Billionaire Bodyguard
Page 24
Taking a deep, he approached Allison’s office door and knocked.
“Come in,” she said. He couldn’t gauge the tone of her voice.
Squaring his shoulders, he entered. He shut the door before she told him to, and stood his ground unapologetically.
Allison sat at her desk with her hands folded. The red sweater she wore was a little snug, clinging to her curves. An outfit she’d borrowed from Devon? He slid a lusty gaze over her, eyelids lowering halfway.
Honestly, he did try to focus, to rein in his distracted thoughts. When all he wanted to do was drag her over the desk, peel her out of that too-tight sweater, and slid his tongue through her cleavage.
“Logan,” she snapped, ripping him out of the fantasy. “Eyes up here.” He met her chilling stare.
Sliding his hands into his pockets, he offered an opaque smile. “How can I be of service?”
He’d like to “service” her six ways from Sunday. Right now that looked about as likely as the military finally giving him the honorable discharge he deserved.
“Return my things to my apartment. And maybe I won’t press charges for breaking and entering.” Each word was coated with contempt.
“Neither of those is a good idea.”
Her eyes skewered him. “Afraid your precious reputation in the security industry will be tarnished?”
“That’s a reason, but not the real one.”
“Oh?” She arched an eyebrow of disbelief.
It was time to take off the gloves. “I’ve done some investigating over the past twenty-four hours.” He held up his hands. “Before you get bent out of shape, I used my personal contacts in the military who ran air-tight background checks on what your ex-husband has been doing the past four years. You were right to get out when you did.”
Her eyes slitted. “I don’t need your absolution for my choices.”
He shrugged. “Maybe not, but Trevor’s suspicious activities have left a bloody trail across continents. From what I know, I’d say that ugly path is heading right here to you.”
Color drained from her face. “If he knows where I am, it’s your fault.”
“Cold comfort right about now.” Logan stepped toward her. She straightened, placing her rigid fingertips on her desk, imposing a hostile barrier between them that he ignored. “You’d really take a life of fear, on the run, over the security and protection I can give you and our child?”
“It’s not that simple.”
He shook his head. “It’s so simple you’re letting yourself get blinded by distractions.”
“Being pregnant is not something I’d call a distraction!”
“I agree,” he said calmly. “That’s why we’re having this conversation.”
The one he’d planned to have with her last night.
If he was going to be a father, he’d do it right. He’d slit his own throat before he missed his kid’s first cry, first steps, first words, first game of catch, first day of school. It seemed Allison wasn’t quite ready to digest the eventuality of having a baby— his baby. She needed his patience and the promise of protection first. So he’d pursue that angle.
At his pause, she laid into him. “When you took my things, you didn’t give me the respect of deciding what is or isn’t right for me.”
That struck his pride like a match. “ You made a choice, Allison. Last night you shut me out. You hid at Devon’s, when you should’ve been talking to me about options for the future. So I made a choice, too.”
Her delicate nostrils flared. “I told you I needed time.”
“You’re carrying my baby. I have a say in that.” He glanced at her abdomen then held her gaze. “I take care of what’s mine.”
“That isn’t a free pass to raid my apartment and take over my life like you own me.”
“When I’m confronted with a situation, I take action. No one else is going to ensure the mother of my child is safe. Not the way I can.”
“I’d be fine, if Rick hadn’t been so determined to pin a scarlet letter on me.”
“For all his faults, Rick can’t stand to see innocent people suffer. When he learned the truth and realized he’d screwed up—and you might suffer the consequences—he didn’t go home last night, hasn’t slept since yesterday.”
“Rick doesn’t seem the type to lie awake with a guilty conscience.”
“You have a lot to learn about the way we work,” Logan pointed out evenly. “He and I have been gathering every piece of intel that exists on Trevor Hurtz.”
“I told you not to do that!”
“Avoiding the enemy doesn’t solve the problem. Perfect example, after your divorce you took out three restraining orders against Trevor. He violated every one of them.”
“You know about that?” she asked weakly.
“I know Trevor better than you think.”
Her bravado returned. “I’ve done everything to make sure we don’t cross paths. He’s stayed away for two years.”
“Not by choice, I can tell you that.” Leaning forward, he flattened his hands on her desk. “From what I’ve researched, Trevor operates with cash transactions, blood money from selling illegal weapons to war-torn African and Middle Eastern nations.”
Allison swallowed convulsively.
“Rick and I found a trail of suspicious loans and credit card transactions under an alias he’s been known to use. We tracked the purchases back to him.”
She folded her arms. “Why should I care about my ex-husband’s finances?”
“Trevor’s hired a slew of shady private investigators over the past two years. I made a few phone calls. After threats and bribery, I got the reluctant confessions I needed.” He knew she wasn’t going to like what he’d found. “Trevor has never stopped looking for you, Allison.”
She turned white. “Tell me you’re making this up.”
Shaking his head, he revealed, “While Rick’s investigation may have alerted Trevor, it was only a matter of time before you ex showed up on your doorstep. And it wouldn’t be for coffee and conversation.”
“I know that.” She tried to put on a brave front, but Logan saw the fear in her eyes. “I know what he’s capable of. That’s why you should forget about this baby, forget you ever knew me, and I’ll move to France.”
“Come in,” she said. He couldn’t gauge the tone of her voice.
Squaring his shoulders, he entered. He shut the door before she told him to, and stood his ground unapologetically.
Allison sat at her desk with her hands folded. The red sweater she wore was a little snug, clinging to her curves. An outfit she’d borrowed from Devon? He slid a lusty gaze over her, eyelids lowering halfway.
Honestly, he did try to focus, to rein in his distracted thoughts. When all he wanted to do was drag her over the desk, peel her out of that too-tight sweater, and slid his tongue through her cleavage.
“Logan,” she snapped, ripping him out of the fantasy. “Eyes up here.” He met her chilling stare.
Sliding his hands into his pockets, he offered an opaque smile. “How can I be of service?”
He’d like to “service” her six ways from Sunday. Right now that looked about as likely as the military finally giving him the honorable discharge he deserved.
“Return my things to my apartment. And maybe I won’t press charges for breaking and entering.” Each word was coated with contempt.
“Neither of those is a good idea.”
Her eyes skewered him. “Afraid your precious reputation in the security industry will be tarnished?”
“That’s a reason, but not the real one.”
“Oh?” She arched an eyebrow of disbelief.
It was time to take off the gloves. “I’ve done some investigating over the past twenty-four hours.” He held up his hands. “Before you get bent out of shape, I used my personal contacts in the military who ran air-tight background checks on what your ex-husband has been doing the past four years. You were right to get out when you did.”
Her eyes slitted. “I don’t need your absolution for my choices.”
He shrugged. “Maybe not, but Trevor’s suspicious activities have left a bloody trail across continents. From what I know, I’d say that ugly path is heading right here to you.”
Color drained from her face. “If he knows where I am, it’s your fault.”
“Cold comfort right about now.” Logan stepped toward her. She straightened, placing her rigid fingertips on her desk, imposing a hostile barrier between them that he ignored. “You’d really take a life of fear, on the run, over the security and protection I can give you and our child?”
“It’s not that simple.”
He shook his head. “It’s so simple you’re letting yourself get blinded by distractions.”
“Being pregnant is not something I’d call a distraction!”
“I agree,” he said calmly. “That’s why we’re having this conversation.”
The one he’d planned to have with her last night.
If he was going to be a father, he’d do it right. He’d slit his own throat before he missed his kid’s first cry, first steps, first words, first game of catch, first day of school. It seemed Allison wasn’t quite ready to digest the eventuality of having a baby— his baby. She needed his patience and the promise of protection first. So he’d pursue that angle.
At his pause, she laid into him. “When you took my things, you didn’t give me the respect of deciding what is or isn’t right for me.”
That struck his pride like a match. “ You made a choice, Allison. Last night you shut me out. You hid at Devon’s, when you should’ve been talking to me about options for the future. So I made a choice, too.”
Her delicate nostrils flared. “I told you I needed time.”
“You’re carrying my baby. I have a say in that.” He glanced at her abdomen then held her gaze. “I take care of what’s mine.”
“That isn’t a free pass to raid my apartment and take over my life like you own me.”
“When I’m confronted with a situation, I take action. No one else is going to ensure the mother of my child is safe. Not the way I can.”
“I’d be fine, if Rick hadn’t been so determined to pin a scarlet letter on me.”
“For all his faults, Rick can’t stand to see innocent people suffer. When he learned the truth and realized he’d screwed up—and you might suffer the consequences—he didn’t go home last night, hasn’t slept since yesterday.”
“Rick doesn’t seem the type to lie awake with a guilty conscience.”
“You have a lot to learn about the way we work,” Logan pointed out evenly. “He and I have been gathering every piece of intel that exists on Trevor Hurtz.”
“I told you not to do that!”
“Avoiding the enemy doesn’t solve the problem. Perfect example, after your divorce you took out three restraining orders against Trevor. He violated every one of them.”
“You know about that?” she asked weakly.
“I know Trevor better than you think.”
Her bravado returned. “I’ve done everything to make sure we don’t cross paths. He’s stayed away for two years.”
“Not by choice, I can tell you that.” Leaning forward, he flattened his hands on her desk. “From what I’ve researched, Trevor operates with cash transactions, blood money from selling illegal weapons to war-torn African and Middle Eastern nations.”
Allison swallowed convulsively.
“Rick and I found a trail of suspicious loans and credit card transactions under an alias he’s been known to use. We tracked the purchases back to him.”
She folded her arms. “Why should I care about my ex-husband’s finances?”
“Trevor’s hired a slew of shady private investigators over the past two years. I made a few phone calls. After threats and bribery, I got the reluctant confessions I needed.” He knew she wasn’t going to like what he’d found. “Trevor has never stopped looking for you, Allison.”
She turned white. “Tell me you’re making this up.”
Shaking his head, he revealed, “While Rick’s investigation may have alerted Trevor, it was only a matter of time before you ex showed up on your doorstep. And it wouldn’t be for coffee and conversation.”
“I know that.” She tried to put on a brave front, but Logan saw the fear in her eyes. “I know what he’s capable of. That’s why you should forget about this baby, forget you ever knew me, and I’ll move to France.”
