Chapter 37
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-Hailey-
I stood in the parking lot, staring at the cracked pavement where Logan had knelt the night before. Where I watched them put handcuffs on him.
My toes curled in my boots, my fingers shaking as I wrapped his hoodie tighter around me.
The memory of him being dragged away, his green eyes locked on mine, played on a loop in my head. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, and I squeezed them shut.
The sound of an engine made me open them, and my head snapped up. Talon’s truck rolled into the lot, its headlights cutting through the gloomy dawn. My heart was in my throat as I watched it pull to a stop.
The driver’s side door opened and Talon climbed out. But I wasn’t looking at him.
The passenger door swung open.
Logan stepped out.
His dark hair was messy, his face shadowed with exhaustion, but he was here. He was free.
My breath hitched. Then I was running.
I sprinted toward him, my boots slapping against the pavement. He turned just as I reached him, his eyes widening a split second before I launched myself into his arms.
For one awful heartbeat, I thought he might vanish. That I’d imagined him.
He grunted, stumbling back a step, but his arms wrapped around me tight, lifting me off the ground.
I buried my face in his neck, inhaling the scent of leather and smoke and Logan. My chest ached as I clung to him, my fingers digging into the back of his neck.
“Jesus, Ace,” he muttered, his voice rough against my ear. “I’ve only been gone a few hours.”
I didn’t respond. My voice was too tight. My eyes were burning with tears I’d been holding back all night. He was here. He was safe.
He lowered me back to the ground, but he didn’t let go. His hands slid up to cradle my face, and his thumbs brushed away the tears that had spilled over. His eyes searched mine, dark and intense.
“You okay?” he asked.
I nodded, but it was a lie. I wasn’t even close to okay. But with his hands on me, with his body against mine, I could breathe again.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “This is all my-”
“Don’t,” he interrupted, his tone sharp. “This ain’t on you.”
I stared up at him, my chest heaving. There was a storm brewing behind his eyes, but it wasn’t directed at me. It was for Becker, for Monty, for everything we couldn’t fix.
“You look like hell,” he murmured. “You sleep at all?”
I shook my head.
17:53 Fri, Dec 26 JO.
Chapter 37
“Yeah, me either,” he said softly, brushing his thumb under my eye.
“Bunch of us have been up all night drinking,” I said sheepishly. “I needed… a distraction.”
His lips twitched into a faint smirk. “Drinkin‘ without me? That’s cold, Ace.”
I laughed, but it came out more like a sob. “Probably shouldn’t tell you we played strip poker, then.”
His eyebrows shot up, and for a second I saw a flicker of the man he was a few days ago. Before I killed Matt. Before the
arrest.
Three days… I’d only been here three days. But it felt like a lifetime.
“Strip poker, huh? Who won?”
“River,” I said, wiping at my face with the sleeve of his hoodie. “He cheats.”
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Logan chuckled. “Yeah, he does.” His hands slid down my shoulders, gripping them like he was afraid I’d disappear. “You’re shakin.”
I hadn’t even realized it until he said it. My whole body was trembling, the adrenaline and exhaustion crashing over me. “I’m fine,” I lied, my voice trembling too.
He didn’t call me out on it. Just pulled me closer, his chin resting on top of my head.
I buried my face in his chest, my fingers clutching at the back of his cut. The leather was warm under my hands, solid and real.
“I thought “My voice broke and I couldn’t finish the sentence. I thought I’d lost him. Thought Becker would find a way to keep him locked up forever.
Thought I’d never feel his arms around me again.
“I’m here,” he said, his voice rough. “I’m not goin‘ anywhere.”
I nodded against him, but I couldn’t stop the tears. They just kept coming, hot and relentless, soaking into his shirt. He didn’t say anything, just held me tighter, his hands rubbing circles on my back.
“Come on,” he said after a while. “Let’s get inside. It’s fuckin freezing out here.”
His hand slid down to grip mine as he led me toward the clubhouse. His touch was soothing, but my legs still felt like jelly. My mind was still drowning in how close I’d come to losing him.
Inside, it was quieter now. Scarlett was slumped on the couch with her head resting on Ruby’s shoulder. River sat on the floor, leaning against the wall with a half–empty beer in his hand. Link was sprawled on the pool table with his eyes closed.
They all looked up when we walked in, and I saw relief flicker across their faces. Scarlett shot me a tired smile, but her eyes were sharp as they landed on Logan.
“Welcome back, brother,” River muttered tiredly, raising his beer in a mock toast before taking a swig.
Logan nodded, his grip tightening on my hand. “Thanks for keepin‘ an eye on her,” he said quietly.
Scarlett shrugged. “Wasn’t much else to do but drink and wait.”
I felt a pang of guilt. They all stayed up because of me. Because Logan was gone, and I couldn’t handle it.
“Hailey wouldn’t even show us her sparkly tits,” Ruby muttered, wholly drunk and half–asleep. “I blame you, Logan.”
17:53 Fri, Dec 26 RJO
Chapter 37
Logan raised an eyebrow as he glanced at me, a smile tugging at his lips. “Come on, Ace. Let’s go to bed.”
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I let him pull me upstairs. The sun was creeping through the blinds by the time we made it to his bedroom. He shut the door behind us and the click echoed in the quiet.
He kicked off his boots and shrugged out of his cut, tossing it on the chair and stepping out of his jeans. I stripped off my jeans and hoodie, then hesitated for a second before climbing in beside him and pulling the blanket over us.
He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me back against his chest. I could feel his heartbeat, strong and steady. A comforting rhythm that dragged me back from the edge of panic.
“Logan?” I whispered after a minute or two.
“Yeah, Ace.” His voice was heavy with sleep.
“What happens now?”
He hesitated, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my arm.
“Now… we sleep for like five days. Then we fight back.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
