“No.” He’d been too busy hustling Pepper’s sweet behind out of the line of fire. “I didn’t have that much there. A few clothes, bedding…enough stuff to make it look like I lived there.”
“Were you still seeing Ms. Yates?”
She sounded merely curious, so Logan replied with equal nonchalance. “I haven’t been back to the apartment at all.” His thoughts jumped ahead. He needed to get hold of Rowdy first thing, then check with Dash to ensure nothing had happened at the lake.
“So you didn’t lose anything valuable?” the lieutenant asked.
“Not really, no.” What had Pepper left behind? She was too smart to get tripped up by loose ends—but not everyone would know that. Had the fire been an attempt to hurt her, or to remove a trail?
“First a bomb at the club, a dead body double, now a fire and a task force that’s turned up nothing at all.” The lieutenant shook her head. “Explaining this and the department’s involvement is getting more and more complicated by the minute. The very least we can do is get the Yates siblings back in here.”
“I’ll get right on it,” Logan promised.
“Understand, Logan, I want them in here before the end of the day. No more delays. Even if they know nothing about the fire, they could be in danger. We’ll offer them protection. Keep them safe.” She glanced at Reese. “From everyone.”
Reese took an aggressive stance—but Logan put up a hand, stalling any arguments from him.
Complacent, the lieutenant said, “I don’t care how you accomplish it, but I want them here, where I can talk to them. Understood?”
“Loud and clear,” Reese said.
The second Peterson walked away, Reese dropped back against the wall. “What now?”
Logan struggled with himself, undecided.
“I don’t entirely trust her, you know that,” Reese said. “But Peterson is right. The cabin would be secure unless anyone digs into your family history—but that’s something another cop can do. Then it’s easy enough to find out about your brother, and a property search will—”
“Disclose the cabin.” Logan tensed even more. “The fact that her building burned down means someone knows she was living there.”
“Could be a fluke, a coincidence,” Reese said, “but neither of us is going to buy that. They’re onto you, or Rowdy and Pepper…” He shrugged. “Possibly both. I know you weren’t followed—”
“Even the best cop can trip up, so, no, we don’t know that for a fact.” Awful possibilities chewed on Logan’s already churning discontent. “Andrews is sick enough on his own, but this just jumped to a whole new level. With organized traffickers involved now, too, I think we’re better to trust our luck here, at the station, than someplace remote.”
Reese gave a nod of agreement. “Sucks, but there it is. What can I do to help?”
“I’m going to get Pepper myself.” No way in hell would he trust that to anyone else.
Reese caught his arm. “Understand something, Logan. I’m here, I have your back.”
But Logan knew that Reese was still hiding something. “Meaning what?”
Reese narrowed his eyes. “You can trust me, damn it.”
Logan gave a tight smile. “I know.”
“Then no more surprises. If you have Rowdy digging around, tell me.”
“Rowdy is his own man, checking things his own way.”
“That’s not smart.”
Logan disagreed. With so many unknowns, he liked having Rowdy on the outside. But for Reese’s benefit, he conceded the point. “Maybe not, though I’m not sure it matters much at this point. I’m bringing Pepper in, and if I can, I’ll round up Rowdy, as well. In the meantime, see if you can get anything useful out of our prisoner.”
Relenting, Reese nodded. “I’ll let you know.”
* * *
PEPPER REMAINED SILENT on the drive in. Logan didn’t like it, but he knew she was worried with the sudden change of plans. Until she reached her brother, he didn’t expect her to relax much. Rowdy had promised to meet him at Dash’s home so they could all go to the station together, but Pepper didn’t know about his detour.
Dash followed behind as a precaution. No, he wasn’t a cop, but he was a cop’s brother and loyal enough to do whatever had to be done.
It made Logan edgy, having Dash and Pepper in potential danger.
And Rowdy…he’d agreed to come in, but Logan knew him well enough now to pick up on his suspicion. He had a distinct feeling that Rowdy would make his own detours before meeting with them at Dash’s.
“Pepper?”
Keeping her gaze out the window, she said, “Hmm?”
He tightened his hands on the steering wheel. “I wanted to give you more time, but unfortunately, time’s a commodity I just don’t have now.”
She turned to look at him. “What do you mean?”
“You’re going to have to trust me.”
Silence fell. The only sounds inside the truck were of the passing traffic and the air conditioner blowing. Logan didn’t break the quiet; at this point, what could he say?
He felt the scrutiny of her light brown eyes as she studied him. Tension escalated until he thought he might snap.
“It’s not easy,” she finally said.
Not easy—but not impossible. Logan saw promise in her words. “I know.”
“Were you still seeing Ms. Yates?”
She sounded merely curious, so Logan replied with equal nonchalance. “I haven’t been back to the apartment at all.” His thoughts jumped ahead. He needed to get hold of Rowdy first thing, then check with Dash to ensure nothing had happened at the lake.
“So you didn’t lose anything valuable?” the lieutenant asked.
“Not really, no.” What had Pepper left behind? She was too smart to get tripped up by loose ends—but not everyone would know that. Had the fire been an attempt to hurt her, or to remove a trail?
“First a bomb at the club, a dead body double, now a fire and a task force that’s turned up nothing at all.” The lieutenant shook her head. “Explaining this and the department’s involvement is getting more and more complicated by the minute. The very least we can do is get the Yates siblings back in here.”
“I’ll get right on it,” Logan promised.
“Understand, Logan, I want them in here before the end of the day. No more delays. Even if they know nothing about the fire, they could be in danger. We’ll offer them protection. Keep them safe.” She glanced at Reese. “From everyone.”
Reese took an aggressive stance—but Logan put up a hand, stalling any arguments from him.
Complacent, the lieutenant said, “I don’t care how you accomplish it, but I want them here, where I can talk to them. Understood?”
“Loud and clear,” Reese said.
The second Peterson walked away, Reese dropped back against the wall. “What now?”
Logan struggled with himself, undecided.
“I don’t entirely trust her, you know that,” Reese said. “But Peterson is right. The cabin would be secure unless anyone digs into your family history—but that’s something another cop can do. Then it’s easy enough to find out about your brother, and a property search will—”
“Disclose the cabin.” Logan tensed even more. “The fact that her building burned down means someone knows she was living there.”
“Could be a fluke, a coincidence,” Reese said, “but neither of us is going to buy that. They’re onto you, or Rowdy and Pepper…” He shrugged. “Possibly both. I know you weren’t followed—”
“Even the best cop can trip up, so, no, we don’t know that for a fact.” Awful possibilities chewed on Logan’s already churning discontent. “Andrews is sick enough on his own, but this just jumped to a whole new level. With organized traffickers involved now, too, I think we’re better to trust our luck here, at the station, than someplace remote.”
Reese gave a nod of agreement. “Sucks, but there it is. What can I do to help?”
“I’m going to get Pepper myself.” No way in hell would he trust that to anyone else.
Reese caught his arm. “Understand something, Logan. I’m here, I have your back.”
But Logan knew that Reese was still hiding something. “Meaning what?”
Reese narrowed his eyes. “You can trust me, damn it.”
Logan gave a tight smile. “I know.”
“Then no more surprises. If you have Rowdy digging around, tell me.”
“Rowdy is his own man, checking things his own way.”
“That’s not smart.”
Logan disagreed. With so many unknowns, he liked having Rowdy on the outside. But for Reese’s benefit, he conceded the point. “Maybe not, though I’m not sure it matters much at this point. I’m bringing Pepper in, and if I can, I’ll round up Rowdy, as well. In the meantime, see if you can get anything useful out of our prisoner.”
Relenting, Reese nodded. “I’ll let you know.”
* * *
PEPPER REMAINED SILENT on the drive in. Logan didn’t like it, but he knew she was worried with the sudden change of plans. Until she reached her brother, he didn’t expect her to relax much. Rowdy had promised to meet him at Dash’s home so they could all go to the station together, but Pepper didn’t know about his detour.
Dash followed behind as a precaution. No, he wasn’t a cop, but he was a cop’s brother and loyal enough to do whatever had to be done.
It made Logan edgy, having Dash and Pepper in potential danger.
And Rowdy…he’d agreed to come in, but Logan knew him well enough now to pick up on his suspicion. He had a distinct feeling that Rowdy would make his own detours before meeting with them at Dash’s.
“Pepper?”
Keeping her gaze out the window, she said, “Hmm?”
He tightened his hands on the steering wheel. “I wanted to give you more time, but unfortunately, time’s a commodity I just don’t have now.”
She turned to look at him. “What do you mean?”
“You’re going to have to trust me.”
Silence fell. The only sounds inside the truck were of the passing traffic and the air conditioner blowing. Logan didn’t break the quiet; at this point, what could he say?
He felt the scrutiny of her light brown eyes as she studied him. Tension escalated until he thought he might snap.
“It’s not easy,” she finally said.
Not easy—but not impossible. Logan saw promise in her words. “I know.”
