Logan rang the doorbell a second and then a third time. No answer. He double checked the address in the text and then the numbers on the front of the house.
A match. This was it.
Was Brianna so sick that Katie couldn’t leave her to come to the door? And if so, was the rest of the family gone on a vacation excursion?
Frustrated and simply wanting to get to his daughter and take her home, Logan tried the doorknob which turned out to be unlocked. He normally didn’t barge into houses since becoming an adult, but he’d spent his formative years in a tiny town where most residents didn’t lock their doors. Barging in was normal and even welcomed.
So why the fuck not? Worst case scenario I catch a glimpse of someone naked. Hey, they should have answered the damn door.
He pushed open the door and stuck his head inside the house.
“Hello? Hello?”
He stepped inside and looked around the empty living room. There was a suitcase tucked away by the sofa and a few empty soda cans on the end table. Clearly, someone was staying there. He moved a few steps more into the home, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the two girls.
Logan heard the door behind him slam shut and then something cold was pressed against the side of his head.
“Welcome, Logan Wright. I’ve been waiting for you.”
He froze, his brain scrambling to make sense of the situation. His gut - that was rarely wrong - was telling him that he’d walked into a trap. But where was Brianna? Was she okay?
Shit.
Slowly, very slowly, he turned around to face the person who apparently had a gun pointed to his head.
Young. Probably in his twenties. Dark hair and blue eyes. Fairly tall but strong, like he worked out. He was also covered in fresh blood, the clothes still damp and bright red. There were even a few smears of it on his face and hands. If it was Brianna’s blood, Logan was going to rip this guy apart limb by limb. If it was the last fucking thing he did.
And yes, there was a gun pointed directly at Logan’s face.
“You have the advantage. You know my name, but I don’t know yours.”
The younger man smiled but it wasn’t a happy one.
“You do know me…Uncle Logan.”
Uncle Logan?
“Help me out here,” Logan said, keeping his voice soft. His mind was whirling with possibilities but after the phone call he’d just received from Eli…. There was only one conclusion. “You’re Jake Bryson.”
“You are smart. Dad said that you were.”
Jesus, this wasn’t going to be good. This was a complete clusterfuck. Jake Bryson was a wanted killer and now pointing a gun at him while Brianna was missing. The guy was soaked in blood and a stone-cold killer. Logan was completely unarmed. And Tanner? He was sitting in the driveway not realizing any of this shit was going on.
“Jake, I know that you have a lot of anger but nothing is going to bring Wade back. He made his choices and there were consequences.” Logan took a small step back. “Where is Brianna?”
Jake’s smile grew wider. “She’s still alive, if that’s what you’re worried about. I knew you’d come to get her. I knew you’d want to be the hero. That’s what my dad told me about you. That you had a hero complex. You had to save the world.”
A part of Logan was relieved that his daughter was still alive, but another part wasn’t sure that he could trust a word out of Jake Bryson’s mouth. A killer wouldn’t have any trouble lying.
“You’re covered in blood.”
“Katie. She wouldn’t shut up. Now she’s quiet.”
Christ on a crutch, he’d killed Katie?
“Where is Brianna?” he growled, fury burning in his gut. This guy had made a huge mistake. “I want to see her now.”
“You can see her. She’s alive. A little cut up, but alive.”
That knot of anger that had taken up residence in Logan’s gut when he’d seen Bryson covered in blood was now a million times larger. This little shit had dared to touch his baby girl? Scared her? Hurt her? No, he wasn’t going to let that pass. Jake Bryson had fucked up big time today. One that his father, Wade Bryson, had never made. Jake had involved Logan’s family. Wade had always kept it one on one. Just the two of them. But the son had made this fucking personal and he was going to regret that when Logan was finished.
He might have a gun pointed at him but it wasn’t the first time. Probably wouldn’t be the last either. Although hopefully, this would be the last time a Bryson was doing it.
“I want to see her now,” Logan growled, his patience gone. He had a strong urge to swat this guy aside and then stomp through the house to find his daughter. Jake had no idea just how pissed off he’d made Logan. If he did, he wouldn’t be wearing that overly confident expression.
As if I’m just going to roll over and play dead. Not a chance.
Jake took a few steps toward a closed door but kept the gun trained on Logan. “Fine, once you see her then you and I are going to have a little fun. Just like I had with those others. Practice makes perfect, you know. That’s what my mom always said.”
Funny, Logan actually remembered Nancy saying that. Several times. She hadn’t been talking about murder, though.
“I don’t think you listened very well to your dad,” Logan observed. “If you had, you wouldn’t have dragged my family into this. You’ve made a grave mistake.”
Jake waved the gun in front of Logan. “I don’t think so. I know that the one thing you would do would be to run to your daughter’s aid. This was the only way to get you alone and off guard. My father said that you were smart, and I had to be smarter.”
Had Wade set this up? Had he told his son before he died to avenge his death? And how did Nancy fit into this? Had she told their children the same?
Logan had never questioned his aversion to being part of the Bryson family and this - right here - was why he was glad he’d turned his back on it. They were fucking dysfunctional and maybe mentally ill. Wade had been a narcissistic, histrionic sociopath and it looked like the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree.
“So are you going to shoot me?” Logan asked, his gaze covertly darting around the room, looking for a weapon or a way out. There was a closed door and the living room opened into the kitchen but he couldn’t see in it from his angle. Where was his daughter? Was she behind that closed door? He had to get to her. “What are you waiting for?”
It might not be a great idea to taunt the kid but Logan needed to make something happen. Anything. If Brianna was somewhere hurt and bleeding, he was on a time clock. She needed medical help immediately. He didn’t have time to play games with Jake.
And where the fuck was Tanner? Shouldn’t he be wondering where Logan was by now?
“Shoot you? No, I’m going to kill you just like my dad planned to.”
Damn, Ava had been right. Jake had killed those men just like Wade had tried to kill Logan.
Logan shook his head and laughed at the younger man. “Do you think I’m just going to sit down and let you cut me? That’s not going to happen.”
Like father, like son. They were both delusional.
“You will,” Jake replied with confidence, taking another step toward the closed door. “Because I have the one thing that you want. You’ll do whatever I tell you to as long as I have her.”
With his free hand, Jake threw open the door, a maniacal grin on his blood-stained face. He looked at Logan as if expecting a reaction but when he didn’t get it, he turned to look in the room himself.
It was empty.
A lone chair sat in the middle. A broken pair of zip ties on the floor. The window was open, the curtains blowing in the breeze.
Good girl. You got away. Run, baby girl.
Brianna’s unexpected exit, however, enraged Jake Bryson. The younger man howled in anger, practically stomping his feet like a toddler. This was clearly not part of his well thought-out plan.
Logan needed no other invitation. He’d only get this break once and for a
few measly seconds. Jake was going to turn back around and point that gun at Logan again.
I won’t let that happen. I need to find Brianna.
With a roar loud enough for the neighbors to hear - and maybe Tanner, too - Logan lunged at Bryson, knocking him off his feet and sending the gun sliding across the tile floor toward the front door. The younger man was surprisingly strong though and instantly began punching at Logan, landing a couple of solid blows in the ribs and one on the jaw. Logan managed a few good licks as well, managing to knock him back with a punch to his gut.
Logan had a good twenty-five pounds of muscle on Bryson, plus a fiery rage about Brianna. He didn’t care if his face got messed up or if he had a broken limb or two. He was going to make this kid regret ever bringing Logan’s family into this situation.
Bryson, however, wasn’t giving up either. They grappled on the floor, rolling over as each of them tried to get the upper hand.
I’m tired of this shit.
With every bit of the energy that Logan had left, he shoved Bryson off of him, straddling the man and then punching him hard in the face. Once. Twice. Three times. Maybe more. If his hand hurt or any other body part, Logan didn’t feel it. His only focus was to avenge whatever this little puke had done to his daughter. His fist landed again but this time he felt a hand on his back.
“It’s okay, Logan. You’ve got him.”
Tanner. Logan looked up and his best friend was standing there, holding the gun that had slid away.
“She’s alright. Forget about this asshole. She needs her dad. I called 911.”
In the far distance, Logan could hear the sound of sirens drawing ever closer. Jake Bryson was whimpering softly, limp on the floor. He’d given up. Logan never would have given up because he had something real to fight for. His family.
That’s always been the difference. Between me and your dad, and now me and you.
With a hand from Tanner, Logan staggered to his feet, wiping at the blood on his chin. His lip was split and he had some bruises here and there but he was alive.
“She was running away and she ran right into me. She’s out in the car. I wrapped some beach towels around her cuts. Go on. I’ll take care of him.”
It probably only took ten seconds to get outside but it felt like a hours before he saw his daughter’s beautiful but tear-stained face. She was sitting in the back seat, the car door open. Her left arm was wrapped in a bloody beach towel and she was holding a second towel to her jaw.
When she saw him, she began to shake and tear up again, beginning to slide from her seat but Logan shook his head, gently maneuvering her back into the car. His throat was choked up, he could barely speak at the sight in front of him. He loved his baby girl so much. So fucking much that it felt like his heart might burst out of his too small chest.
“If anything had happened to you—“
He broke off, not wanting to even think about what might have happened today.
“I’m okay,” Brianna replied, her voice soft. “I thought about what you and Mom would have done. She and Aunt Kaylee taught me to break those zip ties. I climbed out the window and started to run but I ran right into Uncle Tanner. He called the cops.”
“I’m so proud of you,” Logan choked out. “You were so brave. I love you so much. So very much.”
He was afraid to ask but he had to see. He had to.
Slowly and carefully, he pulled aside the towel around her arm. “I need to see how injured you are, baby. Can you let me do that? What did he do? Did he…touch you?”
If he had, Logan was going to march right back into the house and kill Jake Bryson with his bare fucking hands. No need for the cops or a trial. He’d take care of the garbage himself.
“He just cut me. A couple times on my arm and then my face. I don’t think he was going to kill me. He said I was bait.”
His sweet daughter always thought the best of people. Even in this shitty situation.
“I don’t know where Katie is, Dad. I’m worried about her. She was arguing with him. She didn’t want him to hurt me. She stopped him.”
Logan checked the cut on her face next. Luckily, they all appeared shallow. Bryson was probably just getting going when Katie had intervened. The teenager had probably saved Brianna’s life. At the very least, she’d saved Brianna from far more serious injuries.
“I’m not sure where she is, baby. We’ll look for her, okay?”
It wasn’t a lie. Logan didn’t know exactly where Katie was, but he was sure that Brianna couldn’t take the news right now that her friend was dead. Assuming Bryson had been telling the truth. At the amount of blood he was covered in, Logan had a feeling it was real.
The sirens were getting louder and closer. Logan gently pulled Brianna into his arms, rocking her back and forth while she cried softly. He crooned the most soothing words that he could think of.
She’d be fine. They’d call Mom. Everything was going to be okay. She was so brave. He was so proud of her.
And that he was so fucking sorry.
“I’m so very sorry, baby girl. I’m so sorry.”
Brianna pulled back, her expression puzzled. “Why are you sorry?”
“Because this is all my fault. I’m so sorry, Brianna. I’m so sorry. I hope someday you’ll be able to forgive me. I love you so much.”
Brianna shook her head. “No, it was me. I was the one that led him to you. Because of Katie. It’s all my fault.”
“No, sweetheart. That’s not how this works. It’s all my fault.”
Brianna clung to him, placing her head on his shoulder. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you, too. More than you can ever know.”
Until Brianna had her own children.
Ava had been right. He’d been keeping himself a step away from his family, trying to protect them. But the world didn’t work like that. He only had this one life to love his wife and kids. He needed to be there, be present, be loving.
Wade had never understood. Jake didn’t either. Maybe Katie had. They would probably never know.
It was a lesson that he’d learned but had somehow forgotten over the years.
He would never forget it again. The only thing that truly mattered was love.
23
Ten months later…
* * *
“Can I borrow the car keys, Dad?”
Brianna stood in front of Logan, an expectant expression on her face. Both she and Colt had passed their driver’s tests months ago and had been driving themselves to school each day. He was fine with that but now his daughter wanted to take the car to a movie. With friends.
At night.
Ava was giving him that look. The one that said to turn over the keys and not make a big damn deal about it. This was the progress they’d been hoping for.
After they’d returned from Florida, Brianna hadn’t wanted to leave the house much. She’d been self-conscious about the stitches on her cheek, and she’d jumped at unexpected sounds, flinching when she heard sirens. Katie’s death had hit her hard, and since then Brianna hadn’t gone online much at all. Only when she needed to do something for school. She still did like to send texts to her friends, though.
Both he and Ava had immediately put her into therapy and she’d improved a great deal. To the point where she’d wanted to spend more time with her friends, especially after she’d returned to school in the fall. She was something of a heroine there. Everyone knew the story and thought she was amazing and brave. Even Colt thought his sister was cool.
And Daniel Jameson? He was completely smitten with Brianna. To Logan’s chagrin, they’d become a steady couple. Ava said it was cute. He was trying to feel that way, too. He had to admit that Daniel was a good kid, polite and serious.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his key ring.
“Who all is going?”
Because he was her father, dammit. And he was going to ask a few questions.
“Me, Daniel, Colt, and Janie.”
/>
Janie was Colt’s new girlfriend. A pretty but giggly young girl. She was also a cheerleader.
“And you’re driving? What about Colt?”
Brianna rolled her eyes. “We tossed a coin. I won. He can drive next time.”
“Curfew is eleven,” he finally said, handing over the keys. This was harder than he’d thought it would be. His instinct was to never let her out of the house again. This was one instinct he couldn’t give in to. Not this time. “Not one minute later.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Brianna said, skipping away happily. But then she stopped and turned, looking back at him. “I love you, Dad.”
“I love you too, pumpkin. Be careful. Have fun.”
Five minutes later the kids were both gone, leaving Ava and Logan alone. He had a feeling it was something they were going to have to get used to. His wife had been right. As usual. His kids were growing up fast and soon they’d be off to college. They’d have an empty nest.
Ava came into the living room and sat down beside him, handing him a cold beer.
“You did good.”
“Is it wrong that I want to run after the car, screaming and yelling for her to stop? Or that I want to buy a ticket to that same damn movie and sit a few rows back? Just so that I can make sure she’s okay?”
“No, I want to do the same thing, too. But we can’t.”
“I just want to protect her.”
“So do I. But if we do those things Brianna is going to think that we don’t trust her. We can’t wrap her in cotton wool and lock her in her room. It wouldn’t be fair to her. She has to live her life and she has to do it without fear.” Ava placed her hand on Logan’s arm. “Jake Bryson is behind bars, and he’s staying there.”
That was true. He hadn’t had a trial yet because Florida and Montana were still arguing who was going to get to try him first. Either way, he was going to prison for life. It was simply a matter of which state it would be. There was also the question of his sanity, which was currently being evaluated by a psychologist. Whether he was even fit to stand trial was an outstanding question.
Logan had talked to Jake Bryson once before leaving Florida. They’d been in the interrogation room and Bryson had been pretty free with the details of his crimes. He was almost proud of himself although he was angry at failing to kill Logan. But he answered…most of their queries. The whats and the whys.
Forgiven Justice (Cowboy Justice Association Book 14) Page 18