by Jenny Penn
Molly tried. She had all the help in the world thanks to being late and having a busy shift. Things never ran smoothly at a restaurant. There were always issues that popped up, but normally those issues never blew up. Normally Molly didn’t let them, but that day it felt as if she was caught in the middle of a never-ending storm of problems.
* * * *
Logan whistled his way through his morning workout, more than aware of the looks he drew from his cousins, Bruce not included. That bastard slept in late that morning, saying he’d earned a day off. Logan didn’t know how he could be so lazy when he found himself strangely energized.
It was a beautiful fucking day.
Better yet, it was going to be another amazing night. Molly and her “we’ll see” didn’t stand a chance. Logan knew what that meant. Hell, he’d use that line himself only a million times. It meant the girl thought she was going to get away, but one night wasn’t enough. Not for Logan, and he was pretty damn sure not for Molly.
“God, you’re annoying,” Josh muttered, shooting Logan a dirty look as he began to sing along to the radio. “And you can’t hold a tune, so shut the fuck up.”
“Ah, leave him alone.” Tex came to Logan’s defense. “He’s just happy.”
Normally that was reason enough for the cousins to pick on each other, but lately things had started to change. The group of hardened, scowling men had begun to transform into a gaggle of grinning fools. That was what a good woman did to a man. Tex and Brick had found their woman. So had Collin and Jason. Logan was proud to join them.
He had the woman he wanted now, and she wasn’t getting away.
“I’m tired of happy people,” Josh grouched as he shot Logan a dirty look. “Kind of feeling the urge to punch something.”
Logan figured he was that something, but before he could taunt his cousin into taking a swing, Maryanne walked into the gym built into the back of Big Bob’s Bondsmen office. They needed to change the sign to bondsmen and women, Logan thought as he watched Maryanne pause to offer Collin a quick kiss before heading for the elliptical machine.
“Morning, Maryanne,” Logan called out, earning him a quick smile from the short woman.
Maryanne wasn’t exactly known for being friendly, though she made an exception for Collin and Jason. How his two cousins had managed to worm their way into the woman’s cold, tight-fisted heart, Logan didn’t know. He didn’t envy them. Maryanne was hard a stone and sharper than a tack. That made her one of the best damn bounty hunters around, and she knew it.
She also happened to be the only non-relative to work at the bonds office, though that was going to change. Logan eyed the massive engagement ring on the woman’s finger and wondered if Molly would demand such a big rock. He and Bruce could afford to buy one, but Logan would rather spend the money on something more practical, like a whirlpool tub for the master bath he and his cousin were working on.
They’d built two master suites into their farm house, having assumed that they’d be sharing the place with two separate wives. Why they’d thought that, Logan didn’t know, because it had become clear they’d be sharing only one. That meant they might have to redo their designs.
“Yo, Logan!” Jason came sauntering into the gym, breaking into Logan’s wayward thoughts as he called out his name. “Big Bob wants to see you in the office. Hey, honey, finally get out of bed?”
Jason directed that last bit toward Maryanne with a smile that left no doubt about why the two of them were late for work. The tiny titan, as Logan thought of Maryanne as, responded in kind with a one-finger retort and a look heated enough to make a mockery of her rude gesture. Jason just laughed and waggled his eyebrows.
“Oh God, get a room you two,” Josh groaned with obvious disgust, making Logan take a second look at his cousin as he paused on his way toward the door. It was Collin, though, that spoke up.
“Man, you’re grumpier than usual…got turned down last night, didn’t you?”
“Fuck you,” Josh shot back with a slight blush that had them all laughing.
Yeah, Craig had struck out, which was unusual for their family, but then most of them were a hell of a lot more friendly. Josh’s attitude tended to be a little sour. A fact that was advertised with his tendency to wear T-shirts with threatening messages on them.
Today his shirt read, You can run…but you can’t hide. That was the thought echoing through Logan’s head as he headed out and down the hall to Big Bob’s office. It felt like his motto right then, and he couldn’t wait to share it with Molly. That was just what he’d tell her, too, right after he got done fucking the prissiness out of her.
That thought had Logan grinning big enough to make his cheeks ache as he knocked on his uncle’s door. He didn’t wait to be invited in before shoving open the door to find that his uncle was not alone. Logan stumbled to a stop as he took in the sight of the most awesomely beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
Built like an amazon, she was tall with long raven locks and dressed to kick some ass. He might have lost his heart in that moment if it hadn’t already been claimed by Molly, but strangely enough, in that moment only one thought crossed Logan’s mind. Something big was up because the woman looked like she meant business. So did the man standing beside her.
It was clear with one glance that they were related, definitely siblings from the matching frowns they wore. They looked tense and ready for battle, but Big Bob looked as relaxed as always. Leaning back in his seat, he frowned at Logan as he pointedly glanced over his shoulder.
“Where is Bruce?”
Logan snorted, meeting his uncle’s gaze with a knowing look. “He’s taking a personal day.”
“Personal day?” Big Bob huffed, clearly irritated by the idea. “Yeah, right. You call that lazy bastard up and tell him to get off whatever woman he’s on top of and get his ass into work. You two got a job to do.”
That didn’t sound good.
* * * *
Bruce yawned, smacking his lips and feeling way too good to answer the phone that kept ringing, but he knew there was no way to make the annoying chime stop other than pick up the cell sitting on the nightstand. Begrudgingly, that was just what he did, though he didn’t bother to greet whatever jerk had ruined his sleep. Logan didn’t wait for one either before he barked an order at Bruce.
“Big Bob wants you down here now. We’ve got a job.”
Bruce grunted at that and slammed the phone back down. He didn’t want a job. Jobs took time, and time was what he needed to recover from last night’s orgy. That had been fun. Fun enough for him to anticipate doing it again, but first he needed to recover his strength, not waste it chasing some asshole down.
Luck wasn’t running his way. If Big Bob wanted him at work, then the bastard would show at Bruce’s door and drag his ass out of bed if he didn’t manage to get a move on it. Bruce knew that to be true because it had happened before. So, with a groan, he shoved himself up and ambled down to the bathroom.
He needed a shower first, but he made it quick and managed to get dressed and be headed out the front door within a half-hour. Unfortunately, he didn’t manage to avoid Trisha, who was just stepping out her own door as Bruce opened his. The woman actually had the audacity to shoot him a dirty look.
“So you two get what you want last night?” she grumbled, making Bruce bristle with irritation.
“I could ask you the same,” he shot back. “Or did Harvey not finish you off before you got interrupted?”
“Fuck you, Bruce,” Trisha snapped, managing to sound honestly pissed when she didn’t have any right to that emotion. “And don’t think I don’t know that you and your ass of a cousin didn’t set this all up.”
“Please.” Bruce might be guilty of a lot of things, but this was not one he’d take the blame for. “Nobody made you spread your legs. You did that all on your own, honey.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not the only one who plays it fast and loose, am I?”
Bruce didn’t respond to that. He
didn’t have a response because Trisha wasn’t exactly wrong. He had a well-earned reputation for loving the ladies, even other guys’ ladies, but he was a reformed man. Reformed right in that moment because just the idea of Molly with another man had his mood blackening with a murderous, simmering rage.
That better never happen, or he very well might end up serving a life sentence in jail. Not that Bruce actually worried about that. Unlike Trisha or even him, Molly was an honest sort. She’d never betray anybody like that. It just wasn’t in her DNA. Neither was dating men like him. That didn’t change the fact that she was his. He’d caught her, and he wasn’t letting go.
It was just as simple as that.
With that determination adding an extra bit of swagger to his step, he sauntered down the front path toward where his motorcycle waited by the curb. With the sun shining, the wind blowing in his face, it was the perfect day for a ride, and Bruce couldn’t help but enjoy the trip down to the office. Two minutes after arriving, though, he knew that the rest of the day wasn’t going to go as smoothly.
* * * *
Molly’s day did not improve in the slightest, not that things ever ran smoothly at the restaurant, but that day felt more hectic than most. It started with the kitchen crew showing up late, making it a rush to get everything prepped by lunchtime. The deliveries, unfortunately, arrived right on time, making the chaos in the kitchen that much more intense.
Thing just piled up from there.
Those problems, though, were manageable, unlike the rest of her life. Molly had some big decisions to make. First and foremost, where to go? She didn’t really want to go home to Trisha. She didn’t even want to see that bitch, much less Logan or Bruce.
Last night had been a mistake, one she might be able to forgive herself for, but Molly feared she’d never be able to forget. Haunted by memories of the previous evening, Molly had spent the day more than half aroused and hungry for more. She’d also spent half the day disgusted by her complete lack of control.
It didn’t matter how good Logan and Bruce might be at making a woman moan, They were not the right type of men for her. They liked to drive fast, live dangerously, and play games. Molly, on the other hand, believed in speed limits and seat belts. She liked everything to be organized and lived by a simple motto—envision it, plan it, enact it, and anything was possible.
Molly only wanted everything.
That was just what getting involved with men like Logan and Bruce could cost he—everything. They were reckless. She couldn’t afford to be so careless. Careless was exactly what getting involved with the Holmes cousins would be. Knowing that and feeling it were too different things, though. The truth was that Molly felt a little tempted by the idea of being not careless but carefree.
She was just too sensible to give in to that urge, which was why by the end of her shift she was more than just physically exhausted. Molly was also emotionally drained from her own internal battle and still didn’t have a clue as to where she was headed as she walked out the front door of the restaurant.
“Molly!” Harvey called out as he came racing up to her.
Molly’s steps faltered as she heard the one voice she didn’t want to ever hear again, but there was no avoiding Harvey as he jogged toward her. She should have expected this, should have given some consideration to how she was going to handle this moment. The truth was, though, that she hadn’t. Molly had been too obsessed with her thoughts of Logan and Bruce to pay much mind to Harvey. Not that there was reason to pay him any mind. That relationship was over.
“Molly.” Harvey panted out her name as he came to a stop, flushed by the little exertion it had taken him to cross the parking lot.
The sight of the sweat beading on his brow had Molly wondering what she’d ever seen in Harvey. Sure he had a stable job and was perfectly polite and considerate, but he was also short, thin, and a total turd. It was then that it dawned on her that she’d never been truly attracted to him. Not the way she was to Bruce and Logan.
So maybe she shouldn’t blame him for looking for attention elsewhere…but she was going to anyway.
“What do you want?” Molly asked, stiffening up and giving him a look as if she’d smelled something foul.
“I–”
“I have nothing to say to you.” Molly cut Harvey off before he could get out whatever lame-ass excuse he was about to make. She didn’t even bother to disguise her disgust as she made herself plain. “So why don’t you go grab your anal beads and go bother Trisha.”
“Damn it, Molly!” Harvey spat, rearing back as if she’d slapped him. “I didn’t come here to level insults and argue.”
“Yeah? Then what did you come for?” Not that she cared, but Molly was anticipating shooting down anything he said, except for what he did say.
“I just wanted you to know your new little screw buddy isn’t innocent in all of this,” Harvey shot back, all but snarling over his words.
That caught Molly off guard. She’d been expecting an apology at the very least, not to be assaulted with that revelation. “Excuse me?”
So Harvey knew what had happened between her and Bruce and Logan. That wasn’t shocking. The walls between their apartments weren’t that thick. Neither was it surprising that he’d accuse her of being just as guilty of betrayal as him. What did cut through Molly’s indignation was the fact that so was Logan.
“You heard me,” Harvey retorted. “Your little fuck buddy, Logan, set me up.”
“Oh, really?” Molly didn’t want to believe that, and she didn’t. “What did he do? Force you to stick your dick in Trisha?”
“All but,” Harvey muttered, looking like a feral animal ready to strike, and he did. “Who do you think told me what a good fuck she was? And how do you think he knew that?”
Those words cut deep into Molly’s heart, unleashing a painful ache that left her momentarily spellbound. She couldn’t move, couldn’t respond, couldn’t do anything but stand there and suffer as Harvey snorted.
“Yeah, Logan didn’t tell you that, did he?” Harvey smirked, landing one more blow before turning and storming off. “By the way, she is better.”
Chapter Five
Logan stared down at the folder spread out on the coffee table before him and felt his stomach churn with true disgust. Guy Roswell was the kind of sadistic monster that should only live in nightmares. Unfortunately, Guy was very real.
Worse, he was in town, or so Carmen and Tony Montez believed. Twins and fellow hunters, they loomed over Logan in the tiny living room as he went through their files. Their stances betrayed their military backgrounds. They weren’t in the Marines anymore, though, and Logan hated stiff people.
Hell, neither sibling had even cracked a smile when Bruce had fallen into the dumpster not half an hour back. Logan, on the other hand, had laughed so hard he’d cried tears of pure joy. It had been that funny, mostly because Bruce had come out smelling like a bag of poop.
They’d been trying to catch a peek in an upper story window at the Oaks apartment complex. When Tony had started scaling the wall like some kind of spider, Bruce had jumped on the opportunity to play at superhero, too. The only problem was that Bruce wasn’t any kind of hero.
Tony had gotten his peek, and Bruce had fallen into the trash can.
How could Logan not laugh? He sure wasn’t laughing now, though. There was nothing funny in the profile laid out before him. Guy wasn’t just a murder. He was a torturer, who enjoyed playing with his victims. He had very active imagination. That had earned him a top spot on the wanted list. That also made him worth a pretty penny, a few million of them, and the Montez twins were willing to split the bounty.
Not that it was about the money. He just wanted the bragging rights for taking a piece of trash like this out. The question was where the little turd hiding out because he sure wasn’t in the apartment Tony had checked out. Logan studied the list of places Guy liked to haunt while he tried to think of a list of comparable places in town.
The problem wasn’t made any easier by the fact that Guy liked to do his hunting online. He was into dating sights and luring women out to be caught. That was up to the police to monitor. Finding where he might take a victim was up to Logan. He was so engrossed in that problem he barely thought for a second about nodding at Carmen when the door shook with a hard pound.
“Mind getting that?”
Carmen didn’t answer. She just turned toward the door.
* * * *
Molly was quivering with rage, and that was before the centerfold answered Bruce and Logan’s door. Her eyes widened on the other woman, the curses she’d thought to throw at either Bruce or Logan flying out of her mind as she caught a flash of movement over the woman’s shoulder. Her gaze narrowed on the sight of Bruce coming out of the bathroom, whistling a happy tune and wearing nothing more than a towel.
It hit her in that second what was going on.
She felt sick in an instant and gave in to the instinct to flee. Molly didn’t know where she was headed, but she was getting as far away from the apartments she’d called home as she could. The place was a nightmare.
“Molly!”
She heard the frantic tone in Logan’s holler just as she heard him stumbling over furniture to catch up with her, but she didn’t pause for a second, not even when his hand latched onto her arm. Without thought, Molly spun and raised her knee all in one motion, landing a hard blow to Logan’s crotch that had him shrieking with pain and all but falling over as he stumbled backward.
He released her instantly, but Molly didn’t flee. Instead, she loomed over him and spat out one accusation after another.
“You slept with Trisha!”
“Uh…”
“You set this all into motion!”
“I…”
“Don’t even bother trying to deny it,” Molly snapped, not even sure if Logan had planned on defending himself. The sounds falling from his lips were indecipherable as actual words and were more like groans, but Molly felt no sympathy for him and showed him no mercy.
