Chapter 4

Mason said, "I'm going up there to drop off the gift. You stay here and eat something." He patted Suzanne's shoulder, the motion casual and natural. She recoiled sharply, as if she'd been burned. Mason paused for a moment, then smiled. "What's wrong? Are you that scared of me?" Suzanne didn't answer. Mason didn't linger on it. He turned and walked toward the dance floor. Suzanne looked up at the stage and saw all three of them together: Spencer, Imogen, and Mason. They stood together, talking and laughing. The scene looked like a perfect picture. She stood apart, like someone who'd wandered in by mistake. Just then, a group of women headed straight for Suzanne. They were Imogen's friends. Leading them was Vivian Lambert, Imogen's best friend. Vivian had never liked Suzanne. She gave Suzanne a slow, head-to-toe look. "Well, if it isn't Mrs. Price. Why're you standing here all by yourself? Where's Mr. Price?" Suzanne didn't respond and turned to leave. Vivian stepped into her path. "Don't go. Let's talk." "There's nothing for us to talk about," Suzanne said. Vivian smiled. "Oh, there's plenty. We can talk about how you climbed into Mr. Price's bed. We can talk about how you schemed your way into marrying him. We can talk about how someone like you thought you could rise above your station." All eyes turned toward them. Suzanne clenched her fists. "Move." Vivian stepped forward and shoved her hard. "I'm not moving. Who do you think you are? You think you deserve to stand next to Mr. Price? "Immy and Mr. Price belong together. He's going to dump you sooner or later!" In the pushing, someone caught Suzanne's foot. Her mind was in chaos. As her body was already weak, she stumbled and went straight down onto the floor. Vivian said sweetly, "Oh, no. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." The women behind her closed in. Wine was splashed over Suzanne. A heel crushed down on her hand. Her hair was seized and pulled hard. "You bitch! Take a look at yourself and see if you're even worthy!" "Mr. Price married you just for fun!" "One day, he'll dump you and marry Immy!" Pain hit, sharp and immediate. Suzanne tried to push herself up and felt panic spike when her body barely moved. Her limbs felt slack and useless. Had Mason slipped something into the champagne he'd handed her? Had he drugged her? The thought drained the blood in her from the inside out. She turned toward the dance floor and tried to call Spencer's name. Spencer held Imogen as they danced. His eyes were soft, and he was smiling. He didn't look in Suzanne's direction even once. Something in Suzanne went completely cold. She'd forgotten that Imogen was the one he loved. She'd forgotten that he spent his days thinking about how to get revenge on her. There was no way he was going to save her. Suzanne's cries didn't bring anyone. That only made the women bolder. They kicked and punched her, spitting obscenities the whole time. Her face and body burned with pain. Whatever was in that drink left her weak, and she could barely fight back. They hit her, stomped her, and kept going. With whatever strength she had left, Suzanne shoved the nearest woman aside and forced herself upright. She staggered for the doors, crawling and stumbling at the same time. Behind her, the women shrieked after her, screaming curses. Suzanne's head spun, and her vision blurred. She ran on instinct, burst out of the banquet hall, and charged onto the driveway outside the hotel. The night wind hit her, and the drug seemed to surge harder. Her legs went weak, and she could barely stay upright. Just then, headlights flared in her face, and a black sedan barreled straight toward her. Suzanne's eyes flew open. She tried to get out of the way, but her body wouldn't move. There was a hard bang, and the force of it launched her. She felt herself get tossed weightless for a split second, then slam down on the cold, hard ground. Pain ripped through her all at once. Warm blood spilled from her mouth and nose, and it seeped from other parts of her body, spreading under her and staining the pavement red. Her vision swam. Darkness rolled in like a tide. Just before she blacked out, she saw Spencer and Mason standing not far away. They stood there and watched her lying in her own blood, barely breathing. Their faces were blank, like they were watching a show that had nothing to do with them. Then, Suzanne heard Mason speak in that careless, offhand tone. "Whose idea was this? You had me spike her drink, then set Vivian and those idiots on her. Even if she got out, there was still a car waiting outside to hit her. "Everything worked together like clockwork. It was ruthless." Spencer answered next. His voice was as cool as ever, and Suzanne went cold all at once. "That's how you make it stick. Relax. She won't die. I already worked out the angle and the impact. The hospital's been taken care of." It all clicked at once. He'd planned every bit of it, and Mason had done it with him. For revenge, they'd use whatever it took.