by Desiree Holt
“Okay, but we do need to get you out of here before this thing rolls over.”
She sat very still while Logan unlatched her seat belt. When he shifted and turned his head, his gaze locked with hers. Something hot and dark and mysterious surged between them. For a moment that stretched into eternity, they stayed like that. Then, whatever it was disappeared and he concentrated on easing her from the car.
With a combination of gentleness and strength he lifted her from the car and carried her to where his truck was parked.
“Is this what you do, Logan Malik?” Her voice was shaky. “Go around rescuing women in distress?”
“If they’re in trouble. Especially beautiful ones.” He opened his passenger door, and guided her onto the seat. “Stay right there, okay?”
He pulled out his cell and punched in some numbers. He felt her eyes focus on him while he gave the location to the tow truck driver.
“Yeah, out on Seacliff Road,” he said into his phone. “Okay, good.”
He hung up and punched in the number for Arrowhead Bay Police.
“Chief March, please. Hey, Sheri, it’s Logan.” He quickly outlined the situation. “Yeah, I already called for a tow but can you call up EMS? The driver has some injuries.”
“No.” Devon shouted the word. “Please, Logan, if I needed medical attention, I’d be smart enough to tell you.”
He studied her for a moment, then nodded his head. “Forget EMS. Oh, and hey. Will you call Avery? She might as well find out now what I stuck my nose into. Thanks.” He stuck the phone back into his pocket.
Devon looked at him, frowning. “Avery? Sheri’s sister? Why are you calling her?”
He grinned. “She’s my boss. She likes to know when I get myself into trouble.”
“Oh.” She bit her lip, pulling her full bottom lip between even, white teeth. “You work for Vigilance, the bodyguard agency?”
He laughed. “Among other things. Hence the gun.” He winked. “You never know when you might need good protection.” He sobered. “Do you have any idea who those assholes were?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’ve never seen them before.”
“Do you happen to have an idea what they were after? This didn’t look like your everyday roadside mugging. In fact, I’d say they’re some pretty nasty characters.”
“I think they were looking for my father, but I have no idea where he is.” Pain slashed across her face.
Uh-oh.
Like everyone else in Arrowhead Bay, he was well aware that at dawn this morning a Coast Guard cutter on patrol had found Graham Cole’s sweet catamaran, Princess Devon, floating unoccupied about five miles from shore. The Guard was well into an intensive search for a body.
“You have any idea what scum like that would be doing looking for him?”
“I wish.” She did that thing with her bottom lip again, and Logan gritted his teeth against the surge of lust that powered through him. Holy hell. He was more disciplined than that.
“No worries,” he assured her. “We’ll get you taken care of and make sure you’re safe.”
“I think you’re already doing that. Anyway, Chief March—Sheridan—called me this morning and here I am.”
“How come you didn’t leave your stuff at the house? I saw everything still in the back seat of your car.”
“I, uh, decided I wanted to see Sheri first. I realized I should have stopped there before heading out this way.”
“Probably a good idea.” He leaned against the frame of the truck. “You sure didn’t need this on top of everything else.”
But she was certainly handling it well, he thought. She was understandably frightened and dealing with the shock of her father’s disappearance, yet she was holding herself together with a strength that impressed him.
She looked up and gave him an obviously forced smile. “I don’t know what you were doing on this road, but I’m sure glad you were here.”
“Me, too.”
Chapter 2
The shrill sound of sirens announced the arrival of the police. Two cars turned around and parked behind Logan’s truck. A young patrol officer climbed out of the first one, followed by Sheri March, who had driven the second car. Devon always thought how unlike a chief of police the woman looked. Standing five foot five, she had a lean, compact body and a heart-shaped face, topped by fiery red curls. A lot of people had been fooled by her appearance and refused to take her seriously, even dressed as she was today in the familiar khaki shirt and pants of the police department. Most of them were still regretting it. Right now Devon was beyond glad to see her.
Sheri jogged up to Logan’s truck and gave Devon an assessing look before she said anything.
“You okay, Dev?”
Devon nodded once. “I think so.” She hated the fact her voice was still so shaky. “Thanks to this nice man here.”
“Nice man, huh?” Sheri grinned at Logan. “I’ll pass that along to my sister.”
He shrugged. “All in a day’s work.”
Devon looked at Sheri. “Have you heard any more from the Coast Guard?”
“Yes, and no. Yes, I heard from them and no, there is nothing new.” Her eyes were filled with sympathy. “I know this is hard, Devon, but Commander John Schnelling is experienced and he’s been doing search and rescue for a long time. If your father is out there, he can find him.”
Devon rubbed her arms, suddenly chilled, ignoring the soreness left by the chunks and pebbles of glass.
“I know, I just—I— Thank you, Sheri.”
“You know we’re doing everything we can, right? And we’ll keep on doing it.”
“Want me to take the report on this, Chief?” The patrol officer had moved up to stand beside them.
“Just get some shots of the scene before they cart her car away. I’ll get as much as I can from Logan and the rest from Devon later.”
“Sheri, I can answer questions now,” Devon protested, although she really, really wanted to get off this road. Even the house with its eerie feeling looked better to her.
“No. If you’re positive you don’t want us to take you to the clinic, then let’s get you home.” She looked at Logan. “I’m sure you got a license plate number. Right?”
“Yes, but I’ll bet it will either come back stolen or we’ll find it’s a dead end.”
Sheri made a face. “Of course. These are no amateurs. What did they look like?”
Logan gave them a brief description of the men, more detailed than Devon knew she’d be able to.
“Devon, did they say anything to you?”
She nodded her head. “They wanted to know where he was. I assume the he is my father. And I’d better tell them or worse would happen.”
She was surprised her voice sounded as steady as it did, considering her heart was still pounding with a combination of fear and anger.
Logan squinted his eyes against the sun as he looked back up the asphalt ribbon of Seacliff Road. “You just got here. How did anyone even know you were coming? Or when you’d be here?”
“I have no idea.” She’d wondered the same thing herself. “The only person I spoke to was Sheri, and I don’t think these guys hang out in her office.”
“They could have been watching the house,” Sheri pointed out.
“So why not try to corner me there?” Devon asked.
“Maybe that’s what they planned,” Sheri suggested, “but then they saw you leave.”
Devon snapped her fingers. “The phone calls.”
Sheri and Logan looked at her and spoke in unison. “What phone calls?”
Devon told them about the two calls she’d received.
“Checking on you,” Logan pointed out. “You told them you were leaving the house. They decided to follow you and trap you on the road. There’s hardly any traffic out,
and they knew at the curve they could run you off into the ditch and corner you.”
“In any event,” Sheri added, “let’s watch what we say, who we say it to, and who’s around when we do.”
“No kidding.” Devon rubbed her forehead, trying to ease the building headache. Damn it. She had to pull herself together. If only she had some answers. Daddy, what’s happened to you? She felt her throat tighten as tears threatened and forced herself to swallow. Then she remembered something.
“Sheri?”
The chief of police turned to her. “Yes?”
“While I was driving here, I kept trying to call my dad. The landline has no answering machine, but he has voicemail on his cell. It didn’t answer, though.”
“That’s because he doesn’t have it.”
Devon frowned. “What?”
“We found it on the floor in the garage, the only thing out of place.”
“But it still would have gone to voicemail, wouldn’t it?”
“We think your father might have dropped it when he was leaving.” Sheri paused. “Devon, he restored it all to its original factory settings. That’s a good indication of premeditation on his part.”
“But why? Maybe he was planning to get a new one and just didn’t have a chance to pick it up.”
“Anything is possible,” Sheri agreed. “We’re looking at every angle, I promise you.”
“So you couldn’t get anything from it?” she persisted. “Texts? Numbers? Nothing?”
“There is a way to get past the factory wipe and restore all the data on it. We’re working on that right now.”
“Working how?” And how fast, she wanted to ask.
“One option is a warrant to do whatever is needed to dig out the information still hidden there.”
“And the other?”
“I want to talk to Avery about it, which is why it’s still locked in my evidence lockers. No matter what, we’re going to find out what happened.” She touched Devon’s hand. “I promise you that.”
Logan crouched down beside her and looked at her intently, his eyes assessing her. For the first time, she got a good look at him.
His eyes were grayish blue like the ocean on a stormy day. Eyes a woman could lose herself in. Eyes that gave away no secrets about the man. They were framed by sinfully thick lashes that matched hair blacker than midnight, which hung to his collar. His chiseled jaw had just the right amount of scruff. A thin, nearly invisible white scar that traveled from his eyebrow to his jaw. Firm lips that teased upward in a half smile. And a body, leaning squarely over her, that looked to be all hard muscle that strained the fabric of his black T-shirt and his jeans. It could have been created by a sculptor. He was the most darkly gorgeous man she’d ever seen. She stared at him and felt as if a lightning bolt had struck clean through her.
Oh, God. The sizzle between them was so hot she wondered it didn’t crackle in the air. Did he feel it just as strongly?
Damn, Devon. This isn’t the time for this.
Then she thought, I can’t let him see what a mess I am inside.
Sheri moved up beside Logan. “Listen, guys, I hate to pour more hot oil on this, but we’ve got another problem here. One more reason to get the hell off this road and get Devon inside somewhere. You’ve seen the reporters in town, right?”
He nodded. “Like rats after dead meat. They were here when the Coast Guard report went out and they went on high alert. Suddenly it became more than chasing the story about Vince Pellegrino’s so-called accident. I heard them talking in Fresh Roasted this morning. There are no secrets in Arrowhead Bay.”
“Graham Cole is a story all by himself,” she reminded him. “The death of his vice president was all over the news and just stirs the pot even more.”
“What death?” Logan narrowed his eyes. “I make it my business to stay away from the news except when it has to do with a client. You think this all has something to do with Cole International?”
“With a corporation that size,” Sheri said, “all kinds of things are possible. I chased away all but a couple of the jerks, but if they sniff out that Devon’s here, and find out about this…episode, they’ll be hot after her.”
Devon listened to them, the nausea growing inside her.
“Well,” Logan drawled, “we just won’t let that happen.”
He started to say something else when yet another car pulled up and Avery March popped out of it. “Hey, Devon. How’s it going?”
Devon’s laugh was slightly hysterical. “Oh, great, Avery. Best day of my life.”
She laughed. “Sheri told me my star employee is managing to keep himself busy. I figured I’d check it out for myself.”
“And right now being busy means getting Devon’s stuff out of her car before the tow truck gets here,” he told her.
Devon looked at Avery. “I get the feeling from the way he handled my little incident he’s probably in a class by himself.”
Avery nodded. “You’ve got that right. He was in the Marines before he hired on with Vigilance.” She leaned closer to Devon. “Don’t tell anyone, but he knows twenty different ways to kill a man.” She winked.
Devon’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”
“Uh-uh. I’d definitely want him on my side.”
Devon silently blessed whatever act of the fates had sent Logan to her…and by extension, Avery…at just the right time. He had saved her, and that feeling of being protected flashed through her every time she looked at him.
It took him two trips but Logan soon had everything out of her car and stashed it in his truck.
“Thank you.” She gave him a grateful smile.
“No problem.” He winked. “I live to serve.”
The noise of a heavy vehicle sounded and the tow truck lumbered up to where they were. The driver hopped out and greeted Sheri and Avery before asking everyone to move their vehicles so he could hook up Devon’s car.
Devon thought one of the nicest things about a small town like Arrowhead Bay was the camaraderie. Sheri had told her once that after you meet someone here they’re no longer a stranger. Right now that small-town atmosphere was steadying her nerves.
Not that Logan Malik wasn’t doing his share in that department.
“Chief?” The patrol officer materialized. “You want me to take statements or are you doing it?”
“You got the pictures?”
He nodded. “And a diagram.”
“Excellent. You can head on back. I’ll take care of getting all the statements.” She turned to Devon. “I don’t want to drag you into the office after all this.”
“Thank you.”
Avery gave her a studied look. “I think if we get some coffee into you, it might settle your nerves. Although I have to say, you’ve done a damn good job of not showing them.”
Coffee. That sounded wonderful. She would kill for a cup right about now.
Clanking sounds echoed in the air and when she looked over she saw the driver hooking up her vehicle. Logan and the sisters were huddled in discussion. She wondered what that was all about.
More clanging and grinding from the tow truck got everyone’s attention.
“I’ve got ’er all hooked up,” the driver called out, “and I’m ready to leave. I’ve got your cell number, Miss Cole. I’ll call you when the mechanic assesses the damage.”
“Thank you. Listen, where can I rent a car in this town?”
She couldn’t be without wheels. Right now she’d get one of them to give her a ride back to the house, and she’d make a call and take care of it. She pushed herself out of the truck, then had to lean against the open door, surprised to find she was lightheaded and unsteady on her feet.
Avery was next to her in a hurry, reaching out to steady her. “You’re okay. Take a breath. Delayed shock, and probably adrenaline
crash.”
“That’s what Logan said before. Holy Hannah!” She put a hand to her forehead.
Avery looked her over to make sure she was steady on her feet. “What’s up?”
“I need a ride back to the house.”
“Devon, you can’t go back to that house alone.” Avery looked at her sister. “Right, Sheri?”
“Absolutely. Until we know what the hell is going on with your father, it isn’t safe for you to be there alone. Those guys from today aren’t finished with you.”
She’d been afraid of that. “So what am I supposed to do?”
“I’ll stay with her.” Logan’s deep voice startled her.
Devon stared at him. “What?”
He grinned. “Looks like you need a bodyguard. That’s part of my job.”
“B-But I can’t pay you,” Devon protested.
“Did I say anything about money?” He glanced over at Avery. “I just finished a job and I have nothing up on the books right now. This okay with you?”
Avery shrugged. “Hey, it’s your time. And I agree she needs protection. God knows who else is out there waiting for her. And let’s not forget the reporters hanging around.”
“I—I don’t know what to say.” Devon was independent but she wasn’t stupid.
Logan’s mouth curved in that killer smile again. “Say ‘Thank you, Logan. I’d love to have you stay at my house with me.’”
A little shiver of anticipation raced along her spine, making her wonder if she’d truly lost her mind. She needed to focus on something besides how sexy her new bodyguard was. But then she thought about what had brought her to this point. The chill that raced over her had nothing to do with sexual awareness and everything to do with fear.
Chapter 3
“If this is all settled, we need to get moving.” Logan pulled his keys out of his pocket. “Avery, I need to stop by my place and get some things.” He looked at Devon. “Avery and Sheri will take you out to the house and I’ll be there right after.”
