“Cassius will,” Logan says without missing a beat.“I apologize, Mrs.Ashenheart.”I want to correct Logan, tell him that I’ll talk to Cassius and that calling me Melinda is fine, but I don’t.It’s because Adrian will just contradict me, not because I love the wayMrs.Ashenheartsounds in reference to me.
“It’s perfectly alright,” I say instead.“Is my car here?”
“Yes,” Adrian says.“Your things have been brought over.”
“All of them?”I picture my book stacks, my clear plastic bag of hair supplies, the cookbooks with my brother’s signature on the covers.
“Yes,” Logan answers.“I apologize they haven’t been unpacked yet.Cassius instructed us to wait until you could tell us where you want things to go.”
“I need to go to work,” I say instead of touching the mess that is all of my possessions in this house.
“Of course,” Logan says, already standing.“I’ll start your car and be in the garage when you’re ready, Mrs.Ashenheart.”
“Thank you, Logan,” I say and wait for him to down the last of his coffee and leave before turning back toward Adrian.“Why is he coming with me to work?”
“Someone will be with you at all times, when Cassius cannot be.Logan specifically was Cassius’ idea.He said you were fond of him.I can replace him if you prefer.”
“No.No, I like Logan.I just don’t understand why I need him.”
“Well, the simple answer is Cassius wants to keep you safe.”
“And the not simple answer?”
Adrian’s mouth twitches.“Is one my brother can give you himself.”
“Right.”I take my mug and head back upstairs to the room, his room, our room.I drink my coffee alone, wishing Cassius was sitting on the edge of the bed next to me.I smooth the duvet twice, then a third time because stopping at two is wrong.I don’t know how to be this person.A woman who needs protection.A wife who sits around hoping that her husband returns in one piece.A woman who is in the dark in this world,hisworld.He says he’ll enlighten me, but will he?And, if he does will I wish he hadn’t?
Logan, like he said, is waiting for me in my running car.The garage door waits, open.I get in the backseat, which is weird, but there are a lot of my files sitting on the front seat.
“I wasn’t sure what you’d need from the things we took from your place so I brought everything that looked like work,” Logan says once I’m seatbelted in.
“Thank you.”I smile at him through the rearview mirror.“You can call me Melinda.”
“Just not in the presence of any of the Ashenheart brothers.”Logan laughs.
“That’s probably wise.”I laugh too.There’s nothing else to do.This entire situation is surreal.
Logan keeps himself busy while I work.Victoria is already in my office when I arrive, her coffee and her stuff spread out on her side of my desk.Whatever email got sent or phone call got made, everyone here thinks I spent the last two days sick.I wait until lunch to tell Victoria the truth, well most of the truth.
“I wasn’t sick.”
“What?”Victoria asks.She closes her laptop and scoots her chair around the side of my desk.
“I got married.”
“You what?”Victoria yells loud enough that three people turn their heads.Logan shuts the door and stays on our side of it.Of course he does.“That explains the hunk,” she mutters.“How’d you clear that with management?”
“I didn’t.”It’s at that moment that I realize no one in management questioned Logan being here.“Logan?”I look at him.He doesn’t bother to hide his smirk.
“Mr.Ashenheart had it arranged prior,” Logan states.The way he saysMr.Ashenheartmakes something crawl in my stomach.I wonder when he found the time since our wedding and being gone, but I refrain from asking.
“Mr.Ashenheart?”Victoria echoes.
“Yes,” I say, turning back to face her.“He owns a large security firm with his brothers.He takes safety very seriously.”
“I know the name,” Victoria whistles low, and again, Logan is laughing.Great.This is so far from funny.“Everyone in Vegas knows that name.”
“Well, Mr.Ashenheart, the second eldest, is now my husband.”
