Page 156 of The Addict

He acted like I was insane. Like he had never heard the name Noah before.

“It was my father. We were in an altercation last night…”

Had Noah really been telling the truth when he had told me that? I trembled as I remembered the huge gash that had been beneath Noah’s eye. Was it possible for a parent to do that?

Could someone be that cruel?

Chapter forty-three

When Will You Learn?

NOAH

Ipushed through the crowd, struggling to make it through the thick masses of people without bumping someone or something.

A lady with similar eyes to Silas spun around on me.

“Watch where you’re walking, Hansen.” She emphasized my name with a curl of her lip.

With difficulty, I mumbled, “Sorry.” I tried to hold back my rising temper in front of all of the guests.

As soon as I was out of hearing range, I blurted, “Fucking asshole…” My mom was right; the Thorne’s were being total dicks. And I had seemed to find every member of the damn family except the one that I was looking for.

Delane was lost among the masses too.

I collapsed into a free chair with a sigh, feeling a bit lightheaded. How could one red headed beauty be so hard to find?

What if Silas finds her before I do?

Then I scoffed. What if I was worried for nothing, and he wasn’t even here? I hadn’t known him to ever be a dancer, anyway.

As I sat there, I felt many eyes on me. Noah Hansen, the young, dumb son of the renowned Chief of Police that everyone adored. I knew I was a hot button topic, which is why I was trying to be on my best behavior. My track record wasn’t exactly a secret to the public.

One stare in particular stood out from all of the rest. It caught my gaze and caused me to focus a bit more intently.

There were tons of people in the way on the dance floor, but I could see the man’s mask: white in color the shape of a skull, framed around his features and head. Unlike most masks that fit just above the nose, this one covered the majority of the stranger’s face and hair. The only thing that was exposed was his lips, unmoving and firm. His eyes peered from the other side of the disguise, unfeeling and distant.

I continued to stare at him. Could that be?

Silas?

Staring me down.

I could’ve sworn the man behind the mask smirked.

I stood instantly to get a better look, and the man took off into the crowd.

Cursing, I followed, maneuvering through the masked faces once again. I was trying desperately not to lose the back of the other’s head, finding it extremely difficult to keep my eye on the moving figure. I thought of calling out to him, but then decided that shouting out Silas’s name would cause more of a commotion than unassumingly pursuing him.

As I feared, I lost him, leaving myself stranded in the middle of a herd of dancers.

The lights inside dimmed, and another slow song began to play. The floor lit up bright blue and purple fluorescent beams, and I eased myself out of the crowd without too much trouble.

I backed away from the throng of masqueraders, into a corner on the far west wall of the dance floor. I pressed my face to my hands. I had to find Delane soon or she was going to think that I left her on purpose. I needed to stop worrying about everything else.

Maybe I was just imagining it.

Maybe I hadn’t seen anything.