Omar just nodded and waited until they passed and walked toward the salon. He stepped in behind them to follow.
A tingle started in Logan’s gut. Something’s off. It was the same reading he got when he walked into a boardroom for a negotiation and the opposing side had a surprise in store for him. He gave Lacy a look and braced himself for what was to come.
When they walked into the salon, the view immediately stole his breath. He could see a balcony separated from the Caribbean Sea by only a short stretch of grass. All that turquoise loveliness was sparkling in the sunshine. So inviting. At any other time, he would have immediately continued outside, but instead he studied the room.
He felt rather than heard her sharp intake of breath. There was a man sitting on a couch behind a coffee table. The man had to be Armand Fontaine. It was clear where she got her eyes and her hair color.
Fontaine had a black eye and a cut lip. He also noticed that the man’s left-hand ring and pinkie fingers were bent at unnatural angles.
“Daddy,” she croaked and started to move toward him, but when Fontaine shook his head ever so slightly, Logan grabbed her hand. When she turned to get her hand free, her eyes went wide at something over Logan’s shoulder. He froze.
“Good morning, Mr. Callahan, Ms. Carmichael. Or should I say, Ms. Fontaine? How nice of you to join us.”
Fear unfurled in Logan’s stomach as he watched her face drain of all color. Voloshyn. Shit. Her eyes met his, and he knew they were thinking the same thing—if Voloshyn was already here, there was no way they could get her dad off the grounds. They couldn’t contact Trenthom, which meant he couldn’t help them. They were screwed. His stomach knotted. Would he ever see his brothers again?
He turned and winced. His ribs twinged sending pain skittering across his body. “Mr. Voloshyn.” There was no point in hiding the fact they knew his true identity. Their plan was a bust. They would have to make a new one. The wheels started turning. “I would say how nice it is to see you, but we both know that would be a lie.”
Voloshyn smirked. “You two have caused me great trouble.” His smile turned into more of a baring of teeth as his eyes narrowed. “But no matter. You are here now, and I will make you pay for wasting my time.” He ran his eyes over Lacy, leering at her in an unmistakable way.
Logan started to move forward, but he suddenly dropped to his knees. Omar had hit him in the kidneys and followed up with a hit to the backs of the knees.
“Omar, you son of a bitch!” She started forward, but Logan staggered to his feet and stopped her. Still not able to speak after that hit, he just shook his head.
Omar laughed. Logan could tell Lacy wanted to kill Omar, but she understood there was no way to make that happen at the moment.
“Good choice.” Omar’s sudden laugh echoed in the room. “Although I would have loved to see you try.” His dark eyes glittered with hatred. “I have spent years indulging. you and your father. I would love the chance to make you bend and scrape for a change.”
Logan ground his teeth, but he schooled his features to remain neutral.
“My, oh my. What shall we do about the three of you?” Lacy remained silent, and Logan took the opportunity to ease her slightly behind him. Omar had caught him off guard once. He wouldn’t let it happen again.
“Come now, Callahan, you cannot protect her. Surely, you have realized by now that I no longer need you. I have both Fontaines in one location, and they will do whatever I want them to do because they don’t want to see each other get hurt. You are now extraneous to this little adventure.”
Logan felt Lacy’s hand on his arm, and he moved her a little farther back from the men. “What’s your plan, Voloshyn? I admit to being curious. I figured there was more to the story then just wanting some guns, but why don’t you fill us in on the details?” Logan asked.
Of course, they already knew the answer to that, but he needed time to think of some way out of this mess. The thing was, he had nothing to offer. There was nothing he possessed that made him valuable to Voloshyn.
Voloshyn smiled slightly as he started wandering around the room. He picked up a glass figurine and watched to see if Lacy reacted. Logan had a feeling if Lacy showed any interest, Voloshyn would have broken the figurine. He was looking to hurt Lacy and her father any way he could.
He stood tensed, waiting to see if Voloshyn would start bragging about his ludicrous plan, about how fucking brilliant he is. Come on, he begged silently. Show off to me. Let your ego have full reign. Wasn’t that what Voloshyn wanted? A chance to show off? Tell how he was wronged?
Voloshyn gestured toward the couch where Fontaine was sitting. “Why don’t we all take a seat?”
Lacy went immediately to her father and hugged him. Logan followed more slowly. He could see tears in the older man’s eyes. This had to be hell for him, too. Their eyes met, and an understanding passed between them. They were both going to do anything and everything they could to get Lacy out of this alive.
He immediately felt better. Sure, they didn’t have a plan or anything, but he wasn’t the only one watching out for Lacy. There was a chance she would get out of this alive, even if he didn’t.
Voloshyn sat in a chair on the opposite side of the coffee table. “As I have been explaining to your father, he has really brought all this upon himself. And you, of course.” Voloshyn shifted to get more comfortable in his chair. A man walked into the room and placed a cup and saucer of something, presumably tea, in front of him.
Logan glanced at Lacy. Her mouth was a flat line and her eyes narrowed at the man who delivered the tea. Whoever this was, it had to be someone who worked for Fontaine.
“Thank you, Reggie.” Voloshyn smiled when Reggie bowed slightly before moving to stand in the far corner of the room. Definitely one of Fontaine’s people. Or Omar’s people. Alexey was by the door, keeping an eye on everyone. That made too many people to overpower even if Logan had the opportunity.
“Where were we? Ah yes, it’s your father’s fault.” Voloshyn paused for a minute, his face dark, his eyes flat He picked up the drink but didn’t take a sip.
Logan braced himself.
“I came to you in good faith. I had been told you were the best at tracking down the necessary equipment.” Voloshyn pointed his finger at Fontaine. “I came to you for help. I had the money, and with your resources, I could have ensured our success. But you said no!” The man’s fury was building. His eyes were wide and spitting fire. The teacup clattered against the saucer. “You said you didn’t want to get involved in. You didn’t agree with our cause!”
Voloshyn’s voice got louder and his accent grew thicker. “You, bah—who are you to decide what’s right, eh? It is not of your concern. You need to sell the weapons and stay out of it. But no. You decided you couldn’t sell them to me.”
Voloshyn was in a rage; his body vibrated with it. “And then you called the other arms dealers and convinced them not to sell to me either! Who are you? You are not God! You do not get to decide who wins and loses a war. It was not up to you!” Voloshyn roared. “You killed my Anna and my children! You killed them by not giving me the weapons to protect them! Their blood is on your hands, and you will pay!” His eyes were wild and his hands shaking. There was spittle in the corner of his mouth. Voloshyn was half out of his chair before he seemed to realize what he was doing.
He paused, took a deep breath, and sat back down. Then he reached for his tea. The cup rattled in the saucer, and it took him a couple of tries, but he managed to take one sip and then another. Several moments passed while he got himself under control. No one moved. No one dared to so much as breathe.
This guy was certifiable, no doubt. For the first time ever, primal fear flooded Logan’s body. His nerves were on fire with free-flowing adrenaline. His heart was slamming double time in his chest and his mouth had a coopery taste. Had he bitten his tongue? He couldn’t feel it. This guy really was going to kill them all. Everything seemed to move slowly, like he was u
nderwater, and his skin felt clammy and cold.
“So you see, Hazel…may I call you Hazel?” He continued on without waiting for a response. “Your father brought this on himself and on you. You have to die just like my children did. Fair is fair.” The smile returned. “Of course, I had two children, a boy and a girl. You are only one, so it’s still not equal, but it will have to do.”
He turned and studied Logan. “Sadly, I…we have to wait a bit for the fun to begin. I’m expecting a phone call.”
Logan’s gut rolled. It didn’t look good for them. Surreptitiously, he hauled in a steady breath, trying to keep it together.
Armand frowned slightly but stayed silent.
Logan worked his fingers through Lacy’s and squeezed. Maybe this was the break they were looking for? Maybe the delay would give them a chance to create a new plan? At least it bought them a bit of time.
“You didn’t mention a delay,” Omar growled.
Voloshyn frowned. “A brief delay. I need to speak to some people. Funds need to be moved. It’s all in hand.”
“We have our own schedule to keep,” Omar reminded him.
“I said we wait.” Florid red flushed into Voloshyn’s face again. His hands were balled into fists.
So there’s a bit of a power struggle between Omar and Voloshyn. Logan caught Fontaine’s eye just for a second, but it was long enough to confirm his hunch. Good to know. Maybe it could help if he stayed alive long enough to use it. Yeah, they needed a plan, and it had to be sooner not later. Voloshyn was unstable, and chances were good he wouldn’t wait long.
The wheels in Logan’s head started to turn. He was no longer afraid. Cold calm settled over his nerves. He was in control and strangely accepting of whatever came his way. In the past, he had wondered how his brothers, had managed to stay sane and function when their lives were in such danger. Now he understood. After the blinding fear came a calm, and that was when you planned or moved or escaped. Fontaine started speaking, which startled him out of his revere.
“Voloshyn, I would think killing the young man outright would rob you of a good deal of pleasure. After all, revenge is what you want along with the business, and Logan obviously cares a great deal for my daughter. If I’m not mistaken, I do believe they are even talking of marriage.”
Both his and Lacy’s heads whipped in Fontaine’s direction. Lacy’s hand started toward her head, no doubt to smooth her hair like she always did when she was nervous, but her father grabbed it and held.
“Am I right, darling? Have you and Logan been discussing marriage?” Fontaine’s eyes bore into his daughters. Then he gave Logan the same intent look.
“Yes,” Logan answered. To his surprise, it came off his lips easily, as if it was the most natural thing ever. He truly did want to create some sort of life with Lacy. He was in love with her. Too bad she’d already made it very clear she did not feel the same way.
“See? Two birds with one stone,” Armand said.
Omar’s eyes narrowed. “What are you up to, old man?”
“Nothing. I’m trying to buy time, Omar. Time for my daughter and her fiancée, time for myself.”
“Your time is up, Fontaine. Now it’s my turn.” Omar smiled. “But I am not a bad person. You want more time for you and your daughter? OK, we will wait for Voloshyn to get his phone call, but only a few hours. This must be finished today.”
“Now that we all agree,” Voloshyn said, “let’s celebrate the wonderful news of your engagement.” Voloshyn’s smile grew before twisting into something truly evil.
“Alexey, bring us champagne. I’ll drink it to celebrate while you throw this bunch in the room I have prepared for them. Bring me the best vintage Armand has on hand. I need to celebrate properly.”
As Voloshyn got up, his cell phone rang. Glancing at it, he said, “On second thought, bring the champagne outside. I want to admire the view while I celebrate.” He answered the call as he headed out onto the balcony and disappeared from sight.
Alexey motioned to them to stand and Vladamir, aka Hairy, came through the door. The two men marched them through the house at gunpoint, bringing them to a room on one of the upper floors. Logan tried to keep track, but the mansion was enormous, and he got a bit confused as they pushed farther into the house.
When they reached a large door, Alexey motioned for them to stop and instructed Lacy to open it. Vladimir pushed them into the room and then stood outside the door. Alexey told Logan to chain Armand first. Logan’s brain scrambled to find a way out. He ran scenarios through his head while he tightened the clamps of the shackle then hooked the links through a loop embedded into the wall. Maybe he could rush Alexey. There weren’t a whole lot of options. Once they were tethered to the wall, that was it.
He was the last one. It was now or never. He pivoted and immediately stopped. Omar had arrived silently and was now pointing a AK47 machine gun at Lacy’s head. Logan sat heavily, letting Alexey close the manacles around his wrists and bind him to the wall, and then he silently watched the men leave.
Chapter Nineteen
“Oh, Daddy, I’m so glad you are all right.” She reached out with one tethered hand and tried to reach her father. The chains stopped her hand about two inches short. “Fuck!” she growled. She was losing it again, only this time it was tears not laughter.
“Relax,” Logan grumbled.
She whipped around and glared at him. “Don’t patronize me. We’re bound to a wall with no help coming, so it’s definitely not going to be OK!” A rage was bubbling up that she couldn’t control. Logically, she knew it wasn’t Logan’s fault—far from it—but she was so angry, so full of fear, she lashed out.
“I’m not patronizing you. It’s going to be OK.” He looked over at Armand Fontaine. “So, what’s the plan?”
She frowned at her father in confusion. “What plan? Why does he think you have a plan?”
“Because your father wouldn’t let you in here if he didn’t have a plan to get you out.” He stared at Fontaine, who gave him a slight nod.
“I’ve been thinking…” Logan leaned back against the wall and raised one knee. “We weren’t sure your father knew what was going on, but we were being stupid. Of course, he knew. If he has spies all over the islands like you and Trenthom say, then he had to know that Omar was planning something. There is no way Voloshyn would land in the Bahamas without your father hearing about it.”
He turned to face her father. “So, you knew Omar was switching sides and Voloshyn was here. My guess is you weren’t sure when, otherwise you would never have let Lacy come down here in the first place. You must still have people who are loyal to you, filling you in. There has been a plan in place for something like this for a long time.”
“Is it true? Did you really know all along?” Lacy asked anxiously. Logan’s theory made sense. It would be typical of her father to have back-up plans A through Z without telling her. Until now, he only ever told her what he thought she needed to know. That had to stop. If she was going to take over the business, she would need to be looped in on every detail, no matter how minute.
“So,” Logan asked again, “what’s the plan?”
Fontaine studied Logan for a long minute and then nodded slightly. “Your friend is correct, honey. I do have a plan.” He reached out to try to touch his daughter, then dropped his hand. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you. Things moved more quickly than I anticipated. I”—he hesitated—“I thought it was better to keep you in the dark until I had more details.” He smiled slightly. “That may have been a mistake.”
“May have been? May have been!” The rage was about to explode from her chest. “If I’d known, I would have been prepared. I could have avoided this whole damn mess and had a real vacation! You think it might have been a mistake?”
“You’re fine. You had help.” He glanced at Logan. “Very good help. And you would have missed the rest of it, too. You seemed to enjoy the resort. The room you had is fabulous, I hear. The shack on the bea
ch was not so nice, but”—he shrugged—“you made the best of it.”
She felt a flush creep up her neck. “You had people watching us? People you trusted? What the fuck? Do you know what I went through not knowing if you were alive or dead? Never mind all the rest—the car accident, the kidnapping, and the escape. Do you know what it’s like to wonder if you will ever see your father again? To wonder if you will be alive in twenty-four hours? To wonder if you’re going to get the people around you killed?” She glared at her father, incredulous that he would do that to her.
Looking sheepish and a bit sad, he reached for her again. “Sweetheart, I truly am sorry. If there had been another way, I would have done it. Like I said, it happened faster than I anticipated and honestly”—he glanced at Logan—“you were in good hands.
“I didn’t expect Voloshyn to grab you and take you to the yacht. I can’t tell you the agony I felt knowing you were trapped on there. I had people watching, but there was nothing we could do at that point. If my people had tried to take over the yacht, it would have put you in more danger. There simply weren’t enough of them. Once everything started, I had to let it play out.”
Lacy closed her eyes and swore long and loud in her head. All her life, her father thought he knew better. Not trusting her to make her own choice. She opened her eyes and glared at him.
“Once I knew you were off the yacht and safe at the hotel, it was…safer to leave you there.” Again, he glanced at Logan. “I did everything I could to protect you.
“My old boss,” Logan blurted out. “You got him to lend us the suite, didn’t you?”
Fontaine nodded. “My people did reach out and suggest it would be wonderful if he were helpful to you. I do a fair amount of business in New York and I am always looking for legal help besides my beautiful daughter.” He smiled.
“And Cecil. You got him to help me with the money at the hotel.”
Smash and Grab: Action-Packed Thrilling Romantic Suspense (Callahan Security Series Book 2) Page 19