Текст книги "Walk Through Fire"

Автор книги: Kristen Ashley

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 18 (всего у книги 32 страниц)

“How’d that get there?” I whispered.

Logan didn’t answer me.

He leaned into me, nabbed my hand, his fingers tight around mine, and started stalking again, through his brothers standing around my kitchen, dragging me with him.

“High,” Tack bit out impatiently.

Logan didn’t hesitate an instant.

He dragged me to the front door, yanked us to a halt, and thrust a finger at another security panel at the side of the door.

Eyes to me, he stated, “Same thing. Four, nine, one, three. You leave, you arm it. You’re home, it’s armed. No motion sensors in the house. It’s all about the windows and doors. They’re breached, a sound goes off raising all holy hell but also a message is sent straight to security dispatch. They contact the police and send a man out immediately. A man will show at the door to ask if everything is fine. You have a code phrase to tell him it’s not. You say, ‘Everything is fine, sir.’ If everything is fine, you find different words. If it’s not, he’ll know and deal. This sinkin’ in?”

“How did I get an alarm system?” I asked, then kept questioning. “And when?”

“You got it ’cause I had it put in. And you got it while you were in Paris.”

“I... what... why?”

He tugged on my hand, my arm jerked in the socket and I fell the step toward him that separated us.

Then he bent only his neck to stare down at me from his superior height, doing this still ticked way the hell off and keeping hold of my hand.

And staring into his infuriated eyes, feeling the stretch of the muscles in my arm that lingered after his pull, not painful, but still, I realized I was not astonished I had a security system. I was also not pissed at the way he was treating me.

I was scared.

I was scared because he was scary.

I was scared because Logan was gone. There was no trace of him.

This man was High.

And he was terrifying.

“ ’Cause I fuckin’ told you you got windows in your doors and that shit’s unsafe,” he ground out.

I shifted away from him, pulling at my hand but failing to get free.

“Let me go, Logan,” I said carefully.

“High, brother, calm down,” Tack ordered from the direction of the hall.

Logan ignored me and Tack.

“I didn’t arm the alarm once you got it because you didn’t know you had it and I didn’t want you or Dot settin’ it off. Now you know,” he stated. “And now you fuckin’ use it, Millie. Any time you leave, I don’t give a shit you’re walkin’ next door for a cup of sugar. And any time you’re home. Do you get me?”

I again tugged at my hand. “You need to let me go.”

He moved forward and I scuttled back until I hit wall and Logan held me there with the bulk of his body and the intensity of his rage.

“Brother,” a voice I didn’t know called, and I felt Chaos moving in all around Logan and me in my foyer.

But I didn’t tear my eyes from him and he didn’t tear his from me.

“You know that shit doesn’t happen to old ladies,” Logan snarled.

“Logan, you’re scaring me,” I whispered.

He dropped his face farther so our noses were nearly brushing. “You know, Millie. You fuckin’ know that shit doesn’t happen to old ladies. And if it does, the first fuckin’ thing you do is tell your old man.”

His tone was deteriorating to abrasive, scratching at my skin.

“Logan—”

“You had a man in this house that was enemy to Chaos, a fuckin’ gun pointed at you, and you didn’t tell your old man.”

Oh shit.

How could I forget about my visit from Benito Valenzuela?

I stared into Logan’s livid eyes and did it knowing he was right.

That shit didn’t happen.

But in the highly unlikely event it did, an old lady, or anyone associated with the Club who had the protection of Chaos, went right to their old man or someone in the Club.

I’d done the latter.

But I was Logan’s.

Going to Tack was unacceptable.

It was Logan I should have told.

“I told Tack,” I informed him of what he now knew.

“You’re not takin’ Tack’s cock,” he growled.

“High, cool off and back off,” I heard, and that was Big Petey.

I heard it but I didn’t process it.

I was busy dealing with Logan’s words pinging around in my head.

And as they did, I wasn’t afraid of him.

I remembered the many reasons in this scenario I was pissed like fuck at him.

So I retorted sharply, “I wasn’t your old lady then.”

“You’ve always been my old lady,” he bit back.

This was true.

Whatever.

“You are very aware that it’s more complicated than that, Logan Judd,” I snapped.

“I am. Very aware, Millie. And I’m very aware that I had two fuckin’ days in this house with you and you didn’t say a goddamned word.”

This was also true.

Shit!

“Other things, things that were extremely important, I’ll note, were taking my attention,” I pointed out.

“Yeah. They were. But instead of you bawlin’ your eyes out last night ’cause some bitch who doesn’t even fuckin’ exist bit it on TV, you coulda been tellin’ me you’d had a gun pointed at you.”

He was right again!

Shit!

“I told Tack,” I repeated.

“And Tack is not me,” he fired back.

“Logan—”

He moved in even closer and I snapped my mouth shut.

“You did wrong,” he whispered menacingly. “And you know it.”

I was not going to be menaced.

“You’re right,” I retorted. “Absolutely, one hundred percent right. I did wrong. I should have told you. I thought about it but other things kept coming up. Then, I don’t know how, maybe it was having the love of my life back in my life, I forgot about it. But bottom line, I was wrong. That doesn’t negate the fact that now you’re doing wrong by storming in here, barking at me, dragging me around, and attempting to intimidate me.”

“Men broke into my woman’s house, threatened her, held a gun to her, and she didn’t tell me that shit,” he returned.

I knew that couldn’t stand. I knew with any of these men that was intolerable.

But the fact remained, I was unaware at the time I was his woman.

“You need to dig deep, Logan, and remember where we were when that happened regardless of where we are now, where we’ve discovered only in the last two days we’ve always been...” I rolled up on my toes so our noses actually brushed, and finished, “And cut me some slack.”

Although a low, sexy growl rolled up his throat, I was able to beat back the tingles at the sexy part because I was just that ticked.

Other than that, he didn’t move, didn’t reply, just scowled down at me.

I realized with this I’d finally scored my point but I was too pissed to care.

So I didn’t move, didn’t say another word; I just glared up at him.

This went on for some time.

It only stopped when the guy who came into my office with Logan got close to our sides and, his voice shaking with humor, stated, “Think the biker and biker babe standoff is at a stalemate, brother. Probably a good time to stand down.”

Logan turned only his head to the guy. “I’m not feelin’ amused, Joker.”

“Think the rest of us are amused enough for you, High,” he replied.

Logan’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

I decided the biker and biker babe standoff was at a stalemate.

At least that one.

We had another one to contend with.

I got Logan’s attention back when I demanded to know, “How did you manage to put a security system in?”

He didn’t move out of my space when he declared, “Shit went down at The Roll. You were gutted. My boys were the ones who gutted you. Kellie laid it out. I jumped on my bike to sort shit out between us once and for all, got here, you didn’t answer. I was tweaked because you were fucked way the hell up and when you didn’t answer, that tweaked me more. So I broke in like I told you anyone could break in, did it easy, in about two seconds, breaking your glass.”

I gasped.

Logan kept talking.

“None of your neighbors heard and if they did, none of them called the police. I was in your house long enough to search it, make calls, come back, and board up your door. Then I swiped a key and came back again when the glass guys came to fix your door. And I came back when the security guys installed the system. No one around here fuckin’ knows me and not a fuckin’ peep from anyone.”

I had to admit to some dismay about this information.

However, my attention was caught at something else.

My boys were the ones who gutted you.

I jumped on my bike to sort shit out between us.

I stared up at him, remembering something that hadn’t dawned on me in the slightest at the time.

That being, when I’d gone to Chaos and Logan had showed, he wasn’t nasty. He wasn’t hard. He wasn’t cold.

He was watchful and guarded.

And he was gentle.

He also wanted to talk in his room.

I jumped on my bike to sort shit out between us.

I was tweaked.

He’d come after me.

He’d been worried about me.

He’d got to the point he was going to end our insane game a different way.

And when he saw something he felt made me unsafe, he’d paid for a security firm to install a system.

Our reunion had not been triggered with me coming clean about why I broke us apart.

Our reunion had been triggered before that, when his brothers hurt me to the point I lost it and he’d been worried about me.

Now that was my Logan.

“How did you know I was in Paris?” I asked quietly.

“Babe, told you,” he answered sharply. “I was tweaked. Got a guy I know who’s a magician with shit like that to track you. Worried like fuck, was gonna follow you but thought you needed a chance to get your head together. So I waited it out. Was also gonna be here in this house when you got back. But you got back early. Still got an emergency passport partly ’cause I was that worried about you. Now that you’re back, I figure it’s mostly because I was pissed you went there without me.”

Worried like fuck, was gonna follow you.

Got an emergency passport.

Oh yes, that was my Logan.

“I don’t know what to say,” I whispered.

“I do,” he returned. “You’re gonna have to put up with those boys comin’ back because they’re gonna be installin’ a system in your office. Don’t know why I didn’t do that shit the first time around but it’s gonna happen as soon as I can set it up. You’re also gonna be vigilant about keepin’ it active. You’re not gonna fall down on that or, swear to Christ, Millie, even if nothin’ goes down and I find you did, I’m gonna lose my mind. And you’re gonna put up with Chaos protection. My boys got fences to mend with you but you’re gonna speed that up because, don’t give a fuck you got a system, that motherfucker got to you. Now every old lady, when her old man’s not close, has a man on her. First up for you is Joker.”

When Logan jerked his head to the side, I turned to the man standing close.

“Uh... hi, Joker,” I mumbled.

He grinned at me.

He was young.

But he was cute.

“Can you do me the favor of unpinnin’ your woman from the wall so we can have a chat with her?” Tack asked from behind Logan.

At that, Logan moved to my side, hooked me around the neck with his arm, yanked me to him a different way, loving and protective but annoyed (which was acceptable), and looked to Tack.

“Your presence here was unnecessary,” he growled.

“You tore outta that meeting; no tellin’ where you were goin’ and what you’d do,” Tack replied patiently. “You hit Millie’s, in your mood, what went down, what she didn’t share, what you didn’t know, you know, any brother got that news, every brother would be on his ass so he didn’t fuck things up when he got home.”

They’d started out trailing him because they were worried he’d go after Valenzuela.

They’d ended up doing it to make sure what we were rebuilding was protected.

I wasn’t sure I had fences to mend. Hop had hurt my feelings with Candlebox but he didn’t know what was happening. He was doing what any brother would. Taking his brother’s back.

But if there were any fences to mend, the boys there right then would have mended them.

I wasn’t certain I intended to share that information at the present juncture.

However, if I was, I didn’t get a chance because Logan declared, “That’s bullshit, brother, and you know it. Minute a man hit his home, the brothers would ride off ’cause that shit’s not their business.”

“Right, then I’ll amend my statement,” Tack returned. “We rode in to keep your shit straight with Millie because you both finally got your heads out of your asses and a fuckin’ asshole like Benito Valenzuela shouldn’t fuck up anything that important.”

Tack had always kind of intimidated me simply because he was so sharp, it was uncanny.

But I’d also always liked him.

I could feel Logan gearing up to reply to Tack but I had work to do and it seemed our latest drama was petering out, so I had to move things along.

I did this by looking at Joker.

“You’re in luck,” I shared. “Logan did a massive grocery shop, so there’s tons of food in the house. And I’m a big TV gal. Anything you want is at your command. That is, if you know how to operate an Xbox. But if you don’t,” I smiled at him, “I’ll teach you.”

He smiled back but my enjoyment of the attractiveness of this was abbreviated when I had to turn my attention back to Logan, who was growling at me.

“For fuck’s sake, Millie, he’s not here to kick back and watch the tube. He’s here to watch your ass.”

“That doesn’t mean he can’t be comfortable doing it,” I returned.

“Uh... yeah it does,” he replied sarcastically. “Hard for him to take in a movie at the same time pay attention to you to make sure you’re covered.”

I turned in his hold and started glaring.

“Well, excuse me. I’ve never needed protection before. I don’t know the protocol.”

That was most assuredly the wrong thing to say considering Logan’s face clouded with thunder to the point he looked ready to blow.

“Right, you two can keep squabbling later. Now, Millie, we gotta have words,” Tack stated.

I looked to him and took the opportunity he gave to put a line under the current scenario. To do this, I threw out an arm as best I could since Joker was still close.

In fact, all the brothers were still close.

Regardless, I managed it and invited, “Why don’t we move this to the living room?”

I watched bikers shuffle out of my foyer, most of them grinning at their boots, some of them grinning at me.

And considering the drama had petered out, belatedly it hit me Chaos was in my home.

That particular hit felt like velvet.

Logan and I were the last to move out but before we did, I grasped on to his thermal at his stomach and stopped him.

He looked down at me.

“I should have told you,” I said quietly. “I do feel I have an excuse but I’m still sorry.”

Any storm still threatening his expression cleared and he bent his neck to touch his mouth to mine.

When he lifted away, he said not a word as he moved us after his brothers.

But he didn’t need to say a word.

I knew my apology was accepted.

“Jesus, this pad is phat,” Boz declared, and I saw him glancing around when we walked into the living room.

I’d been close to Boz. Losing all the brothers had been a hit. But losing Boz and Black had cut deeper.

I studied him warily, suddenly realizing all I was getting when I got Logan back. Or more accurately, suddenly realizing all I hoped I was getting when I got Logan back.

Logan would have been enough. Logan was heaven.

If this was what I hoped it was, it was nirvana.

“Millie—”

That came from our other side and I looked that way to see Hop had his eyes to me.

Attractive gray eyes that held regret.

“Don’t,” I whispered. He opened his mouth but I shook my head. “Don’t. I get it. It’s done. I hope we’re moving on.”

“It was a dick thing to do,” he stated.

“It was being loyal to your brother,” I returned. “I get it. I’ve got it.” With my arm around Logan’s waist, I tugged him closer to me. “Let’s move on.”

Hop looked at me, at Logan, then at me and he jerked up his chin.

That meant we were moving on.

I gave him a small smile.

“We all got shit to do,” Tack declared, and my attention turned to him. “So let’s get on with this so we can do ours and leave Millie to do hers.”

No one said anything and I didn’t look away from Tack, so he kept going.

“I think you get we got an issue with Valenzuela. We’re workin’ on this with Brock Lucas and Mitch Lawson of the DPD.”

I felt my lips part at this shocking news.

Cops?

And Chaos?

Tack ignored my open astonishment and kept talking.

“They’ll want a statement from you about the break-in. We’ve talked and you can press charges for that, and what he did isn’t good, but when that asshole goes down, we wanna have enough on him to stay down. We also don’t want you any more focus than you’ve already been with Valenzuela. You press charges for breaking and entering and harassment with criminal intent, it might hold, but it won’t hold him long and it leaves his soldiers on the street to do his bidding. So we’re askin’ you to make a statement so it’s on record. But we’re also askin’ you not to press charges so we can keep doin’ what we’re doin’ to bring him and his crew down.”

“I... you...” I shook my head. “You’re working with the police?”

“Yeah,” Tack replied like that wasn’t totally insane. “We’re gonna do a sweep, make sure no eyes are on you or anyone who’s got our protection. But we still don’t want you goin’ to the cops or havin’ them meet with you here. We’ll escort you to a private location so you can share what happened with Slim and Mitch and no one will know. You good with that?”

Hesitantly, I nodded.

“You lived the life, darlin’,” he said quietly. “Been a while but you’re back and it’s not shit you forget. So you know our world. You know what he did earned him more trouble than he already had from us. Old ladies are untouchable.” He lifted a hand my way even though I made no move to reply. “We all get where you and High were at but I reckon Valenzuela thought different and he made his approach all the same. We’ll be makin’ moves to ensure he goes down but I want you to know from what’s just happened we’re also makin’ moves to protect our own. It won’t happen again. You’re good. We’ll keep you that way.”

Suddenly, I started trembling.

I had Logan back.

I had his family back.

They had an enemy, that enemy threatened me, and that was not good.

But I had Logan back.

I had his family back.

And they were going to take care of me.

And that was so overwhelming in a good way I could do nothing but stand there and take it all in.

Tack in my living room.

Boz. Hop. Pete.

I was in my home.

But I felt like I’d just come home.

Tack, either allowing me my reaction without noting it or missing it (the latter was doubtful), went on, “High’s gonna fill you in on what you need to know. What you need to know from us is what I told you. That shit could happen to you because the circumstances between you two made it so it could happen. And Valenzuela is greedy and insane, but he isn’t stupid. He chose well. But if he does get eyes on you, he’ll see you’re fully in the fold. I don’t figure he’ll be that stupid again. Won’t matter, we’ll make sure he isn’t.”

I managed to nod and then something struck me and I looked to the side of my cuddle chair.

The crate was gone.

Like Valenzuela, in all the time shared with Logan, I hadn’t thought of it.

And it being gone freaked me out.

“The crate,” I whispered.

“What, babe?” Logan asked.

I tipped my head to look at him. “The crate. He took it from the Dumpster. He brought it back.” I pointed to the floor by the chair. “It was by the chair.”

High’s mouth got tight, his eyes cut to Tack, then back to me.

They came back in time for me to say, my voice rising in hysteria, “It’s gone. Do you think he came back and got it?”

“Millie, beautiful, shit was intense with us and I wanted that to play out with no distractions so I moved the crate to the closet in your empty bedroom.”

I sagged against him for two reasons.

The crate was home and safe.

And that crazy man hadn’t been back.

“Four, nine, one, three,” Logan said quietly.

The security code.

He saw my panic.

And he had me covered in a variety of ways.

“Four, nine, one, three,” I replied quietly.

He shifted his arm around me so his hand cupped me under my jaw.

Then he bent in for another kiss. No lip brush but also no tongues. However, this one lasted longer than the one in the foyer.

And when he lifted his head, my panic was gone.

He let go of my jaw when a presence moved into our space.

We both looked that way and I saw Pete standing there.

I held my breath at the bright in his eyes as he looked between us.

Those eyes landed on me.

“Fuck, sweetheart, so good to have you back,” he whispered.

I made a noise as I choked back the tears and moved out of Logan’s hold toward Big Petey.

His arms closed around me tight.

Folded in the arms of Chaos.

Oh yes.

I’d come home.