by Faye, Carmen
Unfortunately, she couldn’t handle everything at once. Andy was dead. Logan was going to take a little more work. She couldn’t just walk up and confront him and question him about his choices. That would cost her job. Actually, if she were honest with herself, it would cost her life.
She read more and realized there were people she’d never suspected involved in things she’d never realized were going on. The corruption in this town was huge. The dirty people in high profile positions made a long list. But there was one name that struck her quickest. One name that she did have control over. One name that she could handle.
As she read the details the shock filled her body. Then the tears filled her eyes. She’d never known. Never guessed. Never would have guessed.
He had lied to her. Even though the lie was less than many of the others, it was still a lie. And for some reason it felt twice as bad as the rest of them. The truth would have saved them so much heartache and problems.
She grabbed the papers and put them back into the folder. She stood up and grabbed a new outfit to wear. One that was casual and relaxed. One that didn’t say I’m really fucking pissed off.
She combed through her hair and grabbed her keys and the folder. It was time to confront Asher Hudson for the final time. She was going to lay the truth on the table in front of him and let him decide what to do with it.
As she walked out the door she knew her life was about to change. She just wasn’t sure if it was for the better or worse. She loved him. That much she knew. He loved her. She was pretty sure of that. But this was serious. And she needed to fix it. Somehow and some way.
CHAPTER 14
“You lied to me,” She couldn’t hold it in anymore. She let the tears fall. “Everyone lied to me. Nobody is what they seemed to be.”
“I wanted to protect you.”
“Bullshit,” she accused. “You wanted to protect what you were doing.”
“Both,” he agreed. “It’s important, Melissa.”
“I should be important!”
“You are.” Asher said. “You’re the most important person in my life.”
“Then I’d know the truth,” she looked at the floor. “You let me think…” her voice trailed off. “You let me say…”
She was almost hysterical as he wrapped his arms around her. He wanted to comfort her. He wanted to make it okay. But he wasn’t sure it ever would be again.
“I wanted you to form your own opinion,” he told her softly. “I wanted you to judge me for yourself.”
“I thought you might have killed him. For me. I thought you were…”
“I know,” he soothed her. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not.” She shook her head. “I couldn’t fully trust you because of what you do. But this…”
“It’s something I can’t tell people.” He whispered.
“I’m not just people.”
“True.”
They sat like that in silence for a while. Finally she pulled out of his arms and looked him in the eyes.
“How long have you been working for the law?” she asked.
“Since I was seventeen. Someone finally believed me. And they brought me in. It’s been a long process. I’m ready to go back to living life. I don’t want this anymore. But we aren’t quite there. So I haven’t been able to leave. Or tell anyone. I’m shocked your friend found anything about this.”
“He showed Larsen.”
“Great.” He answered her irritation with his own. “If this gets out, I’m as good as dead. And Logan is as good as gone.”
“It won’t. We aren’t telling. We’re both in danger.”
“I know. And that terrifies me.”
“Me too.” She looked away. “I need to get home. I can’t get caught.”
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m angry,” she answered. “And hurt.” She walked towards the door. “But one thing is for sure,” she glared at the papers in her hand. “I won’t stop until Brent Logan gets everything he deserves.”
“Me too,” he walked over and kissed her forehead. “Drive safe, Melissa. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” she answered with a halfhearted smile.
***
“We have a problem,” Nelson spoke softly into the phone.
Logan listened as the idiot explained what he’d just heard. He then thanked him and sat the phone down in its cradle. This was not a good thing. That fucking bitch had everything. She knew everything. No wonder it hadn’t been at Wallaby’s place. She now had it. And she was going to use it.
He picked the phone back up and punched in a bunch of numbers.
“Yes?”
“It’s time,” Logan said.
“Are you sure?”
“I have no doubts. She’s become a liability.” And he slammed the phone down.
Damn that bitch for forcing him to make this decision.
***
“Boss?” Nelson appeared out of nowhere.
“Yes?” Asher looked up. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s the agent,” Nelson’s face was pale. “She’s been in an accident.”
“Melissa?” Hudson jumped up. “Where is she? Is she okay?”
“She’s at the hospital,” Nelson put a hand on Hudson’s shoulder. “It’s pretty bad.”
“I’m going.”
“Boss, should you really…”
“Out of my way!” He grabbed his helmet and shoved past Nelson as he ran out the door.
Something in his gut told him it was no accident. Someone was trying to kill her. And he’d be damned if he’d let them finish the job.
Read on for a sneak peek from the thrilling finale
CHAPTER 1
For a man like Asher Hudson, waiting was not the norm. Not to say he had no patience. In his line of work, patience wasn’t just a virtue; it was a necessity. Rushing through anything could cost him or those he loved their life.
But sitting in a room and waiting to hear something wasn’t the way he handled things. He was a direct kind of guy. He would go to the source and find out whatever he wanted to know, when he could, which was not at this moment.
The woman he loves was in the hospital. She had been in an accident, using the term loosely, and he had heard it was bad.
The first thing Asher had done when Nelson had told him about Melissa was jump on his bike and head straight for the hospital. He needed make sure she was okay and then he’d kill the bastard that had hurt her. His gut told him that her accident was anything but.
Fortunately for him and everyone in the Nomad Devils, his right hand man Dakota had been directly behind him. The sound of Dakota’s voice as he was trying to get inside the hospital stopped him in his tracks. Not because he was surprised they followed him. Not because he felt guilty. But because that’s the way it worked. He was loyal to his brothers and that included when they were trying to stop him from doing something completely stupid.
Which is what he’d been doing.
Dakota reminded him that it was a danger to all of them if he set foot into Agent Fuller’s room. The two of them could not be linked. Especially not after the kidnapping.
In Asher’s mind it wasn’t much of a kidnapping. But the idea was the same. Any kind of link and they’d all be dead, Melissa included.
Dakota had promised to return promptly with information about her but Asher hadn’t heard a word from him. Where the fuck was he at?
The idea of her being hurt, or worse, left him pacing back and forth. As he did, he remembered their times together. He thought about her smile. The look of desire that flooded her face when he touched her. The way her perfume lingered on his pillow. And the fact that she had gotten to him in a way that no one else had done.
This was one of those days when Asher didn’t much like himself. Mostly it was when he did something wrong. Today it was because he did something right with the totally wrong person. And now she was in danger, if she was even alive. A thought he d
idn’t want to entertain.
The sound of wheels on gravel stopped his pacing. He could only hope that Dakota had good news. Even as he watched the familiar Dyna Super Glide making its way down his driveway, he panicked and worried about what his confidant was going to say. Asher wanted to believe he was prepared for the worst. But he knew better. A part of him clung to the idea that Melissa would be okay in all of this. The other part was dead set on hate and revenge.
He watched as Dakota got out of the vehicle and he tried desperately to read his facial expression. But much like the rest of the time, Dakota remained completely unreadable. Asher had been that way once. Strong. Loyal. Unable to be broken. Those days were long gone. Whoever had done this to Melissa Fuller had found his breaking point.
That’s why he was at the cottage and not his house. For many it seemed silly to have two separate places in the same town. For Hudson it was necessary. He had times when he needed to be there and not be seen by the guys who looked up to him. Times when he couldn’t be the strength that they needed to believe in.
This was one of those days.
He made his way to the door before Dakota ever reached it. Part of Asher wondered if it was taking his friend so long because the news he had for him was bad.
Dakota walked through the door, removed the light jacket he wore and headed straight for the bar. Asher watched as he poured himself a glass of whiskey and walked back to the sofa.
Everything inside of Asher wanted to shout. He wanted to find out why nothing was being said. He’d waited for what seemed like days to hear how she was doing and his friend sat across from him, silently sipping on his expensive liquor.
The only thing stopping him was fear. He didn’t want to hear anything bad and he feared that bad was all he had. So he quietly sat back in the recliner and looked at Dakota, waiting to hear what he had to say.
“Asher…” Dakota broke the silence and Hudson felt his heart drop. It wasn’t going to be good and he knew it. “I don’t know.”
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