Chapter 46
Logan
Leaving her is like leaving half of myself behind. She has wrapped around me and consumed me, but this is a necessary action.
“Do not open this door for anyone. Not even me.”
She frowns. “What do you mean?”
“I know the codes for the new locks. If I ask you to open the door, don’t.”
Serena nods firmly. “Got it.”
“Do you?”
She giggles. “Yes. I’ve got it. But do you have to go?”
“I won’t be long, baby girl. I promise I’ll be back soon.” Drawing her to me, I kiss her sweetly.
“Can you at least tell me where you’re going?”
“It’s just business. Nothing to worry about.”
“That makes me worry.”
“Don’t, please. I love you.” Lingering, with my lips on hers, I eventually pull away, or I’m going to be late.
“I love you, Logan. Please be safe.”
“I’ll be fine. Remember the room, Serena. Stay upstairs, and if you hear anything that isn’t me, you enter it. Promise me.”
“I promise.”
“Code?”
“1125.”
“Okay, good girl.” I kiss the top of her head and then pull away.
A few days have passed since I heard anything from Quentin, which is worrying. He is planning something, I’m sure, so I need to take care of this once and for all. Killing him is a last resort. I’m going to try to reason with him first, for Serena’s sake.
Guy has installed a state-of-the-art electronic mechanism that slides a bolt into place when I activate the lock from the outside. Serena will be able to manually unlock it if she absolutely has to, but I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that. There should be no need. I intend to be an hour at most.
Slipping into the waiting car, it glides away from the curb as soon as I shut the door, and minutes later, we are pulling up to the chosen location—a disused building in the abandoned area of town.
As soon as the car stops, I get out and stride into the deserted building, adjusting the gun at my back and under my coat as my footsteps echo on the concrete floor.
“Quentin,” I say when I see him on the far side, staring out of the grimy windows into the yard at the back.
Scanning the area for Isaac, I see him loitering a few meters away. Keeping him in my sights, I don’t put it past Quentin to have someone behind me ready to blow my head off.
“Logan. What is this about?”
“The return.”
He turns to me with a surprised look. “That was all sorted. Did I forget to tell you?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, my apologies.”
I don’t believe it for a second. Not that the item hasn’t been returned, I already knew that because Guy made sure, but his forgetting to tell me. He wanted me to come to him. Probably so he could lure me out and kill me. It sets my senses on high alert.
“How is Serena?” he asks.
“She’s healing. She knows.”
“Knows what?”
“That you’re her father.”
“I figured as much. I did come down hard on her, which would’ve gotten her thinking. What has she said about it?”
His curiosity intrigues me. He really wants to know how she feels about him.
“Not much. She’s processing.”
“Ah. Well, she will have time to come to terms with it after she grieves for you.”
Chuckling softly, I pull the gun out and aim it at his head. “I take that as threat enough.”
“Kill me, and you are over. You know how this works, Logan.”
“I do, but you see, things have changed, Quentin. You are no longer the highest-ranking member of Solitaire in this building. Viktor is fully aware of my actions.”
The flash of fear in his eyes is all I need to be assured he didn’t know about any of this. It’s gone in a split second. “Be careful whose names you’re throwing around, Logan. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”
“But I do,” I reply, stepping closer and leveling the gun at his face. “Leave Serena and me alone, and you will live. I’m now Head of the South-West sector, so you can’t touch me.”
Fury burns in his eyes. It’s higher than the role he had hoped to be moved into. “Sector,” he murmurs. “You know the sacrifice for such an honor will be great.”
“If anyone comes for Serena, they will regret it with every cell in their being. She means more to me than Solitaire ever did.”
My focus shifts momentarily as Isaac steps forward. Frowning, I notice he casually pulls on a pair of black leather gloves.
“You would give up Solitaire for her?” Quentin asks in surprise, drawing my attention back to him before I glance back at Isaac. Something isn’t right.
“Obviously. I love her. I can’t live without her. I can live without Solitaire.”
Clutching the gun tighter, ready to end this if Isaac comes any closer, he stops next to Quentin, a few feet away. Before either of us can say another word, I watch in surprise as Isaac pulls out a gun, holds it up to Quentin’s head, and pulls the trigger.
Taking a step back from the soft ping from the silencer as Quentin goes down. I turn the gun on Isaac.
“Welcome to the higher echelons of Solitaire,” he says in that quiet, calm way of his. “Viktor sends his regards with this gift.”
“Gift…”
Isaac puts the gun away and turns his back to me, clearly unconcerned about the weapon trained on him.
I lower it.
There is no threat here.
“Shit.” Moving a bit closer to Quen’s dead body, I crouch down and let out a slow breath. “Fuck. Serena.”
I take a moment to consider how the fuck I’m going to tell her that her father is dead, and she will never get to ask him why he gave her up. I was fully prepared to take him out but was pretty sure I could reason with him using Serena as a temptation he couldn’t refuse.
After a few moments, I straighten up and replace the gun in the back of my pants. Making my way back outside into the weak winter sun, the car is still idling, waiting for me. Climbing in, resigned to my new position now, the weight of it bearing down on me.
Sacrifice.
Solitaire always demands a sacrifice.
My phone rings in my pocket, so I grab it quickly, thinking it’s Serena. It’s not.
“Viktor.”
“Logan. Are you happy with your gift?”
“Yes,” I croak.
“Not many people know this about me, but in my eyes, you showed the greatest loyalty.”
“What do you mean?” My palms sweat as I wait for his reply.
“To your love. It showed me that you are a man of substance. You were ready to give up everything for her. Even your life.”
Even my life.
That threat hangs there like a noxious gas.
“She’s worth it.”
“Indeed. I’ll be in touch, Logan.”
He hangs up, and I replace my phone, almost worried about what that phone call will entail. All I know is if anyone, even Viktor, threatens Serena, it will be the last thing they do.
When the car stops outside my building, it takes me a second to gather my thoughts.
There is no way I can keep this from Serena, and I’m concerned about her reaction.
She has made some progress in the last week.
She appears healthier and talks about the future. I don’t want anything setting her back.
With a sigh, I get out of the car and make my way upstairs. Unlocking the door, I wait for the click of the bolt and then call out, “Serena, it’s me,” before I push the door open.
With my thoughts still on everything that happened earlier, I’m distracted not to react quickly enough when the staircase door next to the elevator bangs open, and the cold steel of a blade is pressed against my throat.
“Logan. I’ve been waiting for you.”