by Dannika Dark
The crowd murmured and it suddenly dawned on me why Logan hadn’t spoken. His switch was flipped. The only thing carrying him from one breath to the next was pure instinct. Yet the voice of the elder kept him contained.
“If Logan Cross is willing to sacrifice his life for you, then he will place a challenge,” the elder said. “But this is a night of peace and if you are not able to adhere to those rules, then there will be consequences. Tarek will escort you home.”
“Sacrifice his life?” I involuntarily grabbed Logan’s hand. I couldn’t breathe.
It wasn’t the elder who answered, but Tarek. “I’ve claimed you as my kindred, so courtship rules no longer apply. If Cross wants you bad enough, then he’ll have to challenge me to the death. That is not custom—that is law.”
His grin was poisonous—a silent explanation that if I had just given him what he wanted, then he would have never escalated it this far.
“Enough of this,” the elder Chitah growled. “This is not the place to instigate a challenge. Should you choose to disobey—”
“No,” I insisted, knowing that a stupid decision could end with Logan’s death, especially given the state he was in. “If I have no alternative, then I agree, but only on the condition that I leave here with Logan. That is custom, not law.”
A few unsettled murmurs silenced when the elder spoke again. He was more concerned about defusing the situation than resolving it.
“So be it. Tarek, let the dark-haired female go on her own. Young Mage, remember that you have tread into Chitah territory. You cannot avoid what is his right. I will ask that all of you leave the premises so that we may continue with our ceremonies.” He waved a hand and the crowd dispersed.
Logan’s grip became iron. I tucked my hand inside of his shirt and his skin was hot. “Logan? Come back.”
A thin ring of gold appeared in the center of his eyes and Logan fought against his primal nature until he won.
As we moved out the door, Tarek rubbed his chin and looked me over. “Sweetie, I’m going to treat you so right. You’ll find in time that I’m the better man and have much more to offer you than Cross does.”
Logan corralled me out of Tarek’s reach with his left arm. The frightening thing was how calm Logan’s demeanor was. Fierce eyes locked onto the dark-haired Chitah and they fell into a staring match. The men who escorted us stood aside as if this were an ordinary occurrence. Tarek finally blinked.
Logan drew in a hard breath of air and held it, as if it might transform into flames and incinerate his enemy. When he spoke, his voice was as sharp as a guillotine.
“Listen to me, Tarek, and listen well. If you ever lay an unwanted hand on Silver, I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth and watch your blood run cold.”
Chapter 16
“God, I love the smell of home.” I unzipped my hoodie and tossed it in the chair near the door. “Justus is out with your brother for a while, so we have the place to ourselves. Do you want something to eat or—”
Logan came to a hard stop and maneuvered in front of me like a shield.
“Don’t move,” he said in a deep voice.
It took me a minute to comprehend why. The sofa cushions were askew; books were pulled from the shelves and littered the floor. Someone had ransacked the place. Justus always kept an immaculate house with the exception of sweeping. The floor was made of stone, so I guessed he thought that dirt just belonged there.
“Are they still in the house?” I whispered.
He spoke over his shoulder. “I didn’t pick up a scent in the hall so it’s hard to tell. If they are, they’ve been here awhile.” He tensed and took a few shallow breaths. “Do as I say. There are at least two of them; the scent in the house is strong. They could be—”
Our attention snapped to the kitchen when someone cursed.
“Goddammit! Are you sure you checked the bedrooms?” a voice barked.
“Logan, the box! That’s what they’re looking for. It’s in the private study.”
“Go. I’ll—”
“The hell you will!” I hissed, grabbing his arm. “You’re coming with me.”
He lifted a brow and looked down his nose. “Do you think I can’t handle myself?”
“Maybe I don’t want blood all over the furniture. I know you can handle yourself, but someone else may be in the bedroom and I’m not armed tonight.”
Understanding sparked in his eyes and Logan never left my side.
We hurried down the hall to my Ghuardian’s room and I tugged the candleholder on the wall. A sharp click sounded behind the full-length mirror, revealing the hidden study.
“Look for a brown box,” I said, flipping on a lamp. It was one of the few rooms in the house with electricity and his vast book collection was illuminated. Everything was visible, and there was no box.
“Maybe this?” He waved a thick leather folder with a snap latch. I opened it up and found papers neatly clipped together. It looked like medical records and I nodded. Simon had been organizing.
Logan opened the door to the garage and I glanced at the desk with the medieval sword mounted on the wall behind it. Beside an expensive bottle of wine was a thick red book with HALO inscribed on the face. A strange sense of duty compelled me to tuck it beneath my arm.
We had our pick of luxury cars in the underground garage; Justus took his affection for vehicles to an obsessive level. He was a collector and his cars were nothing less than pure class. Every single one of them was treated like a lady, receiving as much affection and pampering as only a woman deserved.
Logan scanned the unholy display of exhibitionism and muttered, “Good God.”
“You know, Logan, I’ve just accepted the fact that I’m never going to lead a normal life.”
“The bike,” he said, jogging to the Ducati. We pushed it down the tunnel and I pulled a switch, lowering the false ground which led to a private trail in the woods above us.
Logan rolled the bike onto the lift and threw his leg over the seat. “Get on. I’ll start her up and you hang on tight.”
“What if they’re waiting for us?” I asked, curling my arms around his stomach.
There was no hesitation when he looked at me over his shoulder. “Then we’ll fight together.”
We hit topside and Logan started up the engine. The tires spun in the dirt, sending chunks of grass and rock into the air as the bike roared through uneven terrain. We skidded and nearly hit a tree, but he regained control. All I could do was hold on tight.
When the bike hit the asphalt, Logan gunned it. My teeth chattered from the cold air against my bare arms. Adrenaline poured through me like a beverage as we soared through the streets of Cognito.
The heat from Logan’s apartment burned my chilled skin. I cupped my arms and shivered in the hallway.
Logan lifted my wrists and blew a heated breath against my hands. I smiled and ran the backs of my icy fingers down his torso as he hissed, scolding me with a slanted brow.
“Thanks,” I said with a wicked smile.
I tiptoed through the dark living room and kissed Finn lightly on his ear. He was sound asleep, snuggled up in a blanket decorated with wolves.
While Logan called Justus, I had time for a quick shower. I put my dirty clothes back on and rejoined him, taking a seat at the kitchen island. Some of Tarek’s scent had washed off, but apparently not enough, judging from Logan’s twitching nose.
Because it involved a security breach, Justus stopped off at Simon’s apartment and dragged him out of bed without a moment to spare. I couldn’t resist a short smile when I noticed his attire. Simon wore white, body-hugging long johns and nothing else.
“What’s with the underwear? I thought you went commando,” I asked.
He rubbed his nose with the palm of his hand and collapsed on a stool to my left. “I’m trying new things.”
“Why only one nipple ring?”
Simon glanced down and grumbled. “Hurt like a bugger; told the blighter I change
d my mind.” He flicked it with his pinky finger. “I’m too bleeding irritated about the whole affair to take it out.”
“You faced a firing squad, and yet you weep like a baby over a needle? I’m revoking your man card.”
“Let’s pierce your nipples and see how much you warm up to the idea.”
“I’ll agree to that,” Logan said, setting a glass of chocolate milk in front of me. He swept my hair back and lowered his voice. “I’ll be happy to assist with any healing you’ll need.”
“Sit down, Chitah,” Justus barked, losing his patience.
Logan pulled up a stool and detailed the events of the evening—minus the Gathering—because I was too shaken up to deal with all the questions. Justus reached in his back pocket and pulled out his phone to call Novis. Eavesdropping on their conversation, I was startled to discover that Justus owned other property. He paced into the living room to speak more privately and Simon took that as his cue to crash—sprawling his arms across the surface of the countertop.
“Where are we going to stay?” I withered in my seat.
Justus sauntered back into the room, twirled the phone on the granite countertop, and leaned heavily on his elbows.
“When I took you in as my Learner, I should have moved us to a safer house. This was a home of convenience, but it’s not fit to offer the security needed against this disgrace of a Mage who continues to wreck lives. Such a blatant disregard for the law,” Justus murmured. “I’ll ensure our new home has a suitable garden where you can sprinkle his ashes.” Anger bled from his face and he sat on his stool. “Novis opened the doors to his safe house during our transition. Tomorrow, I’ll pick up a few things and get the new house in order.”
“Simon, do me a favor.” He grumbled as I lifted the leather case and slapped it on the counter. “Scan it like normal people do in spy movies, but get rid of all these papers. You can hide a flash drive up your ass a lot easier than you can a giant case.”
He yawned and sat up, scraping his hands through his tousled hair. “Spoken like a true secret agent.”
Logan scratched his jaw as if considering something important. “I’ve got a scanner and flash drive in the closet along with a computer. Care to take a look?”
Simon burst out laughing. “You barely have furniture; this I would like to see.”
Logan lifted a finger, pointing to the coat closet across the hall.
Simon slid out of his seat and scratched his ass, bare feet smacking on the floor as he opened the door. “There’s nothing in here, unless you count the out-of-style jackets and size-fifteen trainers.”
That’s when Logan stood up and leaned on the counter. “Did you ever read the story about the Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe? One of my favorite novels.”
Simon stared at the jackets, stepped into the closet, and closed the door.
“Bloody hell!” he exclaimed.
I hopped off my stool and went inside the stuffy closet, standing among the coats. “Fascinating,” I muttered.
When Simon closed the door behind us, the wall slid away, revealing an enormous room. I gasped and opened the door, staring at Logan, who shrugged guiltily.
Logan had purchased the apartment next to his, knocked out all the walls, and plastered over the windows.
“Where’s the front door?” I asked.
Logan paced to the far end of the room and turned off the overhead lights, leaving the smaller fixtures dimly lit. “The door is a fake. I would have purchased the whole floor, but the lady up the hall wouldn’t sell. She’s taken a shine to me since I made the offer.”
Simon snorted while bending over to admire the surveillance monitors. “I’ve got one of those in my building,” he said.
The images on the screens were the condo, the hall, and a few street corners. On one monitor, Finn rolled over on the sofa and stuck his foot out of the covers.
Embarrassment heated my face and I shot Logan an arctic gaze. “Do these record all the time or—”
“I review the footage each day and erase.” Logan quirked a smile.
We shared a private look. He lowered his head, silently assuring me that he had erased the footage of our post-shower stroll through the living room. I hoped.
“Not bad,” Simon complimented him. “You still need one on the roof.”
“That’s an understatement,” I said, shaking my head. “How come I’ve never seen the cameras?”
“Micro cameras,” Simon replied knowingly. “How many inches?” he asked, running his fingers along the monitor.
“Thirty-two,” Logan replied.
Simon’s dimple flashed as he turned around. “Mine’s bigger.”
I should’ve been angry, but shock was in the driver’s seat, taking me for a spin.
Two short, green sofas and a chair furnished the room. While we never talked about such irrelevant things, I was beginning to think that Logan’s favorite color was green. Everything else was all black or metal. I’d never seen so many gadgets and weapons on the shelves. I knew Logan was a man for hire, but this was so far from how I’d imagined it.
“Who are you?”
“You mean who was I,” he corrected. “This isn’t my life anymore.”
Logan took a seat on the sofa across from Justus and revealed the truth about his past. No one looked surprised, likely because Simon had thoroughly checked out his background prior to him getting involved with the case. No wonder Justus was adamant about us not dating, but somewhere along the lines, he’d conceded defeat.
Logan had shamed his family by the life he’d led, but they never cut him out. He worked hard to right the wrongs of his past and it was an admirable trait. The family dynamic among Chitahs fascinated me; they were so different from how humans treated one another. It gave me hope that not all things about immortals were objectionable. I once was a cynical human, and that wasn’t a healthy outlook to carry now that I was part of this world.
Simon began the tedious process of copying all the data to digital form. Justus slumped into a chair and looked as if he were taking a mini nap in his hand.
Logan threaded his fingers through my hair absently. “Do you need anything?” he asked quietly. I melted a little at his soft side.
“Sleep,” I said quietly.
His nose wrinkled. “You’re more than welcome to put on one of my shirts,” he whispered. “I can still smell him.”
I stretched out my long legs. “What are you going to do for a job?”
Logan chuckled. “I’ve acquired enough money that my finances are in good shape. You need not worry. But I am not a man of leisure. Something will come to mind.
“Done,” Simon announced. “Smart girl, grabbing this.” He tossed the red book beside Justus, who flinched and opened his eyes.
“What’s in the book?” I asked.
Justus rubbed his face wearily and stretched out his muscular legs. “Did you open it?”
“I may be nosey, but if that book is HALO business, then it’s none of mine. I don’t want to work for you when I grow up.”
I rested my hand on Logan’s leg without consciously thinking about it. He was extremely responsive to my touch—something I’d noticed on our first date after wiping a smudge of mustard from the corner of his mouth. For just a split second, darkness had swirled in his eyes, and he never looked at me the same after that. There was a new level of intimacy in his gaze.
Logan slid down the seat a fraction and his muscles tensed beneath my fingers.
“Is there anything you can tell me so I know that it was worth saving?” I asked.
Justus sat up and glanced at the book, turning the gold ring on his right hand in circles.
“Old tradition. Old book. It keeps record of every criminal HALO has captured since inception. A fact book, but the contents reveal punishing details. Some remain incarcerated and it’s not public knowledge as to why. I would rather have the book destroyed than end up in the wrong hands. Once the investigation with Nero is over, Simon will
destroy the electronic device, and the information will be written in this book,” he said, patting it with his rough hand. “Modern technology makes me uneasy. I can guard this better than something that can be crushed beneath my shoe by accident or hidden inside of a cavity.”
I snorted at the visual. “Or copied in ten seconds,” I added, seeing his point.
He nodded in agreement. “Most of the material is stored here,” he said, tapping his head. “Members of HALO could recreate this if we needed to. But people with agendas prefer their evidence written.”
“What you do isn’t illegal, is it?”
His eyes darted toward Logan and he stood up. “No, but not all knowledge is meant to be public. Time to go.”
“Can you give me a minute alone with Logan?” I asked.
Logan switched off the computer and walked them out. I went into the kitchen and watched him as he came back in and drank the rest of my milk.
“Tarek’s just blowing smoke to piss you off,” I said. “Don’t fall into his trap.”
“He has rights to court you as a kindred spirit, Silver.” Logan placed his knuckles on the kitchen island and leaned hard on them.
“They can’t force me to date him or stop dating you. I’ll find a way out of this, but his tactics are dirty and I don’t want you to do anything stupid.”
The black rims in his eyes thickened and my heart fluttered. “I’m going to challenge him,” he declared.
Just then, Finn appeared at the edge of the kitchen doorway with an ugly case of scrambled hair.
“I know what that means, Logan. If you challenge him, it’s to the death. Absolutely not.”
His lips pressed into a hard line. “I’m afraid you have no say in this.”
“All this male posturing is exhausting! Tarek’s feelings aren’t real. Don’t destroy yourself for the sake of pride.”
He rocked on his knuckles, leaning into his anger. Finn eyed him apprehensively as his eyes darted between us. “He—”
“Marked me. That’s all. Why must you make this into a life or death decision?”
“Because you are the one I would—”
“Throw your life away for?” I wanted to knock some sense into him and beat all that macho out of his impulsive nature, but he held fast to his Chitah ways.