by Lara Lacombe
“Think about it,” Alan urged. “Did she come to you after Carlos approached her with this deal? Or did you only find out because you pushed and pushed until she had no option but to tell you?”
He was right, Logan realized. Olivia hadn’t wanted to tell him about the cartel’s offer. At the time, he’d chalked it up to her fear for the lives of her friends, but what if that was just a cover? What if she hadn’t wanted to tell him because she was in on the deal the whole time?
“Once you knew and brought the DEA in on the operation, she had no choice but to play along. Any other reaction would have been too suspicious. So she lures you here, away from any kind of support. Then she stages the abduction to get rid of you. Just like that, she’s got a believable sob story to explain your death and deflect suspicion off her so she can go on working with the cartel.”
Logan’s stomach knotted as he listened to Alan. He wanted to deny it, but his friend’s version of events made a sick kind of sense.
Had Olivia even been coming to find him, or had she been headed for the Jeep to make her escape, leaving him to the mercy of Raúl? Perhaps that goon had been some kind of insurance policy, to make sure she got out of there unmolested.
I have my orders. She survives. You don’t.
“But then why did she try to save me?” he muttered to himself.
Alan cocked his head to the side. “Say again?”
“I got shot while we were escaping the camp.” He touched his chest absently, the movement triggering a stinging pain as it pulled on his stitches. “I remember lying on the forest floor, looking up. Then I passed out. When I came to, I was in the Jeep and she was driving. Why bother putting me in the vehicle if she just wanted me to die?”
Alan shrugged. “Plausible deniability? If she makes it look like she tried everything to save you, she comes off as innocent.”
“I suppose.” It did sound reasonable, unfortunately.
“Why not just drop me off at the village hospital and let Raúl take me again?”
Alan gave him a pitying look. “Better for you to die on the drive to Bogotá,” he said quietly. “That way, we have a body to bury and she can pretend to be the hero.”
Logan took a deep breath, ignoring the pain of his wound and the ache in his heart. He didn’t want to believe Olivia was capable of such deceptions. But Alan was right—she had been evasive from the beginning, and as much as he wanted to trust her, this version of events was highly plausible. Besides, could he really trust his own judgment? Somewhere along the way, he’d fallen hard for Olivia Sandoval. And she knew it. He’d foolishly thought his feelings were returned, but what if it had all been an act on her part? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time he’d been betrayed by a woman he loved...
“I’m sorry, man.” Alan rested his hand on Logan’s shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. “I didn’t want it to be like this.”
Logan swallowed hard, the muscles of his throat tight with emotion. He didn’t want Alan to see how much Olivia’s lies had affected him. Better for his friend to think he was simply upset at being targeted by the cartel, nothing more.
“What happens now?”
“We let her back into the US and monitor her. She’s supposed to contact Carlos to set up a meet. We’ll be watching.”
“Do you think she has the drugs?”
“Not that we’ve found. But it might not matter. The theft—if it really was one—may have been a ruse to draw you out. It’s likely she and Carlos will consider this a practice run, and he’ll have her bring back product another time when they think we’re not watching.”
Logan nodded. “Sounds like you have it all figured out.”
Alan studied him for a moment. “Why don’t you get some rest? I know Joseph and Keith will want to see you when they’re done talking to Olivia.”
“Does she know?”
“Of course not. We can’t have her warning Carlos before we get the trap in place.”
“So I’ll have to see her again.”
“Yes. But we won’t leave you alone with her.”
“Good.” Logan didn’t think he could handle seeing her again, at least not right now. He needed some time to process everything Alan had said. How was he going to pretend as if everything was fine, when in reality his world had just been turned upside down?
And the worst part was, he hadn’t seen it coming.
He’d thought Olivia was so different from Emma. That she was honest and good and real. But she’d proved to be no better than his ex-fiancée. Worse, even, he thought with a mental snort. At least Emma had never tried to kill him.
“Need something to help you sleep?” Alan asked. “I can call in a nurse for you.”
Logan shook his head. “No, thanks. I’ve got a lot of thinking to do.”
Alan nodded. “I’ll leave you to it. I’m going to grab a cup of coffee. I’ll be in the waiting room if you need anything.”
“Thanks, man.”
He waited until Alan shut the door behind him before letting out a huge sigh. Once again, he’d let a woman take advantage of him. How did this keep happening? What was wrong with him that he let himself get played over and over again?
The initial shock was wearing off now and his anger was building, a slow, steady pressure in his chest. He welcomed the emotion, knowing it would serve him well in the days to come. Olivia probably thought she was so clever, that she had pulled one over on him and the DEA. She deserved an award for her performance as the innocent victim. But she wasn’t the only one capable of keeping secrets.
Logan pushed aside his hurt and betrayal and focused on the job at hand. He’d pretend like everything was still fine, that he didn’t know she’d sold him out to the cartel’s lackeys. Keep her close, so they would know the perfect moment to spring the trap. He’d tear down her lies one by one, using them against her to build his case.
And then he’d walk away and try to repair his shattered heart.
CHAPTER 20
Olivia forced herself to walk, matching the pace of Keith and Joseph as they led her down the hospital corridor. They were on their way to visit Logan, and the anticipation of seeing him again made her feel a little light-headed.
They had been separated soon after arriving in Bogotá. She’d driven straight to the hospital, not even bothering to turn off the engine of the Jeep before jumping out and grabbing the closest person to help her get Logan inside. Only after he’d been surrounded by medical personnel did she call the US Embassy and explain the situation. The doctors had taken Logan away for surgery, and soon after, an embassy representative had appeared and stayed by her side as she paced a hole in the floor and counted down the minutes until his operation was over.
She’d spent the night at his bedside, hyperattuned to his every small noise and movement. His coworkers had arrived the next morning, and Keith and Joseph had escorted her to the embassy. She hadn’t wanted to leave Logan, but the events of the last few days had caught up to her and her body had cried out for rest. Alan had promised to stay by Logan’s side and the other men had led her from the room, offering her a bed and a shower. She hadn’t had the energy to put up much of a fight.
Now though, she wanted to see him again. Needed to see him, in fact. Even though she knew Alan was there helping him and keeping him safe, Olivia had to see Logan with her own eyes to believe he was really okay. The memory of him, pale and unconscious, was too fresh in her mind. She needed to replace it with a vision of him awake and healthy, to chase away the cold fear that still lingered when she thought of losing him.
His brush with death had shaken his coworkers, as well. All of the men on his team had been reserved and subdued around her, their reaction a testament to how much Logan meant to everyone who knew him.
They slowed as they approached the door, and Joseph rapped lightly on the frame to announce their arrival. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, and Olivia and Keith followed.
“Hey, there,” Joseph said, walking forward to approach
the bed. His body blocked Olivia’s view of Logan and she bit her lip to contain a sigh of impatience. Logan hadn’t seen his friends in weeks—he deserved a moment with them.
“Hey, yourself,” she heard him say. His voice was a little scratchy, probably from the intubation during his surgery. How’s his pain? she wondered. Were they taking good care of him here? Did he need anything? Her fingers itched for something to do, wanting to make him more comfortable in any way possible.
Joseph stepped to the side and Olivia got her first glimpse of Logan. She was relieved to see he was sitting up in the bed, which meant he was likely feeling pretty good. His color was much better, and the tightness around her heart eased as the knowledge that he was going to be okay sank in.
She swallowed hard, feeling suddenly shy. “Hi,” she said softly.
His gaze found her then, and something flashed in his green eyes. “Hello.” There was a coolness to his tone that hadn’t been there before, and Olivia felt a tremor of uncertainty in her belly. Was he angry with her? Did he blame her for his injuries?
“How are you feeling?”
He shrugged, then winced slightly. “Pretty good, as long as I don’t forget and move the wrong way.” He smiled ruefully and the awkward tension between them eased a bit.
“I’m so sorry about what happened,” she began, but he lifted a hand to forestall her words.
“Don’t worry—it wasn’t your fault,” he assured her. He glanced at his friends and the corner of his mouth quirked up. “Part of the job, am I right, guys?”
The men’s soft laughter was like the rumble of distant thunder, a sound that should have been comforting. But Olivia couldn’t shake the feeling that something was just a little bit off.
Keith said something that made Logan laugh, but it wasn’t the deep, booming noise she’d heard him make before. It seemed slightly forced, as if he were simply humoring his friend.
Maybe he’s in more pain than he’s letting on, she mused. It was possible Logan was trying to play it cool in front of his coworkers. Before they’d come to Colombia she had seen the way the men all joked around with each other. Perhaps Logan felt like he needed to act tough, to avoid getting teased about this later. But would they really give him a hard time about needing painkillers after a major surgery? She frowned slightly, able to picture it all too well. The male ego was a mystifying creature, one she would probably never fully understand.
“I’m going to go grab some food for us,” Alan said, rising from the chair and stretching his hands over his head. “Help me carry the stuff, Keith?”
“Sure thing,” the other man said.
“I’ll hold down the fort,” Joseph said with a smile. “Be sure to bring me back something good.”
Alan punched him lightly on the arm as he walked by. “Oh, I’ll be sure to find something special just for you.”
The teasing continued as the men left the room. “Do you know where the bathrooms are?” Joseph asked.
“Down the hall and to your left,” Olivia said. He nodded thanks and stepped out.
She turned back to face Logan, the atmosphere in the room lighter now that his friends had left. The men were nice enough, but she wanted to be alone with Logan. She’d grown used to his constant company over the past few weeks, and it was amazing how much she’d missed his presence after only a few hours apart.
“I missed you last night,” she said, trying to keep her tone light. “I’ve gotten so used to the sound of your snoring it was hard to sleep in a silent room.”
He lifted a brow and gave her an arch stare. “I could say the same about you,” he replied drily.
She smiled and crossed over to his bed. “Are you feeling all right? You seem a little off today.”
“I did just have surgery,” he pointed out.
“True. But it just seems like you’re holding something back, or that something isn’t quite right with you.”
A look of shock passed over his face, but it was gone so quickly she might have imagined it. “I’m fine.”
“Are you in pain?” Maybe he would admit it to her, now that they were alone.
“A little.”
“And you don’t want to say it in front of your friends?”
He shifted on the bed a bit, as if the question made him uncomfortable. “They’d never let me live it down,” he confessed, confirming her earlier suspicion.
Men. She mentally shook her head. “Do you want me to call a nurse? She can bring something for you before any of them get back.”
“No need. They gave me something before you got here. It’s starting to kick in.”
“Okay.” She eyed him doubtfully, but didn’t press the issue. It seemed he would rather suffer now than deal with the teasing of his coworkers, and she wasn’t going to be able to convince him otherwise.
Joseph returned, and he and Logan fell into the easy banter of old friends. Olivia was content to sit and listen to them chat, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that Logan was keeping something from her.
But what?
She needed to get him alone, away from his coworkers. Whatever was bothering him, he wasn’t going to talk about it in front of them. Maybe the men would head back to the embassy after lunch and she could stay and talk to Logan. There was so much she wanted to say to him, and she didn’t want an audience for their conversation.
His injury had made her aware that her feelings for Logan went beyond a simple attraction. She had fallen for him, despite all the reasons why she shouldn’t. It seemed her heart was immune to the logic of her mind.
Did he feel the same way? She watched him quietly, happy to see him alive and whole. The thin hospital sheets did nothing to hide the long, graceful lines of his body, and she was struck by the memory of touching him, feeling him next to her, reveling in his heat. Her skin warmed at the memory and she glanced away, hoping neither he nor Joseph would notice her reaction.
Maybe he regretted what they’d done. After all, they’d been caught up in the emotion of the moment. It was easy to lose yourself in passion when you were far from home, away from all the reminders of normal life. It was possible this hint of awkwardness between them was nothing more than Logan trying to distance himself from her so he could let her down easily once they returned. And it made sense he wouldn’t want his colleagues to know how the nature of their relationship had changed in Colombia—it hadn’t been terribly professional of either of them. Still, she held on to the hope that her feelings for him weren’t all one-sided.
Losing her parents had been devastating. If she lost Logan, too...
She wasn’t sure her heart could take it.
* * *
Logan took a deep breath, steeling himself to get through the next few hours. It was going to be difficult, but he didn’t have any other choice.
He took his seat next to Olivia and attempted a normal smile. She frowned slightly but gave him a shy smile, then returned to her magazine.
She was far more perceptive than he wanted to admit, and it was clear from the puzzled looks she’d been giving him that she knew something was up. Of course, his acting skills weren’t anything to write home about, so it was no wonder she’d picked up on his distress.
After the plane took off, Olivia shut her magazine with a sigh and shoved it into the seat pocket in front of her. Then she turned to face him, wearing a determined expression that made his stomach flip.
“Can we talk?” She kept her voice low, presumably so the guys couldn’t overhear. They were seated across the aisle and chatting with each other like this was just another trip. As far as he could tell, Olivia didn’t realize that she was now the focus of the investigation.
“Sure.” He tried to sound casual. “What’s on your mind?”
“I’m just wondering if everything is okay. You’ve been distant lately. Ever since the hospital.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
Olivia nodded. “I get that. And I figured you
wouldn’t want your coworkers to know how things developed between us.”
“That’s part of it.” Bad enough he’d fallen for another liar. If the guys knew, they’d look at him with pity and forever question his judgment. He didn’t deserve any better, but he wanted to keep this secret as long as possible.
She placed her hand on his and squeezed gently. “I understand. But I want you to know that I treasure the time we had together. I don’t want to lose you after all this is over.”
She sounded so sincere, and her dark brown eyes were large and inviting. Despite everything Alan had said and all the evidence of her deceit, Logan found himself drawn to her, wanting to trust her. His brain knew she was trouble, but his heart refused to get the message.
“I feel the same way,” he said, almost choking on the words.
If she noticed his trouble, she didn’t show it. “I was worried you were angry with me,” she went on. “Because of your injury. I still don’t know who that man was, or why he gave us the keys to the Jeep.”
Logan lifted his shoulder, being careful not to pull on the stitches. “We’ll probably never know.”
“It doesn’t make any sense!” There was distress in her eyes now, and his traitorous body wanted to fold her in his arms and comfort her.
“You can’t obsess over it,” he told her. It was advice he should heed himself. No matter how much he wondered, he’d never understand how he’d fallen for another beautiful liar. He’d go mad trying to figure it out.
“I know. But I hate that you got hurt.” She shook her head and strands of her hair fell forward to frame her face. “I was so scared that night. I thought I was going to lose you...” She trailed off and Logan frowned, hearing an echo of her voice in his mind.
Please, Logan. Don’t leave me now.
Where had that come from? Had he imagined it, or was it something she’d actually said?
Help me, please. You have to save him!
He shook his head to clear it of the disjointed thoughts. Alan’s explanation of events was logical and made sense. But sitting next to Olivia now, hearing the memory of her words, he began to wonder...