22
LOGAN
W hen I parked my car, Bloom’s motorcycle was no longer in the garage. Even though I knew this meant he’d gone for a ride, I ran inside the house, calling his name. “Bloom!”
Where is he?
I raced up the stairs and flung open the bedroom door. The night had dragged on longer than I’d anticipated, every second with Livingston piling on more complications. All I’d wanted was to update him that my father had found me, so I needed new identities for me and Bloom immediately. The wedding was going to happen in less than a week, without a doubt, even if I had to hold a gun to the judge’s head for them to perform the ceremony.
I wasn’t leaving Smoky Vale without my other half.
My heart dropped. The bed was empty, sheets cold and rumpled, like he’d been gone for a while. Anxiety crawled up my spine, the silence in the house suddenly feeling thick and suffocating.
“Bloom?” I called into the stillness. No response. My gaze landed on the bedside table, where his phone usually sat, but it wasn’t there. A bad feeling settled in my gut as I dialed his number. It went straight to voice mail. I tried again, cursing under my breath as I paced the length of the room.
“Pick up, damn it.”
Had he woken up, found me gone, then left to search for me? Maybe he’d gone back to the clubhouse. After my talk with Joel, I’d been more than a little short with him, but I’d needed a moment to process my thoughts. I’d heard the insecurities in the questions he asked me when we made love in the kitchen. Why hadn’t I spent more time to reassure him that I still loved him? That what I was going through had nothing to do with him but the family I didn’t want him ever to have to face.
I ran a hand through my hair. Why couldn’t he have waited until I got home? I called again. Voice mail.
As I grabbed my car keys, the doorbell rang. Relief surged through me, and I rushed to the door and yanked it open.
“Crowe?” My heart sank, frustration mingling with the rising dread. “What are you doing here?”
Crowe shoved his hands into his pockets, his expression unreadable. “You tell me, Doc. I got a text from Bloom tonight. Said you were cheating on him.”
My stomach twisted. “He… what? I would never cheat on him.”
“That’s what I said, but when he gets stuck on a notion, he doesn’t let it go. Where’s he?”
“I don’t know.” I frowned. “Why would he think I was cheating on him?”
“Said he followed you to some hotel on the edge of town. Told me he was ‘taking care of things himself.’” Crowe’s jaw tightened, his eyes darkening. “When he didn’t answer my calls, I figured I’d better come here and see what the hell is going on before he guts you like a fish.”
“Oh god.” I ran a hand over my face. Bloom had followed me to Inconnu, which meant he’d seen me with the marshal and concluded I was cheating on him. I couldn’t blame him. The hotel wasn’t exactly the best spot for meeting up, but it gave us the anonymity we’d both wanted.
“Listen, Crowe, we need to find him.”
“So, were you cheating on him or what?”
“No, I wasn’t cheating. For god’s sake, we’d just had sex!”
He scowled. “I don’t need to hear all that. He certainly thinks you did, so where the hell did he go?”
“I don’t know. I came straight here after the hotel—”
“Wait, so you really were at a hotel with some other dude?”
“Don’t make it sound sleazy. It was business related.”
“I hear prostitution is a lucrative business.”
“Will you give it a rest? This man and I have nothing going on, and we need to find Bloom. If he didn’t follow me home, he might have followed that man, and if he has the wrong idea about us…”
“He might kill an innocent man.”
“He wouldn’t go that far.”
“Wouldn’t he? You and I both know he would. Don’t you have any idea where this man is staying?”
“No.” I racked my brain desperately, recalling my conversation with the marshal. Had he mentioned anything about where he was staying? My heart pounded. I had no clue. We’d only talked about me.
Crowe stepped closer, his gaze hard with determined fierceness. “Well, we better find him. If Bloom thinks you’ve cheated on him and he’s out for blood… This isn’t going to end well for anyone.”
“I have his number. I’ll call him.”
I fiddled with my phone, almost dropping it in my haste. I punched in the number the marshal had contacted me on earlier. No answer. Fear pumping through my veins, I tried again, but it was the same result. I clutched my phone tighter, dialing again and again, hoping against hope that he’d pick up.
Was I too late?
“He’s not answering—” My phone vibrated at the same time Crowe’s rang. We glanced at each other. “Bloom?” I asked.
“No, it’s Grimm.”
“It’s Jamie.”
I felt like I was in a twilight zone as I swiped the screen. “Jamie, it’s a bit late, isn’t it?”
“Logan, you need to get here right now!” Jamie was screaming at the top of his lungs. “I don’t know why the hell Bloom’s here waving a knife around, threatening to kill Joel. We don’t want to hurt him, but Grimm won’t stand by and let him harm his son.”
“Oh god.” My legs buckled. This was all my fault. If only I had come clean to Bloom and explained everything to him. None of this would have happened. “I’m on my way, Jamie. Please, for god’s sake, please don’t hurt him. It’s all a misunderstanding.”
“He’s smashing the windows, Logan. Hurry. The two clubs cannot split again because of this.”
I assumed Crowe’s call from Grimm was about the same problem. He ran toward his motorcycle without a word. I dashed to the garage for my car and sped off. I gripped the wheel so tightly my knuckles went white, but I pushed the car faster, barely able to keep up with Crowe’s motorcycle as he zipped ahead of me. The speedometer climbed, the engine roared, but it didn’t feel fast enough. Every second stretched into an eternity, and all I saw in my mind was Bloom—hurt. Because of me.
Finally, the clubhouse came into view, lights blazing against the night, shadows moving on the porch. Grimm was holding someone back, and my heart twisted as I recognized Bloom fighting against Grimm’s grip. At the angle he had Bloom’s arm, if he applied any more pressure, he would likely snap the bone.
Other figures were moving too—Jamie, the twins, and Joel standing with a gun in his hand.
Crowe was pleading for Bloom to stop, but Bloom was too incensed to listen. I didn’t even shut off the engine. I got out of the car and sprinted toward them.
“Grimm! Don’t hurt him,” I cried. “Let him go!”
Grimm jerked his head toward me, blood streaked across his face, his grip on Bloom relentless. Was he bleeding or Bloom? I pushed myself harder, running until I saw the fury on Bloom’s face, locked onto Joel with a fierce, dangerous intent.
“I’m gonna kill you!” he screamed. “You son of a bitch. I’m gonna stab you in the fucking throat so you can’t hurt Logan.”
“Bloom, stop,” I shouted, my chest heaving. “It’s a misunderstanding. Let me explain!”
Grimm loosened his hold a bit, and Bloom seized his chance, twisting free with a strength fueled by pure rage. His gaze locked onto Joel, deadly intent carved into his hard jaw and cold eyes.
“Bloom, no!” I lunged, throwing my arms around him, trying to pull him back. But he turned, a feral sound leaving his throat as he reacted on pure instinct. The sharp sting of a blade sliced through my jacket into my shoulder. Pain seared through me, hot and blinding. I staggered, but I held on to him, whispering through the pain. “Bloom… it’s me. Look at me. It’s Logan. Snap out of it.”
Bloom froze, his knife slipping from his hand and clattering to the ground. His wide eyes fixed on the blood seeping through my jacket. Then he froze, realization hitting him like a punch.
“Logan… no, no, no, what did I do?” His voice cracked, raw and trembling, as he reached out his hands, hovering over my wound.
Ignoring the pain, I lifted a hand to his cheek, managing a strained smile. “It’s okay… it’s okay, love. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. This… this is all just a huge misunderstanding.”
A choked sob escaped Bloom. “I hurt you.”
I gathered him to my chest, tucking his head under my chin. “It’s a small wound. All that matters is that you’re okay.”
Grimm took a step back, shaking his head. He wiped his cheek, which was cut from where Bloom must have slashed him with the knife. Fuck. Things could have ended so much worse tonight. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, then let out the breath slowly.
“I’ll explain to everyone in a second. Just let me hold him for a minute, please.”
He shuddered so hard against me his racing heart throbbed against mine, a frantic rhythm in our chests. He wrapped his arms around me, clinging as though I might disappear if he let go.
“Logan,” he murmured, an agonized note in his voice. My heart wrenched.
Everyone stood back, giving us space. Grimm herded his people inside, leaving me alone with Bloom and Crowe standing a few feet from us.
“I still want to kill him,” he moaned.
“No, you don’t. Listen to me, baby. You got it wrong. I wasn’t out cheating on you with anyone. I swear on my life.”
“I know.”
I pulled back slightly, taken aback. “You know?”
“Yes.” He traced his fingers over the blood-soaked fabric on my shoulder, his gaze fixed on the wound. “I can’t believe I did this to you…”
“I know you didn’t mean to.”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I still hurt you. I’m the worst boyfriend in the world, and you don’t really want to marry me, do you?”
“What? Bloom, where’s this coming from? If I didn’t want to marry you, I wouldn’t have proposed.”
“You proposed only because you wanted me to join you in the witness protection program. That’s the truth, isn’t it?”
My mind reeled at his unexpected words. He knew? “How did you…? You followed the marshal, didn’t you? Bloom, what happened?”
He dropped his arms. “I killed him. Stabbed him to death in his motel room.”
“You killed someone?” Crowe cried. “Jesus, what happened? Did anyone see you? Do I need to get someone to handle it?”
“I don’t think anyone saw me.”
“You don’t think?” Crowe doubled over, breathing hard. “Fuck me. My life was supposed to get easier once you had him.”
“You killed a US Marshal?” I croaked.
“He deserved it.”
Fear gripped me as I looked into Bloom’s eyes, once filled with warmth, now cold as steel. He showed no remorse, instead emanating a darkness that seeped into my core.
“Bloom, you just don’t kill a US Marshal. They’re not going to let this go until they find the person responsible.”
He scoffed. “He wasn’t who he claimed to be.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I heard your conversation earlier in the kitchen, so I followed you. When you left the hotel, I heard him speaking on the phone. He wasn’t here to assign you a new identity, Logan. Someone hired him to bring you to them.”
“Bloom, do you hear yourself?”
“Then how do I know your real name’s Keegan Agosti?”
My breath hitched. “How did you—”
“He told me everything about your past, but he wouldn’t tell me who sent him to kill you.”
It had to be my father. Who else could be behind this? It was too late. I had dragged Bloom into this mess, and now he’d killed for me. Again.
“Why did you come here?” I asked.
“Because he mentioned your father sent Joel here. You knew, didn’t you? That’s what you two were talking about earlier when I found you outside. I figured that he must have threatened you. You weren’t the same after, and I wanted him to pay.”
“I’m so fucking lost right now.” Crowe scratched his head.
“I’ll explain everything but once, so let’s go inside.”
“I don’t want to see his face.”
“Joel didn’t do anything to me,” I said. “All he did was give me a message from my father. I don’t believe he’s here to hurt me, and I do owe Grimm an explanation and apology for the misunderstanding tonight.”
In the mess hall, everyone sat quietly. Joel and Jamie sat on either side of Grimm, tense and stiff.
“Everyone, I’m sorry about this—”
“Cut to the chase, Doc. I don’t want your apology, but an explanation. It’s almost three in the fucking a.m., and I didn’t expect my home to be broken into and the lives of the people I love threatened. I understand Bloom has issues, but that’s not an excuse for what happened tonight. If you can’t handle him, hand him over to someone who will before he ends up pissing off the wrong people.”
I took Bloom’s hand in mine and squeezed. “Bloom got out of hand because he found out your son brought me a threatening message from his boss.”
“What?” Grimm spun his head around to look at Joel. “How could you possibly know Joel’s boss?”
“Because he’s my biological father.”
The ensuing silence was deafening. Everyone stared at me, even Joel, who already knew the truth.
“But Joel’s boss is Agosti,” Jamie murmured. “That means… you’re an Agosti? The Agosti?”
“That’s right.” I swallowed, then neutralized my voice to remove the swirl of emotions slowly suffocating me. “I’m the youngest of my father’s three legitimate sons. And also the reason he’s behind bars. For years, I’ve lived as Logan Collier while under witness protection, but when the incident at the hospital happened, my face was all over the news. My father’s people tracked me down here and sent Joel to have a word with me.”
“Joel, is this true?” Grimm asked. “You said you came to Thanksgiving because you missed Smoky Vale, that you missed us.”
Joel cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact. “Both can be true.”
“Joel?” Jamie said softly. “Just what have you gotten yourself involved in?”
“I’m a defense lawyer.” He raised his head, chin tilted at a stubborn angle. “You already knew I was working for the Agostis. What’s different from you sleeping with a biker president? It’s not like Dad’s hands are clean. This is why I became a defense lawyer, wasn’t it? I’m just doing the work they hired me to do.”
“By threatening our friends?” Grimm demanded. “We have enough criminals in Smoky Vale already. We don’t need the Mafia here too.”
“Friends?” Joel’s voice raised an octave. “How is he your friend? He’s everything that you stand against—betraying the brotherhood. He turned his father over to the authorities. I know very well what the punishment is for that betrayal in this club. Didn’t that guy Zak almost lose a hand for working with the FBI?”
“You’re too young to understand the history between me and my father,” I said, even though I didn’t expect any of them to understand. For fear of what I might see, I couldn’t even look at Bloom. They were all alike. No one cared about what I was going through at that time. That I’d had to get away from that life. For them, nothing was greater than their “clan.”
“I’m old enough to understand you don’t betray the brotherhood,” Joel cried. “I grew up hearing those words all my life. It’s the creed we live by, and you broke that with your family. How can anyone trust you? For all we know, you’re—”
“Shut the fuck up!” Bloom shouted. “Logan’s not a traitor.”
“He just admitted he’s the reason his father’s in prison. What more do you need to hear?”
Anger and tension radiated through Bloom. He was getting overstimulated again.
“Enough, Joel,” Jamie said, his voice waspish. “I think we’ve heard enough tonight, and we all need time to process this. Why don’t we all sleep on it and talk more tomorrow when our heads are clear?”
I let out a deep breath as Jamie’s gaze met mine. I nodded my thanks to him for intervening and giving me a break. Time to think about my next steps. If Bloom didn’t want me anymore, I understood. I still wanted to marry him and give him a name, to leave him everything I’d worked for in this lifetime so he would want for nothing.
“That’s a good idea,” Crowe said, his eyes on me. “I know there’s a lot I’m gonna have to think about now.”
Well, that’s a short truce.
“You’re welcome to stay the night if you want,” Jamie said.
“No way I’m sleeping with him under the same roof,” Joel muttered. “He’ll likely butcher me in my sleep.”
“It’s for the best if we leave,” Crowe said. “Bloom will come back with me to the clubhouse until we sort out everything.”
I clenched my hand into a fist, digging my nails into my palms. He only wanted to protect Bloom, and I couldn’t blame him for that. Everything inside me wanted to protest—that Crowe had no right to take him away. The clubhouse was no longer his home. He was supposed to be with me in our home, hogging my sheets and plastered all over me when I woke up in the middle of the night. He was supposed to sit at the edge of the pool with his feet in the water while he watched me swim my laps. He was supposed to sit on top of the island, wearing nothing but my shirt while I made us dinner.
He’s supposed to be mine.
My father was doing it again. Taking away the thing I loved most. He’d almost ruined my medical practice. Now he was driving Bloom away, and there was not a damn thing I could do about it.
“Bloom, let’s go,” Crowe said.
I kept my head straight, not wanting to see him walk away from me. But my resolve crumbled at the shuffle of his hesitant footsteps. I glanced up. Bloom looked at me, his face a mask of confusion and hurt. He opened his mouth as if to say something but then shut it abruptly. Crowe placed a hand on his shoulder.
“No,” Bloom said softly, shrugging off Crowe’s hand. He closed the gap between us and slipped his arms around my waist. “I’m with Logan. I’m not gonna leave him alone.”
“Bloom, don’t you get it?” Crowe cried. “He’s not the man you think he is. He’s lied to us about who he is this whole time.”
Bloom pressed his face to my side and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter what his name is. He’ll always be my Logan. I know it’s not easy. A part of me hates that he betrayed his family, but there’s also the part of me who knows firsthand how cruel a family can be. I killed my parents because they abused me. All Logan did was send his father to prison. If you want to reject him, you should reject me as well because what I did was way worse.”
I sucked in a deep breath, my eyes stinging. There were moments when I wondered if Bloom truly loved me or if his flawed brain had picked me for other reasons I still couldn’t come up with. But in that moment, the force of his love engulfed me, raw and undiluted.
He deserved so much better than me.
I wrapped my arm around his shoulders. “Let’s go home.”