“Are you sure you have to go to work tonight?” Logan asks again as I finish applying my last coat of mascara.

“Ian only calls me when he is desperate, and he said it should only be a couple of hours. Are you sure you don’t mind watching Jane? I can call Claire and drop her off.”

“Of course, I don’t mind. I think we might go over to Trevor’s for a little while. I need to have a chat with Ian and tell him to stop occupying my girlfriend’s time.”

Coming up behind me, Logan circles his arm around my middle and moves my hair over one shoulder, leaving a wet trail along my neck with his lips. My eyes connect with his through the mirror, and I begin to question my choice to bartend tonight.

Turning in his arms, I wrap mine around his neck. “It will only be a couple of hours, and then I will be back. We have a big day of shopping tomorrow with a little girl who is ready to redecorate.”

His lips fall to mine, and I smile as he talks against them. “Fine. You’d better get going so you can hurry back home.”

“I love you,” I say, nipping at his bottom lip.

“I love you too.” He releases me with a slap on my ass followed by a smirk.

Finding Jane in the living room, I give her a hug and a kiss, letting her know I would see her in the morning since she’ll more than likely be in bed before I get home. She is beyond thrilled about her night with Logan and can’t get me out the door any quicker.

This past week, we have slowly been bringing some of my things over. Logan has been meeting me at my apartment after work to load up both of our vehicles with boxes and clothes. Since his house is fully furnished, I have no need for my furniture, which has made the moving process easier. I have never been one to have much stuff, and whatever I did have, Logan’s was newer and nicer, so we are donating it all to the local woman’s shelter.

He told me I could change anything inside the house, but I love everything the way it is. Ruth did an amazing job putting the house together, and I wouldn’t want anything to be different. Jane, on the other hand, couldn’t be more excited at having the chance to decorate her own bedroom. With all the different ideas she has thrown at me this week, I know my bank account will be hurting after our shopping endeavors. Logan and I haven’t had the chance to discuss bills and how things will be split, but I plan on pulling my weight and doing my fair share. I don’t even want to think about what the electric bill runs for that place, much less the mortgage, but with my savings and the decent money I make at the law firm, I should be good. At least, I hope so.

Arriving at Déjà vu, I park in the back lot and enter through the employee door. I say a quick hello to Ian as I pass by his office on my way to the bar. I get the same thrill walking through the door into the bar as I have every other time. It briefly makes me miss the constant hustle and bustle of the job. Now that I am accustomed to having a standard schedule and a reliable paycheck, I don’t see myself ever going back.

An hour into my shift, I notice a new patron take a seat at the bar and get an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach from the way he is staring my way. He has handsome, strong facial features, but there isn’t anything pleasant in his glare. I spare a quick glance down the bar to see if Jordan is available, but he is at the far end helping others. Shaking off the odd feelings, I put on my best smile and approach the man.

“What can I get you?” I ask as he just continues his stare.

It feels like minutes pass by while he just looks at me with a lip curl, but it was only a few seconds. My smile begins to slip, but finally, he speaks.

“Seven and seven,” he says in a deep, raspy voice, his eyes never leaving mine.

“You got it.” I turn away to grab the liquor bottle but can feel him burning a hole in my back. I don’t know what this guy’s problem is, but if he’s going to have this attitude all night, then he needs to take it elsewhere, or Jordan will have to come serve him.

I place the glass on the white napkin in front of him. “Do you want to start a tab?”

With a stiff shake of his head, he slaps a twenty down on the bar. Picking it up, I head to the register to grab his change, ready to move on and help someone else. When I turn back around, the man with the intense stare is gone. Shrugging my shoulder, I stuff his change into my pocket. At least, he left a hefty tip to go with his attitude.

The rest of the night goes by much smoother, and I am running my ass off behind the bar but having fun while I do it. Jordan and I always work well together, and he constantly reminds me how much he misses having me there. I don’t tell him that this will most likely be the last shift I pull at the bar. It is too hard for me to leave Jane behind and rely on someone else to watch her. She is already spending the days with Gabby, and I am missing that time with her. I no longer have to worry about just me, and as much as I miss the atmosphere, I have to do right by Jane.

“Well, hello there, beautiful.” Without even looking up, I smile when I hear his voice.

Standing on my toes, I reach over the bar and give Tanner a hug. “What are you doing here?”

“I got wind that my favorite girl was working tonight. You knew I couldn’t pass up a night of you serving me,” he says with a smirk, resting his arms against the bar.

“How is it you can make the simplest things sound so dirty? No wonder your brother thought something was going on between us.” A guilty look passes over his face. “What?”

“Well, it’s just that I may have embellished a little more about us when you weren’t around.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, stepping closer as I cross my arms.

“He used to always ask questions about you. Wanting to know what your story was and if you were seeing anybody, but I may have led him to believe you were seeing me.” He says the last part slowly, looking down briefly.

“Why would you do that?” I have been curious as to why Logan was so sure I had something going on with his brother.

“Look, I’m not proud of it, but he was still with Melody. I mean, we all knew that was a ticking time bomb, but still, he was engaged. I didn’t want him to use you or treat you like some rebound, so I stretched the truth a little bit.”

“A little?” I laugh. “Nothing has ever happened between us, Tanner. That was more like an entire fabrication.”

“You say tomato; I say potato.” He shrugs.

“You know that’s not how the saying goes?” I say, and then I realize that’s exactly how he meant it. “Thank you for looking out for me. You are one of my best friends, Tanner, and it really means a lot.” My hand goes to his forearm, and I give it a squeeze.

“Hey, he may be my brother, but you’re my girl and don’t think I didn’t warn him about what would happen if he ever fucked with you.”

A wide smile pulls against my cheeks at the seriousness of his tone. Pulling my body over the bar, I kiss his cheek. “What can I get you to drink, bestie? Your usual?”

“Have you gone rusty? Why are you even asking?”

Leaving our serious talk behind, I make his drink, and he is back to being full of jokes. My earlier tension from the mysterious man at the bar vanishes with the help of Tanner. I am surprised he stays seated at the bar and isn’t joined by any of his usual friends. Several girls have approached him tonight, but he never gives them much attention. I want to ask him about Bethany, but until either the crowd dies down or my replacement comes in, I don’t have much time to chat.

Ian comes out from his office and chats with Tanner for a while before telling me he can cover until Missy comes in.

“Here you go. Thank you again, Brenna.” He hands me a white envelope, which I know will contain more than my fair share of pay for working tonight.

“You’re very welcome. This will probably be the last time I will be able to fill in, though. My life has changed so much, and I can’t keep working nights.”

“I completely understand. Hell, I am surprised I was able to get you the past couple of times. Always know that, no matter what, you have a job here.”

“Thank you, Ian.” I give him a hug, and it’s bittersweet knowing that I am saying goodbye to the job that helped me out in so many ways.

Without this place, I never would have met Tanner and, in turn, Logan. I am so thankful for the opportunity Ian gave me when I first applied. I came in as a stranger, and now I am leaving with a family.

Walking around the bar, I move next to Tanner who is typing away on his phone. I hop up on the stool next to him and bump his shoulder.

“You look pretty frustrated as you pound away on that phone.”

“Now Brenna, you’d better not let my brother hear you talking about how I look pounding away. He might take that the wrong way.”

“You have problems; you know that?” I say, slapping his arm. “Can I ask you something?”

“You just did,” he says, looking back at his phone. After a couple of seconds of silence, he glances back up at my annoyed face and sets the phone down. “Sorry, go ahead.”

“What’s going on with you and Bethany?”

He laughs dryly and shakes his head. “Of all the questions you could ask, you go for the one I don’t have an answer for.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means I don’t have the slightest clue. All that girl does is drive me crazy and confuse the ever-loving shit out of him. One minute, we are good and laughing, and the next, she treats me like I have leprosy and can’t get far enough away. I can’t keep up.”

“Have the two of you ever sat down and talked?” I ask, feeling like they need to sort some things out.

“Why would we do that? This has been our thing since we were teenagers; I don’t see it changing anytime soon.”

“You took her virginity,” I say, regretting it when I feel like I am breaking Bethany’s trust.

Tanner chokes on his drink, and his eyes go big. “She told you?”

“Why did you do it?”

“I didn’t know. So many things would have been different had I known she was a virgin.”

“No,” I say, beginning to feel the anger for the brokenhearted teenage girl. “Why did you start dating her best friend the next day?”

Tanner runs his hands over his face before looking at me. “She told you that too, huh?” I nod my head, urging him to continue. “I was an idiot. I was young and stupid and had this insane crush on my best friend’s sister. All I could think about was her and what it would be like to have her, and then when I finally get the chance, she gives me this amazing gift. I wasn’t ready to be serious with just one girl, and there’s no way I could have ever treated Bethany the same I did all the others who never mattered. What I did was stupid, but in the end, it was better for her.”

Without thought, I reach up and smack him across the back of his head. “First of all, that was the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Basically, you didn’t want to hurt her, but you destroyed her by your actions. And secondly, you are a grown ass adult. Man up or you will lose her forever.”

“Damn, why are you always hitting me?” he asks, rubbing the spot where my hand connected to his head.

“Do you have feelings for her?”

He finishes his drink before answering. “It’s not that simple.” He lets out a frustrated breath.

“How is it not?”

“Her brother is my best friend, and I doubt he would be happy to know the things I want to do to his sister.”

“Well, there is no reason to ever tell him that much information, but I am sure he wants Bethany to be happy. The first thing you need to do is talk to her.”

“She’s been blowing me off since the other night, so I’m not sure she would even see me.” He lowers his head, tapping his fingers against the wooden surface.

The fact he looks so torn up about the whole Bethany situation goes to show that he does have feelings for her. I just worry he is going to allow his fear to hold him back.

“You won’t know until you try. If she means what I think she does to you, then you should fight for her.” Standing from the stool, I kiss his cheek. “I’m going to head out.”

“Where are you parked?” Tanner asks, standing up.

“I’m in the back.”

“Okay, I’ll walk you out.”

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “That’s not necessary. I have walked out to my car many nights alone, so I’ll be fine. You stay and finish your drink. Think about what I said.”

With his hand up in the air, he signals Ian over. “Hey, man. I’m going to walk Brenna out. Can I get another one?”

“You hanging out tonight?” Ian asks, and Tanner nods his head. “Good. I have a couple of ideas I want to bounce off you.”

Just before we reach the back door, Tanner’s phone rings, and his eyes light up when he looks at the screen.

“It’s Bethany,” he says, his voice low and laced with shock.

“Answer it!” I shout, nudging his arm.

“Just give me a minute.”

He turns his back to me, putting the cell to his ear while he talks in a low voice. As much as I want to eavesdrop on their conversation, I think better of it and sneak out the back door. I really hope the two of them can get their shit together and finally be on the same page. I know Tanner is worried about Bradley’s feelings toward them being together, but if he is upfront and honest about it all, there is a good chance he will be accepting of it.

Even though I am getting out of here before midnight, I am still completely exhausted and cannot wait to get to back home and into bed. It is still such a strange feeling to be calling Logan’s beautiful house my home. Never would I have imagined living in such a gorgeous place, but then again, I could never have imagined falling in love with someone as amazing as Logan. I’m not the kind of person who ever needs someone, but without knowing it, Logan entered my life when I needed him the most.

Getting closer to my car, I reach into my purse to search for keys. For some reason, I can’t ever put them in the same place, so it’s always a task of finding them in my bag. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a dark figure moving in my direction. I pick up my pace, my hand reaching frantically for my keys or pepper spray, whatever I find first.

Suddenly, hands grasp me roughly from behind and push me up against a nearby truck. My purse has fallen from my shoulder, and my hands press against the cold metal of the vehicle while my heart beats out of my chest.

“Where is Lynne?” the deep, raspy voice asks in my ear. I recognize the voice from the man who sat at the bar, glaring at me earlier.

“I … don’t … know.” I barely get the words out and whimper when he tightens his hold on my arms.

“Don’t lie to me. That whore fucked me over, and I will get what’s owed to me, one way or another.” He presses his body into mine, smashing me further into the truck, and I want to vomit when his erection presses into my ass. “You know, you’re a lot prettier than your sister. I think we might be able to work something out just between the two of us.” His nose moves against my neck, and I do my best to move away, but the effort is worthless. Instead, I close my eyes tightly and begin to pray for help.

Whenever I think about being in such a position, a few different scenarios run through my head where I am able to escape my attacker. Never did I imagine myself frozen as I am right now.

Why am I not screaming?

Why am I not trying to fight back?

My mouth opens, but I can’t get anything to come out. I am weak and paralyzed by fear, and something unimaginable is going to happen to me because my body has given up control.

In the distance, I hear a door slam followed by a shout. “What the fuck? Get your hands off her!”

“I’ll be back,” the man says into my ear before taking off.

My body collapses, and I slide down the truck, hitting the asphalt hard. Sobs erupt from my chest, and I struggle to get my breathing under control. A hand touches my shoulder, and I jump at the contact, ready to crawl underneath the truck to get away.

“Hey, Brenna. It’s just me.” Hearing Tanner’s voice, I cry harder. He moves around me, positioning his body in front of mine. “Are you okay? Did that asshole hurt you?”

I shake my head, unsure what question I am answering, and wrap my arms around his neck, my tears soaking his shirt. Sliding an arm under my legs, Tanner stands up and begins walking back to the bar, his head moving left to right as he scans the area. He tries the handle, but the door’s always locked from the outside. I want to offer my keys, but I am still vocally challenged and don’t even know where my purse is. His hand beats hard and loud against the door, and seconds later, the door opens.

“What happened?” Lindsey asks, pulling the door wider.

“Go get Ian. Now.” Tanner keeps moving, walking past her and taking me straight into Ian’s office. He goes to set me down on the small couch, but I squeeze my arms hard around him, afraid to let go. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. I will sit right here with you.” He speaks in a calm, comforting tone, and I reluctantly loosen my hold as he places me down gently.

I look at his shirt and notice the black marks all over the green material. “Sorry I ruined your shirt,” I say, surprised to hear my own voice again after all this time.

“I don’t care about the shirt. Are you okay, Brenna?”

I nod my head and try to use my words again. “I think so. Nothing really happened. I was just scared and … thank you for saving me, Tanner.” I start to get choked up again, remembering the foul words coming from the stranger and thinking about what might have happened had Tanner not come outside.

“God, Brenna. If something would have happened to you ...” He stops, his beautiful green eyes getting watery. “I should have been there.”

Before I can respond, Ian comes running through his office door. “What happened? Is she all right?”

“Some asshole attacked her in the parking lot. We need to call the police. Do you have cameras back there? He took off when I came out.”

“No, there aren’t any cameras in the back. Fuck. I’ll call the cops, and first thing tomorrow, I am having cameras installed. I’m so sorry, Brenna. Are you okay?”

I try to give a smile to ease his guilt, but it proves to be difficult, so I simply nod my head. Ian walks around his desk and picks up his phone, making the call to the police.

“Hey, Tanner?” I ask the man who is still glued to my side. “Can you call Logan, please?”

“Of course. Do you want to talk to him? I picked up your bag before we came in.” Reaching down to the floor, he lifts my black purse, setting it down on my lap.

I glance down at it, and the first thing I spot is the pepper spray, laying right on top.

“Can you just let him know that I am okay and will be a little later than he was expecting?” I lean forward, my elbows on my knees with my head buried in my hands.

What has my sister gotten herself into, and why am I being dragged into it? I hate feeling unsafe, and how long will I walk around wondering when this guy will pop out of the shadows next? What happens if no one is there to stop him next time? Was this guy responsible for the break-in at my apartment, and was he here the last time I worked when I felt in my gut someone was watching me?

Tanner makes his call beside me, never leaving me, but I don’t hear a word spoken because my mind is replaying the event outside—over and over again. I can still feel his body pressed against mine, his lips on my skin, and his voice in my head. When the fear consumed my body, and I began thinking about all the horrible things that were going to happen to me, the one thing that killed me the most was when I thought about Jane. What would happen to her, and who would take care of her? Would they place her with my mother? Or foster care? I’m not even sure which one would be worse.

It isn’t long before two uniformed officers show up and begin asking questions. Tanner stays next to me as I tell them what happened, and he squeezes my hand when I replay what the guy said. One officer has his notepad out, writing things down the entire time I speak, and the other stays focused on me as I tell the story.

The door to Ian’s office opens abruptly, and my eyes dart in the direction, relief hitting me when Logan enters the room and heads straight for me. For the first time since he brought me in, Tanner moves from his seat, which is instantly filled by his brother.

His hands cradle my face as his eyes do a quick survey of me. “Are you all right?” he asks the question of the night.

My head nods as I grasp his wrists. “Where’s Jane?”

“She’s with Gabby. I dropped her off and came right here. Trevor had gotten the call moments before I showed up at their house, so he was on his way to get me.”

My gaze leaves Logan, and I look to my left where Trevor stands speaking with the other officers. I never even noticed him come in behind Logan.

“Are you sure you aren’t hurt anywhere?”

“No, just a little shaken up. Tanner ran him off before anything bad happened.”

“Brenna, do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?” Trevor asks, and I shake my head, ready to get it all over with. “Did you get a good look at the guy?”

“He came at me from behind and …” I trail off, not wanting to relive the moment over and over. “But his voice ... I recognized it from a guy I served earlier.”

“Did he say anything to you then?”

I think back and try to remember if there was something I should have picked up on. “No. He just kept glaring at me and gave me the creeps, but with years of working in the bar, it’s not that abnormal.”

“Had you ever seen him before tonight?”

“No. Until he sat down at the bar, I’d never seen his face before.”

Trevor looks over his shoulder and calls out, “Ian, your cameras inside, are any of them directed toward the bar?”

“I have every inch of this place covered.” He moves to his desk, clicking around the computer.

“Just not the back parking lot?” Logan asks with an angry tone.

My head whips back around to him, but Ian responds before I can speak.

“Don’t think I don’t already feel like shit, Logan. It’s getting taken care of first thing in the morning.” He looks back at his computer and clicks some more. “I pulled up the time when you started. Brenna, can you point him out?”

I try to pull my hand from Logan’s, but his hold tightens. He stands from the couch and helps me up, walking with me to the other side of Ian’s desk. My eyes focus on the multiple boxes filling the screen showing the different angles of the bar.

I point my finger at the top right box. “That is where he sat down.”

Ian clicks his mouse, and the screen is filled with video from just the one camera view, making it easier for me to concentrate. The instant his form fills the empty seat, I feel sick to my stomach.

“That’s him,” I say, stepping away, not wanting to look any longer.

Logan pulls me into his arms, wrapping them tightly around me, and I collapse against him. I inhale his scent, soaking up all the comfort and safety I feel with him near. My body relaxes, and my eyes fall closed while I try to tune out everything going on around me unsuccessfully.

“Can I take her home?” Logan asks.

“Yeah. We shouldn’t need anything more from her tonight. I need to handle a few things here and down at the station, so I will catch a ride with these guys,” Trevor says, motioning toward the officers.

We say our goodbyes, and I thank everyone in the room for their help. Trevor promises to keep us up to date on anything they find out, and we leave the bar with Tanner following close behind us. In order to get to Logan’s SUV, parked out front, we have to walk through the building. Other than a brief smile to Jordan, I keep my eyes focused on Logan’s back and my hand locked with his. I can feel Tanner at my back and get a protective vibe coming from him.

Logan opens the passenger door, and I climb in, putting my hand up to stop him from shutting me in. He looks at me in question, but I turn my attention to Tanner.

“Thank you, again.”

He steps closer, and Logan moves out of his way. Reaching into the car, he wraps me in a big hug. “Call me if you need anything.”

My head moves against his before I pull away. Once he closes the door, the brothers share a moment and part ways. Logan waits until Tanner reaches his truck and pulls out of his parking spot before we move. His hand reaches for mine, and our fingers entwine. Bringing them to his mouth, he kisses the back of my hand, his lips lingering before setting them on my thigh. He doesn’t ask any questions on the drive, and I am thankful for the quiet because I know they will come.

When we get to Gabby’s, I choose to stay inside the car while he goes inside and carries out a sleeping Jane. I hate to disturb her sleep, and Gabby had offered to keep her overnight when Logan called to let her know we were on our way, but after tonight, I want her with me.

We get her settled in her bed, and I sit down next to her, careful not to wake her. She looks so innocent and peaceful in her sleep, and I wish I could protect her from all the evil in the world. Leaning down, I press a kiss to her head and stand from the bed even though I want to curl up next to her and hold her all night long.

In the kitchen, I pull a glass from the cabinet, fill it with water from the refrigerator, and take a long sip. Logan stands off to the side, leaning against the counter. He is so beautiful. Even with the furrowed brow and worried look on his face, he is the most beautiful man I have ever come across. It makes me wonder how I ended up lucky enough to have him.

I walk over to where he waits and slide my arms around his back, laying my head against his chest.

“I love you,” I say, pressing my lips to his shirt.

His arms grip me tighter. “I love you, too. Monday morning, I am putting in for time off, and we are going to talk to my uncle because I’m taking you and Jane on vacation. I had a few years shaved off my life tonight, and I think the three of us need to get away from here for a while.”

Pushing up on my toes, I kiss his cheek. “Okay.”

He pulls back and peers down at me. “Okay? That simple?”

“I would pack up and leave right now, but we can’t, so yes, I am with you on this. I will talk to Richard and see what we can work out. Right now, I am exhausted, and I have a feeling a little girl will be awake first thing, wanting to go shopping for her bedroom.”

“Are you going to feel up to it?” he asks, moving a hand to my cheek and causing me to lean into his touch.

“She has been so excited about it, and it will be a good distraction from everything going on.”

“All right. Come on, let’s go to bed.”