Logan held our interlaced fingers protectively above his heart and gave mine a supportive squeeze. I peered his way and was met with cool, deep aqua eyes so soft and full of concern that I wanted desperately to relieve.
I traced my thumb over his knuckles absentmindedly and then looked back at Harry, who sat waiting patiently.
“I saw him in the grocery store—the one on Main Street.” I shook my head. “Well, I guess there’s only one grocery store, huh? So you know where it is already. At least…only one in town, only one I go to,” I said, rambling like a fool. “I don’t care much for the big-box store they built down the road. My mom does. I think it’s too crowded…too many options, and honestly, I felt like I was cheating when I went—you know, like I’m not supposed to be there. I can’t stand the thought of being responsible for closing down a local business that I’ve shopped at my entire life just to save a buck.” I wiped my brow; Harry was just staring at me.
Crap, he probably shops there. What am I even talking about?
“Anyway, like I said, my mom shops there and loves it. Says it’s worth the drive. She doesn’t make much money, so she needs to save that buck. I mean, not that the station doesn’t pay her well. You do. She loves her job, really—never has a bad word to say.” I let out a short, broken chuckle. “Well, except for this one time at a Christmas party you threw. She said that—”
Logan’s finger pressed to my lips, silencing me.
Thank God!
“Breathe, then tell him about what happened with Kurt.”
My head nodded for way too long. What the hell had I been about to tell him? My mom would’ve killed me.
“Right. Anyway, I…I s-saw him—I mean, h-he saw me,” I stuttered.
Pull it together.
“I’m not sure who saw who first.”
I wiped away the sweat that had begun beading at the back of my neck. Why was this so hard? I didn’t even recognize myself.
Harry looked as confused as I felt. “You did or did not see him at the
local
grocery store?”
“I didn’t.”
God, I’m burning up.
I scrubbed my hand over my forehead, then it slid down between my throat and the fabric of the suffocating robe.
Okay, think. Stay focused.
Harry leaned forward, appraising me. “Would you like a glass of water?”
“Yes, please. I’m sorry, it’s just so hot in here.” I lifted my hair from my neck, twisting it over my shoulder. “The damn furnace.” I huffed out an awkward laugh.
Not helping.
Harry stood and walked into the kitchen. Did he know where the glasses were? I guessed he’d find them.
“Hey, you okay? You’re shaking.” Logan shifted to face me. He released my hand, his eyes growing wider as I tugged at my robe, needing airflow to calm the flames within.
“Just hot. Aren’t you?”
Logan was still dressed in his work suit, but his jacket was missing and tie was loosened. He looked perfect, as usual, but there was no way he wasn’t experiencing the same extreme heat.
“It’s a little warm in here, but you’re…you don’t look well.” His fingers brushed over my blazing cheeks. Closing his eyes with a poorly suppressed groan, he stood. His features hardened, and suddenly there was undeniable anger written across his face.
But why? I was fine—just severely overheated.
“That’s it. I’m telling him you’ll come to the station tomorrow. You need to rest—depressurize.”
“No.” I ran my hand down my chest, fanning the flames. “Can you just turn down the temperature?”
He shot me a crazed look. “Cassandra, that’s not the furnace, that’s you. You need to take some time. Get some sleep, and then you can give the statement.”
“It’s best if we take it now,” Harry interjected as he reentered the room and offered me a glass of cold water.
Oh, thank God.
I chugged a big gulp to douse my internal fire. Relief flooded my system.
“While it’s still fresh in her mind,” he continued. “I know this is difficult. There’s no rush. Take all the time you need, but it has to be today.” Harry sat back in his seat and pulled out a pen and notepad. His eyes were on me; they were full of kindness, and I knew he’d wait all night if he had to. “I’ll be ready when you are.”
I turned my gaze upward to Logan’s, pleading silently for him to sit back down. Looking anywhere but at me, he raked his fingers through his hair and sucked in a breath so deep his nostrils flared. After a long pause, he conceded. The instant he sat, he folded his hand over mine and held it on his lap once again—exactly where it belonged.
I finished my water and set the empty glass on the coffee table.
“Okay, I’m ready.”
Harry readied his pen.
“I felt someone watching me at the grocery store. I didn’t see who it was, but Kurt told me he saw me there. He said it was a coincidence.”
Harry jotted in his notepad and looked back up at me. “We can check security cameras. What happened next?”
I drew in a breath to fill my lungs and began reciting the events of the attack, my eyes cast down to the belt of my robe the entire time. The heat returned, searing my stiff body in place. I couldn’t even lift my head to peek at Logan, but the fury radiating off him was evident.
“Kurt was mad at me. He blamed me for…” I stopped, remembering his words about Logan paying off guards.
“Blamed you for what?” Harry pressed.
I tucked that secret away and lifted my head. “For his arrest outside Haven.”
Harry wrote it down, seemingly convinced, and continued with more questions that left me uncomfortable and fidgeting under the pressure to relive the events so soon.
“I’m sorry I have to ask this, Cassandra, but it’s important.” The sheriff’s brows dipped as he glanced from me to Logan, then back at me. “Did he sexually assault you?”
I shook my head without thinking, not wanting to reveal those details, and bit down hard on my bottom lip. Logan’s hand grasped mine tighter; I moved to pull it away, but his grip didn’t falter.
My scalp prickled, my entire body scorching from the heat of what I wanted to avoid. My throat went dry; all attempts to swallow and clear it were in vain.
“No,” I answered hoarsely. “He tried, but Logan arrived in time to…to intervene. He didn’t rape—” My breath cut off.
“Yes, but was there sexual
assault
?” Harry asked, choosing his words carefully.
The shock of what I’d been trying to deny was setting in slowly. I wasn’t raped, but I was terrified, threatened, and hurt by what Kurt had almost done—what had almost happened.
Almost
. A pounding began in my temple, cruel emotions seeping through.
“I don’t know.” I shook my head again, willing the tears away.
No, I can’t crack
. I didn’t want to feel it yet. I preferred the numbness.
Logan dropped my hand and released an exasperated, drawn-out breath, startling me. I thought he was going to jump to his feet with how quickly he sat up vibrating with rage, but instead he pumped his hands into fists at his sides, his knuckles ghost white.
“Yes, he assaulted her. I told you already. He had her on the goddamned floor with his pants open. Her panties were…”
Logan pressed his lips together as though he was enduring physical pain before continuing through gritted teeth.
“He would have raped her! You’re gonna
charge him with sexual assault
on top of
attempted murder. His intent and threats were clear, so you better put together a list against that piece of shit long enough to keep him locked behind bars for the rest of his pitiful fucking existence, or I swear to God I’ll…” Veins bulged in his neck.
I stared at him, unable to look away. Logan could never really scare me, but I still trembled at his intimidating tone and the excruciating hurt in his eyes.
“I understand this is difficult, Mr. West, but you need to remain calm,” Harry said carefully, trying to defuse the ticking bomb beside me. “We will, of course, do everything in our power to ensure he remains off the streets.”
“You’re damn right you will. My family has a long-standing relationship with the district attorney. I won’t let this case fall through the cracks of a backwoods buddy system.”
Harry cleared his throat, his irritation evident, and sat up taller.
Shit, here it comes.
One thing I knew about Harry was he wasn’t someone you wanted to cross.
“Mr. West, I can assure you that my office has no
buddy
system in place. We abide by the law—
backwoods
or not.”
Logan’s knee jolted, frustration seething from his features. “Really? Then how did Kurt get released?”
“The same way any inmate does: His bail was posted. He was out free while he awaited trial.”
“Don’t patronize me! I was to be notified if that happened, yet my guy knew nothing about it.”
Harry cocked his head to the side, more interested in than annoyed by Logan’s admission. “And who would your
guy
be?” Harry asked.
Logan said nothing, his expression frozen with fury. I’d never seen him like that before. He looked different—threatening and dangerous—but I knew it was because he cared about me and wanted to protect me. But still, the knowledge that he’d paid guards the first time Kurt was arrested didn’t sit well with me. Was there a dangerous side to Logan I didn’t know about?
I suddenly remembered my mother warning me about an arrest on his file.
Harry tapped his notepad against his leg. “It seems you have your own
buddy
system, Mr. West. As for the district attorney, I will make sure they have everything they need to properly prosecute this case.”
Logan opened his mouth to respond but I spoke up, ending the exchange before it got any more heated.
“Thank you, Harry.”
Harry’s smile was sweet and genuine as he looked to me. “Cassandra, I promise you we’ll do everything we can. You’re family to the station—to me.”
Logan sighed when I placed my hand on his leg, but it did nothing to relax his set jaw and hard stare focused on the floor.
“All right.” Harry closed his notepad and stood. “I think we have all we need for today. I’ll be in touch.”
He tipped his hat, then turned toward the officers pooled in the hall to leave the room just as my mother burst through the front door. I leapt up, wanting to cry at the fear in her bright-red eyes that glistened with unshed tears.
“Cassandra, thank God, Cassandra!”
I flew up and fell into her arms the second she reached me. My head dipped to her shoulder and her embrace tightened, just like it did when I was hurt as a child.
“I should have had George keep an eye on that scumbag. I should have known he was released. I didn’t think he would—”
“It’s okay. I’m fine.”
“No! It’s not okay, and don’t give me that line. I know you. I know when my daughter is fine, and right now you are anything but.”
“Mom…” I didn’t know what to say. She was right, and deep down I knew it.
“I’m going to take care of this. George is working tonight, and I called him on the way over. He’s got an eye on that fucker!”
“Mom!” I gasped, surprised at her language. She only cursed when she was extremely stressed. I pulled back, choking down burning tears.
She placed her fingertip delicately under the bandages on my cheek and sighed. She closed then opened her eyes, a determined gleam emitting from them. “That’s it—you’re coming back home. You can move into your old room for at least the next few weeks.”
I scoffed, wanting to laugh at how ridiculous it sounded. But I had to admit it also sounded comforting.
“No, I can’t have anything else happen to you,” Mom continued, her voice cracking. “You have no idea how it feels to hear your daughter’s address over the radio. And after everything we went through on New Year’s.” She pulled me close again, smoothing my hair. “You’re burning up. Are you feeling okay?”
I stepped back. “Yeah, it’s just warm in here.”
She wiped her eyes. “When I heard your address, I…I couldn’t get here fast enough. I was in the middle of a traffic stop, and the guy had a warrant. I was going crazy not knowing if anyone was getting out here to you.”
“I’m sorry,” I rasped. “Logan got here, and…”
Her eyes shot past me to Logan, who was now standing. A tight, grateful smile grew over her lips, and her posture relaxed.
“Thank you.” Her voice rose as she repeated, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Logan stepped beside me and placed his hand on the small of my back. “I won’t let Cassandra out of my sight, Felicia. I’ll keep her safe. She’s going to be staying with me for a while, so there’s no need to worry.”
My head whipped to the side, and I found myself gaping at him.
I’m what?
That hadn’t been discussed.
“I’m glad to hear it.” My mother exhaled harshly, relieved. She stepped forward to hug Logan, and whispered something in his ear in the process.
“I will,” was his only reply when he pulled away after a brief moment.
My mother looked between him and me, then crossed the room to Harry. I watched as they exchanged a few hushed words, then walked out of the room together and into the kitchen.
“What did she say?”
“Just warned me I better take care of you.” His hand reached around, ensnaring my waist and turning me to face him. “Are you feeling any better? Your cheeks are no longer cherry red.”
Cherry
red? Nope, only molten lava coursed through my veins—and there was no way he was going to change the subject.
“Logan, I don’t think it’s a good idea that I—”
“Don’t,” he interjected, rubbing his thumbs over the thick fabric of the robe covering my hips. “Don’t think about anything except how much I love you and that I want you safe with me. Just a few weeks.”
“Weeks!?” I gasped, trying not to appear as freaked out as I felt. We were not ready to live together for any period of time. It had only been two days since Valentine’s—two days since I let him in and confessed I loved him. I didn’t want to rush things and risk ruining what we had.
“All right, Cassandra, like I said, we have everything for now.” Harry reentered the room and stopped in front of the door. “The report will be processed, and you’ll be notified as soon as a court date is scheduled.”