Page 30 of Unmask
His lips smirked. “Liar. You were hoping he’d storm in like your dark knight. He’s got that antihero complex, doesn’t he?”
I loosened my death grip from around his neck. “What do you want?”
Mason’s chest vibrated under me as he chuckled softly. “We missed you.”
“Bullshit.”
“Don’t be like that,” Maddox said with a cocky smirk. “You know damn well you missed us. I’ve been keeping your bed warm.”
“There’s only one bed I’d ever consider climbing in again in that house, and you’re definitely not sleeping in it.” Nothing in that statement was remotely true, but Maddox didn’t need to know that. I wanted to rile him, to hurt him, to piss him off. It only seemed fair after all the shit he put me through.
“You think Kreed would touch you after the way you rejected him twice?” Maddox countered, challenge written in every inch of his expression.
I tilted my head, a slow, dangerous smile curling on my lips. “You wanna put money on it?”
Maddox veered toward an empty classroom and pushed the door open. Mason followed without hesitation. I was too caught up in the moment to question it. His eyes flared with interest. “A bet? I like the way your twisted little mind works, menace.”
What the hell am I doing?
Why am I baiting him like this?
Have I officially lost my last working brain cell?
Maddox side-eyed Mason. “You sure you don’t want me to take her, bro? You look like you’re struggling.”
Mason’s arms tightened around me like a reflex. “Get the fuck out of here. Touch her and I’ll break your fingers one by one.”
I squirmed. “Okay, caveman. Seriously. Put me down. I’m fine.” The playful bickering had grounded me, brought me back to myself, and I could breathe again.
“And deny Kreed the pleasure of seeing your pretty face on his phone?” Mason said, far too casually.
My feet hit the floor, and I spun on him. “What the hell does that mean?”
He just smirked, pulling out his phone and sliding an arm around me. “Smile, my little kitten.”
Click.
He snapped a photo of me on his phone.
I lunged for the device, but he danced back, grinning like a devil as my hand swiped air. “Delete it.”
His finger tapped on the screen, no doubt shooting a text off to his older brother. Mischief danced in his eyes. “I don’t think so. That was gold. Think I can get one of you shirtless? For my personal stash.”
I deadpanned, “Sure. Let me strip. Actually, why stop at the top? Full nude sound good?”
Mason winked. “Tempting. But risking Kreed’s wrath? I’m pretty, not suicidal.”
“Delete. The. Photo,” I growled, my arms winging on either side of my hips.
“Sorry, menace,” Maddox cut in with a smirk, walking backward toward the door and tossing my bag across the room so it stopped near my feet. “No can do.”
“Wait—what are you doing?” I asked, still breathless, still trying to process the fact that I was nearly assaulted and then rescued in the span of two minutes.
Maddox turned to me with that same ruthless calm he’d worn during the fight. “Just to make sure we don’t have any repeat instances. Stay put, menace.”
Disbelief had my mouth dropping open. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Mason gave a half-hearted shrug. “Keeping you out of trouble… Just until Kreed gets here.”
