by Hart, Stella
“You aren’t worried he’ll hurt you?” I asked, anxiously twisting my hands.
“I have one thing on my side that you don’t, Willow. I’m his son. We might not be very close, but he’d still never hurt or kill one of his own kids.”
“I hope you’re right about that,” I mumbled.
He tilted my chin up. “Right now the Order thinks they can get away with bullying you. Fuck that. You should be allowed to ask questions about the society you’re in, especially when you think they might be conspiring against your mother,” he said, eyes smoldering with anger. “I’m not going to let them get away with threatening you, and from now on, I don’t even consider myself a member anymore. Not as long as they think they can get away with treating you like this.”
I swallowed hard. “I know you want to keep me safe, but you really need to be as careful as you can. I’m not so sure that your dad wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine, and so will you. I’ll make sure of it,” he replied. “He might be my father, and he might very well be the big fucking secret king of the Order too, but if he touches you or so much as looks at you the wrong way from now on, he’s going to have a fucking problem. You’re mine, not his.”
There it was again; that possessiveness rearing its simultaneously beautiful and ugly head.
He stroked one finger down the side of my face, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Everything’s going to be fine, princess. I’m going to fix this for us, and then it’ll all go back to normal.”
I turned toward the closest window. Outside, fat gray clouds drifted around, and early dusk colored the rest of the sky with shades of purple and navy blue. Dark and miserable, like my mood.
“No. It won’t,” I murmured. “I don’t think anything in my life will ever be normal again.”
Logan went silent for a few minutes, letting me stew in my thoughts as I watched the dark clouds open up in bursts of rain that loudly pattered against the windowpane. Then he pulled me back around to face him and pressed his phone into my hand. “Here,” he said. “You should call your mom. See if your dad came back yet.”
I nodded and swallowed the lump in my throat. “Okay. Thank you,” I whispered.
Mom’s private cell number was already programmed in Logan’s phone, so all I had to do was hit the dial button. It rang four times, and then a familiar masculine voice answered. “Is that you, Willow?”
“Yes. Hi, Jamie,” I said. “Is Mom there with you?”
He hesitated. “She’s dealing with a delicate diplomatic situation at the moment, so she can’t make it to the phone.”
“You mean she doesn’t want to speak to me?” I said, rolling my eyes upward.
There was another awkward pause on the other end of the line. “No, I didn’t say that,” he finally said. “She’s just very busy.”
I sighed and rubbed my temples. At least Jamie was lying to me out of kindness, unlike so many others in my life. “I was just calling to see if my dad showed up yet,” I said.
“No, he didn’t. Sorry. If there are any updates, I’ll let you know.”
“I don’t get it,” I said flatly. “How can he just disappear like this?”
“I don’t know,” Jamie replied. He sounded tense, even though he was obviously trying to hide it. That wasn’t a good sign. “But don’t worry. We have our best people out there searching, and we’re going to find him. The president’s husband can’t just disappear into thin air.”
“You’ll call me as soon as you hear anything?”
“Yes. I promise.”
“Thanks, Jamie.” I ended the call and handed the phone back to Logan.
“Nothing yet?” he said.
I shook my head dejectedly. “No. He’s still not back, and no one knows where he is.”
“Shit.”
“I don’t understand what’s going on. It’s been hours now. How could he just disappear? And why?”
“I don’t know. It’s fucking weird.”
I blew out a frustrated breath. “Seriously, Logan, what the hell is happening? It’s like the whole world is falling apart right now!”
Hot tears stung the backs of my eyes, threatening to spill out no matter how hard I tried to keep them at bay. I was still beyond pissed at my father, but now that he’d gone missing, I was concerned anyway. What if he’d grown so tired of my refusal to speak to him or forgive him that he’d decided to hurt himself in some way?
I couldn’t bear to have that on my conscience, even if a major part of my brain believed he deserved to rot in hell for selling me to the Thornes. He was still my dad in the end. Still the man who raised me. That didn’t just go away, no matter how angry and betrayed I felt.
“Hey,” Logan said gently. One hand went to my shoulder, instantly warming me. “Trust me. It’ll be okay.”
I couldn’t help but notice he looked as good as ever. Smelled good too, all spicy and masculine with just a hint of sweat.
On an impulse, I tilted my face up and kissed the valley between his shoulder and neck. I barely even had time to plant my lips there before he grabbed my shoulders in response and pushed me up against the window. Then he kissed me, hard.
The moan that spilled from my mouth only made him more aggressive. His tongue darted out, stroking mine, hungry and vicious. I sucked in a desperate breath, and he groaned, sucking on my bottom lip before digging his teeth into the delicate skin.
“Wait...” Logan suddenly pulled back, leaving my head whirling and my lips aching. “We don’t have to do this,” he went on in a low voice. “Not if you don’t want to.”
“I do,” I said, staring right into his eyes so he knew I was telling the truth.
Even though he’d done a one-eighty in recent days and started treating me like a human being deserving of respect, I wasn’t stupid. I understood that he still viewed me as a thing he owned, and that simply wasn’t feasible for me in terms of a real future, so I knew I wasn’t falling for him. This was purely a comfort thing. A distraction. A few stolen moments of bliss to get me through these dark days.
I deserved that much.
“Good, because I don’t want to fucking stop,” Logan growled before crushing his lips to mine again. His fingers slid through my hair, twisting it hard, but he didn’t hurt me. Not much. Just enough to make my body tingle and jolt as my mind melted in a lust-filled haze.
He deepened the kiss, hands moving down my body, fast and unapologetic. He grabbed my ass and lifted me up to circle his waist, grinding his groin into mine. I moaned, clenching around nothing, desperate to feel him in me again.
“Please,” I gasped out between kisses.
Logan turned us away from the window and lay me down on the bed. His hips rolled between my legs, erection grinding against our clothes. The friction made me ache and quiver as my clit swelled and throbbed, begging for release.
One hand came down between us to tear at my black pantyhose and matching panties beneath. I spread my legs wider, making it easier. Logan freed himself from his pants in the next second, and then his thick cock was pressed up against my bare slit, eliciting a frustrated groan from my mouth as I waited for him to stop teasing me and fuck me like I so desperately craved.
“Touch it,” he commanded. “I want you to put it inside you.”
I reached down, my eyes fixed on his as my hand closed around his shaft. It was smooth and hot, and I felt it pulsing beneath my fingertips as I brought the tip right to my drenched entrance.
I bucked my hips, pulling him inside me, and my eyes closed with ecstasy as he stretched me, pushing deeper in a hard thrust. I already felt the pressure of a climax building at the base of my spine, twisting and climbing inside me.
Logan’s big hands pinned me to the bed, roughly holding me down as he mercilessly fucked me. My pussy contracted around him, and I choked out a shaky breath. “Logan… I’m close.”
“Fuck...” His voice was low and gruff. “Look at me, prin
cess. Look at me or I won’t let you come.”
I whimpered and opened my eyes, so tense I felt like I would explode any second. Logan knotted one hand in my hair to yank my face upward, forcing me to watch him as he used my body like it was just a toy, fucking me harder and faster with each thrust. He was relentless. Ravenous. Shameless.
“Do you want to come?” he asked, eyes burning and wild.
My reply came out in a strangled whisper. “Yes. Please let me. Please… I need it.”
One hand snaked down between us again, and he pressed his thumb to my clit, rubbing it over the sizzling bundle of nerves until my jaw dropped and a choked scream flew out of my mouth. My body lit up like a Christmas tree, every inch tingling with electricity, and I cried out again and again.
The rest of the world with all its trials and miseries had faded, and Logan was the only thing I saw and felt. Him and all the delicious pleasure he brought me.
It was exactly what I needed now.
My legs quivered as he made me come again, right away, and he leaned down to kiss me, sucking on my tongue like I was water in the desert. Then he dragged his teeth along my lips, making a twinge of pain spiral into the pleasure, and my vision dotted with bright white spots.
I was flying so high I barely even registered it as he flipped me onto my stomach and came on my back in hot ribbons. Then he collapsed next to me, muttering under his breath as he panted. I did the same, waiting for him to say something. Wondering if I’d just made a terrible mistake.
What if I couldn’t separate sex from emotion in the end, even though I was so convinced I could? I’d heard stories from my friends before about the way they were so sure they could do it, only to find themselves falling deeper and deeper for the guys they were sleeping with until they broke their hearts.
I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. No.
This was different. I was different. All I had to do was remind myself I was a prisoner, forced to be here because of a fucked-up contract, and that would stop me from falling for Logan, no matter how nice he was from now on. No matter how much he helped me and protected me.
I loved everything he did to my body, loved it so much, but I couldn’t afford to start falling in love with him.
Not now. Not ever.
Too bad a tiny, fractious piece of me was whispering in the back of my mind, telling me it had already started….
14
Logan
With my head held high and my jaw tightly clenched, I strode toward the study my father was using while Thorne House was being rebuilt.
Willow was sound asleep back in our bedroom, exhausted from yesterday’s events. I knew she didn’t want me to talk to my father about any of the shit that was going on, but that wasn’t going to stop me. He needed to know I wouldn’t tolerate any fucking threats against her, no matter who he was.
I didn’t knock on the study door when I arrived. I simply tried the handle, found it unlocked and stepped inside. I was going for the element of surprise in the hope it would throw my dad off his game.
He was sitting at his desk, sipping at an espresso as he stared at his computer screen. When I approached, he glanced over at me with mild interest flickering in his eyes. “I was wondering when you’d finally show up,” he said in a bored tone.
I frowned. “I didn’t tell you I was coming.”
“I know, but I’ve been expecting you anyway.” He put his cup down. “Let me guess… you’re here to sneakily interrogate me so you can find out if I’m Q?”
I stared at him, brows lifting with surprise. That was unexpected.
“I’m not, by the way,” Dad went on before lifting his hand to smother a yawn.
I took a seat across from him and leaned forward, eyes narrowed. “How did you know why I came to see you?” I asked.
I already knew the answer. I just wanted to hear him say it.
He picked up his cup again and stared into it. “I wasn’t honest with you the other day. I did hear you talking to Willow,” he said. He took another sip of coffee, swallowed, and went on with a slight shake of his head. “I don’t know why I lied. I should’ve just told you. I suppose I was hoping to avoid all of this drama.”
My chest tightened as something suddenly occurred to me. Something I should’ve already realized by now.
If he’d eavesdropped on the entirety of our conversation the other day, that meant he’d finally learned about Willow running over Chloe. That in turn meant Willow was in more danger than ever before. He wouldn’t let her off the hook for doing something so terrible to his beloved daughter. No way.
With that disturbing realization, the old guilt set in again, like icy wind ripping right through me. I knew I shouldn’t care about Willow so deeply. She left my sister to die, for Christ’s sake, and yet, I couldn’t stand the thought of anything happening to her. It was messed up, but it was true.
I wished I could just switch off these fucking feelings. My life would be a hell of a lot easier if that was an option.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “So you came and stood outside our room and listened to us for twenty minutes?” I asked in an attempt to figure out just how much he’d overheard.
He chuckled. “No, it wasn’t like that,” he said, leaning forward. “I wasn’t lying when I said your mother and I decided to bring you coffee that morning. That was honestly the only reason I was in the hall.” He paused and casually waved a hand. “Anyway, Liz mentioned that you and Willow were having a rough time, and when we got there, I realized I could hear you talking. I figured I should stop and listen in for a few minutes. See if you’d patched things up. Then I realized you were talking about the Order. More specifically, Willow was asking you to investigate the whole society.”
I gritted my teeth and reached into my right jacket pocket. “So based on that, you sneaked in later and planted this?” I said, dumping the shattered remnants of the recording device on his desk.
His brows lifted as he stared down at the pieces, and his eyes widened slightly. It wasn’t the shocked and confused expression I would expect to see on someone who’d never seen the device before. He was simply surprised that I’d found it so fast.
“Well?” I said. “Is this yours? Or are you going to lie about that too?”
“It’s mine,” he admitted, lifting one palm. “But listen—I only put it there because I was worried about the two of you.”
“Worried?”
“Yes. You aren’t supposed to question the Order, so if you and Willow decided to investigate them and someone from the society found out, both of you would be viewed as traitors.” His brows dipped in a frown. “You know what the Order does to traitors, don’t you?”
“I’ve heard stories,” I muttered.
He went silent for a moment. “I know you don’t believe me on this particular subject, Logan, but I actually care about you,” he finally said. “I don’t want anything to happen to you or Willow. So I needed to ensure you dropped that topic permanently. Listening in on the rest of your conversations was the only way to find out if you had.”
I scoffed. “Where was all this concern when you ran straight to the rest of the Order and had them organize yesterday’s incident?”
He cocked his head to one side. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the body you dropped on the presidential parade.”
“I had absolutely nothing to do with that,” he said, leaning back again. He didn’t look even remotely ruffled.
I reached into my other pocket and fished out the threatening note Willow had received. “Really?” I said, slamming it down on the desk. “Because Willow grabbed this from the corpse’s mouth. Are you going to tell me it isn’t a direct warning from the Order?”
He picked up the note and turned it over in his hands, one eyebrow raised. “I’ve never seen this before.”
Christ, he was so full of shit.
I rolled my eyes upward. “So you didn’t tell the rest of the Orde
r anything? You overheard us talking about possibly investigating them, and you kept that traitorous act to yourself out of the goodness of your heart? And then someone else somehow found out what we discussed and made this happen?”
Dad sighed. “No one found out about your conversation, Logan. I didn’t tell a soul what I overheard.”
“So how do you explain this note, then?”
“Easily.” He pushed the paper back over to me. “The threat wasn’t for Willow.”
I narrowed my eyes. “How could you possibly know that? You just said you’ve never seen this note before.”
“I haven’t. I’m simply making an educated guess.”
“So who was it for, then?”
He pressed his thin lips into a flat line. “The body was dropped on the Rhoades family float at the parade, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Then the threat was probably for Quinn Rhoades.”
I frowned. “She doesn’t even know the Order exists. Why would they drop a warning on her like that?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Perhaps Q wants her to resign from the presidency because of the recent scandals, and he hopes she can be intimidated into doing so,” he said. “I don’t question what he does, or why. It’s not my place.”
“How could something like this body-drop even happen without you knowing?” I asked. I wasn’t going to stop calling out his obvious bullshit, no matter what he came up with as an excuse.
“Q organizes a lot of things without running them by the high council first,” he said, eyes barely wavering.
I arched an eyebrow and tapped my fingers together. “Really?”
“Yes. It’s his society, so he doesn’t need our permission,” he said. He gestured to the note again. “You’re right; that’s definitely from the Order. But I had no idea about it. Neither did anyone else in the council. That means it came directly from Q. And like I said earlier, I didn’t tell anyone about the conversation I heard between you and Willow. So that means there’s no way the threat was for her.”
My jaw clenched. Sure. “You seriously expect me to believe any of this?”
