by L. P. Dover
“It was a horrible accident, Logan. You have the pictures right in front of you. I’ll be by later to pick them up.”
Straightening the pictures, I placed them back in the file. “I’ll be here.” I hung up and stared at the folder. It just didn’t make sense. The good thing was, Janie was back at home and healing. My phone beeped and I glanced down at it.
Micah: Meet me in the woods.
Me: Be right there.
We’d been meeting in the woods behind my cabin to discuss the case. It was the only place we knew where no one would see us talking. For the past week, Micah had spent most of his time with Mark and Jacob, hoping they’d let something slip. Unfortunately, nothing had come of it. They hated me and some of the guys on the Bennett team, but that was as far as it went. Kassie swore up and down Micah was going to try and kill me. If she only knew.
I walked out to my backyard and into the woods. The sound of a dirt bike rumbled in the distance, then I saw him through the trees, headed my way. He stopped right in front of me and took off his helmet.
“It’s runnin’ better, don’t ya think?” he said.
I circled around his dirt bike and smiled. “That it is. You’ve been busy the last couple of weeks.”
Micah snorted. “Needed something to keep me entertained.” He’d bought a used dirt bike and spent the last several days fixing it up. It almost looked brand new.
“What about women? That always seemed to help you.”
His jaw tensed. “Not this time, bro. Right now, we have other problems.”
“What kind of problems?”
Hopping off his bike, he reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a crinkled piece of white paper. “Take a look. I found it on my doorstep.”
I opened the letter and read it. “Holy fuck.”
Want to get rid of Chandler for good? Meet me at the diner at noon.
“Whoever it is knows where I’m staying. They’ve been watching me.”
I handed him the letter back. “They’re pretty bold if they want to meet you in public.”
His brows furrowed. “I was thinking the same thing. Either way, I’m gonna go. We have no choice.” He hopped back on his dirt bike. “Maybe we’re getting close to catching this fucker. I’ll wear my wire so you can listen in.”
“Sounds good. I’m curious to hear how they want to get rid of me.” Being an agent had its risks. When I pursued a criminal, they were running from me and attacked when I got close. This was different. Whoever this person was wanted me out of the picture. They were deliberately going to come after me. Little did they know, I was more than ready.
“Me too. But at least you know you’re safe tonight. Give Kassidy a big kiss for me. It’ll be her birthday present.”
I shook my head. “She’d punch me in the face if she knew it was from you. Soon, she’ll realize you’re not so bad.”
He scoffed and kick-started his bike. “Maybe her sister will too. Be ready at noon tomorrow.”
He took off down the trail and I ran back to my cabin to take a shower and call Richard. I’d have to leave training a little early tomorrow; it was Kassie’s birthday. As much as I wanted to tell her what was going on, I couldn’t. I needed to make sure her day was perfect. I had so many birthdays to make up for.
“Dinner was amazing,” Kassie gushed, finishing off her steak.
All through the meal, I couldn’t help but stare at her. She was so beautiful. Her dark hair was curled and her skin was tanner than what it’d been a couple weeks ago. If we weren’t stuck in Franklin trying to solve a case, I would’ve taken her to Wyoming to meet Hadley and Blake. That would’ve been the best birthday present – to meet her favorite country singer.
Instead of going out, I grilled us some steaks and baked sweet potatoes with steamed broccoli. Taking her empty plate, I set it in the sink. “That’s not all.” I grabbed our dessert out of the refrigerator and placed it in front of her—a piece of chocolate cake from Café REL.
Her eyes lit up. “I think I’m in heaven.” I handed her a fork and we devoured it. “Any word from Gary on Janie’s car?”
“You want to talk about this on your birthday?” I asked.
She nodded. “I have to know.”
Once she grabbed up the last bite of cake, I took the plate. “All they could find was a rusty brake line. They’re calling it an accident.”
“Do you believe it was?”
I shrugged. “There are no signs of tampering with the line. It could’ve seriously been an accident. I just don’t see how it got rusted like that.”
“Neither do I,” she said, thrusting the fork full of cake into her mouth.
There was a piece of chocolate icing on her lips and I smiled, eager to lick it off. When she didn’t bother to wipe her mouth, I leaned forward and sucked her lip, her moan music to my ears. I kissed her slowly at first, then deepened it, loving the way she dug her nails in my back.
“Are you trying to distract me?” she murmured.
I nibbled her lip. “Is it working?”
“Maybe.”
“Good,” I said, taking her hands. “I don’t want you spending your birthday worrying about what’s going on around here. It’s your special day.”
Her grin widened. “Does that mean I get special presents?”
I helped her up and scooped her into my arms. “Maybe. You’ll just have to come to my room to receive them.”
She wrapped her arms around my neck, her lips at my ear. “Take me there. I owe you a little something for getting me my cake.” She licked my earlobe and sucked it between her teeth.
I carried her to my room, my cock straining against my jeans. When I set her down, she nodded toward the bed, biting her lip provocatively. “I’m beginning to think it’s my birthday.” I laughed.
Entwining my hands behind my neck, I laid back on my pillows and watched her slowly take off her shirt and skirt, letting them fall to the floor. I wanted to feel every inch of her, inside and out; to see her back arch, pushing her breasts higher as I fucked her with my fingers. I’d never felt another woman’s body as perfect as hers.
Climbing onto the bed, she straddled me, wearing only a pair of pink, lacy thongs that matched her light pink bra. I fingered the pink strap and smiled. “I think I like this. Please tell me you have it in other colors.”
With a smirk, she slowly slid her hand down my stomach and unbuttoned my jeans. I kicked them off and slid out of my T-shirt as well. My cock was so hard, it fucking hurt. She reached into my boxers, wrapping her hand around me; I thought I’d go insane. “You’ll just have to find out,” she uttered breathlessly.
“Gladly.”
Licking her lips, I knew what she was planning to do the moment she slid my boxers down my legs, and oh God, how much I wanted to feel her mouth on me, sucking me as hard as she could. But today was all about her.
She shrieked as I flipped us over and basically ripped off her underwear and unclasped her bra, taking it off as fast as I could. I bent down to suck on her perfectly taut nipples, one after the other, the tips getting larger the more I teased them. Moaning, Kassie spread her legs wide and pushed her hips up against mine. I intentionally kept my cock as far back as possible so I could tease her.
“Please,” she begged, trying to move down in search of the friction she desired. When I pressed my weight into her and bit her bottom lip, she opened her closed eyes and gasped.
“Uh-uh, not yet,” I murmured. I trailed my tongue down her stomach, stopping between her legs. Right there in the middle was the sweetest taste of all, the one thing I craved. So wet and swollen.
I groaned in anticipation because I knew the first taste would be the best. Sealing my lips around her clit, I felt her body tighten. She moved her hips against my face as I moved down a little further and fucked her with my tongue, burrowing as deep as I could.
“Logan, please,” she begged. “I need you. Make love to me.”
Ignoring her request, I pus
hed a finger inside of her, flicking my tongue on her clit. The wetter she got, the more I wanted. Spreading her legs wider, I sat up and rubbed my cock around the wetness of her opening, and without warning, entered her.
Gasping, she screamed out a pleasured cry and wrapped her legs around my waist. Reaching for me, she pulled me down. Taking her face in my hands, she gazed back at me with hooded eyes and lifted her mouth to kiss me. I opened her lips further with my tongue, tasting her … claiming her. She was mine again.
Moaning in my ear, she dug her nails into my back and her body clenched so tight around my dick, I was close to exploding. The tighter she got, the harder it was to keep going. Her moans grew louder, and as soon as she let go, I pumped into her hard, filling her up deep inside. It was unreal how much I craved Kassie’s touch. I’d spent years without it, and now I couldn’t get enough.
Breathing hard, I gently pulled out of her and slid off the bed.
“Where are you going?”
I walked over to my dresser and grabbed the small box I had hidden in my top drawer. “I wanted to give you one of your birthday presents.”
She giggled. “One of them?”
Sitting on the bed, I handed her the present. “It’s something I wanted to give you many years ago. I just never got the chance to do it after my accident.”
She opened the box and pulled out a small, silver heart locket. A tear slid down her cheek when she noticed a date engraved on the back. The day we met, the day I knew she would be mine. “Logan, it’s beautiful,” she whispered. “You bought this before the accident?” Nodding, I took it and clasped it around her neck. “I can’t believe you kept it all these years.”
“I guess you can say there was a part of me that hoped I’d be able to give it to you. I know it’s not much, but I have a lot more planned for you. I promise.”
Her fingers caressed my face and I wiped away her tears. “I don’t need anything else. As long as I have you, I’m happy.”
“You’ve got me, Kassie.”
She brushed her lips against mine. “And you’ve got me.”
Logan
I wanted to scope out the diner to see who was meeting Micah, but I didn’t want anyone to see me. Instead, I hurried to my cabin and fired up my laptop, so I could connect to Micah’s wire. The background noises were loud. Whoever it was picked one of the busiest places in the county to meet. It made no sense.
“Can I take your order?” one of the waitresses asked Micah.
“Fried steak with mashed potatoes, please,” Micah answered. His order made me hungry; it sounded delicious. A few minutes passed and he got his food.
“All right, where are you?” I grumbled. By the time Micah finished his meal and paid, an hour and a half had passed. The fucking bastard didn’t show. I wished Micah could hear me, but it was a one-way connection. His truck started up, tires squealing as he raced down the road.
“What a pile of shit,” Micah hissed. His phone rang and he huffed. “Yeah?”
“Sorry I stood you up,” a man replied. His voice was muffled, but I could still hear him when I focused on it.
Micah scoffed. “What do you want?”
“I want what you want . . . among other things.”
“Who are you?” Micah asked.
“That’s not important. All I need to know is how far you’ll go.”
“Depends. What are you offering?”
Micah was doing good, his attitude, perfect. The man sounded like he was talking through a sweatshirt, but that could’ve been my connection through the microphone.
“How about money?” he replied.
“I’d say right around a million. Can you do that?”
The man laughed. “Of course I can. Once I get the ransom money, anything’s possible. I just need someone like you to get the job done. From what I can tell, you’re not afraid of anything.” Ransom money? If I was dead, the only person he could ask for ransom would be Richard.
“You’re damn right I’m not,” Micah gloated. “I fucking despise that Chandler piece of shit. He’s done nothing but try to make my life a living hell. I’d have zero problems ending the motherfucker.”
Good one, Micah.
“I can give you that chance,” the man promised. “Do this one thing for me and I’ll give you enough money to skip town and start a new life.”
“What’s in it for you?” Micah demanded. “Why don’t you kill him yourself?”
“Let’s just say, I have my reasons.”
“So you’re scared. You’ve never killed a man before.” Everything went quiet.
“Sure, we’ll go with that. Now, are you going to do this or not?”
Micah huffed. “Fine, what do I have to do?”
“I want you to kill Logan. Once he’s out of the way, you can get to Kassidy Bennett.” The second he said her name, anger boiled in my veins. No one was going to fucking touch her.
“Kassidy’s the brown-haired bitch he’s with all the time, right?”
“Yes,” the man said cautiously. “I don’t want her harmed. All you need to do is take her to a designated spot, and when the time comes, kill her father. I’ll handle everything from there.”
Micah snorted. “And how do you want this done?”
“There’s a package I left in the woods, close to your place. Everything you need will be inside it. Look for a red X on a tree, the package will be two trees over to the right, buried in a small patch of dirt.”
“I guess you’ve thought of everything.”
He chuckled. “What can I say? I’ve been waiting for this moment a long time. When you get to the package, call me. There’ll be a phone for you to use.” The man hung up and I sat there, stunned. The fucker wanted me dead.
“Dude, if you couldn’t hear that conversation, I have a shit ton to tell you. This is fucked up. I don’t know what you did to piss this person off, but he wants you dead. We need to figure out how we’re going to do this.”
The sooner, the better. I was ready to get to the bottom of it.
“Logan, as soon as I find this package and call the fucker back, I’ll call you. I don’t think riding over there will be a good idea.” I agreed with him.
A few minutes later, I heard him get out of his truck. “I’m back at my house and walking into the woods. I see the tree with the red X.” I waited a little while longer. “Found it. There’s a phone and a fucking gun.” That was easy enough. “Wait, there’s something else.” Heart pumping, I shook impatiently. “A piece of paper with directions, and some kind of pills. Probably a sedative.”
No doubt to give to Kassie. I wasn’t about to give those to her. “That’s not gonna happen,” I hissed.
“Write this down.” He gave me the directions from the piece of paper. There wasn’t a specific address, just that there was an abandoned cabin, deep in the woods. Getting the police involved wasn’t going to be easy. “I’m calling the bastard back,” Micah said.
I heard the beeps as he pressed in the number. I couldn’t hear the guy from this phone, only muffled gibberish, so I only got Micah’s portion of the conversation.
“Yep, got everything. I’m assuming the drugs are for the girl?” There was a long pause. “Two days then,” he said. “I’ll kill Chandler and drop his bitch off at your location. After her father’s dead, I’m done. I don’t want to see or hear from you ever again, got that?”
The call ended and I grew sicker by the minute. Killing me was one thing, but getting Kassie involved was a hard limit. I didn’t like it, but what else could I do? It was the only way we could catch the fucker.
“I’m calling you, Logan,” Micah warned.
My phone rang and I picked it up, hands shaking with rage. “I don’t like this.”
“Neither do I. Killing you will be easy. Having to take your girl isn’t; especially if I kill you in front of her.” He sighed. “Fuck. She’s going to be so pissed at us when it’s all over.”
“Yeah, she will. I’m only worried h
ow she’ll take it. Knowing Kassie, she won’t go down without a fight. I don’t want her getting hurt.” She’d fight to the death if she had to.
“Think we should tell her what’s going on? She’d have to be good at acting.”
An idea came to mind. I couldn’t let her go into this ordeal helpless. To keep her sane and safe, it was the only option. I just had to believe she could handle it.
I explained everything to Micah and we contacted the bureau and Gary to let them know what we were doing. Gary was going to stake out the abandoned cabin with me and be there to make the arrest. If everything went according to plan, we’d have the case solved in two days. All that was left, was to tell Richard and Kassie. I texted them both and waited for them to show up. Kassie came first and when she got out of her car, I could tell she knew something was wrong. I was worried about her.
“I don’t think I like that look on your face,” she called out. “Why didn’t you come back to the shop? Everyone was wondering where you were.”
“Was Sean pissed?” I asked.
She climbed up the steps and wrapped her arms around my waist. “He was a little agitated at lunch today.”
“You ate lunch with him?”
She nodded. “At the shop. Dad picked us up some sandwiches.”
“What time did you guys start and finish?”
Her lips pursed. “I’d say probably around twelve to one-thirty. We talked about Janie and the race.” Then she poked me in the ribs. “And about your slacking. Sean’s worried about our image. I keep telling him not to, but he doesn’t understand.”
Holding her tight, I kissed her forehead. “Soon they’ll all know.”
She jerked out of my arms, eyes wide. “Really? What happened?”
Richard’s car caught my attention. “I’m about to tell you both.”
Her father parked beside Kassie and stormed out of his car. “Hope you have a good reason for skipping practice. You have a big race this weekend,” he pointed out.