by Dale Mayer
“They weren’t available anyway. I’m sorry it didn’t work out with your sister-in-law.” Logan asked, “Your brother’s been gone for years?”
Harrison nodded slowly. “And she didn’t have much to do with the family back then. I’m assuming she’s moved on with her life. But I know for my parents, she’s a piece of their son’s life they were hoping to stay connected with.”
“Sorry about your brother. That must have been a really tough time for you.”
“You don’t know the half of it.”
Logan raised an eyebrow, studied his friend’s face and said, “Tell me.”
Harrison gave him a look. “His wife was my fiancée.”
Logan froze, his pizza in midair. “Oh, shit.” He slowly lowered the food, seeing the pain in his friend’s eyes. “So, you lost your fiancée to your brother, and then you lost your brother.”
“Not quite that fast, but … you know. Not much fun for anybody. My parents were pretty upset with her and my brother when they married. I had no choice but to make peace with it. But now …” He shrugged. “Honestly, I’m happy to walk away from it. I was hoping my parents were equally happy to also. Maybe they’ll be able to now.”
Logan winced. “That can’t be easy.”
“No.”
“Did you break up with her, or did she do it?”
“Finding her and my brother in bed made it mutual.” Harrison leaned back in the chair. “Hence my relationship issues.”
Logan stared down at the pizza, hating to think what his friend had gone through. “Did your brother ever say anything to you about it?”
Harrison snorted. “You mean in between me pounding the hell out of him?” He shook his head. “He never did defend himself, never said anything about it. They got married six months later. I showed up for my parents’ sake, walked away and never saw them again.” He stared off in the distance. “No way to come back from that.”
Shit. Logan felt terrible. Not only had his fiancée dumped Harrison to be with his brother, but she had killed the relationship between Harrison and his brother at the same time, and now he had no way to make amends. Not that he had any to make. That was on his brother’s head. And his parents had to watch the fallout in horror. “Given all that, I’m surprised they still wanted anything to do with your sister-in-law.”
“I don’t think they will now. But it’s hard to lose a child. I don’t blame them for wanting to cling to bits of his life. She was part of the family for years, and they worry about her. She was never terribly friendly.” Harrison tossed his last crust into the box. “I’m done. In more ways than one. Not going to be a great night on the floor, but honestly, I’m ready to hit it.”
He got up, went to the bathroom, came out, then moved the coffee table out of the way. He grabbed a pillow off the couch, then stretched out on the carpet in the small room.
Logan watched him, almost jealous. Harrison had always been able to sleep anyplace.
Logan was a lot fussier. He didn’t mean to be, but it seemed like the minute he lay down on a hard surface, all the pressure points felt wrong, and they hurt. Each shift to get comfortable just added new ones.
The other guys seemed to block it out. Logan felt like such a wuss, so he’d learned to not listen to the pressure points. Then when he woke up the next morning, his body would hurt. Often they were on the move, and he couldn’t afford things like that. Still, Harrison was right about one thing they needed to do, and that was to get some sleep. It was necessary, and they would have an early morning.
They also had no guarantee they would sleep tonight. He closed the pizza boxes, placed the leftovers in the fridge, left the garbage on the table and did a quick security check to make sure nobody was out there and that everything was locked up as tight as it could be. Then he went to the bathroom and took a quick wash. On his way to the couch, he heard a sound in the bedroom.
He walked over to crack open her door. He wanted to make sure she was sleeping. Her window was wide open, and a chill was in the air. He closed it about halfway and then turned to check on her. She slept but restlessly, her body twitching. He wasn’t sure if she was caught in a nightmare or having a dream.
And suddenly her eyes flew open, and she screamed. He rushed to her side and said, “It’s okay, Alina. It’s all right. You’re just having a dream.”
She gripped his fingers and gasped as she caught her breath. “It’s Colin,” she said. “I saw you in my bedroom and …” She shook her head. “I wonder how long I’ll keep seeing his face.”
“Possibly on and off for the rest your life,” he said quietly. “I don’t mean that to scare you. But our subconscious often has ways of undermining us by bringing up some of our worst fears and nightmares under times of stress.”
She let go of his fingers and relaxed onto the bed, pulling up the blankets. “Why did you come in here?”
“I’m heading to bed. I peeked in to check on you, realized the window was wide open and closed it some. And that’s when you saw me.”
She nodded. “My couch is hardly big enough for you.”
He chuckled. “It will be fine. Try to get some sleep. I’ll leave the bedroom door open, okay?”
But she had already drifted back to sleep. He watched for a moment and pushed the door wide. When he didn’t hear any sound from her, he headed to the couch and reassessed. Maybe it would work. He stretched out. His knees draped over the side of the arm, and his head was kinked up against the other. Floor or couch? What the hell. He was here already. He closed his eyes, determined to make the best of it, and finally drifted off.
Chapter 6
The next morning Alina lay in bed for a long time, acclimating to the change in her reality. She was home, no longer tied up, and in her own bed, alone. The last part she would do differently. Like inviting Logan maybe. But it was too early for that. Besides, he wasn’t sticking around.
Hearing sounds from her living room, she froze and then recognized Logan’s voice. How comfortable she felt around him and Harrison. Maybe because she knew those men weren’t Colin.
She slowly got out of bed, walked to the kitchen in her pajamas and found they’d made coffee and were sitting at the kitchen table, eating pizza. “For breakfast?”
Logan bounced to his feet, his arms outstretched.
Like a homing pigeon, she snuggled right into his hug. It had certainly taken away a lot of the awkwardness, worrying about how she would react to another man after Colin. She stepped back and smiled into his worried face. “I’m fine.”
But he wasn’t content with her words. He studied her face, then how she moved.
She shook her head and laughed. “Don’t fuss,” she teased. “Honest, I’m fine.”
He nodded, motioning at the pizza. “We ordered some last night. Harrison went and picked it up, and this is our breakfast.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “I’m sure it’s not your definition of healthy, but we were hungry.”
She smiled at Harrison as he munched through another piece. “Not to mention you’re big guys, and I highly doubt a little bit of yogurt and some seeds would do you much good.”
Harrison froze, the look in his eyes one of horror.
She laughed. “Like I said …” She lifted her nose in appreciation. “And you guys are house-trained.” She wandered over and poured herself a cup of coffee. “I’m going to take a shower. Seems like I haven’t been clean for days.” With that reminder, she took her coffee, headed to her bedroom, grabbed some clean clothes and went into the bathroom.
Her coffee was too hot to drink now, but by the time she was done, it should be about right.
When she stepped under the hot water, she held in her cry. Not only did it sting, but it was in places she hadn’t been aware she’d been hurt. When she turned her back to the hot water, she realized why they’d taken so many pictures at the hospital. She had no idea what Colin had done to her. But she hurt everywhere. It was mind-boggling how lifting an arm that had been tied and held
in an awkward position made every muscle ache. She knew it would ease up. But for the next few days, she’d be lucky if she didn’t need muscle relaxants on a continuous basis.
She stood, letting the heat flow over her body. That little bit should help make her joints move easier. When she was done, she stepped out, cautiously dried off and carefully got dressed. She took several sips of coffee before realizing it didn’t taste right. She picked up her toothbrush and toothpaste and brushed her teeth. When she was done, she tried the coffee again and smiled. “That’s much better.”
She hung up her wet towels and grabbed her pajamas. In her bedroom, she put away her clothes and made up the bed.
When she headed to the kitchen, she found three pieces of pizza left on the plate. She laughed. “Are you trying to be polite, or are you really full?”
Logan grinned. “We are your guests. It would be very unkind of us to eat all the pizza without offering you some.”
She studied it and realized how hungry she really was. “I don’t remember him feeding me. My stomach is pretty touchy right now.”
“Probably the drugs,” Harrison said. “I hope you get the results from that soon.”
“I hope the police follow up in some way,” she said. “But honestly, I have no idea what their procedure is. I’ve never been kidnapped before.”
She sat down to the pizza. It was so good, she had a second slice, and by the end of that, she was done. Logan looked at her, and she shoved the plate toward him. “Finish it.” She watched in fascination as it disappeared in about four bites.
“How can you possibly eat such a large mouthful at one time?”
“Lots of practice.” Logan’s face was deadpan as he delivered the line.
She smiled. “Glad to see you guys have a sense of humor, considering the work you do.”
She glanced around her small apartment. “And it’s nice to know we had a solid night’s sleep. I didn’t wake up until the sun was up.” She cast a curious glance at the men and asked, “I presume there were no intruders?”
Logan shook his head. “A quiet night.”
She nodded. “You guys can go. I should be safe here.”
Harrison snorted. “What universe do you live in? Because you were safe for one night doesn’t mean you are for the next ones.”
She leaned back in her chair and sighed. Once again she looked around her home. “I’ve only been here for a couple years. It still doesn’t seem like I’ve moved in since I work so many shifts. But it’s the only home I have.” She opened her arms and waved them around the small space. “It’s not like I can just pack up and move.”
“And you’d have to do it without anybody knowing, so no moving truck, no assistance and no sign of anybody helping you.”
“Like that’s going to happen.” She gasped. “Do I look like I can lift the couch on my own?” She picked up her coffee mug, taking a sip while she thought about it. “It’s not like I can stay with somebody. At least not any more.”
The men looked at her in question.
She shook her head. “My best friend moved away a couple months ago. She’s the only one I knew well enough to be able to bunk at her place. I came here for work, and she followed within a few months. We often did sleepovers at each other’s house if we were drinking and partying. And no, I don’t have a boyfriend, nor any close family or friends here. Although I do have some money. I could go to a hotel for a night or two, but that’s obviously not a long-term answer.”
“That would be someone catching these guys before they come after you.”
“I’m all for that,” she snapped. “I have to stay here. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
*
Logan had been afraid of that. He and Harrison had had that discussion this morning. They’d also talked to Levi. She could stay at their hotel, but, like she said, that was a short-term answer. Still, it was something.
“We have a solution for the next couple days,” he said quietly. “We have a hotel room that’s paid for in Boston. You have days off anyway so you could come and stay with us.”
She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “That’s very generous of you. But what do I do when you leave?”
“We don’t have an answer yet for you. Hopefully the police are on this, and there is a fast resolution. If not, potentially we can arrange for somebody to move your stuff. Help you find another apartment. But we can’t stay. We have jobs in Texas.”
“Texas? Any chance close to Houston?”
Both men frowned at her. “Yes, why?”
“Because my best friend moved there. She’s been telling me to join her because the weather is so much nicer. The hospitals are always hiring.” She shook her head and laughed. “But I couldn’t see myself making a move like that. I was happy here. I quite liked my job.”
Logan took note of her past-tense usage: was, liked.
“You might want to give that some further consideration due to the situation you find yourself in now,” Harrison said, then nudged Logan.
Logan ignored him. He knew exactly what Harrison was thinking. But no way in hell would Logan bring up the subject about how he’d love to have her living a whole lot closer. He had to stay focused, otherwise his mind tended to wrap around this beautiful woman sitting close enough for him to hug her all over again.
When she’d walked out of the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, he’d never seen a sweeter sight. He wanted to bundle her up and take her to bed. Honestly, he hadn’t expected to meet anybody like her. And it wasn’t like they had a relationship. But if she did move to Texas, they might have a chance.
“The trouble is, I’m not sure I want to get locked away in a hotel room either,” she said. “You guys have things to do, so you’ll be gone all day.”
“True enough, but at least there you’ll be safe. And think about it, the police will likely contact you again. And you’ll be nice and handy to talk to them if needed.”
“That’s a good point.”
Logan reached over and placed his hand on hers. “Honestly, you don’t have much choice.”
She stared at him in surprise. “Yes, I do. I can stay here and take my chances.”
He sat back, a smile playing around his lips.
She stared at him suspiciously.
Finally, he grinned and said, “You could, if I gave you a choice. But something about having saved your life once makes me feel like I must continue doing so. Which means you are coming to the hotel with us.”
She opened her mouth in outrage, then snapped it shut. Her gaze went from Logan to Harrison, who was of zero help to her because he was laughing.
“You guys look good together,” he said with a big grin. He stood and grabbed the cardboard boxes from the pizza. “I’ll take this down the hall to the garbage chute.” He let himself out of the apartment.
Alina turned and blasted Logan. “I can’t move into a hotel with you two.”
“Why not?”
“Because I have a life.”
“I’m trying to keep you safe.”
She sat back and winced. Colin’s voice echoed through her head. He had said she wouldn’t be safe. They had her phone number and address, and they would collect, no matter what. She shook her head in defeat. “I need a few minutes to pack.”
“You’ve got fifteen,” he said cheerfully. He stood and moved to the front door to let Harrison in. He took one look at the two of them and said, “Did you settle your differences?”
She sniffed, turned on her heels and walked into the bedroom.
Logan laughed. “Absolutely. She’s packing and coming with us.”
“Good. Levi called. He wants her with us anyway.” In a lower voice, barely above a whisper, he added, “And to keep an eye out in case someone comes after her, whether to kidnap her or to kill us. The cops are working on finding the other women. With Colin dead, there isn’t much in the way of leads. But they are dissecting his life to find some. Levi wants them all taken down if we
get the chance.”
He gave Harrison a hard nod. “I’m on it.” He knew he had to watch out; he was getting too involved. This was one of those cases that could go south very fast. He had to make sure he kept his heart safe.
Chapter 7
They quickly loaded her overnight bag into their rented car. Logan drove them all to their Boston hotel.
Once inside, they settled her on a bed. “This is yours for the next couple nights,” Logan said as he placed her bag by the window. “We’ll share the other.”
She glanced from one bed to the other. They were both huge. In theory, they could easily share the bed.
But then so could she.
She turned to face the men. “Now what?”
Logan walked to the door and said, “Now you watch TV or something, and we’ll be back in a few hours.”
She frowned as they headed out. “Bring lunch then,” she called out. She gave him a bright smile, but she didn’t feel it. She felt lost already. How very female of her. She sagged on the bed as the door shut behind the men. Damn. She glanced around the room. What the hell was she doing here?
Then the door opened, and Logan stood glaring at her. “I can’t leave you here alone.” And the wattage in his glare grew stronger.
She raised her eyebrows. “Okay, I’m confused. You just left.”
“And I came back.” He gave his head a shake. “My mind says you should be safe here, but my instincts say you shouldn’t be alone.”
She brightened. “Glad to hear that. I was feeling at a loss by myself here.”
“Being alone is one thing, but doing so while being hunted is a completely different issue.”
She hopped off the bed, grabbed her shoes, slipped them on and picked up a sweater. “So where are we going?”
He still hadn’t moved. Now he was positively growling. “That’s the problem. We have addresses to check out.”
“So, am I in more danger going with you guys?”
“Harrison and I have been standing in the hallway, arguing.” He glanced toward the door. “Trying to figure out the best way forward.”
