Chapter Ten

There was no car in the driveway and Taylor’s garage door was shut when Logan parked his truck out front, but her kitchen light was on. It had taken him longer to get here than he would have liked because of road construction, so she’d probably beat him here by a good fifteen minutes or more.

With the help of his crutches he walked to the front door, putting as much weight on his left knee as his pain tolerance would allow. The swim this afternoon had been great for non-weight bearing exercise and range of motion but the PT session afterward had been tough.

He rang the doorbell, anxious to see Taylor. A full minute ticked past without any sound from inside, and he was reaching for the bell again when he heard her footsteps. Her silhouette moved past one of the transom windows beside the front door and she pulled it open a second later.

The friendly greeting he’d been ready with died on his tongue when he saw the look on her face. Pinched and worried. “Hey.” What was wrong?

“Hi.” She darted a glance past him toward the street, and he could feel the waves of anxiety coming off her.

His hackles went up and he automatically half-turned to face the street, scanning for any threats. There was nothing but an empty sidewalk and a few cars parked along the curb in front of the other houses on this part of the street.

He turned back to her. “Sorry to show up again unannounced, but I just thought you… Are you okay?” Of course she’s not okay. Look at her.

“I’m…” She let out a frustrated sigh and opened the door wider. “You want to come in for a bit?”

“Yeah, sure.” He noted how she quickly locked the door behind him. Something had her spooked, and he wanted to find out what the hell it was.

“Come on in.” She headed for the kitchen, her spine stiff beneath the cream-colored top tucked into that snug pencil skirt that hugged her hips and ass to perfection.

Stop staring at her ass. She’s upset about something.

Logan took off his boots and followed her. The first thing that hit him was how clean everything was.

No, not just clean. Immaculate. Not a single dish on the counter or in the sink. As he glanced around, he saw the rest of the place was the same. Neat and devoid of clutter to the point of painful.

Taylor grabbed a cloth from the edge of the sink and began wiping down the already gleaming countertops. “You hungry?”

“No, I’m good. Thanks.” He wasn’t sure how to ask her what was going on.

She hurriedly wiped down the last counter and set the cloth on the divider between the double sink. “Sorry. Go have a seat and rest your leg.”

He glanced over at the pristine white couches in the living room, a little hesitant because he might muss them up, but he did as she said. She followed him in, paused to straighten the already straight pile of books she had stacked on the coffee table. Sudoku books, which he guessed was an accountant’s idea of fun.

Taylor sat on the couch opposite him, curling her bare legs up under her and tucking her hands in her lap. Even the way she sat was neat and tidy.

She gave him a small frown. “So…why did you come over?”

“You seemed upset at my place, so I wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn’t call, because I figured you just wouldn’t answer.”

The hint of a smile played around the corners of her mouth. “You’re not wrong.”

“You also seemed worried when I got here. So what’s going on?”

She looked down at her lap and began picking at an invisible piece of lint on her skirt. “An old friend showed up uninvited and unannounced, and it stirred up a lot of things best left in the past.”

His hackles went up. “He was just here?”

She nodded. “Left a few minutes before you got here.”

“You were worried he’d come back.” Maybe Logan should take a look around the neighborhood, just to be sure the dude had left.

Another nod.

“Who is he?”

She pushed to her feet and began moving around the room, fiddling with a stack of books in the bookshelf, repositioning things she’d placed on the shelves. And she didn’t look at him once while she did it. “Dillon. He was my foster brother.”

Foster brother? “How long ago was this?”

“I was thirteen when he left. We’d lived together for just under three years.”

“And he just showed up tonight out of the blue?”

“No.” She stopped, seemed to struggle with herself before continuing, still avoiding looking his way. “We’ve kept in touch off and on through the years, mostly through a social worker we were both close to.”

So she’d been a foster kid too? He didn’t dare ask about it, afraid she’d stop talking.

“It’s been years since we last spoke, but apparently he called the social worker and asked for my number, because he was in town, heard I moved here, and wanted to get together. I agreed to meet him for dinner. He cancelled on me last night, which was why I went over to Jamie and Charlie’s for a while. When I got home, he was here waiting for me.”

She didn’t sound happy about it, and Logan didn’t like where this was heading. Way fucking creepy.

Taylor paused, let out a deep breath. “Wait, I have to back up. Okay.” She turned to face him finally, fidgeting with a book in her hands. Her agitation made it clear how much this was bothering her. “Yesterday at work, my boss called me into his office to review some security footage from the Baker party. I spotted Dillon in it, talking with a Veneno enforcer.”

Holy shit. His expression must have shown his shock, because she nodded.

“Yeah, but it gets worse.” She kept turning the book over in her hands. “I didn’t speak up. I saw him, and told myself it didn’t necessarily mean he was involved in any criminal activity. I didn’t want him to be working with them. Even though deep down I knew better.”

Logan winced. “So he’s involved with the cartel?”

“Yes.” She slid the book back into its place on the shelf and returned to the couch, once again tucking her feet beneath her. “Have you guys been getting status updates about the Baker investigation?”

Only when the intel pertained directly with their operations. “Sometimes.” He couldn’t divulge any details.

She chewed her bottom lip for a moment, then seemed to come to a decision. “I went to my boss today, to tell him about Dillon. Chris had just come from a meeting. Turns out, Dillon isn’t just involved with the Venenos, he was the one who organized the sub shipment you guys took down the other night in the Bahamas.”

No fucking way. His mouth fell open. “Are you serious?”

“Wish I wasn’t, believe me.”

He dragged a hand over his beard. No goddamn wonder she was upset. “Shit, Taylor… And he just showed up here last night?”

She nodded miserably. “Then again tonight. Except tonight, he didn’t wait outside for me. He broke into the house and disabled my alarm system. Was sitting on my couch when I walked in.”

Hell. “Did you call the agency?”

“My boss. I’m just waiting to hear back from him.”

Not good enough. He reached for his crutches and shoved to his feet. “Show me where your security system is.”

She led the way to the mudroom and gestured to the keypad on the wall. “There’s a panel in my bedroom too.”

He took a look at it, didn’t notice any signs of tampering. “He didn’t cut any wires.”

“No, he knew my password.”

Logan cranked his head around to stare at her. “What?”

She flushed, shifted her weight from foot to foot. “I don’t even know how he saw it, I was careful to make sure he couldn’t see it when I entered it last night.”

Well this Dillon had obviously figured out a way around that. Logan’s skin was freaking crawling with fear for her. “Did you check the rest of the house after he left?”

“Yes. I didn’t notice anything out of place.”

That didn’t mean a hell of a lot, considering Dillon was one of the main traffickers for the Veneno cartel. He shook his head. The guy could have bugged her place. Or worse. “No wonder you’re scared.”

Her face fell, and the bad feeling inside him expanded. There was more? “What?” he asked.

“He knows I work for the DEA.”

Logan couldn’t believe his ears. “You told him?”

“No, of course not,” she said, looking annoyed. “But he either suspected it or knew it already before he got here. I think he was testing the waters, so to speak, to see if I knew anything.”

“So then it means the cartel is watching you.”

“I know. And then tonight Dillon said something that set off alarm bells. In an off-hand way he asked if I’d be open to accepting a bribe. He was trying to make light of it, but I think there was something to it. Like maybe he was hoping my loyalty to him would win out and I’d turn spy for him and the cartel.”

His insides were buzzing. Did Dillon or someone else in the cartel plan to make an example of her if she didn’t cooperate? “Okay, I’ve heard enough. Go pack a bag, and I’ll get you out of here. You can stay at my place until we figure out what the hell is going on here.”

“I can’t just—” She stopped when a ringtone split the air, and pulled out her phone. “It’s my boss,” she said, hurriedly striding back to the living room as she answered. Logan grabbed his other crutch and followed her while she updated her boss about what had happened, and about the bribe Dillon had mentioned.

He stopped dead when she halted and gasped. She was facing away from him, her body completely still as she listened, one hand pressed to her chest.

“You’re sure? Oh my God, I… Yes, of course. Yes. I understand. I’ll be here.” She ended the call and spun to face him. Her face was white as paper, her eyes haunted.

“What?” he demanded, on alert, barely resisting the urge to rush to her.

“The team found out something else. From two of the suspects who were arrested the night of the sub bust.” She hesitated.

Frustration pulsed through him. “My security clearance is higher than yours. Just tell me.”

“They each gave a sworn statement saying that Dillon is the one who ordered Baker’s pilot to kill him.”

Logan had been there when the murder happened, but not as close as Jamie and Charlie when the helo pilot who was supposed to pick up Baker shot him down instead. Jamie had returned fire, killing the pilot, and the bird had crashed moments later, erupting into a ball of fire and incinerating any evidence they might have found useful.

Until now.

“So then Dillon isn’t just your average trafficker for them,” he finished.

Taylor shook her head, looking devastated. And afraid. That fear ripped at his insides, demanded he do something.

“He’s the right-hand man of one of the cartel lieutenants,” she said softly.

This was so fucking bad. Logan couldn’t handle that lost, bewildered look on her face a moment longer, couldn’t stand there and watch her suffer without doing something. He leaned his crutches against the kitchen counter, limped the few yards to her and pulled her straight into his arms.

She didn’t resist, didn’t utter a single protest as he gathered her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. Instead she leaned into him and let out the most heartbroken little sigh he’d ever heard.

He’d already been fired up, all his protective instincts brought to the surface, but that sigh made him want to pick her up and carry her home, keep her at his place while guarding the door with his own weapon. Just so nothing and no one could ever dare threaten her again.

“They’re sending a forensics team over to collect evidence,” she mumbled into his shirt, the warmth of her breath and the feel of her softness pressed to him spiking his pulse rate. He was only human. He’d been thinking about her for weeks now. “I’m supposed to stay put for now.”

“I’ll stay with you.” Before she could protest he urged her back to the living room, sat on the couch and pulled her straight into his lap.

To his surprise, she didn’t resist or even argue. She simply took off her glasses, shifted closer and leaned into his chest, laying her head on his shoulder. Then she curled her body into a ball. Seeking comfort he was only too willing to give.

Savoring her unspoken trust in him and thankful for the chance to be there for her, Logan gently rubbed a hand over her back and just held her without saying anything. He might not be able to make this better for her, but he could damn well ensure she was protected and didn’t feel alone right now.

“I can’t believe it,” she murmured, resting her cheek on him once more. “It’s like a bad dream.”

Yeah, a total nightmare. He was glad she wanted more comfort because he didn’t want to stop holding her. She smelled good too, something light and sweet like vanilla. “Hell of a thing to find out about an old friend.”

Her cheek rubbed his shoulder as she nodded. “It probably sounds stupid or naïve now, but I never would have believed he’d put me in this position.”

“I’m sorry.” He tipped his head forward and brushed a kiss to the top of her head. Damn, she felt good cuddled into him like this, that wall she usually had up to protect herself down for the moment.

They stayed like that for a few minutes until she shifted her weight in his lap. He hadn’t been looking for anything when he met her, but his attraction to her was growing every minute, and the feel of her ass sliding against his groin had predictable results. She stiffened and raised her head to stare at him when she felt how hard he’d gotten, but didn’t shove away as expected.

She searched his eyes, and he couldn’t help but smile at her expression of uncertainty. As though she wasn’t sure if she believed he was actually attracted to her. “Can you still see me without those things on?” he asked, to take away any awkwardness she might feel. Her glasses were in her lap.

A startled grin split her face and she let out a short laugh. “Yes.”

Reaching one hand up to cup the side of her face, he gave into the need and traced his thumb along her soft cheek. “Good. But not wearing them kind of takes away from the whole sexy librarian vibe you’ve got going on there.”

She scoffed. “Sexy librarian?”

“So sexy,” he assured her.

Her smile faded away, and something shifted between them, the air taking on an almost electrical charge. She searched his eyes for a long moment, then put a hand on his shoulder and her gaze dipped to his mouth.

He wanted to kiss her so bad he couldn’t stand it.

Without giving either of them time to overthink it, Logan leaned in, his fingers sliding around the back of her neck, and sought her lips with his. He kissed her slow and soft at first, but when she curled her fingers into his shoulders and came up onto her knees for more, straddling him in that tight skirt, lust shot through him in a white-hot stream.

Cradling the back of her head with one hand, he wrapped his free arm around her hips and hauled her tight up against his body. She gasped into his mouth, a tiny tremor running through her. Her hands went to his face, framing it between her palms as she almost shyly touched her tongue to his. The silky caress went straight to his head—and his dick, currently straining the front of his fly.

He firmed his grip on her head and took over, barely reining in the hunger roaring through his bloodstream. He’d sensed from the outset that there was fire beneath her cool, professional façade, and he’d been right.

With slow, erotic strokes of his tongue he told her how much he wanted her, how gorgeous and sexy she was. How much he was dying to push her onto her back and undo every one of those buttons on her shirt so he could see what she had on underneath. Cup the breasts he’d been fantasizing about and suck on her nipples until she was writhing and desperate for more.

Too much too fast.

He settled for sucking at her lower lip instead, then the top one, giving her little caresses with his tongue before pressing inside to taste her fully.

With a little moan, Taylor pushed at his shoulders and leaned back to stare at him, breathing hard. Her lips were shiny and swollen, her face flushed, those pretty green-and-brown eyes smoldering with hunger. And surprise.

Breathing a little faster himself, he smoothed her hair back from her face and gave her a slow smile. “Didn’t know accountants could kiss like that.”

“But I’m a special agent accountant, so that makes me special.” Smiling, she bent and pressed her lips to his in a gentle kiss loaded with the promise of so much more.

This time when she eased back he took her face between his hands and looked her dead in the eye. The forensics team would be here soon, but he wasn’t going anywhere.

Just as he thought it, headlights cut through the windows flanking the front door. She started to slide off him but he stayed her with both hands on her hips. He squeezed to get her full attention. “I’m staying here with you until I know you’ll be safe.”

She opened her mouth to argue but he cut her off with a swift, possessive kiss. There was no way he would let her stay here alone after what had happened. And the agency better damn well assign her some protection.

“Okay,” she murmured, and let her lips linger against his for another few heartbeats before getting up to answer the door.

He stopped her. “You stay put. I’ll get it.” He grabbed his crutches and headed for the door.