by Lori Ryan
Chapter 27
Chad hung up the phone and turned to Sam and Logan.
“It’s been confirmed. There were no prints on the rifle used to target you the other day, but they’ve got Lazarus Alonzo on the security tapes in the building a day before the shooting. They found a couple of his prints in the room where they found the rifle. It looks like he’s the one coming after you, Sam.”
Logan felt Sam lean into him a little more as she nodded at Chad. He tightened his hold on her shoulder and tugged her to him. Laying a kiss on the top of her head, he leaned in and whispered. “We’ll get him, Sam.”
“No, you won’t.” Monique spoke up and Logan gritted his teeth.
He appreciated the woman and all she’d been doing to keep him out of prison, but damn, he wanted her out of his life. That sounded wrong.
He just wanted her to be unnecessary to saving his life. The reminder that a trial and possible prison sentence hung over his head was never very far away, and having her here only served to keep the issue at the forefront at all times.
“She’s right,” Zach said before Monique could explain her objection. They all knew Logan needed to lie low. “You can’t go after this guy, Logan.”
“None of you can,” Monique said. “Any of you are caught going after this guy, no matter how dangerous he is, Westbrook is going to have a field day. He’ll glom onto that and run with it all the way to the polls and through the election. You can protect Sam if he comes at her, but you sure can’t go after him. Let the police do their jobs, guys.”
Logan thought his teeth would crack if he didn’t stop clenching his jaw, but dammed if he could figure out how to stop.
“So we sit here and wait?” He knew his anger was misdirected. It wasn’t Monique’s fault, but sitting and waiting for someone to come at Sam was the last thing he wanted to do.
“No, we find him and we get that info to the cops,” Sam said picking up her laptop and crossing to the couch. She perched on the cushion, legs tucked beneath her as she started working. “If he’s this close, I can find his trail. The FBI could never find him before because they were sifting through the whole world trying to find him. Now we know he’s nearby, I can track him. We’ll get the info to the cops and let them pick him up.”
Logan sat next to Sam and rubbed one hand up and down her back as she worked. The others moved quietly around the town house as Sam buried herself in some trail only she could see. Logan knew if anyone could find him, it would be Sam.
Sure enough, three hours later she had done it.
“Got him,” she said. “He’s not as smart as he thinks he is. I’ve scoured accounts and guest logins at coffee shops with free wifi. People don’t want to have to memorize new info so they just change one or two numbers or add a symbol at the end. Even when they create a hotspot on a phone, their computer sometimes automatically signs on to a free wifi spot. He’s used a computer at a coffee shop ten miles from here twice already. I’d be willing to bet he’s at a motel or hotel near there and he’ll return to the coffee shop.”
Chad lifted his phone and began typing, looking over Sam’s shoulder at her computer screen as he did. “Luckily, the FBI wants him in custody as badly as we do,” he said. “I’ll get this to one of my contacts and see if they can do the legwork to track him the last bit of the way. They can get agents out to the motels and hotels, and plant someone at the coffee shop.”
The group was quiet for a while before Chad spoke up. “Got some time to kill while we wait. I can call Jennie and have her grab Jack and Kelly and a movie. I’m sure they can grab food on the way over.”
Sam nodded, but Logan could feel the tension rolling off her. The waiting would be the hardest part.
“Chinese?” Zach asked and Sam nodded again. Chad nodded to Logan and went to make the call. They would hole up with Chinese food, friends, and a movie. With any luck, this would be over soon and they could breathe a little easier.
Logan squeezed Sam’s hand as they watched footage on TV of the FBI swarm the hotel where Alonzo had been in hiding. They’d gotten the call about an hour before that the FBI had tracked him to a local motel.
Their friends had gone home so he and Sam could be alone. They watched as the reporter stood outside showcasing the lights and sirens and uniforms still swarming the scene and a small corner shot showed the footage of the hotel. Alonzo was holed up in the motel where he’d taken the desk clerk hostage.
“He looks so different. A few years ago he was so much younger-looking. I mean, he’s still young and all, but I can see the wear on him. I guess running doesn’t agree with him,” Sam said.
“You did that, Sam,” Logan said. “You were the one to bring him to his knees years ago, and now you’ve finished the job. You brought a truly horrible man down. You stopped him from hurting so many women.”
He was in awe of this woman standing beside him. She was so strong and tough, so capable of incredible things.
For a moment, he almost wondered if she’d ever really need him, but then he knew that was stupid. They needed each other. Not to save one another or be the hero—but just to be. Just to share a life together. They were equals in that way.
Sam clenched his hand and gasped as the action on screen took a turn. Alonzo fired on FBI agents and several agents returned fire.
He heard Sam’s deep inhale and a moment later a slow, long exhale. Alonzo lay in a heap on the ground. Several agents covered another agent as he approached Alonzo’s body and appeared to be checking for signs of life. The shot cut back to the reporter who confirmed Alonzo was believed to be dead.
Sam’s voice came out in a whisper. “It’s over.”
He nodded. “Looks like it.”
They had gotten another call moments before. Apparently, Westbrook had faced increased pressure since it had been determined that the plot to harm Sam was traced back to a man wanted in numerous countries for horrific crimes.
And the public outcry Westbrook would face if he continued to come after Logan wasn’t worth it. His plan to use Logan as the anti-big-government poster boy for his reelection campaign backfired when he’d chosen a veteran as his target. He wouldn’t be pursuing charges any longer.
Logan lifted Sam, wrapping her legs around his waist, drawing a loud squeal from her. He walked with her to the couch and put her down, sinking to his knees before her.
“It’s over,” he said as he drew the waistband of her yoga pants down her hips. “Lift up.”
She laughed but lifted herself to allow him to tug the pants down her thighs and slip them off her ankles. For the first time in weeks, they were alone. Everyone had left to head back to their own families when the news about Alonzo’s death had come in. With the exception, of course, of Billy, who now poked his nose into Logan’s face.
There was humor in his voice when he told the dog to bug off. “You’re not invited to this party.”
“Sorry, Billy,” said Sam as the dog flopped himself down in the corner melodramatically.
“Where was I?” Logan turned back to Sam, pulling her hands away from the hem of her T-shirt. She’d been trying to use it to cover herself from him, but he growled at her and lifted it.
“My girl.” It was a simple declaration as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her shoulder, her breasts, the opposite shoulder. He trailed down her belly, nuzzling and kissing as he went, then spread her legs wide, using his shoulders to hold her open to him. When she tried to cover herself again, he took hold of her wrists and held her arms to her sides.
“All mine,” he said.
She cried out when his mouth covered her mound over the lacy sheer panties she still wore. He breathed out, letting the warmth heat her and she groaned. He couldn’t get enough of the sounds she made. He was hard as a rock and halfway to heaven just from listening to her. He didn’t know what would happen when he got his tongue on her, when he tasted the slick wet heat of her after tearing off her panties. But hell if he didn’t want to find out. Logan pu
lled her panties aside, unable to wait the short amount of time it would take to pull them down her legs.
Heaven on earth. She tasted like heaven and felt incredible against his tongue as she writhed and swung her head back and forth. He continued to lick at her wet folds, the sweet taste of her sending him nearly over the edge.
He slid two fingers inside of her as he came down on her clit, suckling hard, and she grabbed his head and pulled him against her, harder. Feeling her come in his mouth was a high he never wanted to come down from, but then she was tugging at him, wanting him up on the couch with her, and who was he to refuse her?
No one, that’s who. He didn’t have it in him to refuse this woman. He stripped and knelt with one leg on either side of her, then lifted her hips to guide himself home. The growl that built in his chest and escaped before he could stifle it, seemed only to egg her on. She whimpered and pushed against him.
“I want my legs around you,” she said and he pulled out long enough to let her put her legs over his and wrap them around his waist. With the adjustment, he was able to bury himself to the hilt in one slick, wet, tortuous motion and he stilled at the feel of it. It was too much. He focused on his breathing and held her hips firmly in place, not letting her move, despite her efforts.
“Samantha,” he growled as she continued to try to buck against him.
Hell. He gave in and let her move, but one small movement of her hips had him losing all control and slamming into her again and again. And she grasped his shoulders and cried out for him. More, harder, faster. Good God, he could take direction from her all day with a freaking grin on his face.
Then she was coming and he felt her muscles clamp down around his shaft, and nothing had ever felt so incredible before. He clenched his teeth and tried to hold out, to draw the feeling out for as long as he could, because it was so damned unbelievably good. He wanted to drown in her. To let Sam wash over him and never come up for air.
But then he felt that telltale snap run from the base of his balls up to his spine and he knew he couldn’t hold out any longer. He came hard, stiffening inside her as he did so, holding every muscle still while he ground out her name in worship.
God he loved this woman. He flipped them so that he sat on the couch with her naked form sprawled on top of him, and ran his hands over her sweat-dampened skin. She was still sexy, lying limp on top of him.
“I think my bones melted,” she mumbled into his chest and he laughed, nuzzling his nose in her hair.
“We should go away somewhere. Just you and me. We deserve a vacation after all we just went through.”
She popped her head up and grinned. “Tropical?”
His laugh felt lighter and easier than any he’d had in a long time. “Yeah. We can do that. Might have to be just a long weekend since it’s such short notice at work, but I can juggle things if you can.”
She nodded and threw her arms around his neck with a squeal. Yeah, life with Sam was gonna be pretty freaking good. Amazing, in fact.
Chapter 28
Logan clenched his fists and focused on Sam’s voice. She cooed nonsense gibberish into his ear the entire plane ride. Neither of them had given enough thought to the fact he wasn’t in good enough shape to handle airports and airplanes yet.
He flew all the time when he was in the military, but it was different on a commercial flight. The crowd, the small space, no option for escape. Even with Sam buying them first class tickets despite Logan’s argument that she should let him pay, the space was too confining.
He’d been so stuck on his high of Sam saying she’d marry him and knowing she was finally safe, he’d almost forgotten how screwed up in the head he was.
He was never so glad for his new service dog’s presence as he was today. Billy lay half in front of him on the plane and half on his lap, doing his best to distract him. Between Sam and the dog, he might get through this.
“I’m going to text Jack when we land and see if he’ll send his jet to pick us up,” Sam said quietly.
Logan shook his head. He should be able to fucking do this. “I got this, Sam.”
“He would want to do this for you, Logan. I’m sure if he realized this would be so hard, he would have offered to do it without being asked.”
He shook his head and closed his eyes. “Not happening, Sam. I’ll manage. Coming back, I’ll know ahead of time what I’m getting into. I’ll handle it better.”
He wouldn’t tell her this, but he was tired of only being seen as a veteran. He would never give up the service he’d given for his country. He’d given it willingly and freely and he was proud of that. But now he wanted to be seen as more than a veteran, as more than just a man with issues he was trying to work out. He just wanted to be a man on a vacation with his fiancée without needing to resort to using a friend’s private jet to manage it.
“Okay, babe,” she said, running her hand up his bicep. She leaned in close to his ear and murmured, “I’ll take your mind off airplanes and airports as soon as we get to the hotel room.”
And, she did. In the suite’s living room, then the hot tub, and finally the bed.
“You were right,” Peter said, turning to Diya with a grin. “They’ve completely let down their guard. They just flew to Mexico for a weekend getaway and all the bodyguards were sent home.”
Diya’s answering smile was small, but she nodded her appreciation. She needed to get this finished so she could move on to the others on her list. Then she would join her family in death. She was tired. Too tired. It was time for her to move on. Vengeance would bring her the peace she needed to do that.
“You have the list of her friends and family?”
“Yes.” Peter nodded, hands hovering over his keyboard. He was becoming as bloodthirsty as Yoshi was. The two would do well together after she was gone. She’d leave everything in Yoshi’s hands, with Peter as his second-in-command. They would be just fine when this was finished and she was gone.
She nodded again. “Make it happen.”
He nodded and started typing.
“Oh, and Peter?”
“Yes?”
“Find out when they’re coming home. I’ll meet with Samantha Page myself to deliver the news.”
Chapter 29
“Big wedding or small and cozy? Family and close friends?” Sam asked, setting her drink down on the table beside her.
They had just polished off another basket of chips and made-to-order guacamole. The view of the ocean and the light breeze as they sat on the beach under an umbrella was exactly what they needed.
“Well,” said Logan as he took her hand in his and rubbed circles with his thumb, “my list consists of Zach and a couple of the guys that are stateside, so I’d vote for small. I’m okay with whatever you want, though.”
Sam sat up. “Wait, I thought you said your dad was up in New Hampshire.”
Leave it to Sam to never forget a detail he’d told her once.
He nodded. “He is.”
She tilted her head and gave him the universal keep-talking look.
He shrugged. “He wasn’t much of a dad. He’s an alcoholic.”
He didn’t say more but she felt the weight of more hanging in the air.
She pressed. “When was the last time you talked to him? Saw him?”
Logan stared out at the ocean.
“Can I ask you something else?” she said.
He turned to face her and was surprised by the answer that slipped from his lips. “Always.”
“Why did you go into the military?”
He blew out a long breath. “A lot of reasons. Zach was doing it. He was like a brother to me when we were growing up. He defended me a lot. Then, when we were older and my height shot up and I filled out, I thought if I followed him into the military, I could protect him. It was my turn.”
“Is that it?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t have anything else to do. Nowhere else to go after I turned eighteen. And, my dad was in the military.�
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She nodded as if that was what she’d been waiting for him to reveal. “And did he serve overseas?”
“Sure,” he said. “Vietnam.”
Her voice was gentle, patient. “Logan, do you know if he went through what you’ve been going through? Did he come home with PTSI?”
The suggestion was like a slap in the face. How had he never seen it before? How could he have been so self-centered. So blind?
As a kid, yeah, he got it. Kids don’t realize those things are going on. And as a teenager, he’d disconnected himself from his dad as much as possible. He’d had to. But how could he not have seen it, now?
“Hell,” he whispered, as he flashed to all the times his dad had buried himself in a bottle. All the things his dad struggled with. All the times his dad had seemed to jump at sounds or get angry out in public.
Only, now, the memories didn’t just show his dad being angry. When he really looked back, Logan could see it was more. That beneath the anger was panic. Fear.
Sam squeezed his hand. “They didn’t have nearly the resources we have now. Shoot, even now, the resources to support returning vets aren’t enough.”
He finished for her. “Back then, they were practically nonexistent.”
She was quiet, waiting for him to process. It had been so long since he’d even thought about his dad, but the fact that he’d never put this information together himself embarrassed him. He should have done better by his dad.
“We can go see him, if you’d like,” she said. “I’ll go with you.”
Logan looked at the woman he loved, at the open trust, complete lack of judgment, at the uncensored love in her eyes.
“I’m the luckiest man on the planet, baby,” he said and tugged her across to his chair, settling her in his lap.
“Right back atchya, baby,” she said as she looped her arms around his neck and settled her mouth on his. “Right back atchya.”