Time slowed.

I knew. I’d always known.

Sam was sent to Boston. I wanted her to get away from Cain University, away from me, and even away from Logan in Fallen Crest. In some way of thinking, I’d thought that the farther away she was, the safer she would be.

His lips began to form her name, and I knew all that was for nothing. He was still going after her, and she would be at Cain University next year, coming right into the lion’s den. I was delivering her to him.

His words were low and gravelly. I heard them through my alarm. A storm was going off in me, but his words penetrated me as he said, “I’m going to take your heart away.”

No.

That damn smirk coming back to him, he added, “And you won’t be able to stop me because she’s not going to let you. That’s going to be the best thing about it. You won’t be able to do a damn thing about it, and the way I’m going to do it, she’ll come right to me. I’m going to savor that day when she walks from you to me, and after I’ve taken your heart out, I’m going to take hers. I’m going to hurt her in a way so that she’ll never be the same. I’m going to rip her soul from her body.”

I snapped. One step took me to him, and before he realized what I was doing, I grabbed him and threw him down. I was on him, raining punch after punch, until his guys tore me from his body. They had to lift me off him, and even then, I kept going back for more.

I wanted to rip his insides out, but as I was trying to hurt him, I knew it wouldn’t matter.

He was going after Sam.

SAMANTHA

Weddings were where two souls became one, but for me, it was a day where I was about to beat a bitch down. I was staring at that girl now as I opened the door, and Cass Sullivan was on the doorstep. Dressed in a tight skirt that ended below her knees with a slit up the thigh and a sequined top that dipped low between her breasts, she was ready for the wedding festivities. Her hair was pinned on the top of her head with curled tendrils that fell to frame her face. A normal person would’ve looked beautiful, but this was Cass.

I drawled, “This must be your dream come true.”

Her heated eyes rolled upward before she sighed. “Seriously?”

Oh, yes. Seriously. I was trying to keep from gloating as I said, “You’re finally showing up at the Kade house to see your boyfriend. You’ve got to be wet. This is what you’ve been salivating about for years, right?”

“Oh my god.” She groaned. “Malinda said that Mark was here. You guys are all sleeping here for the weekend. Is he inside or not?”

A girl had to enjoy this torture. I had my fair share of enemies for four years now, but Cass was one that never went away. She had hated me since Mason and Logan became family, and she’d stuck like glue, refusing to go away. Her latest venture was as Mark’s girlfriend, who would be my stepbrother after today.

I folded my arms over my chest. “Maybe.”

“Sam! For real?”

I lifted a shoulder. “Maybe not.”

I was being mean. I knew this, but after the crap she put me through, she deserved it. Once Mark’s mom married my dad today, it would be official. Mark would be family, and that meant she had to be nice…er to me.

She took a step toward me.

I lifted an eyebrow.

Putting her mouth right next to my ear, she yelled at the top of her lungs, “Mark! Are you here?”

I cringed. I’d known it was coming. I’d known she was either going to hit me or scream. I’d thought I was prepared. I wasn’t. “Shut up. My god. You killed my eardrum.”

She grunted and rolled her eyes, smoothing her hands over her skirt. “Whatever. You should’ve called for him. I warned you.”

Our gazes were locked in a battle, and that was when I knew. “You’re still going to be a bitch to me, aren’t you?”

“You thought I wouldn’t be?” Her head reared back. “Where did you get that idiotic thought?”

Well, that sealed her fate. With a big grin on my face, I stepped back and shut the door in her face.

“Mature much?” she asked from the other side.

I shrugged. Any chance I got to shut a door in her face, I was going to take it. That made this more enjoyable. I turned the lock. Cass could knock and yell all she wanted. She was screwed. What she didn’t know, I did, and that was the fact that Mark was with Logan right now, and they didn’t have their cell phones with them. They weren’t even here.

Mason looked up from the table as I rounded the hallway for the kitchen. “Who was that?” A pad and pen were sitting in front of him as he was finishing up a speech.

Mark was the best man with Mason and Logan being the rest of the groomsmen. The other two snuck out for an errand, something to do with doves. I didn’t want to know any details, so I hadn’t asked. All I knew was that they’d left their phones for some reason, declaring they didn’t want to risk evidence being recorded against them. As they had done that, Mark dropped another bombshell. He was horrible with speeches and he wasn’t going to do one. No one trusted Logan to give the speech so that left one person: Mason. This was the reason my boyfriend remained behind with me.

Needing to leave to get my hair done, I was glad Mason and I were the only two in the mansion at that moment. It would be overrun that afternoon, but right now, I was trying to hold back from climbing onto his lap instead of sinking into the chair beside him. His hair was tousled and messy since he hadn’t cut it most of the summer. It would be buzzed tomorrow for football season, so until then, I would enjoy running my fingers through it.