Good. That way, she can’t move and leave me.
I wasn’t worried about Logan picking up the gun. But I’m still surprised when he walks toward me and hands it over. I stare at him, then at it, in confusion.
“Take her to the address,” he insists. “Stay there with her.”
“Why?” chirps up Piper again. “So you can kill us there?”
I smile at her new show of bravado. Also at her absolute lack of detective skills. You’d think someone who spent their life reading mystery stories would be a little better at putting two and two together.
“As I’m sure your friend realizes,” comments Logan smoothly, “if I wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead.” He takes a step closer to us. “Especially since we’re at Devil Tower, which is my prime killing ground. No, I don’t want to kill you. Though I can think of several others whodo.” He gets even closer and whispers, “I’m trying to protect you, you silly girl.”
I feel Piper relax behind me, and withdraw her arms from my chest. I want to kill this asshole for being so reassuring.
“Get it together,” adds Logan in a stern voice. “I’ve heard you’re Tragen’s best soldier, Quill, and you’re my only shot at getting Piper out of this jam. Don’t let her out of your sight. And stop squabbling, the two of you. Unless you’d each like a bullet tothe head. Quill, there’s a car waiting for you downstairs. A black jeep. I’ve disabled the cameras, but it won’t last much longer, so you’d better get going.”
“I have my bike,” I mutter.
Logan sighs like I’m the world’s biggest idiot. “They’d recognize it in a minute. Anyway, you’re not going to drive cross-country on a fucking bike.”
“Cross… cross-country?”
“Didn’t you fucking look at the address? You’re going to Oregon.”
My eyes widen as I grab the card from my pocket and look at the address for the first time. “Oregon… as in thestate? In a car?”
“An airplane would be too easy to track,” he shrugs. “Besides, it’ll be scenic. Further instructions are in the car. Now get the fuck out of here.”
“Why are you helping us?” suddenly squeaks out my cricket from behind me.
“Do you know that expression, Piper?” he asks severely. “Curiosity killed the cat. If I were you, I’d spend more time doing what you’re told, and less time asking questions. Especially because you are the worst detective I’ve ever met.”
Then he turns his glare back to me. I’m still reeling from the fact that this asshole that I don’t exactly trust, to put it mildly, expects me to drive from the East Coast all the way to motherfucking Oregon, without even telling me why, or what awaits us there.
“It’s a forty-hour drive, which should give you more than enough time to work through your bullshit,” he scowls. “So stop whining, soldier, and start thanking me.”
Piper gulps behind me, then opens her mouth again, probably to ask yet another question. I whip around and press a hand to her mouth.
I’ve gone from wanting to kill Logan to wanting to kiss him, because he’s just given me the solution to holding onto Piper.
A forty-hour road trip.
“We’ll go to your address,” I promise. “And don’t worry. I won’t let her out of my sight.”
Chapter 3
Quill
“Where are we going?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why is he helping us?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why do they want me dead?”
“I don’t know.”
