“She’s another possibility. I just figured I’d discuss that with Seth later.”
“When I wasn’t around to hear it? I’m not that fragile.” But she did have a lump in her throat because the thought of her mother going to such lengths to hurt him made her physically ill.
“Who’s Mildred?” Seth asked.
“My mother.” If she could be called that, and Laney didn’t think she could.
“Explain,” he said, and Logan filled him in, giving a brief rundown, probably trying to spare Laney’s feelings.
He didn’t realize that anything and everything she’d felt for her parents had ceased to matter a long time ago.
She shifted, turning her attention to the blackness outside the window. They’d driven more than a hundred and fifty miles, and signs for Seattle dotted the side of the road. Another fifty and she’d be almost home. Only it wasn’t really home. Not the kind she’d always wanted. One with a husband, kids, a family circle that she would always and forever be a part of.
Funny how that dream had never died.
“Sounds like we need to pay Mildred a visit.” Seth turned onto a narrow dirt road. “Anyone know where she is?”
“Not yet, but we should be able to find out easily enough,” Logan responded. Laney could feel that he was watching her.
She didn’t turn to meet his eyes, just leaned her head back and closed her eyes, letting the two men talk because her cheek and jaw hurt, her head ached and every time she thought about her parents, her heart ached, too.
They’d taken a family legacy and destroyed it. Nearly destroyed her, too. If she ever went back to Green Bluff, she’d have to rebuild what her great-great grandfather had worked so hard to achieve. Not just a beautiful home on a beautiful piece of property, but a family of integrity, honor and faith.
She could almost picture it—the old house gleaming, the porch whitewashed and shimmering in the sunlight, laughter spilling out of open windows, children running through the orchards pulling ripe apples from the trees.
“We’re here.” Logan pulled her from the edge of dreams, and she fumbled for the door handle, then tumbled out into crisp cold air.
Here was a small ranch-style home at the end of a cul-de-sac. Four other houses stood sentinel nearby, each on a small lot. It was in a tidy neighborhood in the suburbs of Seattle. The perfect place to hide?
Maybe, but it wasn’t what Laney had been expecting.
She’d thought they’d be in the middle of nowhere, next to nothing in a house surrounded by high fences and guarded by vicious dogs.
She followed Logan and Seth around the side of the house and in through a back door. Lights were on in the small kitchen, and a pretty blonde woman sat at a table there, her eyes on a computer monitor.
“You guys are running late.” She smiled but didn’t look away from the monitor.
“We took the long way.” Seth shrugged out of his coat and took a seat beside her. “How are we looking?”
“Everything is online, and we’re hooked into the security system.”
“You sticking around or heading out?” Seth asked the woman.
“Sticking around.”
“You know this case is trouble, right?” Seth pressed.
“That’s what makes it fun.” She grinned. “Laney, I have a room set up for you at the end of the hall. We’ll be bunking together when I’m not pulling shift. I’m Taryn, by the way.” She had pretty blue eyes, a stunning face and a soft smile, but her handshake was firm, her palm calloused.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Because Seth is too boneheaded to tell you what’s going on, I’ll fill you in. We’ve been contracted by Personal Securities Incorporated to provide protection for you and Logan.”
“Contracted by whom?”
“Ourselves. Darius said you needed some help. Seth and I had some time on our hands.”
“Speak for yourself, blondie. I’ve got a full schedule.” Seth turned the computer monitor and stared at the screen, his thick brows pulled together over ocean-blue eyes. A dark purple scar ran from the corner of his mouth to his temple. Another snaked up his neck. He looked tough and a little terrifying.
Actually, a lot terrifying.
“I owe you both.” Logan dropped his coat on a chair. He was shorter than Seth and not nearly as broad, his muscles lean rather than bulky. But his presence was undeniable, his energy sweeping into the room and filling every corner of it.
Irresistible, and they’d be living in the same house until Logan’s name could be cleared and the men who’d framed him had been thrown in jail. Maybe she could expedite things, do a little online research and try to help find Mildred.
“Do you have a computer? I’d like to—”
“No email. No contact with the outside world,” Seth growled.
“I thought I’d do some online research and see if I can find out where my mother is.”
“We’ll take care of that,” Seth responded, not even bothering to look away from the computer.
“I’d really like to help.”
“The best thing you can do is put some ice on those bruises and get some rest.” Logan opened the freezer, dropped several ice cubes into a paper towel and pressed it to her cheek, his fingers grazing her skin, the touch so light she barely felt it.
She wanted to lean in, press closer.
But she brushed his hands away and held the ice herself. “So, you’re telling me that while all the capable people work to solve our problem, I should catch a few hours of sleep?”
“It’s my problem. Only my problem. The fact that you’re involved is pure chance.” Logan took her arm and pulled her into a wide hall. Several doors opened from it, the rooms beyond dark, the wood floor dust coated and dull. The setup seemed rushed, as if the house had been closed for a long time and opened suddenly.
“There is no such thing as pure chance, Logan. Isn’t that what you told me when you handed me the money and said I should leave Green Bluff? Nothing happens by chance. I was put in your life for a reason. This is it.”
“That was a long time ago.” He opened the door at the end of the hall and flicked on the light. The room, small with twin beds and a tall dresser, looked lived in and old. One small window looked out over the backyard.
“Time doesn’t change truth. What you said made sense then, and it still does. God brought you into my life when I needed you, and he has brought me into yours now that you need me.”
“This isn’t about what anyone needs, Laney. It’s about staying one step ahead of some very dangerous people.”
“I can help you do that. If my mother does want to reconnect with me, we’ll set it up. I’ll pick her brain, see if I can find out how she feels about you.”
“Too dangerous.”
“Says who?”
“Me.”
“I’m the best person to contact my mother. We both know it. If she’s really hoping to get back into the house and back into Green Bluff’s good graces, I’m her way to do it.”
Logan frowned and ran a hand down his jaw. “I don’t like it.”
“But you know that I’m right.”
“I’m a lot of things, Laney, but I’m not a fool. We have one shot at getting what we want from your mother. I’m not willing to waste it on something that might not work out.”
“Exactly.”
“There’s one thing, though.” He touched her cheek. “You were attacked, beaten black and blue. I wasn’t asking you to ice your cheek and lie down because I think you’re weaker or less capable then the rest of us. I was asking you to because you look done in and I’m worried about you.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and walked out of the room, leaving her standing with her mouth open and her pulse racing.
He’d disarmed her, and
she felt raw and open.
She didn’t like the feeling.
Not at all.
She closed the door, her heart beating too rapidly, her thoughts scattered and unclear. She’d had big plans to start fresh, but she’d never imagined her new beginning would bring her back to the life she’d run from so many years ago. She’d never imagined that she’d see Logan again, and she’d never imagined that she might consider keeping the family home.
Never imagined that she’d meet with her mother.
That she’d want to meet with her.
Mildred. Mom. Whatever name Laney used for her, she was the same. A memory that Laney mostly wanted to forget. One of the worst parts of her childhood. Vindictive and mean, a consummate liar. A woman who was ruled by greed and bitterness.
Laney had promised herself she would never be that. She’d tried to so hard to stay focused on the positive and to conduct herself in a way that others would view as above reproach.
If anyone had asked her a week ago, she would have said that there was no way she’d ever be running from the police. That there was no way she’d need bodyguards. Her life had been secure and stable, even a little predictable, and that had been the way she’d wanted it.
She dropped onto the twin bed closest to the door, pressing the ice to her throbbing cheek. Her duffel was in the kitchen, and she didn’t plan to retrieve it. She didn’t want to face Logan again and feel the thrum of awareness as she looked in his eyes.
Her past.
That was all, but he seemed like so much more than that.
Nothing happened by chance.
She’d thrown those words at Logan, and she believed them. A reason for everything. She just didn’t know what the reason for this was. Two weeks to clean up the remnants of her life and move on. Instead, she’d found herself steeped in the past, forced to face everything that had been.
Someone knocked on the door, and Laney sat up. “Come in.”
Logan walked in, the duffel in one hand, a plastic bag full of ice in the other. “I brought you some fresh ice and your things.”
“Thanks.” She shoved the dripping paper towel into the bag and held it against her cheek. Her chest felt tight and her throat clogged. She’d loved Logan so much when they were kids. He’d been the big brother she’d never had. Her protector. Her friend. Her hero.
“We found Mildred.” He settled on the edge of the bed, his hip close to hers. He’d sat the same way dozens of times when they were kids. It felt different now. More intimate.
“That was fast.”
“She remarried a few years ago. Her engagement announcement popped up in an online newspaper. Once we knew her new name, it was easy enough to find her.” He lifted the end of her ponytail, letting it slide through his fingers.
“What now?”
“We thought about having you call her to set up a meeting.”
“I can do that.” Although the thought chilled her to the bone.
“I know, but it might be best if you just show up. That will throw Mildred off balance and give you the advantage.”
“That’ll work, too.”
“Her place isn’t far from here. We’ll leave early in the morning. Make sure that we get there before she has a chance to leave for the day.”
She nodded, but she couldn’t speak, the thought of facing Mildred stealing every word.
“Scared?” He touched her shoulder, his hand resting there for a moment.
“Yes.”
“Don’t be, Laney. She can’t hurt you anymore.”
“I’m not worried about her hurting me.”
“Then what are you worried about?”
“That I’ll still be as desperate for her affection as I was when I was a kid. That I’ll let myself believe the lies she’s going to tell.”
“You’re too strong to let that happen.”
“I don’t feel strong.”
“That’s because you’re tired. Get some sleep, okay? We’ll be leaving pretty early in the morning.” The mattress shifted as he stood, the air around Laney suddenly cooler.
She didn’t call him back as he walked out the door.
But she wanted to.
THIRTEEN
“Are you sure she lives here?” Laney asked as Taryn parked in front of a tiny bungalow sandwiched between two run-down Victorians.
She sounded doubtful.
Logan felt the same way.
He leaned past her and stared at the unassuming house.
It was not a place that either of them would have expected to find Mildred Mackey. She’d always been into opulent, showy things. Money had been her addiction, and she’d craved it like other people craved alcohol. When Logan had heard that she’d remarried, he’d assumed that she’d married money and was living in a grand house in an upscale neighborhood.
The little bungalow was anything but that.
“It looks as if the mighty have fallen pretty far,” Taryn said, a hint of amusement in her voice. Aside from the gun she’d concealed under her coat, she could have been anyone, with her hair pulled into a ponytail and a perpetual smile on her face. A purplish scar peeked out from beneath a heavy fall of bangs—the only sign of the dangerous life she lived.
“She must have been in even more desperate straits before if this is what she married into. Are you ready, Laney?” Logan asked. She’d spent the twenty-minute ride in silence, her muscles so taut he’d wanted to knead the tension from them. He hadn’t.
“I think so.” She stared out the window and seemed as reluctant to look in his eyes as he was to touch her.
Kissing her had been a big mistake, but he couldn’t afford to let it muddle either of their thinking. Not when there was so much at stake. He wouldn’t allow himself to be distracted.
Even if he could smell strawberries and sunshine in Laney’s hair every time he got close.
“If you don’t want to do this—” he said.
“I want to. I’m just not sure that I’m ready to.”
“You’re going to be fine.” He touched her arm, and she finally met his eyes. Fear. Determination. He saw them both in the depth of her gaze.
“Here’s how this is going to play out,” Seth grumbled. “Taryn will escort Laney to the house. Logan and I will stay here.”
“I don’t like that plan.” Not when Laney looked terrified, and not when he wasn’t sure what she’d find in the tiny house. Had Mildred changed? Or was she the same sadistic abuser she’d been thirteen years ago?
He didn’t even need to ask.
A tiger didn’t change its stripes.
“Tough.” Seth’s gaze was on the house, and Logan didn’t think he expected to be argued with. He seemed like the kind of guy used to calling the shots.
So was Logan.
That might be a problem.
“Says who?” As far as Logan recalled, they’d never discussed the plan, and he wasn’t going to walk blindly into it because Seth said he should.
“Me.”
“Now that you’ve had your say, I’m going to explain the way that I think things should go. You escort the ladies inside—”
“I’m surprised, Logan. I didn’t take you for one of those he-man types who believe that a man can do a better professional security job than a woman,” Taryn interrupted, still smiling. Logan didn’t miss the sharp edge in her gaze.
“I’m not, but Laney and Mildred have a history, and it’s not a good one. She may need a little extra support during the meeting.”
“She is sitting right beside you, and she’ll be just fine.” Laney sounded confident, but her muscles were tense, her eyes rimmed with dark shadows, her face pale. The bruises stood out in stark contrast. Logan didn’t want her to go in the house at all. That was the problem.<
br />
“Come on. We’re wasting time. Let’s get in there.” Taryn jumped out of the truck and opened Laney’s door.
“Right,” Laney muttered, but as she got out, she didn’t even shoot Logan a second glance.
Good, because if he saw fear in her eyes, he’d probably follow her.
And that wasn’t a good idea.
As much as he wanted to protect Laney, he couldn’t risk letting Mildred know that he was with her. The woman would be on the phone and calling the police before they even had a chance to find out what she’d spent the past couple of years doing.
Laney closed the door, and he watched as she made her way across the small yard. Taryn walked beside her, at ease but on alert, her hand beneath her coat, ready to pull out her firearm if necessary.
“Glad you’re using your brain on this one, deputy,” Seth said, his gaze shifting to Logan, his eyes a strange color between blue and green and devoid of emotion.
“I usually do.”
“Not when it comes to Laney.”
“Maybe not.”
“No maybes about it. You shouldn’t be here at all. You should have stayed back at the safe house like I told you to.”
True. Logan wouldn’t deny it.
“Unfortunately, I’m here, so discussing what I should have done seems like a waste of time,” he pointed out.
“What I have to say next isn’t.”
“Spit it out then.”
“Letting yourself be influenced by emotions is never a good thing. If you don’t watch it, you’re going to get all of us thrown into jail.”
“I suppose you would have handled things differently?” Logan asked because he figured that Seth was the kind of guy who had an answer for everything and played every game by the book.
“I’d like to think that I would have. Hard to tell, though. If my girlfriend were heading into trouble, I’d probably insist on being with her. No matter what.”
“Laney isn’t my girlfriend.”
“Could have fooled me.” Seth turned his attention back to the house.
“She’s an old friend. Someone tried to kill her because of me. That changed the rules I’m playing by.”
Fugitive Page 11