the malevolent god who consumes me entirely. It’salarmingly easy to lose myself when Mason is this close. His sharp edges and magnetism take up all my mental real estate.
Focus!
“I’m here for Caden. Have you seen him?”
A muscle ticks in his jaw, and I immediately regret my words.
“Not yet,” he bites out, with a cunning look in his eyes. “And next time you see him, you won’t recognize his face.”
“If you put a finger on him, you’ll never touch me again,” I warn.
He raises an eyebrow, a dark smirk curling his lips on one side. “Is that an invitation?”
“You have plenty of invitations back there,” I mutter. “Wasn’t one just sitting on your lap?”
“Jealous, princess?” He strokes my cheekbone with the back of his fingers.
“Screw you.” I slap his hand away. “Tell me where Caden is, and we’ll both leave.”
His eyes narrow on me, his arms falling to his side. Then he pulls back, slightly. “Wait, how did you get here?”
“There are these things called cars. They move on four wheels.”
“Funny, but you know that’s not what I’m asking. Where the fuck are your guards?”
I open my mouth, but he shakes his head with a tsk. “Don’t lie to me, princess. It will take me two minutes to confirm if they are outside. Where are they?”
“Charlton House,” I admit.
“And why haven’t they tracked you here yet?”
“My panic button and phone are on my nightstand,” I confess proudly. “I brought Penny’s.”
“The one who blithers in her sleep? That one’s already on my list.”
“Leave my friends alone,” I snap.
He ignores me, barking on his own agenda. “So, you’re telling me you came here, dressed for a fuck, without your guards, in a town where even the homeless are a threat to you, for a fuckingfriend?”
“Yes.” I jut my chin out. “Platonic friendships with the opposite sex may be a foreign concept to you, but for those of us who live in civilized society, friendships mean something. Now, take me to Caden.”
“What makes you think I’m going to let you walk in front of other men dressed like that?”
“Fine.” I smile. “I’ll find him myself.” I shove at him and try to walk away.
Mason grabs my hip and pulls me into him.
“Ouch!” I cry out loud as pain pulses through me. His hand jolts away as I clutch my injured hip with both hands and collapse into the wall.
“The fuck?” Mason looks at me with knitted brows.
“You hurt me, dickhead,” I complain.
“I didn’t.”
His fingers grab the hem of my dress. My jaw drops in horror as he starts to pull it up.
