by Lori Ryan
Logan nodded and squeezed Sam’s hand. She looked so concerned. He smiled at her, but he had a feeling it was more a tight showing of his teeth than an actual smile. He’d scare her if he kept it up.
“Wait, Sam,” said Kelly, as she lifted a black raincoat from her arms and held it up toward Sam. “You need to put this on.”
“Huh?” Sam said and Logan had to admit, that was his thought, too. It wasn’t raining, or even cloudy.
Jack answered. “It’s bullet-resistant clothing. The company that makes them makes mostly men’s clothes. They don’t keep a lot of women’s clothing in stock, other than their raincoats, but I’m having a few shirts, some business suits, and even a hat made for you. They’ll be ready next week. In the meantime, the entire chest area and hood of this coat is bulletproof.”
Sam started to argue, but Logan glared at her. She mumbled a response and shrugged into it. She ran her fingers down the coat and shrugged.
“Not bad,” Sam said to Kelly. “How do they make it so light?”
“Hell if I know,” Kelly said, “and, I don’t care. I just care that it works. It’ll stop a bullet from close range. Apparently, they’re big in Mexico.”
“You don’t say?” quipped Sam, and Logan wanted to laugh at the conversational turn these two had taken.
He schooled his expression as Monique walked outside and he heard her make a statement and then respond with “no further comment” when the press called out several questions.
He was surrounded by Sam and friends as they left the town house and the detectives stepped up to him, murmured a polite introduction and a quick set of instructions for following them down to the precinct.
“I’m not riding with you?” he asked the male detective in a low voice. He didn’t know why he asked. Probably shock after what Monique had just said about them wanting the car ride with him.
The man smiled at him, meeting his eyes. “No way, Frogman. I’m not sticking a fellow SEAL in the back of my car. We’ll see you there.”
Logan’s answering hooyah was quiet but powerful, and he kept his eyes on the back of their heads as they all made their way to the waiting cars.
*****
“Oh, hell no.” Logan was emphatic. Billy stood by his side, on alert as Logan’s emotions cranked ever higher.
“Logan, we don’t have a choice in the matter. The police want to speak to Sam and get her side of things. It’s only natural they’d want to hear from the victim exactly what took place. And besides, she’s going to be your best witness in all of this. She’s the one who can tell them what happened.”
Monique was entirely too calm about this. Sam shouldn’t have to go through this over and over again. She’d talked to the ATF already. She didn’t need to keep reliving the attack again and again.
“I should be in there with her,” Logan insisted. His eyes flashed to Samantha’s and his heart clenched at the stoic expression on her face.
“Not going to happen, my friend,” Monique said.
Sam stepped forward and put her hand on his forearm, squeezing gently. He felt the fight go out of him as he looked down at the determination in her face.
“I got this, Logan. If you’ll be out here when I finish, I’ll be fine.”
He nodded. “I’ll be right here. The whole time.”
“If it gets too rough, Sam, we can ask them to continue tomorrow,” Monique said. “Like I said, I don’t think the detectives are all that happy to be putting you through this. I think it’s all Westbrook. They’re just wanting to cross their Ts and dot their Is and all that. Let’s hope at the end of this, he realizes he won’t have a case.”
Monique had explained there were a few things Westbrook would have to show a jury. Some facts weren’t in question here. For example, there was no question Logan acted with force he should reasonably have known would end in death. Fatal force wasn’t a question when you snapped a man’s neck. The big issue here was whether it was reasonable for him to think that force was necessary under the circumstances. If Westbrook thought he could convince a jury it wasn’t, and if he continued to think he could somehow win an election based on putting one over on the federal government, he might go forward with charges.
Logan nodded and stood in the hallway watching Sam walk down to the interview room with one of the detectives and Monique.
Kelly and Jack had come down to the station as well and Kelly came up to Logan now, putting a hand on his arm.
“Come on, big guy,” Kelly said, tugging him the opposite way. “Let’s go have a seat and wait. Jack ran out for coffee and sandwiches. We all ate earlier but you haven’t had anything in hours. You need to take care of yourself if you’re going to have strength for Sam when this is over.”
Logan smiled down at Kelly. He could go for days with very little food or rest, when needed. He’d done it before plenty of times and would do it again in a heartbeat for Sam, but he let Kelly lead him away, anyway. He knew the chairs were just down at the end of the hall, so he’d still be able to see Sam the minute they let her go. With Kelly pregnant, he’d feel bad not letting her call the shots. Shoot, she shouldn’t even be here.
“You should go home and get some rest, Kelly,” he said when they reached the chairs and she lowered herself into one, leaning on his arm as she did so.
“I’ve tried telling her that, but she won’t budge,” came Jack’s voice behind them. Logan turned to take a tray of coffees and an orange juice from Jack. He handed the juice to Kelly and sat, taking the bag Jack offered.
“I’m pregnant, not helpless and useless, you two,” Kelly said with a bite to her tone.
Jack raised his hands. “I know, I know. All the same, I think as soon as Chad and Jennie get here, we should get you home. These chairs have to be brutal on your back, honey.”
Logan wondered why Jack didn’t just lift Kelly up and carry her to the car and take her home. What the hell was wrong with the man? If that was Sam, he’d never let her sit there in these stiff plastic chairs like that. He’d haul her ass—
What was he thinking? Logan sat frozen over the sandwich he’d been unwrapping and realized he’d been happily picturing Sam pregnant with his child. Quite happily.
“You okay, Logan?” Jack asked.
Logan looked up at his friend. He wanted what Jack and Kelly had so bad he could taste it. He wanted a family with Sam. He wanted a future with her. One filled with laughter and love and boat tons of kids. Twelve or thirteen of them, for sure. If she was up to that.
He tossed the sandwich aside.
“Get Kelly home, Jack,” he said over his shoulder as he headed down the hall toward Sam. “I’m getting Sam out of here. She’s had enough.”
He’d had enough. He wanted to go home and tell Sam all he wanted for them. All he hoped for, for them. He wanted to see if she loved him as much as he loved her. If she believed in them as much as he did. If she believed they could get through this. That he could get well enough again to have a family and a life together. God, he hoped so, because he didn’t know anymore how he’d live without her. How he’d give up the dream he’d seen.
Chapter Twenty-five
Sam was surprised by how gentle and polite the detectives were. Given the pressure they seemed to be under from Westbrook, she’d half expected them to grill her about the attack. To challenge her on whether her life had really been in danger.
But, they hadn’t. The female detective had led and asked most of the questions. Whenever the male detective had jumped in, he’d done it with a quiet voice and almost apologetically. She’d had to repeat all the details of the night, and she had to admit, she’d clenched her hands in her lap to get through it.
Then it was over. They thanked her for talking to them and led her out of the room.
And, smack into Logan.
“Sam!” he said, almost out of breath, as though he’d run down the hall and she looked down to see Billy standing by his side, watching them both. He pulled her into his arms and hug
ged her to him. She loved the contact and loved the feel of him pressed against her, but she was concerned at the almost desperate tone in his voice.
“Are you okay, Logan?” she asked, her voice muffled against his chest.
“Never better,” he said, with a laugh. “Can we go home now?”
She nodded, even though the detectives behind her answered yes as well.
Then Logan was almost lifting her as he walked down the hall, one arm around her waist.
“Thank you, Monique!” he said over his shoulder and Sam stifled a laugh.
“Want to tell me what your rush is?”
“In a minute,” he said.
They rounded the corner into another hallway and Logan looked around. They were alone. Sam laughed as he pulled her into his arms, hauling her body right up against his.
“I want to have babies with you. Lots of babies.”
Okay. Sam thought she heard that record scratching sound effect that indicated all humor had been brought to a complete and abrupt stop.
“What?”
Logan framed her face with his hands and licked his lips as though he might be nervous, but his eyes never left hers.
“I want to have babies with you. I want to marry you and love you and make babies with you. I want a life together, you and me.”
Sam swallowed. “Um, you want to love me or you do love me? I mean, just to clarify, because I just want to be really sure here, before I commit to lots of babies, and all. And, while we’re on that topic, how many is ‘lots of babies’? Because you get that I have to do all of that? All of the having, I mean. You get to do the fun part, and then, bam! It’s all on me. All the puking and the stretching and the pushing them out. All that. So I’m just wondering if you have a ballpark in mind for that. And, if you really love me. I’m wondering that, too.”
The smile that spread over Logan’s features was slow and complete. It met his eyes and overtook them. It lit up his whole face and it made Sam’s breath catch in her throat.
“Yes, I love you, Sam. So completely. In a way I never knew was possible. And, I want as many babies as you want. And, I promise, I’ll be there with you all the way even though I can’t carry them. I’ll give you foot massages and buy you ice cream. I’ll even spoon-feed you the ice cream while you lie on the couch and relax, if you want me to.”
“Like, wait.” Sam took a deep breath. She was embarrassed to feel tears stinging her eyes and she blinked a few times. “You love me? Like, just me? The way I am? No strings attached. No changes you want me to make? Just me?”
Logan kissed her mouth, slow and sweet and gentle. Not the fire and passion his kisses normally held. This was love and tenderness and a promise of forever.
“Yes, just you. Just the way you are. No addendums, no modifications, no hacks or shortcuts, or changes of any kind.”
Sam cried. Probably not those cute tears that make some women look like they’re glowing and gorgeous and as freaking mythical as a rainbow-colored unicorn. Nope, she cried the horrifyingly ugly tears. Logan looked appropriately shocked and appalled.
“Sam? Are you okay? What’s wrong, Sam?”
She shook her head. She had yet to answer him, to tell him that she loved him, too. She should do that before he thought she was rejecting him.
“I love you, too,” she croaked out. Good God, that sounded awful. But Logan was laughing, and then he was lifting her and swinging her in his arms, circling around like one of those scenes in a cheesy romantic comedy, and Sam cried harder. Because she’d never in a million years thought she’d have her romantic comedy moment, but here it was.
Logan stopped and put her down, but he didn’t let her go. He kept his arms around her and lowered his forehead to hers.
“Is that a yes to the babies? And marriage? Did I mention marriage? Man, I suck at this.”
Logan pushed back from her and went down on one knee.
“I don’t have a ring or a plan or anything. I’ll make this up to you later. I’ll do it the right way, later. For now, please, tell me you’ll marry me, Samantha Page? Tell me you’ll be mine forever?”
She nodded. “I will.” It was half laugh, half sob. All heart.
“What!” came a shriek from Jennie at the other end of the hall. “Did I just see what I thought I saw?”
Jennie and Chad barreled down the hall toward them. Well, Jennie barreled. Chad followed with a bemused smile on his face. Jennie grabbed Sam in a hug, while Chad shook his head at Logan. “Really? In the hallway? At the police station? Do you even have a ring?”
Jennie let go of Sam and both women turned on Chad and Logan.
“It was romantic because it was so spontaneous, Chad!” Jennie said and Sam echoed the sentiment with a swat to his chest.
“Yeah,” said Logan, unable to stop smiling. “I did it right. Sam says so.”
Chad shook his head, but laughed and clapped Logan on the back.
“Congratulations, man. I’m happy for you. For both of you.” He lifted Sam into a giant bear hug and kissed the top of her head. The gesture was that of a big brother, not romantic in any way, but Logan still felt a kick of jealousy growl deep in his gut. Damn, he loved this woman. Loved her, revered her, and was so damned grateful for her.
Chad let Sam down and grinned. “I’d say let’s go out for a drink to celebrate, but uh,” he said, looking a little uneasy.
“But since I have a lunatic of unknown identification on my ass and Logan has the press crawling all over him, trying to get a statement from America’s favorite new hero, we shouldn’t be out in public?” Sam said, managing to bring a cheeky kind of lightness to the situation. It didn’t mean Logan didn’t tense at the reality of her words and at her reference to him as a hero, but he appreciated her trying to lighten the heaviness of a crazy situation.
“Yeah, that.” Chad grinned back at Sam.
“So, come back to my place,” Sam said, taking Logan’s hand. “We can hole up there and have a toast. Zach is already there. We can have Jesse meet us. Kelly and Jack just left. Kelly’s exhausted so we shouldn’t drag them back out, but the rest of us can celebrate.”
“Sam!” Monique called from behind them, coming down the hallway. She held up Sam’s new coat—the bulletproof one designed to keep her safe. “You forgot your coat.
Sam had the decency to blush.
“Really?” Logan raised his eyebrows at her. “Already?”
She mumbled an apology as Logan took the coat from Monique and slipped it on Sam, and then proceeded to button the front up, all the way to her chin. Now it was Sam’s turn to raise her eyebrows.
“Really?” she mimicked back to him.
“Yes. I’m not losing you now, babe. Let’s go.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and the group headed toward the exit and what they knew would be a gauntlet of press. Logan couldn’t care less about the press anymore. All that mattered now was keeping Sam safe and keeping him out of jail so they could start their life together.
*****
Logan pulled Sam down to straddle his lap as he ran his hands up and down her arms. Her skin was so soft. So amazing to touch. He was stunned that she’d said yes to him, that she planned to marry him. They had enjoyed a fairly quick celebratory drink with their friends before kicking most of them out and heading up to bed. Zach and Chad were still sleeping on the couch downstairs, taking turns on watch duty at night.
“Are you upset that I didn’t plan a big fancy proposal?” he asked. “Or even get a ring.”
He really was an ass. He should have taken his time and planned something nice for her, instead of rushing into things as soon as he realized what he was feeling.
Sam leaned back in his lap, her arms holding onto his shoulders. “No, not at all. Are you sorry you asked?”
Her eyebrows knit together and he kissed away the thoughts flitting across her face. “No. Not in a million years. I just worried that you might have been upset because I acted too quickly.”
Her expression eased and she shook her head. “I like that you did it your way. You didn’t worry about everything being perfect. You just kind of spoke what you were thinking. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I do that a little.”
Her expression and smile were cheeky and he loved that she teased him about it instead of being put out that she didn’t have a ring on her finger yet. He lifted her hand and kissed the spot where his ring would go.
“When we get through with all of this crap, we’ll go pick out a gorgeous ring for you. Something unique and special, like my girl.”
When she smiled so softly at him, he thought his heart might burst with happiness he’d never thought he’d find. He was done with talking for the night. He laid back on the bed and tugged her down over him, devouring her mouth. She wriggled her hips, pressing against the hard erection he’d been fighting for the last couple of hours. He felt himself grow even harder and was damned happy he didn’t have to fight it off any longer. Hell, he didn’t know if he could.
His hands found the curve of her waist and slid up under her shirt to the soft swells of her breast. Logan unclasped her bra and let his hands roam over the soft skin that drew him, called to him, tormented him. Her nipples peaked beneath his fingers. He lifted shirt and bra in one motion, tugging them over her head, before pulling her back toward him so he could get his mouth on her.
She writhed and moaned and ground down against him.
“You’re killing me, Sam,” he groaned and she had the nerve to laugh.
“Right back atchya, baby.” And then she nipped his lip and he was lost. A one-armed flip had her soft body beneath his and a few more economical movements had their clothes abandoned on the floor in a heap.
He stilled above her, aching to be inside of her, but wanting to hear the words he’d thought he’d never hear. “Say it again”
She smiled that teasing, impish smile at him and he nudged the head of his cock inside her wet folds, taunting her. On a gasp, she spoke the words he needed. “I love you, Logan. I love you.”