Friendly Fire

by Lorhainne Eckhart

  “You thought you were back in the war, under fire, and you fired back,” Ben finished for him, as if he understood. He sucked in a deep breath through his nose.

  Logan nodded. “It scared the hell out of her. I shot a hole through the machine and shot a carafe right out of her hand. I could have killed her.”

  “But you didn’t,” Ben said. “Have you talked to anyone about these flashbacks, the triggers? PTSD is very real. A friend of mine has it, and he got help. This isn’t your fault, Logan.”

  Logan nodded and swallowed as he reconsidered whether pursuing Julia was a good idea. He wanted her. He felt it so deeply; but he wondered whether he was just being selfish.

  “Logan, I can you see how much you care for that woman in there, Julia,” Ben said. “Don’t sell yourself short. Does she understand what you went through?”

  This time, Logan watched Ben closely for his reaction as he said, “She does know some. She understands more than most. She saw it firsthand with her dad before he ate a bullet.”

  Ben shut his eyes. He couldn’t imagine it, but Logan could. He’d seen that loss before, when soldiers believed there was no hope—no way out of the hell they were living in.

  “I could hurt her and the girls,” Logan said. “She was afraid of that, and she pushed me away. Trinity disappearing brought us together.”

  “You were the one who saved her daughter, who held everyone together,” Ben said. “If you love her, don’t walk away from her, Logan. Promise me you’ll see someone for those nightmares. I can find you a good doctor, not a quack,” he promised. Logan didn’t say anything, and Ben let out a frustrated sigh. He must have decided to pull out the wildcard then, because he set his hands on his knees and said, “If you don’t get help, I’ll tell Mom.”

  Chapter 28

  The CT had revealed a mild concussion, and the doctor had urged Logan to take it easy. Logan had protested with irritation that a mild concussion was nothing. The doctor informed him that, when combined with his head injury from a year before, a concussion of any kind was not something to take lightly. Ben, of course, had been there, asking a lot of questions that had Logan shaking his head.

  Julia found herself looking to Ben as an ally. He glanced her way and smiled, and then Logan had left with him to tie up a few loose ends before they could leave.

  Julia had been sitting with her girls, waiting for Logan, when Kevin and Angie hurried in. Kevin scooped Trinity up, tears glistening in his eyes. Then he reached for Dawn, pulling her close, as well. Julia stepped back, crossing her arms, feeling like an outsider. She and Kevin hadn’t spoke a word to one another since she asked him to leave her house, but the tension in the room was so thick it was turning her stomach. Angie stood right beside Kevin, fussing over Trinity, darting glances at Julia and offering a stiff smile.

  Julia wasn’t about to make an attempt at peace. She was just too tired and too angry over what Kevin had said. She was emotionally drained, as if she’d gone through the washer on the wringer cycle, and she wasn’t up for whatever Kevin was about to send her way—which, with Kevin, could have been just about anything.

  “So what would you two think about coming to live with me and Angie for a while?” he asked.

  She couldn’t believe he had actually said it right in front of her. Both Trinity and Dawn glanced her way, looking confused, maybe wondering whether Julia had had enough and was ready to ship them off.

  “No, you’re not taking my girls,” she snapped. “Trinity, Dawn, you’re not going anywhere with your dad.”

  “That’s right,” Logan interjected, appearing behind Julia and setting his hand on her shoulder. She wondered if she actually sagged in relief as he gave a supportive squeeze. “You’re not taking them anywhere, and I think you need to say goodbye to the girls. Ladies, are you ready to go?” he asked.

  “Yes, we are,” Julia replied.

  “Ben is taking you home. He’ll stay with you until I get there,” Logan said.

  Julia was about to panic. She didn’t want to leave the hospital without Logan. “What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?” She turned to face him, and he glanced over her shoulder at Kevin.

  “No, I have some things to take care of, and then I’ll be there,” he said.

  She realized then that Ben was right there, taking in the situation, looking over Kevin and Angie. Trinity and Dawn looked a little panicked, but then, Julia was, too. She was worried about what Kevin might pull, since he had it set in his mind that he wanted the girls.

  “Ben, can you take them, please?” Logan said. “Kevin, I’d like a word.”

  Julia watched the exchange between Kevin and Logan, thankful the sheriff was on her side. Ben ushered them out, lifting Trinity in his arms. There was a car at the front door, a new sedan.

  “Ben, I have my car…” Julia started. She stopped when she realized Rose had probably parked it somewhere else.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll get it home,” Ben said as he settled her girls in the backseat. As they drove back in virtual silence, Dawn and Trinity side by side, their hands linked, sound asleep, she wondered about Logan’s mysterious brother.

  “Ben, thank you for helping me find my daughter—and for your helicopter. What exactly do you do, that you have a helicopter?” she asked. The man oozed charm, a different kind than Logan’s. Julia knew a polished white-collar professional when she saw one.

  “The oil company I work for, Kootenai Oil and Gas? The helicopter comes in handy,” Ben replied.

  “So are you, like, pretty high up in the company?”

  “Right hand to the CEO,” he replied. “I’m what you call a point man. Logan always made fun of what I did, but having access to the company chopper came in handy.”

  “Yeah, it did. Thank you, Ben, for what you did to help.”

  He rested his elbow on the door armrest. “Julia, you mind if I give you some advice?”

  She just watched him, taking in the seriousness in his expression.

  “Go easy on Logan,” he said. “He’s been through a lot. He’s the best of us, too. He’s always looked after everyone, always been there for us. I’d like to see him with someone in his corner, someone who cares for him.”

  She swallowed, taking in the friendly advice. “I would never hurt him, Ben. I…” She couldn’t finish. The thought of not having Logan in her life had opened a gaping hole in the pit of her stomach.

  “You understand what he’s been through,” Ben said. “He’s got a lot of love to give. Don’t let him walk away.”

  She could only nod as she took in his meaning. Whatever demons and fears Logan was fighting, he wasn’t her dad.

  Ben watched her in a way that was familiar, stable, dependable. “Just so you know, I’ve never seen Logan look at another woman the way he does you. That’s not something to take lightly.”

  As he pulled into the driveway of her house and shut off the car, Julia started. Ruth’s car was still parked in the driveway, the lights still on in the house. The front door flew open, and Julia shut her eyes. “Ben, I forgot to tell my friend Ruth that Trinity was found!”

  Ben didn’t flinch as he took in the woman’s wild attire and bleached blond hair. When he stepped out of the car, Ruth almost stumbled as she took him in. “Ruth, I’m Ben Wilde,” he said.

  Julia realized, as she watched Ruth drooling over Ben, that her friend would rather hear all about Trinity from him.

  Chapter 29

  Logan had waited for his brother to leave with Julia before he took Kevin aside. He knew his type all too well: The man was looking for an opportunity to take what he felt was his, and the way he had treated Julia when he was married to her…well, he was a sneaky bastard, and Logan didn’t trust him one bit.

  “Kevin, let me make something clear,” he said. “Julia is those girls’ custodial parent. You’re not. If you’re thinking of making trouble, think again. She has a lot of people in her corner, and I wonder if you can say the same.”

  Kevin sto
od with his wife. His expression was all arrogance, but Logan could tell he made the man nervous. Kevin was good at hiding things, just not that good. “You’re not threatening me, are you?” Kevin asked.

  Logan could tell the man knew how stupid it would be to get on his bad side. “I don’t make threats,” he said, “but Julia is a friend of mine. I won’t have her or her daughters hurt or threatened. I suggest you and your wife go on home.”

  The redhead glanced up at Kevin and said, “Come on, honey, let’s go.”

  Logan watched them leave. As Kevin walked away, he seemed to be thinking things over, because he stopped just inside the emergency room doors and looked at Logan long and hard. He said nothing, simply studying him as if trying to figure him out, and Logan realized Kevin was considering his options. He just hoped the man would come to his senses on the plane ride home, realizing what a mistake it would be to go up against Logan. Some people learned things the hard way, while others calculated their options—and Logan would bet anything that Kevin was the calculating type.

  He shut his eyes for a second and just stood there, his head aching from the concussion and lack of sleep.

  “You look like hell,” Rose said from behind him. She walked over, shaking her head. “I can’t believe something like this happened.”

  “How’s Jordy doing, Rose?” he asked.

  She inclined her head to the nurses’ station. “Demanding he be released,” she muttered.

  Logan walked across the hall to where Jordy stood. He had a cast on one leg, his face colorful from all the bruising. The bridge of his nose had been taped over, obviously broken. One of his eyes was swollen shut.

  “Jordy, take it easy,” he said. “I don’t think you’re ready to go home.”

  Jordy looked up at Logan. “I thought it was him!” he snarled. “I can’t believe Brent Maloney took me out the way he did. He was just a schoolteacher.…”

  “He wasn’t a schoolteacher,” someone interjected. Sheriff Wilcox had wandered in, holding a sheet of paper, Clinton behind him. “He’s wanted in Florida for stalking a woman, in Utah for stalking and uttering threats, and in California for stalking, harassment, and general nuisance. It seems he sets his sights on a woman and doesn’t stop, and he has several assumed names: Larry Holmes, Jerry Redfield, and Brent Maloney. Real name is Bobby Vergus. He was given a dishonorable discharge in the army for his conduct toward a female officer. The teaching certificate Sue was given was fake, but I guess he counted on a small county school not doing its due diligence.” He snapped the papers in his hand, looking from Logan to Clinton.

  That was one thing that Logan was going to get on top of. “This school may be too lax for its own good. New procedures need to be put in place so this doesn’t ever happen again.”

  “Jordy,” Clinton said, “Maloney worked you over pretty good.”

  Jordy was what one might call a difficult patient, Logan thought, as the deputy limped off the wall and struggled to right himself.

  “He wanted Julia,” Jordy said. “I don’t think he planned this, Sheriff. I was up there with him, and when I came to, I heard him. He scared that little girl. He was desperate. I don’t think he planned on getting rid of Trinity, but he sure had made plans to console Julia. I don’t think he planned it out very well. I got a jump on him, but my mistake was not realizing his strength and training. I was just sorry that little girl had to watch what he did to me.”

  Logan patted his shoulder. “She’s going to be fine. You did a great job, Jordy. Do me a favor, though. I understand all too well that you want to leave, but stay here. Get better.”

  Rose stepped around his other side, plumping a pillow behind him. “When the doctor says you can leave, you’re coming home with me and Fred,” she insisted.

  Logan didn’t miss the panicked look on Jordy’s face. This time, he could laugh, because at least it wasn’t him.

  He let Clinton drive him back to MacKay while Rose stayed at the hospital with Jordy, and the Feds showed up and took custody of Brent Maloney—or whoever he actually was. Kidnapping was a federal offense, and Logan was glad to hand him over. Right now, all he wanted to do was take Julia in his arms and hold her. He didn’t hesitate to ask Clinton to take him to Julia’s. For one, his brother was there, and he also needed to sort out his feelings with her, deciding where they would go from here.

  As the sun came up, he walked up to the front door and knocked, realizing as he did so that he still had Julia’s keys. He searched out the key in his pocket and unlocked the door, and the first thing he saw was Julia, her wet hair slicked back, wearing a pale green satin housecoat that fell to her ankles. He could see her chest rise, the cut of cleavage and a hint of her small, creamy white breasts. Her eyes were deep green, tinged with hints of warm brown like rum. Logan could have gotten lost in those eyes.

  She parted her lips, her tongue flicking over the bottom one lightly. Then she stepped toward him again, closer, and into his arms. He didn’t hesitate to take what she offered. She tasted so sweet and minty as he ran his lips over hers, shoving his hand in her short hair and angling her head, holding her so he could taste her. She didn’t stop there, pressing into him, sliding her arms around his neck and standing on her tiptoes.

  Logan slid his hand down her back and around the curve of her bottom, feeling the roundness, the perfect curve of her firm ass. He wanted to spend time exploring her, running his tongue over every inch of her. His conscience had him pulling back, though he kept her in his arms.

  “Where’s my brother?” he asked. Julia took in his face, his eyes and his lips, licking hers as if the taste of him was everything she needed.

  “Asleep on the sofa,” she said. “The girls are in bed.”

  Logan kept her against him, right where she was. “I’m getting you all dirty.”

  Her eyes went right to his lips again. “I don’t care.”

  “I have things I need to work through,” he said, and he waited, wondering whether she’d walk away, telling him again how dangerous he was.

  But she just watched him. He could feel her, and this time there was no hesitation. She took him in with such openness and honesty. “And I’ll be right beside you,” she replied.

  There was something magical about holding on to someone like this, so intimate and close, as if they’d just come through a storm and neither was willing to let go. Logan took a step and then another, waiting for her to say “No” or “Stop” or “It’s too soon”—but, hell, he didn’t want to wait. If she asked him to go now; it would probably kill him, but he would.

  He set her down, and she took his hand and led him into her bedroom, closing the door.

  Chapter 30

  Julia couldn’t believe it. She was standing in front of Logan Wilde, in her bedroom, in just her bathrobe, and the man was gazing at her as if she was a work of art. She couldn’t describe to anyone what it felt like to be near a man like him, a man who carried everything on his shoulders and had always cared for everyone. Now, he wanted to care for her. She was stunned and humbled, and she hoped one day she would come to truly appreciate what it was to be loved by Logan Wilde. She understood he had secrets, a soul that wouldn’t allow anything to take him down, no matter what nightmares came at him. The strength this man had…she was beginning to appreciate him with such awe.

  With Logan, words were just something to fill space. They were unimportant, unnecessary.

  “Are you going to hold on to that door all day?” she finally asked, as he hadn’t made any move to take her or touch her.

  He pushed away from the door, tossing his coat on the chair. Julia unbelted her robe and let it slide down her arms and fall to the floor. Logan ripped off his shirt, buttons flying. He stepped closer, and his eyes flared as he took in her naked glory, all of her. They were almost touching, and he took a breath. Julia touched his chest as it rose, allowing her hand to run over the cut of his muscles, his wide shoulders, and the dark hair that covered his chest. She took in the scar
ring down his side and ran her hand over his abs and the waistline of his jeans. Her fingers lingered on his belt buckle, and she suddenly felt shy. She smoothed her hand over the engraved metal and watched his reaction.

  He grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand up, resting it on his shoulder. “Enough,” he said. He set both hands on her waist and lifted her, crawling onto the bed and taking her lips in a kiss. She opened wider, letting him taste her. It was a deep, passionate kiss that had her running her hands over his back, and she could feel all his male hardness pressing into her.

  Logan somehow undid his belt and his jeans, shoving them down so she could run her hands over his tight ass. He pulled away and kicked off his boots and the rest of his clothes. She took in the size of him and how ready he was for her, and she hoped he wouldn’t make her wait. In that moment, she caught sight of the bruising and scarring down the side of his leg.

  “Logan…”

  He pressed her back on the bed. “It’s fine,” he said.

  She lay back as he prowled over her, running his hands down the inside of her thighs, feeling her. When he touched her, she gasped and arched up off the bed. “Logan,” she squeaked out, and she shut her eyes, greedily lapping up the paradise and ecstasy the man could take her to with just a touch.

  “Open your eyes,” he said as he moved her legs apart. “I want to see you when I slip inside you. I want to see your eyes when I make you come under me. I want to see your eyes when I make you mine.”

  When she opened her eyes, she felt him against her, and she moved under him as he pressed her knees back and entered her, watching her as he moved. He was just above her, his breath warm on her face. She tried to kiss him, and he pressed his lips to hers before pulling away so he could look her in the eyes again.

  “Logan,” she cried out, “I don’t think I can be quiet. Please, kiss me.”