The moment broke when Logan’s phone buzzed.He pulled it out, his expression darkening as he read the message.
“Victoria’s lawyers are circling the mine like vultures.”His voice dropped to a dangerous register, the growl rumbling through his chest and into mine where we touched.“They’ve already approached the Roberts board with a generous offer to buy controlling interest for the good of the community.”Disgust dripped from every word.
My exhaustion vanished, replaced by a cold fury.“She’s been planning this.The contamination was an opportunity she’s been waiting for.”
Logan’s eyes flashed wolf-gold, canines lengthening and garbling his words.“Victoria doesn’t wait for opportunities.She creates them.”
Logan’s phone lit up again with a news alert.His face darkened further.“The Roberts Mine CEO’s death is being ruled a natural cause.”
“How convenient,” I scoffed, anger cutting through my exhaustion.“Heart attack right when the contamination is discovered?”
Logan’s grip on my shoulder tightened.“We’re running out of time.”
A weak groan drew our attention.Marshall’s eyes were open, clearer now, though still pained.
“You two look like hell,” he croaked.
I laughed, the sound catching in my throat.“Takes one to know one, Boone.”
While Marshall drifted back to sleep, Logan helped me clean up the medical supplies, our movements synchronized without a word between us.When the last syringe was disposed of and the monitors set to alert us to any changes, I finally allowed myself to collapse against Logan’s chest.
His arms wrapped around me immediately, solid and sure.I breathed him in.
“You scared me,” he admitted, the words muffled against my hair.
I tilted my head up, surprised.“Me?”
Logan’s gaze was raw, stripped of pretense.“Seeing you push yourself to the edge.I couldn’t lose you.”
I raised my hand to cup his face, my thumb tracing the scar on his jaw.“You won’t,” I whispered.
His lips met mine in a slow kiss.It was not frantic like our night in the cabin, but something deeper, an oath sealed between us.
A sharp knock shattered the moment.The door swung open before either of us could respond, and Dr.Elias Vance strode in, his expression a careful mask of professional concern that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“I heard about Marshall’s condition from the mine foreman,” he said.Dark circles shadowed his eyes, suggesting he’d been up all night too, though his shirt remained crisply pressed.“I came as soon as I could.”
The faint scent of cologne couldn’t quite mask the acrid stench of anxiety emanating from him.This wasn’t just a social call or a power play.Vance was worried.Not about Marshall, I realized, but about something else entirely.
I stepped forward, putting myself between him and my patient.“Marshall is stable now, Dr.Vance.Your assistance isn’t necessary.”
Vance’s eyes narrowed slightly as he assessed Marshall’s monitors, his expression shifting from feigned concern to genuine surprise.“You actually stabilized him.”He wasn’t speaking to me but to himself, the words carrying a weight of implications I couldn’t fully decipher.
He recovered quickly, straightening his tie.“Impressive work, Dr.Wu.But I’d recommend transferring him to the company facility.We have equipment specifically calibrated for treating these unusual cases.”
His words set off warning bells.He knew exactly what we were dealing with.
Logan moved to stand beside me, his body radiating barely restrained violence.“You mean you have facilities designed to cover up contamination symptoms.”
A muscle in Vance’s jaw twitched.“That’s quite an accusation, Mr.Song.The Roberts Mining Corporation has always prioritized worker safety.”
“Then why are your workers dying?”I challenged, emboldened by Logan’s presence beside me.“Why does Marshall have toxic levels of heavy metals in his system that match exactly what we found in the creek?”
Something flickered across Vance’s face, not just fear but genuine conflict.For a heartbeat, I glimpsed a man trapped between professional obligations and moral responsibility.
“You don’t understand the complexities of the situation,” he said in a low voice.“There are factors at play beyond your comprehension.”
“Enlighten us,” Logan growled.
