Logan's Woman

by Avery Duncan

  “What was I supposed to think --”

  “Nothing. You should have waited for me and at least acted like you had some manners. Or you could have asked her yourself,” he snarled, shoving his brother’s shoulder.

  “I didn’t really think --”

  “You never think!” Logan shouted, feeling like he could kill his brother. He didn’t understand the weird reaction to seeing Claire act like that -- he felt like he should have been there sooner, should have protected her from Chase’s asshole-facade. Claire was incredibly delicate right now -- being treated like shit by her new family right off the bat was not exactly what he wanted her to deal with today - or ever.

  “What if she’s like Christina?” Chase tried, his face darkening with shame. His brother obviously already knew his question was a waste of him – there was nothing about Claire that could be compared to Christina except the lightness of their coloring. Claire had a soft, open face. She didn’t bother hiding her emotions – he didn’t think she could if she tried. Her innocence shown in her eyes just as much as the malice had shown in Christina’s. Claire smiled with her whole heart – Christina never bothered to smile. Her face was set in hard, beautiful lines, and she never showed anyone her soft side.

  Unlike Claire… His hand clenched into a fist as he thought about her. She was so easily hurt, so fucking delicate.

  And Chase and driven a knew spike into her already wounded heart. “I don’t ever want to hear that from your mouth again,” he growled. Blake’s bite of his apple had the crunch sound ringing in the silent room.

  God. Everything was silent. Like no one knew what they wanted to say. Logan knew what he wanted to say – what he wanted to do, but he held back.

  “What are you doing here?” At least he could manage that simple question.

  “Let’s go into the study to talk,” his brother replied, eyeing the four men that stood behind Logan. He nodded, turning on his heel and giving Nathan a look. He nodded, and the four of them went to the basement while Logan and Chase went up the stairs to his study.

  “I think I might have gotten into some really bad shit.” The second the door closed, those words were the first thing that came from Chase’s mouth.

  Logan sat at his desk, crossing his feet at the ankles. He hid his irritation.

  “What is it this time?”

  “I need you to promise you won’t tell anyone about this.”

  “When would I ever,” Logan said drolly, already knowing that if it were bad enough, he’d be involving his group.

  The look Chase shot him easily said that he knew exactly what Logan was thinking.

  “I was over in Socorro for a couple of weeks. Cale sent me overseas to Italy, wanted me to meet up with his daughter and her mother-in-law.”

  Logan frowned. “Did you?”

  Chase nodded, but a frown marred his scarred face. “Yeah. I did. Except right when I showed up, the place went up in fire. His daughter, Raelyn, was taken.”

  Oh. Shit.

  Logan sat up slowly. “Cale knows.” It wasn’t a question, but a demand.

  “He does.”

  “And it’s being taken care of.”

  “It is.”

  “Then what’s the problem, and what do you have to do with it?”

  Chase slapped his hands on his thighs, one of the many gestures he’d done as a kid when he was nervous or didn’t know what to say. “Fuck… Logan, you have to believe me. You know I would not ever do anything to betray this country or Cale’s family. I would not ever.”

  “What the fuck are you trying to say, Chase.”

  “Something happened. I don’t know what.” He dropped his head, pushing his hands into his hair. “Jesus. I didn’t fucking do this though. I didn’t plant the bomb. I don’t know how it happened.”

  Logan could feel his body tensing up. A sick, curdling feeling started in his stomach and he could have sworn he was lightheaded. “Tell me, Chase. Now.”

  “I’ve been labeled as a traitor.” As the words burst from his lips, Chase’s face was pale and disgusted, yet his eyes beseeched with his brother to understand. “I didn’t do it though. God, I don’t know how the fuck it happened. I was awake one second, the next I was locked up in a cell.”

  The implications were clear. Clear as nothing ever had been before. Logan stood up, pacing. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. “What the fuck did you do, Chase,” he groaned. “You know, you had a problem getting into trouble as a kid. Always swearing it wasn’t you, always blaming someone else. Hell, remember that one time with the horse? It got out of the gate, one of mom’s new pure breds, and you swore up and down that it hadn’t been you.”

  “I don’t know what you’re trying to say, Logan.”

  “Do you remember what mom said she was going to do to you if she found out it was you who let it out?”

  Chase nodded. “Yeah…”

  “And what did I do?” Logan turned back around from his pacing and looked at his brother.

  “…You helped me out. Mom never found out that it was me.”

  “Exactly. And mama was a spittin’ psycho when she was mad, yet I still helped your ass out.”

  He stood in front of his brother now, hands on his shoulders. “You might have let that horse out, but I know you, Chase. You’re an asshole, a sadistic son of a bitch, and everything that’s raging in hell — but you’re no traitor. So don’t ever think for a second that I won’t back you up when you need it. Ever.”

  Chase’s head fell against Logan’s chest. It was the weakest he’d seen his brother since before their mother had died. His throat closed up with emotion — fury, disbelief, shock, helplessness. It was all a myriad of emotions and he didn’t know what the hell they were going to do, but it was definitely going to get taken care of.

  “Thanks, man.” He could hear every ounce of gratitude in those two words.

  He pulled back from his brother, sitting down in the chair next to his. “Tell me what you remember.”

  “Raelyn was by one of the hotels, just outside of it. Her mother-in-law, Marcy, was there with her. I had the driver drop me off a couple blocks away from them and I walked to meet him — Cale warned me about people following us. Not saying that anyone was, but it was a possibility — his words.

  “A few blocks there and some men started following me. I got them off of me just before I reached the hotel — but I guess I only thought I did.”

  “Cale had you doing this alone?”

  “He said it wasn’t that important that it needed an extra team. He had guards on his daughter since her first day there — Marcy showing up was a complete accident.”

  “What were they doing there in the first place?”

  “Raelyn was doing an art tour, or something like that. Marcy just wanted something to bitch about, I guess. Cale told me that the two females didn’t have a very good relationship to begin with.”

  “Right. Okay, tell me what else you remember.”

  “Ah…” Chase closed his eyes for a second, pressing thumbs to his temples. “Here’s where it gets hard. I was right there. Raelyn was arguing with Marcy right when I was coming up to them. Two cars pulled up down the ally way. I don’t remember what kind they were, I just know that I noticed them. Black cars. Small.

  “Was just reaching Raelyn when the bomb went off. The last thing I saw was Raelyn and Marcy slamming into the opposite building and I was out. When I woke up, the hotel was in rubble and I was burried under most of it. I was out for two hours. No one came to the site to do clean-up, and no one was notified, so I know it was planned.”

  “How do you get that?”

  Chase looked at his brother. “People were warned beforehand not to come near it. That’s the only reason that I can think of. No one was around besides Raelyn, Marcy, and me. The place was completely barren and when I woke up, it was empty.

  Logan nodded. “Alright, that does make sense.”

  “I was up for only a couple of minutes before
I passed out again. I only made it a couple of feet. Lifting the shit was too much.”

  “And you woke up in one of our jail cells?”

  Chase nodded. “Yeah. Cale didn’t come to see me personally, but I heard the guards talking about it — about me. About what was going to happen to me. I’m fucking glad that Cale didn’t come to see me — I never would have gotten out.”

  “Were you based in Colorado?” They had bases all over the place. Cale went to each one frequently so he was constantly moving around. Most of the bases were overseas so they could keep a better eye on things. The closest one to where they lived was in Colorado.

  “Yeah. I waited till the guards were out and snuck out.”

  Logan glowered. “Security was poor, then?”

  “Not that. I’ve just worked there long enough that I know all of the tricks. The guards were obviously new.”

  He nodded in response to Chase’s words. “Do you think Cale knows you escaped?”

  “More than positive. I waited a couple weeks before coming here, though. I know the risk of you being caught with a ‘traitor’ in your house.”

  “Chase, you know better than I do that he would never do anything without concrete proof.” But this was different. This was his daughter they were talking about. He might be an old fart, but she was young and full of life, barely Chase’s age, probably Claire’s… His heart clenched at the thought. He wouldn’t be thinking rationally if it were Claire instead of Raelyn. All bets were off right now. Cale was either sticking to procedure or letting his anger lead him.

  Chase must have read his mind because his dark head shook. “You know better than I do that he will do whatever it takes to not only find Raelyn, but also avenge her.”

  “What do you plan on doing?”

  It was silent. Logan crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for his brother to answer. He had Chase’s best interests at heart, but he also knew that he was struggling internally. Being called a traitor, being treated like one, after you risk every day of your life for your country…it rankled. He couldn’t not tell Chase to do something – he knew his brother’s first concern was redeeming himself in the eyes of his country.

  “I’m going to find her,” he said, straightening his back, meeting Logan’s eyes with hard intent.

  Logan nodded. “I thought as much. Do you have a lead?” He really hated saying the words. He didn’t want his brother going into a battle field that had clearly been meant to kill him and capture the girl. Logan kept his thoughts to himself though – no use in letting his brother think that he’d lost his pride in him, just like Cale had.

  Chase had dedicated his whole life to foreign affairs – the second their mother had died, he’d thrown himself into his school and education. Mechanical engineering, computer science, foreign languages. Chase had been an early graduate – at eighteen, he’d been in his fourth year of college. And the boost to college hadn’t been because of money; he had the brain of Einstein and was one of the fastest learners that Logan had ever met – and that was probably why he was so cold and calculating.

  He’d lived, breathed, and ate to come where he was now. Logan had always assumed that it was to make up for all of the trouble he’d but his mother through, and paying back his country what his father had stolen from them.

  But he was still a young man. Logan was in his mid-thirties – Chase would be twenty-nine in just a month.

  “I don’t…but Cale does. And I know what his men are up to and I’m not new at hacking into comm. links. I’m going to find her and get my questions answered.” There was a building anger in his voice that caused Logan to pause.

  “You think she knew what was happening?”

  “She looked at me. Right before it happened. There was something in her eyes…like she was aware.” Chase inhaled deeply, clearly frustrated with himself. I don’t know how I’m going to do this, but I’m going to be the one finding her. Not Cale. Not his guys. And if you don’t want to help me, don’t try to stop me.”

  Logan clapped his hand on his brother’s shoulder, his smile deadly. “You got me. We’ll find her. And Cale will have a big ‘fuck you’ taped to his door by the time this over.”

  Chapter 27

  For the rest of the day, Claire didn’t hear or see from Logan. He was locked up in his study with Chase and every time she tried to knock on the door to ask him something, she was shooed away.

  He didn’t even bother to open the door.

  All he said was a brief, hard, “I’ll be out later.” For the first time, she was actually furious at Logan. What were they talking about that was so important that he couldn’t listen to one thing she said? Yeah, they probably had a lot to catch up on – but ignoring her in front of his brother? What kind of cred did that give her in front of Chase?

  She was pretty sure he thought of her as nothing more than a spoiled brat with nothing better to do than cause trouble and gain attention. Which, she would admit, she felt like. She tried busying herself with gardening and taking care of the general lawn outside the house. By the time an two hours had passed, she’d weeded the garden maybe twenty times, cleaned up garbage twice, and went to the stables five times.

  There was nothing to do.

  Was this how it was going to be for the rest of her life? Waiting for Logan every day? Getting shooed away so he could do business?

  Claire stopped in the middle of the walkway as she was making her way to the house.

  Maybe he would teach it to her! When her father was gone and she forgot to make an appointment with his accountants, she sometimes had to take care of the numbers. She loved math and being organized – maybe he would let her take that off of his hands and give her something to do!

  There were enough people working on the ranch that she had no use to help around – she’d felt like a bother when she’d gone down there the first time to ask if she could help. The cowboys had gently led her back to the house, explaining to her that the work they did was too rough for her.

  She’d watched them from a distance as they’d wrangled – or whatever the term was – the horses and herded the cows. She knew how to ride a horse, but swinging a rope over her head and braking one in? Training it? She had no clue on the how’s or why’s.

  As Logan’s wife, she had to find some way to help him with his business. Walking around and doing nothing seemed like a poor excuse of a wife to her. With a smile on her face, she opened up the door to the kitchen and stepped inside, making a beeline for his study. This time, she would not be deterred!

  She was lifting her hand to knock on the door when it opened abruptly. At the same time, a big, warm chest collided with her face and she squeaked. Thick hands grabbed her shoulders to keep her from falling back.

  “Oh my god!” she gasped out in pain as her nose started to throb. She looked up…and up…and up, until she met stormy grey eyes set against dark skin.

  Chase. She jerked out of his grasp as a reflex and completely lost her balance.

  She fell on her ass.

  “Claire?”

  Logan stepped out from behind Chase and knelt down in front of her. She could tell he was trying not to laugh and her face burned. “Get your hands off of me!” she said with what little dignity she could manage. Claire knew she’d failed when she let him help her to her feet.

  His arm came around her waist in a tight, comforting hold and his laugh rang in her ear.

  Anger shot through her at the sound, and she forgot that she had fallen. “Get your big butt back in that office! We need to talk.”

  Chase looked between them with narrowed eyes. Then his lips quirked. “I think I’ll let you two be alone…”

  Claire rounded on Chase. “And you! You get in there, too! Go,” she shooed, slipping out of Logan’s arm and shoving both men at their backs in the direction of the office.

  “Great,” she heard Logan mumble. “Already getting me in trouble.”

  “I didn’t know she was going to be right there,”
Chase hissed back, shoving his brother’s shoulder.

  “Bullshit, you –“

  “Boys!” she snapped as they came to a stop inside the office. “Shut up.” Claire went behind the desk and sat in Logan’s chair, fighting to calm her nerves. They looked at her as if she were the master and they were her loyal dogs – dogs that had peed all over the house.

  “Logan,” she started, folding her hands in front of her. She forced herself to smile sweetly and began her tale. “Now, I understand that you are a working man. A busy, working man with many things that need to get done during the day.”

  A weary look came over his eyes, and his brother and he shared a look. “Yes…”

  “And now that Chase is here, I assume that he is going to be staying for a bit?”

  She looked at Chase expectantly as he raised his hand like a guilty child. “Actually, I’m not…”

  “Oh? How long will you be staying here?”

  He looked at Logan like he needed help. Logan looked ahead without paying attention to him… obviously on purpose. “For a couple of weeks, that’s it.”

  “Ahh. Perfect!” she said brightly, peering at Logan again. “Now. Logan. We need to get on the same page here, before we start.” She paused, waiting for him to interrupt her. When they didn’t, she started. “I came to you maybe five times today. The last time I saw you was at eleven. Do you know what time it is now?”

  Logan looked at the clock that was on the wall, then turned back to her. “Quarter till six.”

  “Do you know how long that it? Almost seven hours. Seven hours.”

  Chase opened his mouth to speak, but she held her hand up. “Although, I do understand that you had things to talk about, I do not want to waste my time like I did today while waiting for you. I weeded, I tried to help with the horses, I cleaned, I did everything I could think to do besides coming up here and demanding your attention.”

  “However. I cannot be doing this day after day. I want to propose to you, as your wife, a deal.”

  Logan suddenly looked frightened. Chase stared at her as if she’d lost her head. She fought for control of her anger and smiled even sweeter, feeling like she was going to kill something.