Ms. Starr’s Most Inconvenient Change of Heart (A Raven's Run Romantic Mystery Book 1)

by Dorothy St. James

  And Sam. Was she just a diversion? Or had he planned to use her in some other way too?

  “Sam,” he said, his voice tight with an explosive emotion he didn’t dare explore at the moment. He crossed the room and placed her phone back into her hand. “You have been a huge help. And I thank you. But now we know who’s been pulling the strings we’ve got it from here. And you have a wedding you can’t miss.”

  “Logan—” she started to say.

  “I’ll text you when it’s all over.”

  “But Logan—” she tried again.

  “If we fail there’ll be no reason to text you. You’ll hear all about it in every news channel in every—”

  She pressed a finger to his lips. “Don’t blame yourself. You weren’t wrong to trust him. He was a friend. I know it’s hard for you to trust anyone because of how I left all those years ago. But sometimes we have to take that leap of faith and trust the people in our lives.” Tears swam in her eyes.

  He wanted to kiss her until she no longer had a reason to cry. But she wasn’t his to console or to kiss.

  “Promise me you’ll try, Logan. Promise me you’ll try to trust those around you, those who love you.” Her voice grew husky. “Let them back into your life. Let them love you.”

  Not knowing what his voice would sound like or what he might say if he opened his fool mouth, he merely nodded.

  Cole gave that disapproving frown he’d perfected so well over the years to both Sam and Logan before saying with a huff, “Let’s go, Sam.”

  With his hands clutched tightly at his sides, Logan watched the most wonderful woman to have ever graced his sorry existence walk right back out of his life.

  Damn, he was a fool.

  A fool who had no time to wallow over lost loves. “Let’s get to work. We have a code to crack,” he said to Rafe and Jason before turning away from Sam and burying himself in the complex lines of computer code scrolling across his laptop screen.

  Days later, the men were still trying to find a way to stop the virus. And the same thought kept nagging at Logan, a thought that no matter how hard he tried to push it away, he couldn’t get it to leave him alone: If Thacker had intended to use Sam as a distraction to keep Logan from tracking down the virus’ source, then why did he seem so anxious to pull Sam out of his life? The bastard had, after all, admitted he’d tracked Logan to the cabin because of Sam’s presence. Plus, Thacker had acted as if he thought Sam was dangerous.

  Why?

  What was it about Sam that made Thacker—a man who’d never met an enemy he didn’t believe he could defeat—nervous?

  OH NO, OH NO, OH NO!

  I stood at the back of the church, my hands clutching the bouquet of yellow roses as if those flowers wrapped in pink ribbon were a lifeline and I was drowning in the middle of the ocean. How had I let things get this far?

  The church—no, it wasn’t a church—it was a freaking cathedral with an arching ceiling several stories above my head and enough seating to make a small stadium jealous. And guests, mostly from George’s work, crowded onto nearly every single oak pew.

  The cathedral’s pipe organ began to bleat the Marriage March. Every eye in the church turned to look at me.

  “Go! Go! Go!” The short-tempered wedding planner George had recently hired to handle all the last-minute details gave me a rude shove.

  I can’t...

  I can’t...

  I can’t...breathe.

  But then my gaze met my mother’s. She stood at the end of the front pew. She’d stepped slightly into the aisle, so she could have a better view. Her stunning pale blue gown—custom-made—took at least twenty-five years off her appearance. Or perhaps it was her brighter than the sun smile that gave her that special glow. Whatever it was, my mother looked radiant, like a young bride filled with the hopes and dreams that only a marriage could bring her.

  For her.

  For her.

  The words beat silently in my chest with each step I took, each step carrying me closer and closer to marrying a man I knew I could never love.

  For her.

  For her.

  My mother deserved to be happy.

  Somehow I made it down the aisle and to George’s side. With every step, I remembered how I’d tried and tried to put an end to this wedding. George had refused to give credence to my reasons for calling it off. Not even hearing how I’d almost gone to bed with another man—a man I loved—had made a difference. But it’d been my mother, with her suddenly bubbly temperament that had been my undoing. Just last night at the rehearsal dinner, she’d given me a tight hug and had whispered how all she wanted in the world was for me to finally be happy. I deserved no less, she’d said.

  And she was right.

  I deserved to be happy.

  I looked up at George, who instead of gazing lovingly at his bride, was scanning the crowded cathedral, nodding at the partners of his investment firm.

  This wedding was a mistake.

  George was never going to make me happy.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered to him, catching his attention for the first time since I’d walked down the aisle. “I-I—”

  “Stop!” a voice called from cathedral’s excessively tall double doors.

  I spun around as did the rest of the congregation, to see Logan dressed like a ninja commando with gun in hand, burst into the cathedral. At the same time an army of police officers and FBI agents, armed and dressed in flak jackets swarmed the sanctuary.

  “Logan,” I mouthed, too stunned to form any sounds.

  He’d come.

  I didn’t know why he was wearing combat gear or why he’d waited until the absolute last minute, but he’d come for me.

  My heart swelled with such joy I feared it might burst.

  “Stop!” he shouted again, his voice easily heard over the gasping crowd. The police and FBI agents all raised their guns.

  At me.

  And George.

  George dove to the floor and covered his head with his hands. Several members of the congregation started screaming. Others charged toward the exits.

  “What is—?” was all I managed to get out before a sweaty hand slapped over my mouth. Another equally sweaty hand grabbed me by my hair and jerked my head back.

  “Move and she’s dead,” a gruff voice shouted right by my ear.

  Chapter 37

  I recognized that voice.

  Thacker?

  What did he want with me? And why would he want to ruin my special day? I planned to demand he tell me what he thought he was doing as soon as he’d lifted his hand from my mouth. His hand did leave my mouth, but I didn’t have time to utter a sound.

  “I mean it. I’ll kill her right here.” Thacker’s voice boomed across the cathedral’s expanse. He pressed a pistol to my temple.

  At the back of the church Logan gestured with his fisted hand. In response the police and FBI agents lowered their weapons.

  “If you follow, she’s dead,” Thacker warned. His grip on my hair tightened as he started to drag me with him toward a small wooden door in the back of the sanctuary. We had to step over the priest who Thacker must have knocked out to get there.

  “You’re going to hell for this,” I said with a snarl. “You can’t just hit a man of God and expect to get away with it. You’re definitely going to hell.”

  “Shut up.” He dragged me through the narrow doorway and kicked the heavy oak door closed with his booted foot.

  “Yep, that’s where you’re going. Straight to hell,” I couldn’t stop myself from saying.

  He twisted my hair until it felt as if my scalp might peel off my head. “I said shut up.” His voice sounded raspy, desperate.

  If I wanted to live to see the end of this awful day, I needed to do something to save myself. So, I kicked him in the shin.

  He yelped but didn’t release me.

  I kicked him again.

  With a nasty curse, he held me at arm’s length and spun me around. �
�If you hit me again, I’ll break both your legs.”

  The hard look in his eyes told me he meant what he’d said.

  That was the first time I got a good look at him since he’d abducted me. He was dressed in black priestly robes. A black wig sat on his head. And a clever makeup job had made him look Latino.

  “Why are you doing this?” I asked. “What did I do to you?”

  “You led them to me,” he said with an angry sneer. “Because of you, I’m going to have to live the rest of my life on the run. I sure as hell can’t let you stop the virus too. I’m going to need all the money I can get from it to stay one step ahead of the authorities.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Don’t you? Well, it doesn’t matter. Even if you don’t know, Dalton has figured it out. That’s why he’s at the church.” He angrily tapped his finger against my forehead. “To get what’s inside that head of yours.”

  “Not to stop the wedding,” I said more to myself than to Thacker, although keeping him talking was probably keeping me alive.

  Thacker chuckled. “Is that what you thought? That he’d come with all that firepower to stop you from marrying your rich, pasty white boyfriend?”

  “No. No. Of course, I knew he wouldn’t do that.” Sure, that was what I’d hoped he was doing when I’d spotted him standing there like an avenging angel in the back of the church. What girl didn’t dream of the love of her life making such a dramatic rescue?

  He laughed. “You stupid woman. You thought he’d come to stop the wedding.” He laughed even harder. “You actually believed Dalton has a heart. Damn, you’re dumb.”

  “He does have a heart.”

  “Believe what you want. I know Dalton better than anyone else. He’s as ruthless as I am, which means we need to get out of here. The only thing keeping you alive right now is his desire to stop the virus. If not for that, he’d blast a cannon ball through your heart to get to me. So, baby, you’re my ticket out of town.”

  “And then what?” I asked.

  “And then...” He shrugged. “It’s nothing personal. If you don’t make trouble, I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt when I finally do it.”

  He was going to kill me? I knew I shouldn’t have been surprised. But I’d been hoping against hope he’d promise to let me go once he felt he’d gotten safely away.

  He grabbed my hair again and pulled me toward a back exit. “Fight me, and I’ll put you in such a world of hurt you’ll be begging me to kill you. Understood?”

  I swallowed hard and nodded.

  Logan, I silently cried, save me.

  Chapter 38

  Logan slammed his hand against his fist. The bastard had gotten to Sam before he could. Days had passed without Thacker bothering with her. He could have grabbed her at any time. It was only when Logan had come to get Sam that Thacker had acted.

  No one, save for a few members of the police force and FBI agents, knew of Logan’s intentions, which meant one of the armed men standing beside Logan was working for Thacker. Not that Logan was surprised. The bastard had friends everywhere.

  But not for long. Thacker was going down. Logan and Rafe had worked hard to gather enough evidence to prove Thacker’s guilt in planting the virus onto Global Tech’s system.

  Unfortunately, in twelve hours the virus was going to go live. It didn’t matter whether or not Thacker was caught. Without the kill switch code, the virus would do its work. Sure, Thacker could do the right thing and provide the code to stop the virus. But Logan knew the former head of Hart Security. He knew that Thacker would treat being taken into police custody the same way he would treat being held as a prisoner of war—which meant the bastard wouldn’t talk.

  But there was one other way to stop the virus.

  Sam.

  Just last night, the pieces had finally snapped together. Logan had figured out why Thacker had been so worried about her presence in Logan’s life, why he’d been so insistent that he remove her from the cabin. Thacker had said it himself—Sam had wandered into Thacker’s office.

  Thacker had watched the surveillance feed. He’d seen what Sam had touched and read when she was alone in his office. And whatever she’d seen had made him nervous.

  Sam must have unknowingly found the kill switch code.

  Sam.

  Logan still hadn’t caught his breath from seeing her dressed in that slender white gown and flowing white veil. Though the dress didn’t suit her—it was too modern, too cold—she wore it well. And looked absolutely stunning.

  Hell, what was he thinking? She always looked stunning. Even when that jerk Thacker had been dragging her out of the church, she’d kept her composure. There was a sense of grace to her that nothing, not even a madman could chase away.

  As the frightened wedding guests wandered around them, Logan leaned against a tall plaster pillar and pressed a fist to his eyes.

  He had to save her.

  Rafe patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, bro. We’ll get her back.”

  Logan opened his eyes just wide enough to see his partner’s look of grim determination. “I don’t know how we can get her when we have half of New York’s finest breathing down our necks.”

  “Jason wanted an army, and he’s got the money and political clout to get one.”

  “Yeah, but an army is going to get Sam killed.”

  “So what do you plan to do?” Rafe asked. “Ditch the authorities?”

  “I don’t think we have any other option.”

  KEEP ALL EMOTION OUT of this. It’s just an op. Dangerous. Suicidal even. But just another op.

  Logan knew he could tell himself that all day long, and it wouldn’t be true. He needed to save Sam’s life as sure as he needed to breathe. She was his heart. His soul.

  If he managed to pull off the impossible and get her back, he was never going to let her go. He’d move mountains to make her happy.

  He loved her. Had always loved her.

  While the police and FBI scoured the area around the cathedral, Logan slipped through a narrow doorway. Rafe went through a second one.

  Everyone believed Thacker would take Sam and go on the run as quickly as possible. That he’d leave the country with her. Watches had been placed on the highways and airports. There were agents stationed at many of the docks.

  Thacker had been Logan’s commanding officer in the Special Forces for the last several years that he’d served in the military. Many of Logan’s own strategies came straight from Thacker’s head.

  Thacker was in a similar position as Logan had been in eight days ago when the police were converging on him at the safe house. Logan hadn’t charged out of the apartment building at the first sign of trouble. No, he’d found a place to hole up until it he could safely get away.

  He suspected Thacker would do that too.

  While Rafe had headed into the maze of chambers located underneath the cathedral, Logan took the stone stairwell two steps at a time up, up, up into the bell tower.

  With gun in hand, he passed the large bells waiting to chime out the hour and then paused at the door that opened up out onto the roof.

  Keep all emotion out of this. It’s just an op. Just another op.

  He prayed his instincts proved correct.

  HERE I WAS ON ANOTHER roof.

  I didn’t want to die, but I didn’t see any other way this could end.

  “Shut up and don’t move,” Thacker growled as he pushed me.

  Antique clay tiles crunched under my feet as I skidded across the barrel roof in an effort to keep my balance. Unlike the Global Tech building where a parapet wall gave me a sense of protection from falling to a gruesome death, there was nothing like that here.

  I crouched down and put my hands on the sloping tiles, hoping to survive long enough to figure out a way to free myself. What madness compelled these men to come up with escape plans that led up to the tops of buildings? Personally, I’d keep my feet firmly planted on the gro
und floor if given the option. We could have hidden in a closet or in a washroom while the police searched the back of the cathedral.

  Given the even taller buildings towering over us in this part of the city, I supposed I should be thankful that we weren’t at the reception, which was going to be held on the rooftop of an eighty-story building.

  “How long do we have to stay up here?” I asked, unable to keep silent any longer.

  Thacker, who’d been standing with his back to me, gun raised as he watched the door we had come through, spun around. “I said be quiet.”

  “I-I just want to know.” I sat back on my heels and hugged myself. “I’m scared.”

  “Good,” he said, his gaze flicked back to the door. “You should be.”

  Just at that moment the door swung open with the force of an explosion. And there was Logan, dear sweet Logan, snarling at his boss—a man he’d considered a friend.

  Thacker fired. Once. Twice. Blood poured from Logan’s shoulder. But that didn’t stop him from charging forward.

  With a battle yell, I launched myself at Thacker and latched myself onto his back. I grabbed his arms, hoping to stop him getting another shot off with his gun.

  Thacker growled like a wounded bear and tossed his arms into the air, breaking the hold I had on him.

  I went flying. As soon as I hit the sloping roof tiles, I tumbled toward the edge. My dress tore as I slipped. My fingers scrambled to grab hold of tile after tile in a losing effort to stop my plunge to the ground and certain death.

  I kicked my feet, hoping to find purchase. But there was nothing under my legs but the sidewalk below us.

  I slipped further.

  Logan pushed Thacker aside. He then lunged for me. His hand grabbed my wrist a heartbeat before I tumbled over the roof’s edge. As he pulled me to safety, his gun skittered over the clay tiles. There was no one to stop it from diving into oblivion.

  “I got you,” he said as he hugged me securely against his chest. My legs, thankfully, were now safely on firm tiles again, even though we were still too close to the edge of the roof. And a madman had a gun pointed at Logan’s chest.