“You brought me into that. You. It’s your fault.” But I knew it wasn’t his fault. Raul was the only one responsible; Logan just happened to be his son.
“Mouse.” His hand tightened in my hair and he put his hand under my chin, to urge me to look up at him.
Oh God, he’d see the watery depths, and I didn’t want him to.
“Yeah it’s my fault he got to you. He saw me with you and knew you were my weakness. I have to live with that. But the rest ... I’d do it again. It’d kill me, but without hesitation I would. Because you’re standing here in front of me.” His voice lowered. “Every single time I’ve touched you it was real.”
“I loved you. You used that against me,” I whispered in a ragged voice.
“No. I used it to save you.” His voice was quiet and steady.
The profound effect Logan had on me was undeniable. It was how he held me, how he looked at me, how he pushed me to my limits. My body and mind were starving for Logan, and I didn’t want to admit it. Damn it, I wanted to submit to him. I wanted to surrender to him and I was fighting it with everything I had.
He pulled me into his arms wrapping me in his protective embrace, his hand stroking my back. I felt his breath in my hair then his fingers at the back of my neck, stroking, comforting.
He kissed the top of my head. “Please don’t ask me to let you go. I can’t do it. I’m not strong enough to do it again.”
I remained quiet, but my head was reeling. The Legos started falling apart.
“Tour ends in a couple weeks.” He stroked the side of my face with the back of his knuckles. “Then I’m back. In the meantime, I want you to be careful. You need anything Deck will help you, okay?”
I pulled away. “Tell me what happened after I left Mexico.”
His eyes hardened and lips pursed together. “Nothing.”
“But Deck—”
His brows dropped over his eyes. “What did he tell you?”
“He just said to ask you.”
He didn’t say anything, and I knew he wasn’t going to.
“The girl ... Kai’s girl. Deck got her out.”
He nodded. “I told him about her. After you escaped, Kai disappeared in all the commotion.”
“The gun shots.”
“Yes. A distraction. Kai’s low-key, and no one knows much about him, but he vanished the moment things became unsettled. The girl was left behind, not sure if it was done on purpose or not. I told Deck about her, and he tracked her down a few months ago. She was up for auction. Kai was there. Deck got her out before he had a chance to buy her.”
Oh God.
“She’s staying with Georgie until she’s ready to go home. As of right now, she refuses to talk about it or go back to her family. They don’t even know she’s alive.”
Alfonzo destroyed that girl. I couldn’t imagine what had happened to her for the last two years. Kai ... I really wasn’t sure about him, but I did know he was dangerous, and if he knew who took her, there was no doubt that Kai would come after them.
“Give me your phone, Mouse.”
“You and me. We aren’t dating.” I had no intentions of dating anyone again, but I’d talk to him. It would be my therapy.
“No, we’re not. We’re way past that. Phone.”
I hesitated. Logan frowned. Then I pulled my phone from my purse, typed in the security password then handed it to him. He looked at the screen then began pressing numbers into my phone then passed it back. He didn’t take his out. “You’re going to remember my number from one glance?”
“Emily. I lost you for two years. I finally got your number. Do you think I’ll ever forget it? I programed my cell into your phone.”
“Sculpt—”
“Answer when I call.”
“Sculpt, I’m different now.”
He moved in close, arm snug around her waist. “Yeah. You’re stronger, sexier, and have an attitude. Makes me want you more.”
Logan wasn’t defeated easily. Actually, I don’t think he was ever defeated and as I stood in his arms I didn’t want him to be. “Okay.”
He backed away, took my hand and squeezed, and then brought me back to the gang who were talking quietly on the patio. Well, Deck was standing alone leaning up against the fence.
As soon as we appeared, he pushed away from the fence and strode over.
“The band’s leaving this afternoon,” Logan said to Deck and jerked his chin toward me.
“Yeah. On it. You tell her?” Deck asked.
“I’m standing right here. You’re on what? And tell me what?”
Logan stared at Deck a second. “Nothing bad touches her. She doesn’t need that shit on her, and I expect you to keep it that way.”
“Sculpt, what are you talking—?”
“Eme, I’ll call you later,” Logan interrupted, obviously on purpose. “Guys, I’m picking up Kite, see you at the airport. Crisis, you miss the flight this time, we’re going on without you.”
“You can’t do that.”
Ream picked up his beer. “Sure we can. You f**k up half the time anyway.”
“That’s horse shit ...” Ream and Crisis argued back and forth.
“I’ll walk with you.” Deck gave one extended glance at Georgie who was sitting with Raven, then followed Logan out of the yard.
I was left standing, staring after them.