“Fine,” Terri snapped to the empty room.
This would be the last time she tried with him. Begging wasn’t her style, and maybe it was time she started believing what he said.
They were a match made in hell.
Chapter 13
Terri
She didn’t know what to expect from Logan the next day, but the silence that he offered while they got ready to leave and then drove to the airport was probably for the best.
She’d never had a taste for dangerous men. Life was better lived straightforwardly, knowing exactly what someone else brought to the table. Though she wanted to chalk up her attraction to him to just being stressed after a terrible ordeal, deep down, it didn’t seem to be that.
Logan was multifaceted, and damn it if that didn’t make her want to get a look at every side of him.
More than a look. A taste. A touch.
Yeah. Some time spent apart would do her good.
Although there was one really good thing about spending time with him. Flying on his private jet beat commercial any day.
With comfy leather chairs and several beds with partitions, it was possible to do their own thing most of the flight. For Terri, that meant staring at pages of books and magazines for hours while obsessing over what would happen once they touched down in Chicago.
She still felt sure about the plan she’d outlined at the rooftop restaurant, but the closer they came to executing it, the more nervous she got. She would be sweating bullets before they made it to North America.
They’d left Vietnam around ten in the morning and when they arrived in Chicago, it was early evening—except Terri’s body thought it was really closer to dawn. Trudging from the jet onto the tarmac, she rubbed at an ache in her temple.
“Home sweet home,” Logan said from next to her.
She grunted in response. They’d shared maybe ten words on the flight. No need to break their streak now.
“There’s our car.” He nodded at the SUV waiting for them at the end of the ropes.
After putting their luggage into the trunk, Terri climbed into the backseat. She’d hoped Logan would go up front with the driver, and was a little dismayed when he chose to sit next to her.
Whatever. She’d go home, take a sleeping aid, wake up early, and start over. Tomorrow would be all about taking that asshole Bryce Shillings and his trafficking ring down. She’d thrown herself into that task with the same focus she’d approached her years in law with, and she wouldn’t stop until the job was done.
“My address is—”
“Actually,” Logan interrupted her. “It would be best if we stick together for the time being.”
She stared at him.
He must have been waiting for her response, but when she didn’t offer one he cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“We’re dealing with a dangerous man here,” he whispered so the driver wouldn’t hear him. “Dangerous people. They could come after you at any time.”
“What are you proposing, then?” she whispered back.
Even though he was making it seem he was looking out for Terri, her blood boiled. After days stuck together in Vietnam, days that had been some of the most confusing of her life, all she wanted was to be alone.
“You stay at my place,” he said. “It has the best security system available.”
She blew out a breath that made her cheeks puff. “I’m not helpless, Logan. Or lazy about my safety. What happened at the hostel… it’s pretty embarrassing.”
“It wasn’t your fault at all,” he said sharply. “Don’t ever believe that. Okay?”
She twisted her lips. It was kind of nice that he wasn’t allowing her to talk badly of herself.
“Okay,” she said. “But really. Leaving one apartment together only to be… stuck in another? No offense, but…”
Yeah. No offense, but I don’t want to be around you.
“I have a house, not an apartment. It has five bedrooms, an indoor and outdoor pool, a tennis court, and two acres of lawn.”
She blinked. “Oh.”
So he had a mansion. Okay.
“And,” he added, “security cameras everywhere that can easily livestream to the cloud. At the push of a button, nothing goes on there without it being recorded.”
“That’s creepy.”
“I’ve never done that.” His face pinched in exasperation. “I’m telling you, that this is one of those times. A time when we need to be extra careful.”
Closing her eyes, Terri dropped her head back against the headrest.
“Okay. Yeah. You’re right.” She swallowed and opened her eyes. “Thank you,” she added, that part a little hard to get out.
His jaw flexed as he looked away. “Of course.”
The car wound its way through the city. It might have been a good idea to pay attention to exactly where they were going, but she felt so off and jet-lagged that the buildings and street signs passing by her window became blurs.
Right as full dark settled in, they pulled up to a gate situated between a stone wall. Reaching through his open window, Logan entered a code into the keypad and the gate swung open.
The yard that met them was immense, with huge oaks and freshly cut grass. A circular driveway looped in front of the house, which was two floors and made from various pale stones that matched the wall around the property. The front porch light was on, as well as a few on the bottom floor. Terri wondered if he had staff to care for the place when he wasn’t around. She could ask, but she’d likely find out sooner or later.
“Home sweet home,” Logan said.
They clambered from the car, her body aching from being in confined spaces for almost twenty-four hours. After exchanging a few words with the driver, Logan opened the house and they entered a foyer.
“It’s just us,” he said, locking the door behind them and fiddling with the security pad next to it. “Kim, the cook and housekeeper, will be back in the morning.”
Okay, so he at least had one person working there. Kim’s job was probably full-time, judging on the size of the home.
Huge, arched doorways led from the foyer into a living room and dining room. Terri spotted fireplaces in both of them, and a kitchen past the dinner table.
“All of the bedrooms are upstairs.” Logan went for her backpack, but she grabbed it before he could touch it.
“I have it.” She nodded at his suitcase. “Your hands are full.”
“Sure thing. Right this way.”
She followed him up the staircase that connected the foyer to the second floor, then down a hallway.
“Take your pick.” He swept his hand towards the doors on both sides of the hall.
“Where’s your room?”
“Over there.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder, at the hall across the landing.
“Okay. Just…” She looked away. “Just checking.”
“I’ll leave you to get settled, if you like, while I check the fridge. Kim cooks ahead and puts a few meals in there.”
“Sounds good.”
Backpack in hand, she pushed open the first door. The bedroom behind it was spacious, with windows overlooking the backyard and a walk-in closet and attached bathroom. She could check out the other rooms, but it seemed unlikely they would have anything topping this one, so she dropped her bag on the floor and went to the windows.
Down below, a swimming pool sparkled from its embedded lights. Past it, the tennis court and back wall were also lit up. No one would be able to sneak across the yard without being spotted.
The thought brought her comfort. Though her apartment was in a nice building, she didn’t fully believe her neighbors would automatically call the police if they heard some kind of disturbance—like a door being broken down. Some of them argued a lot, and made a lot of noise themselves. Logan’s home definitely felt safer.
Was Bryce really looking to get his hands on her? And what would he do in order to silence her? From the little
info she’d gathered on the man, murder seemed like child’s play.
Being more positive, it was possible he didn’t know she was the woman Logan had bought. That scenario bought them more time.
Unless, of course, Bryce already had eyes on the two of them.
Terri’s stomach squirmed, and she closed the curtains, making sure there were no cracks in between them. Going into the bathroom, she was pleased to find a big, claw-foot bathtub next to the walk-in shower. Considering her love of long baths, the tub was definitely a perk.
After taking a long shower, she put on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt and padded downstairs. Some more of the lights had been turned on, which was a comfort.
In the large, spotless kitchen, Logan sat at the island, looking at his phone. Behind him, something heated up in the oven.
At the sound of her entering, he looked up. “Settled in?”
“Enough.” She took the stool across from him. “I guess going home after so long away would feel weird anyhow. Staying here is just like continuing my travels.”
“That’s a positive way to look at it. You like lasagna?”
“Love it.”
“Good. Because that’s what we’re having.”
She spun on the stool, taking in their surroundings. Breakfast nook. All the necessary appliances, plus more—which Logan probably never used.
The place was big for only one person. Did he have friends that came over?
Girlfriends?
The last thought made her throat go dry.
“Oh. I almost forgot.” Logan reached down and retrieved a plastic bag off the floor.
“What’s this?”
In answer, he slid it over the island to her. Reaching in, she found a new phone, still in its packaging.
“I had one of my assistants pick it up,” he said. “He dropped it off while you were upstairs.”
“Oh my God,” she sighed, ripping open the package. “Thank you.”
She’d probably done a bad job of keeping in touch with Charlie since the kidnapping. Time to rectify that.
Powering up the phone, she sent him a text to tell him she was back in town. However, she didn’t add the part about not staying at her apartment.
Luckily, he was a busy guy that wasn’t prone to surprise visits. He was much more likely to make concrete plans for dinner or coffee than pop by her place unannounced.
“Well,” Logan said. “We finally made it.”
“Yeah. Feels odd.”
“Do you miss Vietnam?”
She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth. “I had some nice times there with you.”
Better to think of the not-so-nice times as little as possible.
“Same here.” He smiled, as if savoring a memory.
The smile didn’t last long, though. He wiped it away, as if suddenly remembering himself, and went to check the oven.
“I’ll call Charlie tomorrow,” Terri decided. “And ask him to meet me in person.”
Logan turned back around with knitted eyebrows. “And what will you tell him?”
“Everything.” She drew a long breath. “There’s no time to waste. Don’t you agree?”
He paused, but then nodded.
“It’s understandable if you’re nervous.” She paused. “I am, too, and I don’t have as much on the line as you… Not that you should be worried,” she added. “I’m confident everything will work out.”
He nodded again, but his jaw was tight.
They ate the lasagna with a tossed salad, not saying much. As they were putting the dishes in the sink, Charlie texted back, saying he would call the next day.
“Do you need anything before bed?” Logan asked, drying his hands on a dishtowel.
You.
As soon as she had the thought, she was ashamed of herself. Logan had already turned her down multiple times. How on earth could she still have the hots for him?
She had lost her mind.
Yet… the way he looked at her, the heat simmering in his eyes… She wondered what his bedroom looked like, how it would feel to wake up in the morning in his arms.
“I’m good. Thanks.” She made a point of looking everywhere but him.
“Good night, Terri,” he said in a soft way that followed her up the stairs and into her room.
Chapter 14
Logan
Usually, Logan slept best at his Chicago house. Set at a nice distance from the road and with walls and trees to buffer the noise, it was as much of an oasis as one could get in a major city.
But sleep didn’t come easy that night. He got up six times, creeping downstairs to get a drink of water or spending a few minutes pacing in the halls like a ghost. Several times, he checked the security feed, even though if someone had breached the walls the alarm would have gone off right away.
Eventually, somewhere around five, he gave up on sleeping and dressed for the day. Since Terri was still in her room, he didn’t bother her, and instead slipped out. Kim had already been filled in on his house guest and would make Terri breakfast, plus get her anything else she needed.
The day for reckoning had come, and Logan wasn’t sure he was ready for it.
Instead of calling his driver, he grabbed a set of keys from the hook in the kitchen and took his canary yellow sports car for a spin. With the top down, the early morning air finished the job of waking him up.
Entering downtown, he put in a call to Dwayne’s personal cell phone.
“Back in town yet?” Dwayne answered.
“Got in last night.” He tapped the brakes right before the light up ahead turned red.
“I can take a guess at why you’re calling.”
“Have you… heard anything new?”
Being on personal cell phones wasn’t a reason to say anything even close to incriminating. That included even uttering Bryce’s name.
“Where are you?” Dwayne asked.
“Just got into downtown.”
“Meet me at the gym?”
“Sure.” Logan checked the time on his dash. “Give me ten.”
The ‘gym’ was an exclusive club that catered to weight lifting fanatics. Though Logan included weights regularly in his workouts, the spot that Dwayne visited at least a few times a week was a bit much. To put it bluntly, it absolutely stank of machismo.
But if that was where Dwayne wanted to talk, fine. Logan would have gotten together anywhere if it meant getting so much as an extra tidbit on Bryce.
Dwayne met him in the gym’s lobby, sporting a buzz cut that Logan hadn’t seen when they ran into each other in New York the month before.
“What’s that about?” Logan nodded at the new ’do.
Dwayne ran his hand over it. “Needed to switch things up a bit. Come on.” He jerked his head at the locker rooms. “I have some clean clothes in my locker for you.”
“If I’d known we were doing this, I would have brought my headband and leg warmers.”
“Hey,” Dwayne said a few minutes later, after they had changed and were walking for the first set of weights. “How is she?”
“Terri?” At the thought of her, Logan’s chest tightened. “She’s good.”
He hoped. Hell, he didn’t know. And maybe he didn’t have a right to know. After what he’d put her through, he deserved no less than a slap upside the head.
Last night, right before she’d gone to bed, he’d almost gone back on everything he said in Ho Chi Minh City. She looked so perfect standing there barefoot in the kitchen, gazing up at him with those bright eyes. His strong, smart, beautiful Terri.
Yeah. He definitely didn’t deserve her. It was remembering that that made it possible to resist the desire to wrap his arms around her, to kiss her until the world melted away and there was nothing left but the two of them.
“She has a plan,” Logan said carefully, watching for Dwayne’s reaction.
The other man tested out a weight, put it down, then picked up a heavier one. “O-kay.”
“Yea
h.” Logan stepped closer to him. They didn’t know anyone around them, but he wanted to be careful.
Based on several conversations, Logan knew Dwayne felt the same about Bryce as he did. He’d referred to the man as a “cheat” and “scum,” though he’d never revealed the exact cause of the sentiment.
“She’s sure her brother will help us take Bryce down,” Logan said.
Dwayne put his weights down and eyed Logan. “In exchange for what?”
“Terri wants Bryce behind bars and the ring that took her shut down. She thinks that Charlie will be happy with the same. So happy that he’ll be willing to overlook anything regarding, uh, me.”
“Huh.” Dwayne sauntered to the ab machines, Logan following. “I wouldn’t mind seeing the same.” At the first ab machine, Dwayne paused. “All that I know is that Bryce is in town right now.”
“He’s in Chicago?”
“Yeah.” Dwayne eyed him. “I’m sorry. I know that’s not helpful.”
“Will you keep me updated if you hear anything else?”
“Of course I will.”
“I appreciate it.” Logan clapped him on the shoulder. “I need to head out.”
“Off to the office?”
“No. I…” He faltered. “I’m going home.”
“Oh, yeah?” A knowing twinkle entered Dwayne’s eye.
“Terri and I aren’t like that.”
“Sure,” he snorted.
“What?” Logan’s temper started to rise over the unwelcome suggestion.
“You never take time off work. Not for anything.” Dwayne took a seat at an ab machine. “This girl must be something special, that’s all.”
“She is special, which is exactly why I haven’t gotten involved.”
“Huh?” Dwayne made a face like he was trying to solve a complicated equation. “That makes no sense.”
“Yeah, well, not everything makes sense right now.” Logan waved goodbye with two fingers. “See you later.”
Since he was in the neighborhood, popping into the office and checking on things seemed like a good idea. He’d been keeping in touch while overseas, though, so there wasn’t much to be done other than take a few messages from his assistants. The Chicago office, basically his headquarters, did a good job of running smoothly when he was gone thanks to Alana, the office manager he’d hired several years back.
Bidder - An Auctioned to the Billionaire Romance (Criminal Passions Book 2) Page 8
