“No, stay on the line,” Rowdy said, “until I see—”
And just like that, she appeared across the street, hovering
behind a bus stop shelter, her gaze watchful.
Again Rowdy tried to get out of the truck. Logan cursed as he
held him back. Considering Rowdy’s size and the added strength of his emotion,
it wasn’t an easy feat. “People will recognize you! Stay put, and tell her I’m
coming to get her.”
Rowdy relented. “Logan is coming for you, hon. I’m in the truck
waiting. Don’t you dare budge an inch.”
“Get behind the wheel,” Logan told Rowdy before leaving the
truck and jogging over to Pepper.
She stood there, her hair tossed by the evening breeze, her
expression wounded but her stance defiant.
In his lifetime, Logan had faced injustice of every kind. He’d
dealt gently with rape victims, survivors from random shootings, the bereaved,
the insane, evil and immorality.
Nothing and no one had ever leveled him like this.
As he got closer to Pepper, she took a step back, then planted
her feet again. “If you hurt my brother, I swear I’ll—”
Logan grabbed her up against his chest, crushing her close, his
face in her hair, his hands opened against her back.
She didn’t exactly return his embrace, but she didn’t shove him
away, either. “Logan?”
He had her, and he’d be damned before he let her go again. To
reassure himself that she wasn’t injured, he held her back, smoothed her hair,
searched over her.
She released a broken breath. “Don’t you dare think that
I—”
“We have to move. You can explain everything later.” He turned
with her tucked close to his side.
“Nothing to explain.”
“Fine.” With so much confusion surrounding the area, no one
appeared to pay any attention to them. But that didn’t mean they were safe.
Hell, no.
He feared a sniper, another bomb, even an ambush.
Reese didn’t approach the truck, but then, he’d have enough
sense not to once he saw everything unfolding. Rowdy had the truck idling as he
waited for them. Logan tucked Pepper into the middle of the bench seat, then got
in beside her.
“Drive.”
With the truck already in gear, Rowdy asked, “Where?”
“Out of here for now.” He fastened Pepper’s seat belt, then his
own. She didn’t fight him when he took her hand.
Rowdy glanced at them both before carefully turning the truck
and driving away.
Pepper took an audible breath. “I need the stuff out of the
car.”
“Forget it.” Logan wanted only to get her as far away from the
area as possible.
She didn’t appreciate his consideration. “No,
you
forget it! It’s important.”
“I see you’re recovering from your shock.” Now that he saw her
unharmed, all his worry coalesced into rage. She could have been killed. She
would
have been killed. “What you did, coming
here like this, it was incredibly reckless.”
“Yeah, well, if you hadn’t—”
“You cleared out my motel room?” Rowdy asked with an abrupt
interruption.
That redirected her anger. “Yes, including the bimbo you left
in the bed!”
Watching the road, Rowdy turned a corner and said, “She was a
very nice girl.” And then, “Everything is in the trunk of my car?”
Deflating, Pepper crossed her arms and glared at Logan.
“Yes.”
If the situation weren’t so dire, Logan could have appreciated
the irony. He’d wanted Pepper to get Rowdy. Now he had Rowdy, but all he could
think about was keeping Pepper out of harm’s way. He rubbed the bridge of his
nose. “Where is the car?”
“I parked it two blocks north of the club, in the lot of a pawn
shop. The keys are under the passenger seat.”
“Anything…incriminating inside?”
She turned dagger-eyes on him. “You mean, since we’re such
heinous criminals and all that?”
In the face of her hostility, being reasonable wasn’t easy. “I
didn’t say that.”
“Not in those exact words, maybe. But you thought it all the
same.”
He gave her a quelling look that she tried to ignore. “We’ll
clear all that up very soon. But for now, I meant is there anything that could
be used to trace you?”
“No, I just felt like visiting Rowdy’s most recent conquest for
some small talk. I mean, what better way to get my jollies, right?”
Rowdy whistled.
“Your sarcasm isn’t helping anything.”
“You’re lucky all you’re getting is sarcasm!”
Counting to ten didn’t help. “What kind of car is it, Rowdy?
I’ll send Reese to take care of it.”
After Rowdy gave him the make and model, Logan withdrew his
cell. “You any good at losing a tail?”
He checked the rearview mirror. “Are we expecting that?”
“No. But be prepared just in case.” He called Reese.
Reese answered with a blunt, “I saw. What do want me to
do?”
He couldn’t believe he’d doubted Reese, even for a second. “For
now, get out of there without being seen.”
“I left when you did. Want me to meet you somewhere?”
Knowing his friend wouldn’t like it, and aware of both Rowdy
and Pepper listening in, Logan said, “Not just yet, but soon.”
Rowdy’s shoulders eased a little. Did he really distrust Reese
that much? Or had he still been worried that Logan would betray them?
Not likely. He wanted to do many things to and with Pepper
Yates, but betrayal was permanently off the list. “I have to sort this out, and
it’ll be easier to slip away unnoticed if I do it alone.”
“That’s the problem, Logan. You’re not alone—you’re with people
that, until only recently, you considered dangerous. Since you cut me out, I
have no idea why you’ve changed your mind, but I do know that I should be there
with you. I should—”
“Can you trust me on this?” He didn’t have time for
explanations.
Without hesitation, Reese said, “One hundred percent.”
“Thanks.” At the moment, trust was a high-priced commodity—and
in short supply with the siblings sharing his truck. “I’ve got a laundry list of
things to be done, but for now, can you move Pepper’s car without being
seen?”
Clearly puzzled by the request, Reese said, “I can do that,
yeah.”
Logan gave him the details on the car and where to find it.
“Put it someplace secure, all right?”
“No problem.”
“I have to switch phones, so it’ll probably be a few hours
until I can touch base with you again. Find out what you can about the club
before then, but be subtle. I’d as soon no one knew we were there.”
“Consider it done.”
“Appreciate it.” Logan disconnected the call and then turned
off his cell. To Pepper, he said, “Where’s your phone?”
Subdued, she handed it over to him, and he turned it off. No
reason to make it easy for others to track them through GPS.
“Rowdy?”
“Already done.” Vigilant, he glanced in the rearview mirror
again. “But I’ll hang on to mine.”
Yeah, Logan didn’t blame him. “Take another left and then hit
the highway. Go south for now.” He twisted to look out the back window, but he
didn’t see anything suspicious. He gave his attention to Pepper.
So many sentiments flashed over her face, distrust and hurt at
the forefront. She tried to conceal it with bravado, but her hands were shaking,
her face pale.
“I’m sorry,” he told her, and he meant it.
“Jam your apology, Logan.” She leaned farther away from him,
crowding close to Rowdy. “I don’t want to hear it.”
Rowdy briefly gripped her knee. “You’ll be okay now,” he told
her.
Putting her head to his shoulder, she gave him a brief, hard
hug.
God, she was beautiful.
And she wanted nothing to do with him. Knowing she’d need time,
Logan said, “What the hell were you doing at the club?”
Rather than answer, she said, “I didn’t cause the
explosion.”
“I told him that,” Rowdy said.
“Thank you.” She hugged him again while giving Logan a quick,
disgruntled frown. “God, Rowdy, I’ve missed seeing you.”
For a second there, Rowdy looked overcome with emotion. “Same
here.”
Logan touched her back. “Let him drive, honey. It’s doubtful,
but if he suddenly spots a tail, he’ll need both hands on the wheel.”
Nodding, she straightened again. She settled her purse in her
lap and, without further prompting, said, “I was counting on you to get there in
time, but if you didn’t, I would have killed them.”
“Them?” Logan asked.
“Morton Andrews. His bully boys.” She rubbed her palms over the
denim covering her thighs. “Anyone in his circle who got in my way.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
P
EPPER
SEEMED
SO
FRAGILE
, Logan
couldn’t keep from smoothing back her hair. She’d put a lot of faith in him
getting to her on time, and in him
not
being
involved with the corruption. “Morton was in the club?”
“I assume so.” All but oblivious to his touch, she chewed her
bottom lip. “After I told the guard who I was and that I wanted to see
Morton—”
Rowdy cursed low.
“—he made a call, and then agreed to take me into the club. We
had just reached the back entrance, and the guard was ready to frisk me when…”
She clenched all over.
Logan wanted so bad to hold her, but in the short time he’d
known her, he hadn’t taken her preferences into consideration.
From here on out, he would.
She shook her head, swallowed hard. “When I heard that noise, I
had no idea what had happened. At first I thought someone was shooting at me.
But then the windows above us blew out, and an alarm sounded.”
Rowdy turned down the road that’d take them to the highway
ramp. “While you were scoping it out, did you see anyone suspicious go in?
Anyone who stood out in any way?”
“No.” And then to Logan, “It’s a busy place. Even on a weekday,
people are coming and going at all hours, usually in big groups.” Seconds ticked
by. “Used to be,” she whispered, “I’d have recognized Morton’s car and known if
he was inside. But now, it’s just been too long. There were some fancy wheels in
the parking garage, but who knows if any of them belonged to Morton.”
Logan opened his glove box and took out a pen and notebook.
“Write down the models and colors—anything you can remember. I’ll try to find
out what Morton drives now.”
“He gets chauffeured by his own driver,” Rowdy cut in. “And he
always has an entourage with him. Bodyguards and the like. It’d have to be
something big to hold them all, but probably not anything as showy as a
limo.”
Her hands now steadier, Pepper wrote down what she could
remember.
“What will you do?” Rowdy asked Logan.
“Ensure you two are safe, first.”
“We were safe before I met you,” Pepper said in an aside while
still writing. “Thanks a lot.”
Rowdy held silent.
Considering what she’d been through and how he’d deceived her,
Logan let her slide on the continued animosity. “I know a place we can go.”
“And then?”
Thinking out loud, he said, “I’ll get a prepaid cell, call
Reese to see what he’s found out about Andrews and the bomb, any suspects.”
Logan shrugged. “I’ll go from there.”
Eyes dark with concern, Pepper said, “I don’t know if anyone
was hurt. I took off as soon as I realized what had happened.”
“I’ll find out.” He took the pad of paper from her but held on
to her hand. “Okay?”
After a long searching look, she nodded. “Okay.” She squeezed
his hand before letting him go.
Logan took heart at the sign of her softening. Or was it simply
desperation over a critical situation that had tempered her animosity?
“I’m in the dark here, boys. You two have obviously come to
some understanding, so does anyone want to fill me in?”
“I told him everything,” Rowdy said. “You can trust him.”
Her eyes narrowed, and then she nodded. “All right. I’ll trust
him.” She gave Logan a look. “With this.”
It was going to be a cluster-fuck of the first order. No doubt
about that. “I’ll need a pay phone. If you see one, pull over.”
“Food would be good, too,” Pepper said. “Not to downplay the
drama, but I’m starving.”
Rowdy smiled over that. “She eats when she’s upset or
nervous.”
“Do not.”
Watching them interact, Logan couldn’t deny their closeness. So
many of his assumptions were disproved with the natural, loving way they treated
each other. He and his brother were often the same—irreverent, but there when
needed.
“Fast food?” Rowdy asked.
“Let’s get over the bridge into Kentucky first. Another ten
minutes, tops.” Still awed by how different Pepper looked, Logan studied her
profile. “Is that okay with you?”
She rested her head back and closed her eyes. “I won’t
starve.”
But it was nearing dawn. She’d missed dinner and had been
running for hours, probably on adrenaline and fear alone.
Pepper wrapped her arms around herself. “At least I don’t have
to wear those ugly clothes anymore.”
“You’re crossing the line, aren’t you?” Rowdy switched lanes.
“This could cost you your job.”
“Maybe. I don’t know.” It all depended on how things rolled
out. So far Peterson had been accommodating when he needed extra time, when he
wanted to follow vague leads. She’d even given him the go-ahead to be undercover
at Pepper’s apartment building—something most detectives wouldn’t be involved
with. But this? The lieutenant could only be so forgiving and understanding.
“I’ll figure it out somehow.”
Rowdy flexed his hands on the steering wheel. “I can make a
suggestion.”
“I don’t know if I want to hear it.”
On a groan, Pepper said, “I know I don’t.”
At a rest stop, Rowdy pulled in and put the truck in Park. He
turned to face them both. “Sorry, Logan, but you need to cut me loose.”
Pepper said, “No!”
Unsure where he was going with the suggestion, Logan studied
Rowdy. “Why would I do that?”
“It’s the best way to get info. I have contacts. In a single
day I can probably find out more about Morton and anyone who wanted him dead
than your whole damn police department can in a week.”
“
No,
Rowdy.”
He hugged his sister up close, kissed the top of her head.
“Sorry, hon, but you don’t get a vote in this.” He looked at Logan. “I’m not
hampered by the law. I don’t need search warrants or even a key to go snooping.
Because Morton has remained a threat to us, I’ve kept track of him. I know the
people working with Morton. I know where they’ll hide, and who they’ll turn
to.”
“So you can find out who might have wanted him dead?” Assuming
Morton Andrews was the target—instead of Pepper.
Rowdy gave him a hard stare. “I have ten times the motivation
of anyone on the force.”
Because he wanted to protect his sister.
Much as Logan hated to accept it, especially knowing how Pepper
would react, Rowdy had a point. “I’m listening.”
“Your buddy Reese can bring the car to me. Everything I need is
in the trunk.”
“Like?”
“A half dozen prepaid phones for one thing.”
No need to pick up more. Smart. Logan nodded at him. “What
else?”
Rowdy didn’t sugarcoat the truth. “Gun. Knife. Computer.” He
shrugged. “Contacts.”
Shit. “You can’t expect me to give you carte blanche on
murder.”
“The Glock is for protection!” Pepper snarled not an inch from
his face.
Rowdy pulled her away from Logan. “You want to clear up this
mystery once and for all? Get my car to me, and I’ll take it from there.”
Notably silent, Pepper curled in on herself, her legs pulled up
on the seat, her head on her knees.
Had she learned not to argue when Rowdy had a plan? Or did she
simply trust him that much to make it all right?
One day, Logan thought, she’d trust him in the same way.
“I can do this,” Rowdy said. “But I have to know that she’s
safe.”
“I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”
It surprised Logan when Pepper didn’t object. It also helped to
make up his mind.
He had to call Dash and Reese, and after he got Pepper stowed
away he’d have to tell the lieutenant something. “I’ll agree, on one
condition.”
Ready to impose his will, Rowdy said with silky menace, “Yeah,
what’s that?”
“If at any point you find yourself in real danger, you let me
know so I can send backup your way.”
Suspicious, Pepper lifted her head to stare at him.
Speculative, Rowdy narrowed his eyes.
At this point, they both had reason to doubt him. Logan shook
his head. “I understand your reservations, I really do. But whether you accept
it or not, there are trustworthy people in the force.” Through the open truck
window, he snagged the receiver off the pay phone. “I know, because I’m one of
them.”
* * *
A
FTER
A
FEW
QUICK
phone calls, they’d gone back
to driving. They decided not to stop for food; it made more sense to get settled
for the night. Logan had assured her she’d be eating soon.
Pepper didn’t know where he was taking them, and her thoughts
were fractured enough that she didn’t bother to ask. As she’d said, if Rowdy
trusted him, then he was trustworthy. Period.
At least with this. With security.
But not with anything personal. Not with her heart.
Oh, God, she hated to admit that her heart had gotten involved.
She wanted to tell Logan to go to hell. She wanted to hate him.
But instead, his nearness comforted her.
And excited her.
How sick was that?
Even now, after everything that had happened, she was so
incredibly aware of him. His shoulder bumped hers. His thigh pressed to hers no
matter how many times she tried to scoot away.
Over and over, she took deep breaths to capture his scent.
Tonight, she could have been killed; Logan wasn’t wrong about
that. A bomb had exploded over her head. Morton Andrews had possibly died.
But instead of concentrating on that, her thoughts repeatedly
went to Logan, to his involvement, to what he’d done to her and how he’d used
her, how he’d abused her trust.
She put her head back and closed her eyes, but she couldn’t
avoid the truth: she’d abused his trust, too. Sure, they each had their
reasons.
Were his any less valid than hers?
He spoke quietly, giving Rowdy directions, making additional
plans, discussing things that involved her.
The road got bumpier, and she opened her eyes to look around.
The headlights of the truck cut through the obsidian night. Woods lined the
sides of the narrow gravel road.
Just to irk Logan, she said, “Planning to dump us
somewhere?”
He didn’t take the bait. “We’re going to my brother’s
cabin.”
“It’s secure?” Rowdy asked.
“Other than Dash and me, and now you two, no one knows about
it.”
“Dash?” Pepper asked.
“Dashiel. My younger brother.” Uneasy, he rubbed the back of
his neck. “He owns the construction company where I…”
“Pretended to work?” Resentment welled up again. “Great cover
for you, right? Not that it took all that much to con me.” Disgusted, she said,
“I made it pretty damned easy.”
Rowdy blew out an uncomfortable breath.
Logan went right past that gibe. “Dash enjoys the physical
work, but he also enjoys getting away on occasion.”
They came upon a split in the road, and Logan said, “Turn
here.” A minute later, the headlights landed on a large, rustic cottage.
Rowdy put the truck in Park but kept it running as he took in
the house. “You say your brother owns the construction company?”
“Yes.”
It hit Pepper, and she turned to him. “Your brother is
well-to-do?”
For too long, Logan stared out the passenger window. “Actually,
we’re both pretty well set for life.” Finally he faced her. “Family business and
all that. We work because we want to, not because we have to.”
More resentment had her puffing up, on the verge of blasting
him.
Rowdy shook his head. “Are we going in, or waiting here?”
“Dash and Reese will be here soon. We might as well go in and
air it out.” Without comment, he reached past Pepper to remove the truck keys
but left the headlights on. Latching on to her arm, he said, “Let’s go.”
Even the firm touch of his hand on her arm affected her. “I
don’t need your help.”
“You do, but right now I’m more concerned with discouraging you
or Rowdy from leaving me here. So you’re sticking close.”
“Oh, that’s rich!” She didn’t really fight him as he got out,
hauling her with him. To do so might instigate a brawl between him and her
brother, and the night had been chaotic enough already without any bloodshed.
They were each so capable that, once started, a fight could prove damaging—to
them both. “You’re accusing us of being dishonest?”
“Not dishonest, just misguided.” He nodded for Rowdy to go
ahead of them.
Contrary to her reaction, Rowdy didn’t seem to find anything
amiss. Using the headlights to guide him, he stepped carefully over a stone
walkway and made his way around to a side door that Logan unlocked.
Logan stepped inside with Pepper held close to his side, then
fumbled around at the wall until he located a flashlight.
After he turned it on, he handed it to Rowdy. “Flip the breaker
box in the last bedroom.”
“Right.” Rowdy moved the flashlight around the interior.
They’d stepped into a kitchen and dining room, with a modest
sitting area at the other end of the house. They ran together in a U-shape,
bisected by four doors that Pepper assumed to be bedrooms and hopefully a
bath.
Rowdy glanced at her, then said, “Be right back.”
As he disappeared into the darkness, she felt her tension
expand.
Alone, with Logan. Almost.
His hand on her arm contracted, his fingers sort of caressing.
“Once the lights are on, I’ll open the windows. Let in some fresh air.”
She barely heard him. The urge to turn to him, to lean on him,
kept her tightly strung. The knowledge that she no longer had to hide from him
teased her senses.
“With all the shade trees,” Logan continued, “it doesn’t get
too hot in here, even in the middle of summer.”
Somehow he moved closer so that he stood partially behind her,
his warm breath near her ear.
“You’re still shaking.” His arms slowly closed around her, and
he eased her back into his chest. He wasn’t that much taller, but he was so much
stronger, thick with muscle and so incredibly hot.