BREE
My head is hurting, my lip is busted and swollen, and I’m about to give up all hope when there’s a loud boom, and then all I can see is smoke. I roll away from John and against the wall. I’m in the fetal position, head held down and praying I don’t get hit by a stray bullet.
When the bullets and the screaming stop, I hear someone calling my name. I lift my head and look around and jump back as I see a dead John lying a few feet away with his soulless eyes staring back at me.
“Bree!” someone hollers again.
I answer them, but it’s too soft, so I try again. “Here… I’m right here.”
Two men walk in holding Ar15s. “Are you hurt?”
I shake my head. “No.”
One squats down in front of me. “You have a shiner, busted lip… any uh, other injuries…”
I shake my head. “No… but if you had gotten here a second later, I wouldn’t be able to say the same. Who are you?”
A bellow from somewhere in the house has me raising up. “Bree!”
“Logan!” I holler back and instantly burst into tears.
I’ve never seen a man look as afraid as he does. He’s taking me in. His jaw clenches as he sees the black eye and busted lip. It’s like I can feel the anger pulsing off him, but he’s gentle when he reaches for me. “Baby… are you okay?”
He’s wiping at my tears, and then I’m dragged against him and he holds me tightly. It’s like the last two hours have been a huge emotional roller coaster, and I can’t stay strong another second. My knees buckle, and Logan lifts me into his arms.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
I lean my head against his shoulder and let him carry me out.
We’re going out the front of the mansion when Zach steps in front of us. “Lo, you have to put her down. She needs to talk to the detectives. They should be here any minute.”
He shakes his head and holds me even tighter. “Zach, look at her. She doesn’t need to do anything except go to the hospital.”
I put my hand on Logan’s chest. “No, I’m fine. I promise. I don’t need to go to the hospital. I’ll talk to the detectives, and then I want to go home.”
He buries his face into my neck and breathes me in. When he lifts his head, he’s nodding. “Okay. But if you get tired or?—”
I pat his chest. He’s devastated. The shock on his face says it all, and that’s a lot coming from him. He’s the king of keeping his emotions on lockdown.
I pull from his hold, but he doesn’t loosen his arms. “Logan, let me down. I’m okay.”
He frowns but puts me on my feet. His hand finds mine, and he grips me tightly, pulling me to his side.
I don’t know what to make of any of this, but I lean into him.
He looks at Zach. “I want them all dead, Zach. The whole fuckin’ Antonelli family. I don’t want one of them to think they can retaliate.”
Zach shakes his head. “We’re not in that business anymore.”
Logan opens his mouth, but Zach interrupts him. “I’ll talk to Walker. He’ll do it legit and the right way. But he’ll take care of it.”
Logan nods and pulls me to the back of a truck. He sets me on the tailgate and then sits next to me, holding my hand in his.
The detectives come, and I tell them everything that happened tonight. Being in New York, they’re familiar with the Antonelli family. Logan stares at me the whole time I’m talking. I can see the pain on his face, but he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t have to. The way he’s holding me and not letting go says it all.
Finally, when the detectives are done, we’re free to go. I ride in the SUV on Logan’s lap, and at one point, I fall asleep in his arms.
I wake up when we get to the airfield, but Logan carries me onto the plane and all the way to the back. I’m in and out of sleep. I can hear the murmuring from the guys in the front of the plane, but Logan says nothing. A few times he sends some text messages on his phone, but that’s it.
