by Sheri Landry
Charlie looks in my direction, his eyebrows raised. He’s known Logan long enough to sense something isn’t right with his tone. Pinching my lips together, I shake my head, silently telling him to let it go as I release his arms and he leans forward to work on the ties at his ankles.
I stand, stretching my legs. Now that the immediate threat is gone, I am more aware of myself. My muscles are starting to ache, and a headache is setting in at the base of my skull.
My last recollection before waking up in this place is lying in a field, and I don’t remember arriving here. I still have no idea where here is, nor do I care to ask Logan. His mind is elsewhere.
There is a lot about the last few hours that we all need to process. The look of suspicion on Dana’s face when she realized I must have known Jessa was alive all of this time eats me up with guilt. It feels oddly balanced out by the growing disappointment I feel toward her for keeping Zane’s files a secret. If she’d have only come clean, we would have done so many things differently. But, then again, we most likely wouldn’t be at this point.
Maxwell Sparr is dead. We have Dana and Jessa, as well as Zane’s base program, in our possession. Most importantly: we are all walking out of this alive.
“Grizz.” Logan tosses the GPS tracker and the phone Mena left us onto the floor. “Time to go.”
As we exit, I take my first deep breath since this afternoon. The cool air energizes my lungs as I follow the three of them toward Jack and the women.
When Logan and I ran out of the room to find Grey and Charlie, I never fully took in our surroundings. This place is a lot larger from the outside than I thought it would be, and I wonder what other secrets lie buried within its run-down walls.
A sharp blast echoes off the mountainside, causing the four of us to break our stride. Everyone looks in a different direction, trying to locate where the sound came from before Logan picks his pace up again and we trail behind him.
Our vehicles come into view along the side of the building, where Mena said they would be, and I see Jack on his stomach beside one of them. Logan heads into the building we were all held in, followed by Grey and Charlie.
Breaking away from the guys, I walk over to a third vehicle parked by the trees. Two men sit slumped forward in the front seat. The man closest to me has a gunshot wound to his temple, and blood covers the left side of his body. I can’t imagine Maxwell would have been stupid enough to come out here on his own. These must have been his men.
I join Jack at our SUV as he stands up, brushing the dirt off his jacket.
“That one is cleared.” He tilts his head at the other car before continuing, “I have the engine on this one to go. Pop the hood for me?”
I nod, opening the driver’s door and pulling the lever before joining Jack at the front of the vehicle.
“Did you hear that sound?”
Jack is already nodding before my question is finished. “I did. The women didn’t notice it though. It was far off. Sounded like an explosion, but I can’t be sure.
I take a look at Jessa and Dana, huddled together off to the side of the building under a blanket. They are distracted by each other. Their conversation is low, but it sounds lively.
“How are they?” I catch Jack’s attention, and he steals a glance over his shoulder. “They’re okay. They need to talk.” Jack’s fingers reach around the engine as his voice lowers. “What about Logan?”
“I don’t know, man. There’s a lot for him to deal with.” The wariness in my voice is evident.
Jack nods solemnly at my answer.
Most of the men in our unit have personal reasons for ending the Sparrs’ reign in organized crime. Jack has Jessa, I have my father, and Logan has his own demons. I don’t know that I would handle it any better if I came face-to-face with the person who was responsible for my dad’s death.
“Someone called her Mena. I don’t remember that name.” I lower my voice as the door to the building opens and Charlie walks out, followed by Grey.
Jack gives me the name that’s been sitting on the tip of my tongue: “Philomena.”
“Right.”
Philomena Sparr was Matteo and Victoria’s daughter, who seemed to vanish overnight almost fifteen years ago. The story sold to everyone around town was she went to live the luxurious life of a socialite studying abroad. Only a very few knew the dark catalyst that sent her away.
The door opens again, and Logan exits the building looking a little more disheveled than before. Jack straightens at my side. He notices the change in his demeanor too.
We watch him pace a few steps away from our group. He runs his hand through his hair before spinning on his heels and making a beeline for the women.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” Raising his voice, he squares his attention on the two huddled together, startling them. Jack rushes toward the three of them.
“Back off, Logan.” He gets in front of Jessa and Dana before Logan reaches them.
“Or what?” he asks Jack before narrowing his attention on Jessa once more. “We gave you a chance, Jessa. I trusted you, and you just let her leave. You have no idea what you’ve done!” Logan yells around Jack. He looks as though he’s about to treat both Jessa and Dana as hostiles. My neck muscles tense at the thought.
“I didn’t just let her leave, Logan. We had an agreement. Besides, if I had tried to untie you, she would have shot me.” Jessa rises to her feet, returning Logan’s ire. Jack looks like he’s at his limit, so I join him, placing more distance between Logan and the target of his anger.
“You don’t know what she’s done. She’s a murderer, and you let a known killer walk away.” Waving his hands, he motions as though she disappeared into thin air.
“I know more than you do,” Jessa fires back from over Jack’s shoulder.
“That—” Raising his voice, Logan stabs his finger into the air to indicate the helicopter. “She—”
Logan is conflicted. Throwing his arms into the air, he asks, “Why does everyone around here assume they know more about her than I do?”
Logan losing his shit out here in the middle of nowhere is helping none of us, and Jack knows it. He turns his back on Logan to face Jessa.
“Listen, the cars are clear, and it’s getting cold. Jessa, Dana, get in, and we’ll join you in a minute.” He points toward the vehicle he just finished clearing.
Jessa looks as though she wants to plead her case some more, but something unspoken passes between them, and her shoulders deflate with a sigh before she tugs on the blanket and Dana follows her into the back seat of the SUV.
Running his hand through his hair, Jack takes a deep breath before turning back to address Logan. “They aren’t our enemies.” He motions to the car, lowering his voice in an attempt to diffuse Logan before he really does detonate out here.
“They’re acting like they are.” Logan sounds like he’s running out of steam, and he paces a couple steps to each side, shaking the anger out of his arms.
“They have no idea what your history with Philomena Sparr is. Remember that, Logan.” Jack leans into Logan’s sightline to get his attention and reason with him. “And, I’ll be honest: I’m not sure Philomena Sparr knows who you are beyond the senator.”
Logan’s rage simmers as he considers Jack’s words. His eyes flash to the ladies in the car, then back to us, and only Jack and I hold our own under Logan’s glare. Grey and Charlie turn away to grab their gear and start packing up as they rush to claim the car the girls are not sitting in. No doubt they don’t want to be anywhere near the target of Logan’s rage at the moment.
“I’m riding back in that car.” Logan points at the empty vehicle and speaks loud enough to catch the team’s attention. Grey and Charlie stop instantly, exchanging a glance with each other. I stifle a chuckle. It’s obvious both men are trying to decide which vehicle is the lesser of two evils now.
“Grey, you’re driving this car with the four of us. Charlie, you and Logan take that car. You’ll
follow behind. We’ll drop the back seat and put Maxwell with you two. We’re taking him with us as proof of death. Check in with Link as soon as we get into range.” We all nod in understanding before Charlie opens the back of the truck, moves some equipment around, then grabs a tarp and blanket with some ties.
Walking back to the building, he nods at Grey, who turns to follow him without a word.
“Logan. We should talk to Jessa and Dana on the way back. Give them more information. They should know why you’re angry. Treating them like our enemy didn’t work last year, and it won’t work now.” Crossing his arms, Jack’s tone is cautious.
“I’m not on board with giving them anything they can use against us.” Logan is still focused on his hurt, and I’m losing patience.
Jack has hit his limit too.
Grabbing fistfuls of jacket at Logan’s chest, I step him backward, and Jack follows us away from the vehicles until there is enough distance that the women can’t hear us. “That’s enough, Logan. Are you listening to yourself? Those two”—I point my finger behind me at the car Dana and Jessa are sitting in—“have sacrificed more than any of us to take down Maxwell. Or have you forgotten the video we all saw? The one where Maxwell raped and tortured Jessa, and that was before he killed her then brought her back to life. Jessa died a second time last year trying to end everything, and it was her, Logan—not us, her—who ended Maxwell’s life in there to save all of our asses today.” Logan glances over our shoulders to the occupied vehicle. But I’m not done. “And it was Dana who risked her life and fought a trained hitman while Jack and I were out cold, and she stuck around when she could have run. After everything we’ve done to them, after all of our secrets, they are still trying. They are fucking trying to be a part our team, and you may not admit it, but we need them. I mean, they’ve done all of this without our help. Can you imagine what they could get done with our trust and support for once?”
Logan turns his head to the side, weighing my words. Today caught him off guard. After almost fifteen years of searching for answers, Logan had settled into a comfortable void. I know this look; Jack had it last year when Jessa showed up alive after a decade. All of the missing pieces from Logan’s past are starting to bubble up to the surface, and with them comes the raw pain all over again.
But Logan is a smart man. He’s our team’s foundation. Everyone looks to him in times like these. We use his level head to balance ourselves. Logan’s body stays still; he doesn’t fight against my grip. Only his eyes move, taking in the scenery around us as he processes my words. He knows I’m right; he has to. There have been secrets kept on both sides, but it was never to deceive. I’ve come to know Dana better, and her first instinct is to do what she feels is right. Her loyalty is to Jessa first, then to the other people she cares about. There is no doubt in my mind she kept the files from us to keep us safe.
Logan’s deep breath catches my attention.
“I won’t discuss it.” Logan refuses to look either of us in the eye. If you didn’t know Logan, his answer would sound final. He isn’t one to beat around the bush though. If his answer was no, he would have flat out said it.
Logan isn’t ready to unpack his mental shit. Like Jack and I, he has own ax to grind with the Sparrs. Well, one Sparr in particular, and she just got away. He’s giving us the go ahead to disclose his personal information, but he’s telling us he doesn’t want any part of the conversation for now.
“Understood.” Jack nods once, and I let go of his person. Logan straightens his jacket, then leaves us, walking toward the other vehicle. He’ll be preoccupied with his demons for a while.
The door swings open and Charlie backs out of the building. “Heads up,” he warns over his shoulder. I move to Jessa and Dana’s vehicle and lean against the window to block their view as Grey follows him out, carrying the other end of Maxwell’s body wrapped in a tarp.
“Why does it feel like we lost?” I speak low to Jack as he joins me. We turn our attention to Logan and the guys, watching them in silence as they secure the corpse into the back. The heavy clunk of the door as it closes signals our cue that it’s time to go. Grey turns and walks toward our vehicle as Jack and I stay still. Logan gathers his bag before getting into the passenger side of the other SUV, and I’m pretty sure Jack is watching him as he answers.
“Because we did.”
26
Dana
As the three men join us in the car, I breathe a sigh of relief one of them isn’t Logan. For someone who seems to attract confrontation, I loathe it, and the thought of sitting in an enclosed space with him as we make our way back to town was making me anxious.
Grey starts the car up before turning to glance between Jack and Michael, who exchange a look before Michael turns to me from the front passenger seat.
“Um…we all arrived here—unconscious.” His tone is diffident, humbled.
Jessa and I are the only two here who know where we are. I was never a threat to Mena and her team, so I wasn’t knocked out.
“Go that way.” I point to the left. Michael nods, forcing a slight smile to his lips before he and Grey turn their attention to the road. “When you hit the next paved road, turn right,” I add.
No one acknowledges my last direction except Grey, who nods, keeping his eyes ahead of him.
Everyone in the car falls into a forced silence. I turn my attention to the mountains around us, occasionally scanning the sky to catch a glimpse of the helicopter, but I know they are long gone. Kaley is probably at Dale’s by now, getting the medical attention she needs.
“Where are we going?” That isn’t the question I want to ask.
I want to ask if they’ll drive to Dale’s so I can check on Kaley and apologize to everyone for the damage I’ve caused, but, at the same time, I feel like I’ve done enough. I made a scene in my store, which caused a hitman to open fire on the town’s kids in the middle of the street. Dale was knocked out because of me. Stan is dead. I have so much to make up for, but I don’t feel like I deserve to make any demands after the danger I put Michael and his team in. I’m lucky they were only knocked out. Every one of them could be dead right now.
“We’re going to Dale’s. We’ll check on Kaley and regroup,” Jack answers from Jessa’s other side. I drop my eyes to his hand, which is holding hers, his thumb caressing her palm.
Everything is surreal. Maxwell is dead; it was supposed to be me, and Jessa is alive. The trajectory of my life hasn’t just changed—I was removed from it altogether and placed into a new reality, going in a different direction.
The trees blur together as we drive down the dirt road, and a heavy worry sinks into my arms.
What happens now?
This ride feels eerily familiar to the one Jessa and I took after we were captured at the farmhouse in Kentucky last year. The only difference is, our hands aren’t tied.
The hit must be complete if all parties are dead or gone and Zane’s base program is back with Jessa, but I know she won’t be allowed to keep it. The question now is, what will they do with us?
Jessa told me she worked with Jack and his team over the last year, and it was her choice, but I don’t feel like I have a place with them. Jessa is a hacker; she is useful. I don’t have a function—unless you count me baking cupcakes as a lethal skill. So what happens when we leave here? Or will I be leaving with them?
I’m not ready for the answers to my questions, so I stay silent as the car shifts. We’ve made it to the paved road.
Turning my attention forward, I catch Michael’s eyes as he watches me, expressionless, from the front seat. Jack and Jessa murmur to each other beside me.
My eyes lower, following the sensation of my fingers squeezing together. Jessa’s free hand has covered my own on my lap, and I meet her gaze.
“So…rough day, huh?” Jessa watches me hesitantly as she speaks, and it takes a moment to register.
I remember saying this exact thing to her when Jack first found us last year and too
k us away from the farmhouse. It feels like both a lifetime ago and yesterday all at once.
Exhaustion sets in, but I manage a weak smile, and she returns it when my stomach growls. With all immediate threats now gone, my body has finally spoken up. I haven’t eaten today.
“We need to talk—about Logan.” Jack leans forward in his seat to get our attention, and Michael takes a deep breath from the front seat before he angles himself to look at all of us better.
“Logan has been looking for her for a long time.” Jack’s words are hesitant, measured.
“For killing your client, the senator,” I offer, to help fill in the pieces of the story I put together from listening in.
Jack doesn’t respond. Instead, he grimaces and hesitates to confirm my theory. So Michael continues.
“Yes and no. Up until today, Logan thought he was looking for two different women for two different crimes. The first was Piper for killing the senator. We knew Piper wasn’t her name; it’s what we had to go on, so that is what we called her.” Michael carefully considers his words as he looks between us.
Our two sides have never fully trusted each other. Judging by the pale look on Jack’s face when Jessa walked into the room today, none of them knew what she was up to. We are two opposing factions within a barely functioning team, and they still aren’t sure what to tell us.
“What aren’t you saying, Jack?” Jessa pulls her hand out of his. “There’s too many secrets. You need to start bringing us in.” The disconnect she feels comes out with her words.
Michael jumps in, grabbing our attention away from Jack. “It’s not that. We trust you. We want to move past the secrets—even Logan does, although I’m sure it doesn’t feel like it right now. This is hard for us to share, because this is about Logan. While he’s okay with us giving you this information, he doesn’t wish to talk about it. Do you understand?”