Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
“We have a problem,” Sebastian snapped as he rubbed his throat.
Logan lifted his brows. “Obviously. You’re the problem, Marshal Shay.” As if he hadn’t suspected the man was working undercover. He’d had his questions about Sebastian for quite some time but…
I’m being surrounded by the law-abiding types. Talk about a pain in the ass. When had this become his world? Could people just not be who they said they were any longer?
“I’m not the problem.” The marshal seemed offended. Huffing, Sebastian added, “Dammit, I thought you were the problem.” His hand dropped away from his throat as Sebastian took a hard, aggressive step toward Logan.
“Nope.” Just like that, Charlotte was there.
She’d lunged forward. Her shoulder brushed against Logan.
“You move at him with aggression and intent again, and my finger will squeeze this trigger. Don’t worry.
The first bullet won’t hit anywhere fatal.
We do want to have the chance to interrogate you.
But I can promise you, while it won’t kill you, that initial shot will hurt like hell. ”
Sebastian blinked. His gaze had jumped to her, but now it swung back to Logan.
“My wife is protective of me,” he explained, sending her a quick smile. “Isn’t she the best?”
“What the hell, Logan?” A hard snarl from Sebastian.
Logan stiffened. “I believe the appropriate reply is, ‘Yes, your wife is the best.’”
“Cut the bullshit! That woman isn’t your wife! You’re a fucking criminal mastermind, and, until last night, I thought you were a serial killer.”
“Me?” Logan touched his chest. “Little old me?”
“Yes.” Hissed. “You. Big, psychotic you.”
“That’s interesting. Your information is completely wrong, by the way, but it does make for fun conversation. I love to be entertained by all my unwanted guests.”
Charlotte had not lowered her weapon. Not even an inch.
He adored her vigilant nature. He just had to lean over and brush a kiss to her temple.
She was such a sweetheart. But, back to business.
Logan cocked his head toward Sebastian. “Want to hear something else fun? I suspected that you might be a serial killer. Isn’t that shit hilarious? ”
“What?” Real shock flashed on Sebastian’s face.
“I’m a US marshal! Look at my ID! I was working undercover.
Trying to get close to you and your shady-ass friends.
Call my supervisor if you want! Hell, you can contact Tyler Barrett right now.
I know you’re acquainted with him. Tyler will back me up. ”
Logan’s shoulders stiffened at the mention of Tyler’s name. Maybe he knew the bastard. Another one of those true-blue types. So annoying.
But Tyler’s wife Esme, on the other hand. Oh, but she knew all about breaking some laws. She was the more fun one in that particular couple.
“I had to get access to you and your inner circle!” Sebastian was back to explaining himself. “Women have been dying, Logan. You fit the killer’s profile.”
Now he shifted his focus to his bride. “Oh, darling, did you hear that? While you didn’t consider me a potential sadistic murderer, the US marshals did.”
Without missing a beat, Charlotte replied, “You’re not a sadistic killer. They’re wrong. My team has more intel on you than they do.”
“Good to know.” He admired her profile as she kept the weapon trained on Sebastian.
He also admired the way his shirt looked on her.
If Sebastian hadn’t interrupted, he’d be in the process of making love to his wife right at that very moment.
Logan’s jaw hardened at the thought of all that he was currently missing out on. “Shoot him. Start with the knee.”
“What?” Sebastian shrieked. “She just said you weren’t sadistic!”
Yes, but he was frustrated. And horny for his wife. And Sebastian had interrupted…
Charlotte darted a quick glance at Logan. “Really? You want me to shoot him? Now?”
He did. “I could be making love to you at this moment.” A heavily regretful sigh.
“Instead, I’m listening to his bullshit.
” It was bullshit. Utter bullshit. “You tell me, love, when is the last time you heard about the US marshals tracking serial killers? The Feds, sure, I get that. They have that whole Behavioral Analysis Unit thing going on. They do, in fact, track serials. But a marshal?” Logan shook his head.
“Don’t really think that hunting serial killers falls in their wheelhouse. ”
“It does when one of our own is taken and killed!” Fury shook in Sebastian’s voice.
The fury was real. Logan kept his stare on Charlotte. He liked watching her more than he liked watching anyone else. “Is that true? Was one of the previous victims a US marshal?”
“Valentina Suarez.” Charlotte supplied the name immediately. “Victim number three.”
“How the hell do you know about her?” Sebastian demanded.
Logan waved his hand toward Charlotte. “I’ll hold the gun. You go call your boss and get Sebastian checked out. If he’s legit, maybe we’ll trade intel with him.”
She put the gun in his open hand. Their fingers brushed.
I could be fucking her right now. He unclenched his jaw. “If he’s not legit, my first bullet will go into his left kneecap.”
“Don’t shoot him until I get back.”
He would make no promises.
She hurried from the room, and, with a sigh, he turned his attention back to Sebastian.
“Don’t shoot me,” Sebastian spoke quickly. “I’m really a US marshal.”
“I’ll have verification on that in about five minutes.”
“Because her real boss is going to be able to provide that info?”
“That’s the plan.” He rolled back his shoulders.
“Who is her boss? Got to be someone powerful to be able to give you inside intel on me. I’m undercover. That means getting knowledge about me will be hard and—will you stop rolling your eyes?”
“It’s not gonna be hard. We’ve got connections.”
Sebastian’s eyes glittered. “Who is her boss?” he demanded again.
The jerk just kept pissing him off more and more. “Do I look like the kind of man who would ever tell his wife’s secrets to someone else? Because, if so, that’s damn well not me. I’ll take her secrets to the grave.”
Sebastian’s lashes flickered. “She’s not actually your wife.”
“Oh, but she is.” Marriage all consummated and everything.
“We both said ‘I do’ at the chapel.” Granted, it had been a drive-thru chapel, but they’d said the words.
“That means it’s done. Happened really fast.” His voice thickened.
“Right after some soon-to-be-dead prick drugged her.” He let those words sink in.
“Would you know anything about that, my fake friend?”
Sebastian backed up, half a step. He almost hit the wall behind him.
“I happen to be aware of the fact that you were nosing around in a staff-only area here at the hotel shortly before my beautiful Charlotte suffered that most unfortunate drugging incident. Makes me suspicious. You were already on my radar, you see, before you showed up here moments ago with Jake and Evans. Nice of you to come visit me, but the truth is that I had already prepared to hunt your ass down and conduct an interrogation with you. You just sped up the process by appearing at my door, so to speak.”
“I didn’t drug her.” Each word was bitten off. “I’m here because I need your help.”
“Oh? Color me curious. What do you want me to do? Especially since you think I’m a potential serial killer—”
“You’re cleared. I don’t think that any longer. You have an alibi for the latest attack.”
Latest attack. “What attack?”
Sebastian’s lips thinned.
“And what alibi are you talking about?” The US marshal needed to be a whole lot chattier. Maybe he should just shoot Sebastian in the knee to speed that chatty process along. He aimed the gun.
“Wait! Wait! You were nearly being murdered by Morris when the last victim was taken, all right? So you are clear. You were caught on camera so it couldn’t have been you.
Real proof of your innocence. You were on the street cam and then you spent hours being interviewed by the cops.
You have an alibi. That’s why I’m here, talking to you.
You didn’t do it. You didn’t take the latest victim.
You don’t have her hidden some place where you plan to torture her—”
Footsteps rushed across the room. “He’s legit!” Charlotte announced. “Don’t shoot him.”
The faint lines near Sebastian’s mouth deepened. “See? I’m legit.” His nostrils flared. “Lower the gun.”
“Who is the victim that was taken?” Logan demanded. He kept the gun pointed at Sebastian’s knee.
“What victim?” Charlotte stopped right at Logan’s side. “What did I miss?”
“Sebastian thought I was the serial killer.”
She frowned. “You’re not.” Her head turned toward Sebastian. “He’s not. Didn’t we cover this before I left?”
“Who the hell are you, lady?” Sebastian exploded. “Who just verified my identity for you?”
Logan stiffened. “Don’t yell at her. And she’s my wife. Though I’ve said that enough times that you should know it by now.”
“Fine. She’s married to your crazy ass. Happy?”
Did he look happy? Logan didn’t think so. He was certain he wasn’t wearing his happy face. More like his I-want-to-rip-people-apart face.
“What is she?” Sebastian pushed. “A Fed? Part of the Vegas PD? Is she—”
“You don’t need to know anything else about her.” He’d meant it when he said that he would not reveal his wife’s secrets.
“Logan.” Charlotte cleared her throat. “I’m worried your finger is getting twitchy. I think we all should take a beat, and then someone needs to tell me what you two discussed while I was making that important phone call.”
She’d changed into normal clothing. Good. He hadn’t wanted Sebastian gawking at her. Now Charlotte wore jeans and a soft, white t-shirt. White tennis shoes. Her hair was mostly dry. Still no make up. Still freaking gorgeous.