Logan

by Melissa Schroeder

  Logan said nothing, as he continued to eat, but he did nod. Meg hated silences, hated the long pauses that others seemed to have no trouble dealing with. It always seemed like bad things followed those long silences. While she always felt safe, there was always the long pauses in conversations that made her a bit uncomfortable.

  “Good morning, everyone,” Angus said, as he walked into the room. “I’m famished.”

  “I just bet you are,” Logan said with a smile.

  “Where’s Mum?” Jack asked as he drank his milk.

  “She’s taking a shower,” Angus said, as he leaned down and whispered in Jack’s ear. The boy laughed. He tussled the boy’s hair then looked at Meg. “Sorry if he woke you up, Meg.”

  She shook her head. “No problem, but he didn’t wake me up. He woke Logan up.”

  Logan grunted, as he continued to eat. Really, the man was in a mood today.

  “I’ve always been an early riser,” she said, as Angus grabbed something to eat. “It’s part of the job.”

  Logan eyed her. “Part of the job? So, grifting forced you to get up early?”

  She smiled, completely at ease with her checkered past. Unless she was on the job, she never tried to hide who she was. “You never know if you need to get out of town, so it’s just best you get up early. Or, so said my father.”

  In fact, it was one of the last things he ever said to her before he was murdered.

  She pushed those thoughts away and smiled at Jack. He was studying her as if, once again, he was reading her thoughts. Reaching over, he patted her hand. Her heart turned over at the simple gesture. She smiled at him.

  “So, Jack, what’s on your schedule today?”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Logan prowled his office, unable to sit in any spot for more than a few minutes. Even sketching or painting did not help. He had days like this, but not that often. Most of the time, he would take a mental day, but lately, he’d tried to stay close to home.

  It was hard to explain to anyone just what was wrong with him at the moment—even to himself.

  “You’re going to wear out the rug,” Fletcher said.

  Logan frowned at his cousin. Fletcher had appeared ten minutes earlier and had stretched out on the couch in Logan’s office. They got along most of the time. Logan was pretty sure Fletcher had picked up on his mood and wanted to irritate him further. Logan tossed his cousin what he hoped was a nasty look.

  “Maybe I want to wear a hole in the rug.” He sounded like a prat but he didn’t give a damn.

  It wasn’t a particularly mature thing to say, but it kept him from saying what he really felt. Telling anyone, especially Fletcher—who, even after over two centuries, was still a walking hormone—he had an itch he needed scratched, was a mistake. The fact that a Siren Witch was the only one who could relieve that pain worried him more than anything.

  “Why don’t you just bed the witch and get it over with?”

  Logan stopped and stared at him. “What?”

  “It’s obvious to me that you want Meg. Bed her, get her out of your system.”

  “What a bloody brilliant suggestion, Fletch. Because that will work with the woman under our roof.”

  “You’ve never been such a stickler for the rules.”

  He sighed and sat down in his chair. “No, but then, I have a feeling she has something to do with the quest.”

  Fletcher looked up from his tablet. “Why?”

  “Everyone who has come into our lives in the last year has had something to do with it. First Phoebe, then Maggie, now Meghan. Not sure what it is, but there has to be a reason she’s hanging around.”

  “Of course. Because living in a mansion in Scotland is what every woman hates. Just the amount of food she eats could send a man to the poor house.”

  He looked at his cousin, realizing he wasn’t joking. “Oh, Fletcher, I thought you were smarter than that. She’s loaded. She doesn’t need to be with us.”

  “Really?”

  Fletcher did look a little surprised—which was out of character for him. Most people would look at Fletcher and take him for a man who didn’t have a care in the world. He was known to flirt with too many women and he was definitely a charmer. But there was a serious side to Fletcher. He handled their security and could hunt down just about any criminal if needed. All of them were smart, but Fletcher and Angus always competed to have the highest IQ

  “You mean you didn’t check her out?” Logan asked.

  He shook his head. “No.”

  “Why not?”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t want to find something that would force us to kick her out of the house. Maggie loves her like a sister.”

  “And I take it you haven’t checked out Rena?”

  “Can’t. I did a quick check on Meg to make sure she wasn’t connected to the McWaltons. A few things came up, but they were all from her grifting days. When I checked out Rena, she doesn’t exist.”

  He frowned. “What do you mean, she doesn’t exist?”

  “She’s a Fae with a fake name. Of course she doesn’t exist on paper.”

  He nodded mulling it over. “You really didn’t know Meg had money?”

  “Well, really, how much could she have?”

  “Not sure, but I do know she has several houses in the US along with a few on the continent and a flat in London. Apparently, she can afford to live a pretty lavish lifestyle.”

  “Hmm.”

  “What?”

  “Well, how did she do that?” Fletcher asked.

  “Grifting. Really, Fletcher, what’s wrong with you? You’re our head of security.”

  “Maybe I don’t want to get up close and personal with a woman who might just turn out to be a cousin-in-law some day.”

  The simple statement sent a tremor of fear straight to his heart. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Two women showed up, two of us got married. You do the math. And I say Meg is yours.”

  The tremor turned to outright panic. He swallowed passed the tightness in his throat. “No way.”

  “Okay,” Fletcher said, shrugging.

  Logan wanted him to argue more so he could deny Meg was his destiny. Lord knew he was attracted to her, but a relationship with a woman who made her living lying to people was something he didn’t want.

  “In other news, I guess we’re having a family meeting later this afternoon,” Fletcher said.

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. Phoebe called it so it probably has something to do with that bloody diary.”

  Great, now he had to deal with that. It had been months since Phoebe had talked about the diary or the curse. Oh, she would mention something here and there, but she had been very quiet on the next event.

  “I am not in the mood for that.”

  Fletcher smiled, but there was little humor in it. “Well, none of us have a choice these days, do we?”

  Logan sighed and walked over to the window, looking out over the sunny day. Whatever was coming their way, he knew at some point, it would be his turn.

  “No, we don’t have a choice,” he said. He looked at his watch to check the time and realized he had a meeting. “But, I have things to get out of the way this morning. Go away.”

  Fletcher laughed and Logan looked over his shoulder.

  “Yeah, you need a really good, hard shag.”

  He said nothing as Fletcher left him alone. A good, hard shag sounded like a brilliant plan, but he didn’t have the time. Drawing in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and tried to get his mind set to work. That was a mistake. Images danced through his brain. Soft skin, silky honey brown hair…then the sounds flashed through him. Long, throaty moans…his name…her mouth on his flesh.

  He pulled back and opened his eyes. The woman had to have put a spell on him because in two centuries, he had never been so tangled up by a woman. Glancing at the time again, he realized he would have to use any extra time he had for a cold shower.

  Bugger.


  * * * *

  Closing her eyes, Meg lifted her face. The sun was warm on her skin, as she sat in the garden, and her mind started to drift. A branch snapped behind her. She knew without looking it was Maggie.

  “You could never sneak up on me.”

  “Why would I want to sneak up on you?” Maggie asked, her voice filled with humor. She sat down on the bench next to Meg. “Beautiful day.”

  “And you only talk about trivial things when you have something you don’t want to tell me.”

  “Not that I don’t want to tell you. I’ve been sent by Phoebe to ask you to come to the family meeting.”

  She opened her eyes and looked at Maggie. It was the first time she’d been summoned for one of the meetings. It wasn’t that she couldn’t hear them, because they often got quite loud. In fact, they shouted all the time in the gatherings, but Meg had been left off the guest list.

  “Why?”

  “I’m not sure, but she said we need you for some reason. It’s at four.”

  That explanation didn’t make her feel any better. Being needed led to complications. Was this why she hadn’t felt the need to move on. Meg rarely stayed long in one place, but for months now, she couldn’t seem to hit the road. Something was holding her back.

  “Does that mean tea with Devonshire cream?”

  Maggie chuckled. “I’m sure Belvidore would do that for you.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “Please, the man will do anything to make you happy. I didn’t know you would ever use your powers to get something to eat.”

  “I have before. Remember that time we were stuck in Belfast, not a quid among us and we were starving. You were talking of selling your body and Rena said--”

  “I said a crumb would never satisfy us,” Rena finished her sentence as she appeared in front of them.

  “Bloody hell, stop popping in like that,” Maggie said, scowling at her. “You know I hate it.”

  Rena smiled and took the bench opposite of them. “I believe they want you there for a reason, Meg. They probably need your help.”

  “Have you been reading their thoughts?” Maggie asked.

  “No. Well, it’s hard to avoid them sometimes.” She shook her head. “These immortals are very loud. Sometimes it hurts my brain.”

  “Oh, that’s not good,” Meg said. “We need to teach them to hide their thoughts. That could end up badly for them in these situations.”

  “That’s a very good point,” Anice said as she joined them.

  Meg frowned, irritated. All she had wanted was a few moments of meditation to get the idea of sex out of her brain. It had been dogging her every step during the day. If she didn’t get it under control, she would do something stupid.

  “Good lord, does everyone congregate around here?” Meg asked. “Where’s Phoebe? Maybe she needs to come on in.”

  “What?” Anice asked.

  “Phoebe. Where is she?”

  “Sleeping. She needed a nap.”

  Meg sighed. She loved being with women, but today she had needed solitude. Her body was buzzing with sexual tension and without some alone time, she couldn’t reach the calm she needed to function.

  “You’re not going to get it around here,” Rena said.

  “Stay out of my head, Fae,” Meg warned.

  “So, you can all read our thoughts?” Anice asked, taking the bench next to Rena.

  Rena said nothing as the woman sat next to her as if they were old friends. Normally, Meg would expect Rena to tell her to move. Or make her move. But, there was something about the McLennans that drew all of them. Maggie, Meg, and Rena all were drawn to the house and the people who lived in it. They did not seem to be able to stay away for long. And well, Anice was like an innocent. An innocent who was older than all of them.

  “We can probe. I can’t really do it,” Maggie said. “Just with these two. And really, Rena is the best.”

  Rena pursed her lips. “You are all very shouty with your thoughts.”

  Anice chuckled. “We tend to live up to the temperamental Scot stereotype.”

  Rena nodded. “Of course, it would be best if you could be trained, but I have a feeling Logan will not have that chance. I believe the next quest is his.”

  That had her heart racing and her mouth going dry. She knew they were immortal and that nothing could hurt them, but the fear was real. Twice now, the cousins had faced danger. “What?”

  “Nothing I really know for sure, but I have noticed that Phoebe’s worried about him and that means she thinks something is going to happen.”

  “And if something is going to happen, then that means he’s next,” Anice said with a sigh. “He’s been in a right horrible mood for weeks.”

  “He’s an artist. Don’t they all get like that?” Meg asked.

  “No. Not Logan. I’m sure when he was younger. Much younger,” she said with a smile. “But, Logan has always been kind of go with the flow.”

  “I thought artists were passionate.”

  “Oh, he is that. Don’t get in his way when he’s got something going on canvas, but lately, he’s just been a little off.”

  And a cousin who spent centuries with him would know.

  “I think we all are,” Anice said. “We’re all very stressed about breaking the curse and who will be next.”

  “Then we should find out this afternoon,” Maggie said.

  “That’s true,” Meg said.

  And if it had to do with Logan and her, it could only spell trouble. Damn.

  “So, why don’t you tell me how you all met?” Anice said.

  Maggie laughed and started to tell the story. Meg sat back and ignored the worries that crowded her mind to enjoy it.

  * * * *

  “Are you coming, Miss Meghan?” Jack said from the doorway of her room.

  She glanced at him and smiled. It was so like the boy to show up when she had been trying to waste time to come up with a reason to avoid the meeting. Meg knew there was no way out of it, other than running away. Jack probably sensed her hesitation and decided to show up.

  “Yes.”

  Glancing in the dresser mirror, she checked her appearance.

  “Don’t worry, he thinks you’re pretty.”

  She slanted him a look. “Is that so?”

  Jack nodded. “He dreams of you.”

  She leaned down and crooked a finger at him. He did her bidding.

  “Just who are you talking about?”

  “Logan,” he said, in a voice that told her he thought she was being stupid.

  “Logan? And why would I care about that?”

  He shrugged. “Not sure. I don’t understand it.”

  Oh, Magickal children were the worst. Now she knew why her father would get so irritated with her. “What don’t you understand?”

  “You have all these weird feelings about him. Why would you ever want him to touch you?”

  Meg drew in a quick deep breath. “I didn’t say that.”

  “Nope, but you thought it.”

  “Let’s not tell anyone I was thinking that.”

  He shook his head. “No. It wouldn’t be right.”

  With a sigh, she held out her hand. Jack took it, and they walked out of her room and down the hall. Meg enjoyed listening as Jack chattered on about his activities for the day. He was such a happy child. Maggie was the one they always knew would make an excellent mother. Maggie had always had her doubts, but she was the one who had taken care of them all over the years. And she had raised a fine son.

  They reached the room, which was already filled with McLennans. Lord, they always took her breath away. Each one was sexy in his own right, in his own way...but they all bore the same bone structure. And, she thought with a smile, they had the same swagger when they walked. There was an air of self-containment about each of them.

  “Come in, Meg,” Phoebe said with a smile. The laird’s wife was just starting to show her pregnancy and she was radiant with it. “
I understand Belvidore brought Devonshire cream and deemed it yours.”

  She smiled. He really was the dearest of men. He reminded her of her father, in the way he took care of her. She never had to worry about being hungry, thirsty, or cold. Before she could ask for it, Belvidore had whatever she needed.

  “I guess I can share some with Jack. What do you say?”

  He smiled and nodded. They walked over to the tray and she helped him get his scones and cream. Phoebe started to talk.

  “Of course, all of you realize why I sent for you. Our next jewel has been revealed, and it’s sapphire.”

  “Okay. And what does that mean to us?” Fletcher asked.

  “Nothing to you and Anice. It has to do with Logan.”

  If anything, Logan’s scowl turned darker. “So, it’s mine. Where is it?”

  “Paris,” Callum said, his gaze resting on Meg. A feeling of dread enveloped her.

  “Paris? Ohhh, why can’t sapphire be mine? I love, love, love Paris,” Anice said.

  “Yes, we know, but this has to do with an art collector. And the man knows both Meg and Logan.”

  Logan glanced at her, then looked at his cousin. “Who is it?”

  “Pierre Morin.”

  The name sent a sharp shard of pain to her heart. He was the one person she never wanted to see. Ever.

  Maggie looked at her. “When was the last time you saw him?”

  Meg sighed. “It was quite a while ago.”

  Right after her father had been murdered, and Pierre had tried his best to get her arrested for stealing from him. For once, she had not been on a grift. It had taught her being honest with people was never good.

  “You still have that great flat over there?” Maggie asked.

  Nodding as cords of anxiety wrapped around her chest. Lord, she was going back to Paris and had to see Pierre. She was so not liking where this was going.

  “I only met Morin once,” Logan said.

  She turned to Logan. “And you know once he gets hold of a piece, you just can’t get it away from him.”