Logan drummed his fingers on the table, then spoke. “You need to be careful.”
She waited, and when he didn’t add anything, she asked, “That’s it? We met so you could tell me to be careful?”
He scowled. “It’s more than that. There are things going on in the Loss, and I want you to be safe.”
“What things?”
He thrust his fingers through his hair. “Look, I’m working construction over on the other side of the lake. I hear crap.”
“Like what?”
“Like illegal business, and it’s bringing a criminal element to the Loss that never used to be here.”
“Does my brother know about this?”
“Brad knows. But the situation has escalated in the week since he and Emma left. Jack Morgan is second in command, and he’s competent, but I want you to be careful. If someone comes into your restaurant who looks off, or who makes you nervous, don’t hesitate. Call nine-one-one. And if someone wants a ride, or is walking alone where they shouldn’t be, don’t stop, don’t pick them up.”
He must have seen her jolt, because his gaze narrowed. “Tell me.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” She couldn’t quite pull off the innocent tone.
“You could never lie for shit. Tell me.”
They were interrupted by the arrival of Logan’s meal. Since the plate that held his burger took up the space in front of him, the enormous platter of onion rings sat in the middle, but more on her side of the table than his. They were huge and fried to crispy, golden-brown perfection. Three bowls of dipping sauce were arranged around the platter—ranch, chipotle, and the ketchupy/horseradishy one that was her favorite. They smelled heavenly. So incredibly unfair.
Because he was still looking at her like she had a sign on her forehead that read “I’m an idiot for picking up a stranger on the side of the road,” she sacrificed any chance of losing those pounds and picked up an onion ring. She dipped it carefully. Too much sauce and the ring got soggy, the sauce overpowering the flavor of fried onion. Too little and you didn’t get that ideal balance of crispy onion and tangy/spicy sauce. Once the sauce coating was perfect, she took a bite, closing her eyes as she uttered a throaty moan, savoring the mix of flavors and textures. “Oh god, that is so, so good.”
She opened her eyes to find Logan looking at her with a decidedly hungry expression. And not the hungry-for-cheeseburger type of hungry.
“Do that again and we’ll have to get a room at the Bluebird Motel. We can take the onion rings with us.”
“That would work.” She clamped a hand over her mouth, heat flaring in her cheeks as his grin flashed and his hungry expression turned decidedly wicked. Open her mouth, and out spilled idiocy. Why had she said that? And why didn’t the hurt he’d caused her in the past put up a brain block strong enough to keep her mouth shut?
Logan raised his hand to signal the waiter. “I’ll have him box all this up and we can be there in ten minutes.”
She grabbed his arm before the waiter could see him. “Stop it. You know I didn’t meant that.”
“I think you don’t want to mean it. That’s different.”
“Forget I ever said it, okay?”
“Not likely, blondie.” He picked up his cheeseburger and took an enormous bite. He chewed, and when he saw her still looking at him, quirked a brow. “I’m not sharing my cheeseburger. Eat the orgasmic onion rings. I ordered them for you.”
“You’re evil.” She gave in and dipped another ring in the sauce, savored it, then washed it down with beer. She held out the next coated onion ring to Logan. “You have to try this so you can understand my reaction.”
He dipped his head and took the entire onion ring in one bite. She wasn’t sure if his lips on her fingers were an accident. The long column of his throat worked when he swallowed. “That’s good. Damn good. But they don’t quite hit orgasmic for me.”
She suppressed the urge to cover her cheeks, which she just knew were beet red. “I’m instituting a ban on talking about orgasms.”
“Probably a good idea.” He continued working through his burger. Swallowing, he said, “Back to the matter at hand. Why were you nervous? Anyone bothering you at your place?”
“No.” Her effort at nonchalance must not be working, because he grabbed her hand when she reached for another onion ring. Leaning forward, brows lowered, he urged in his gravelly voice, “Spill it, blondie.”
She weighed what to tell him, then decided to go with the truth. Like he said, she couldn’t lie worth shit. Logan might have a protective streak a mile wide, but she’d bet a week’s worth of café receipts he’d have done the same thing if he’d seen Belen outside in the predawn cold.
“Madison,” he sort of growled.
“Okay, okay. I’ll tell you. But don’t overreact.” She took his silence as acquiescence. “There was a woman on the road this morning when I was driving to work. It was dark, she was by herself, and she wasn’t dressed for the cold. She could have frozen to death.”
His grip on her hand tightened. “You picked her up?”
At her nod, he asked, “Did you take her to the police station?”
“Why would I? She’s not a criminal.”
“You don’t know that. Where is she now?”
“I took care of her, Logan. She isn’t a threat.”
“Again, you don’t know that. And even if she isn’t, she may bring a threat. There are people who will be looking for her who could be a very big threat if they figure out you picked her up.” His eyes narrowed. “She’s at the café. That’s what the conversation in Spanish coming out of the back was about.”
“Darn it, Logan. I’ve got it worked out. She has family in Sacramento, and my delivery lady Evelyn is making a run there in the morning. She’ll take Belen with her and make sure she gets to her family.”
“You don’t know if you can trust her. If she’s caught by the people who are after her, and there are some bad people who will want her back, she could point to you as the person who helped her escape.”
“She’s maybe twenty years old, if even that. She was alone and scared and cold. What was I supposed to do? Leave her out there to die?” When she realized his thumb was stroking her knuckles, she pulled her hand from his grip.
“Yes, if it comes to that. I don’t want you involved.”
“Involved in what? How do you know so much about this?”
His gaze remained level. “I pay attention.”
She sat back in her seat, considering what he’d said. “You do more than pay attention. What else do you know?”
He gave her a long stare. “Finish your onion rings.”
“You can’t ignore my question.”
“I’ll answer it, but not here. Finish the onion rings and we’ll find someplace to talk where we can’t be overheard.”
“If I eat any more onion rings it won’t be sixteen pounds I need to lose, it’ll be twenty.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
She wasn’t about to explain how she’d gained the sixteen pounds, so she deflected. “Never mind. I’m done with the onion rings.”
He signaled for the bill, refusing to let her pay for her beer. “Dang it, Logan. You pay and it makes it seem like a date, and I don’t want to go on a date with you.”
“Too late.” He flashed the grin that had always made her weak in the knees.
They exited the pub, and a chilly wind blew icy fingers of cold down under the collar of her coat. She tightened her scarf and pulled on her gloves.
He nodded across the parking lot. “My truck’s over there. Let’s sit inside out of the wind.”
Chapter Five
Logan caught Maddy’s sigh. Yeah, he got that. He didn’t want to sit cooped up in the cab of the truck with her either. It brought back too many memories. The best times he’d had as a young man had been in his old pickup truck with Maddy. It hadn’t only been the sex, though they’d been so hot for each other that the sex had
been a huge element. But he’d absolutely loved simply talking to her. There’d been a turnout on the highway overlooking the lake where they’d park and talk for hours. But that had also been where he’d began to realize that the future Maddy was creating for them would never be. Marriage, kids—she wanted the white picket fence, but hadn’t recognized Logan was a poor bet to build that future with her.
He opened the passenger door for her, and when she was seated, circled the hood to get in on the driver’s side. Pulling shut the door kept out the wind and the cold, but also ratcheted up the intimacy.
He started the engine to get the heater going, letting it idle. Maddy leaned back against the door, and he wondered if she was trying to get maximum distance. The wind had ruffled her hair, making flyaway curls, and the muted glow cast by the parking lot lights gilded the ends.
“So?”
“So what?”
“Don’t do this, Logan. You had something to tell me. It’s too late to back out now.”
He gazed out the windshield, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. “Damn it. Please be careful, okay? I’ll try to keep an eye out for you, but be cautious, and don’t trust strangers.”
“Stranger danger? Really, Logan? I’ve got a big brother who hovers enough, you don’t need to bother.”
He glanced at her profile. “What you’re saying is that I don’t have a right to watch out for you. Too bad. You’re important to me whether that pisses you off or not. I’ll keep an eye on you regardless.”
“What is it with you? You dumped me ten years ago, said you couldn’t be with me anymore. Fine. You broke my heart, smashed it to pieces, but I got over you. Now you’re back in the Loss and acting like we have something together.” Her words shot out like sharp darts, each finding their target. “You don’t get to do that, Logan. You don’t get to act like you care, like I mean something to you. You gave that right up completely. I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing a good job of that and I don’t need you trying to mess me up.”
“Damn it, Maddy. Don’t make this harder than it already is.” He held up his hand. “Let me get this out before you yell at me again.” She snapped her mouth shut and he figured he only had a couple minutes to make his point. “I care about you whether you like it or not. And right now, there’s shit going on that has me worried enough to tell you to keep a watchful eye. There’s a crime organization working this side of the Sierras. They’re using the area as a stopping point, thinking there’s not much police presence here and it’s remote enough that they won’t get a lot of attention.”
“A stopping point for what?”
“They’re bringing young women through on their way to work the casinos at Tahoe or Reno.”
“To work the casinos? You mean as prostitutes?”
“Forced prostitution. Though some are brought to work as maids in the hotels or to wash dishes in restaurants.”
“Oh my god, that’s why Belen was so scared. She must have gotten away from them, escaped somehow. It’s a good thing I picked her up.”
“I’m betting she escaped from a stash house.”
“What’s a stash house?”
“A place where the women are held until they’re shipped to whatever market they’re going to.”
“But that’s human trafficking,” Maddy sputtered.
He got why she was so shocked. Human trafficking in a small town like Hangman’s Loss seemed unfathomable. “Yes. And the criminal organization doing this is ruthless.”
“Do the police know? Have you told Brad?”
“Brad knows.”
“Why did we have to come out here for you to tell me about this?”
He shrugged. “It’s safer. The Brew Pub is a popular hangout and I don’t want someone overhearing. Brad figured out Highway 395 in the eastern Sierras was the new corridor to transport these women.” Logan had to remind himself not to be too knowledgeable. “I guess routes up the Central Valley and the coast are more heavily monitored, so they’ve moved east. Brad told me he reached out to federal agencies for help. But until the traffickers are apprehended, they remain a danger. Apparently they also transport guns and drugs.” His gaze snagged hers. “Be careful, Maddy.”
“You know an awful lot for a guy working construction.”
He tapped on the steering wheel, the only indication of his frustration that he allowed himself. Telling her he was a federal agent might satisfy the need for her to see him in a positive light. Not that working construction wasn’t good, honest work, but it didn’t quite hit the mark he’d set for himself. One of the things that had driven him from Hangman’s Loss had been the need to prove something, not only to Maddy and the people of the town, but to himself. He refused to be the fuck-up he figured some people expected him to be given that his father spent most of his time with a bottle in his hand.
But Logan hadn’t been able to make that stand in Hangman’s Loss. He’d had to get away from all those expectations, or lack of them, to prove to himself that he could be something worthy.
But now here he was, with the single person who’d made leaving town the most difficult decision of his life. He’d hurt her, hadn’t seen how he could avoid that, and she’d never forgiven him. All the plans she’d made—how they’d go to college together, get their dream jobs, get married, raise their kids in the Loss—he’d flushed down the toilet. She’d survived because she was strong, but she hadn’t forgiven him.
The attraction was still there, he’d have to be in a coma not to recognize the signs, but she wasn’t acting on them. And wasn’t that a kick in the ass. He’d broken her heart, but she’d recovered. Moved on. The sad irony was that he hadn’t. He’d never gotten over her, and seeing her again in the past few days had proven him to be an idiot, because he was only going to miss her more when he left again.
She studied him, eyes narrowed, bringing his thoughts back from the past and the balls-deep mess he’d made of his life. “Does you getting shot have anything to do with this criminal group?”
Crap. He couldn’t let her find out he was FBI. She was safer not knowing. Look at how she’d reacted to his flesh wound. “I was at the stash house. The guy in charge hired me to do some plumbing work. Turns out the women weren’t as compliant as the traffickers thought and staged a revolt. Bastards underestimated them.”
“Good for them. Did they get away?”
“They scattered. Four of them were able to get to one of the vehicles. A couple ran for the forest.”
“Did you know what was going on?”
He nodded. “This syndicate provides women for construction sites and other places where there’s a large male work force. If there’s a big project, especially if it’s isolated, away from a big city, they’ll bring women in. There are plenty of guys who will pay for sex if they can’t get it any other way.” He shrugged. “They even provide a van to take the guys to the stash house. Sometimes they have the women in an RV and just cycle men through.”
“That’s horrifying.” Maddy shuddered. “Those poor women.”
“Yeah.” He wasn’t telling her all of it. He’d get going and his blood would boil. “There are two brothers named Horvath running the organization. Janus is the top guy, but it’s the brother who’s running things here in the Loss, Lazlo, and he’s a sick bastard. But he likes to talk. He brags about the business he and his brother set up. I guess he doesn’t think dumb-shit construction workers will care.” God, he hated lying to her. But it was for her own good.
“They’re Hungarian, and originally they were bringing in women from Eastern Europe for the sex trade, but lately it seems they’ve found it easier to source women from Latin America. Lazlo’s a scrawny fucker with oily black hair. A couple of the guys who work with me saw what he did to a young girl. He’s a sadist.”
He couldn’t mistake the look of revulsion on Maddy’s face.
“What happened when the women revolted?”
“With Brad out of town, I tipped off Captain Morgan, w
ho brought the FBI in. Feds came in on choppers in time to prevent a bloodbath. They arrested the traffickers who were there, got the women in the car, and the ones who ran. At least I thought they’d gotten all of them. The woman you found must have gotten by them. Those bastards would have killed every one of them rather than let them escape. Lazlo wasn’t there at the time, so he’s still free.”
“And that’s when you were shot.”
“Yes.”
He watched her watching him. Could she see his lies like he saw hers?
“You helped the Feds. Why didn’t they take you to the hospital?”
“Then Lazlo’s crew would have known I was the one who’d tipped off the cops. Plus, there was the dog. She’d been at the cabin, and was hit by a truck when one of the asshole traffickers tried to get away.”
“Jeez, Logan. What if your injury had been worse than it was?”
“I knew it wasn’t too bad. Going to the hospital would have meant leaving the dog, and no one there would have helped her. Plus, with a dog bleeding all over me, no one realized I was hit. Easier to keep a low profile that way.” Maddy’s sky-blue eyes reflected pretty much everything she was feeling, and even in the low light, he could see they were clouded with concern. “I hated bringing you into it as much as I did, but I didn’t know anywhere else to take the dog that early in the morning.”
“At least you and Sophie seem to be recovering. And with the FBI getting the women, they’re safe.”
“Yeah, but the traffickers will get a new group. There’s an endless supply of poor and desperate women in this world. And the group who were rescued? They’ll be deported back to bad situations in their home countries.”
“Then I’m doubly glad I could help Belen. Maybe she has a chance now.”
“It puts you in danger.”
“I had to help her, Logan. You have to understand that.”
He shook his head. “Your safety is more important to me. Why were you driving so far out of town that early, anyway?”
“My cabin is off the highway on Garnet Road.”
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