CHAPTER 9 #3
“What?” She followed him. “Why the devil should he come here?”
“If Margaret did her job, he should be hopping mad.” He shaded his eyes to watch the approaching Buick. “Though I expected him to call you, not come here.”
“Why should he be mad?”
He grinned. “It was taking too long to find the dirt on the prick so I hit him where it hurts. The wallet. He has an election coming up, and I called two of his biggest campaign contributors a few nights ago and persuaded them to drop their support. Then I had Margaret call Madden and tell him that would only be the beginning if he didn’t persuade ATF to sell you Monty. ”
Her mouth fell open. “I’ll be damned.” Her gaze went to the Buick. “No wonder he’s here.”
“Like I said, I thought he’d call.”
“No, that’s not Madden. If he’s frustrated, he’s going to want to strike out and see my pain.”
“Go inside. I’ll talk to him.”
She shook her head. “Stop trying to protect me. He’ll be ugly, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.
” She braced herself as the car screeched to a halt before the front door.
She hoped she was telling the truth. Madden was an expert at inflicting pain, as she’d learned all those years ago.
But she wasn’t that young, inexperienced girl any longer.
She stepped forward as Madden got out of the driver’s seat.
“I told you never to come here again, Madden.”
“You bitch.” His face was flushed with anger. All the smoothness he usually showed Sarah was gone. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“A little more respect, please,” Logan said softly. “And I think you’re aware of what we’re doing.”
Madden’s gaze shifted to Logan. “And what are you doing here? I did you a favor, dammit. You were supposed to help me.”
“Circumstances changed. As a politician, you know how empty promises can be. Have you called ATF?”
“I won’t be pressured by you.”
“If you want to keep your seat in the senate, you will. We’ve only just begun to play. I’ll stop your contributions cold and if you’ve even jaywalked, I’ll find out about it and put it on every front page in the country.”
“You son of a bitch.”
“I want this, Madden. Give it to me and I may let you survive to run again.”
“May?”
“I don’t know if I can stand the thought of you sitting fat and healthy in the capitol, but it will definitely make my mind up if you turn me down.”
“I will turn you down, you asshole.”
“No, you won’t. You’re an ambitious man and I’m probably the biggest obstacle you’ve ever run across. Think about it. Why risk everything just for a little goodwill and publicity? Go get them somewhere else. You’ve used her and Monty enough.”
“Have I?” Sarah could see him struggling to contain his rage as he whirled on her. “Have I used you enough, Sarah?” His voice was thick with malice. “Speak up. It’s not like you to stay in anyone’s shadow.”
“Go away, Madden.”
“Now you’re giving me orders?” His gaze went from her to Logan and back again. “You think just because you’re sleeping with the big man, you can pull the strings.”
“I’m not sleeping with Logan.”
“He’s just staying in this crummy shack because he likes it? I’m not an idiot. I can see how he looks at you. Money and sex make the world go round. You couldn’t give him money, but sex is no problem for you, is it?”
“Shut up, Madden,” Logan said.
“So protective.” He shot him a mocking glance. “I can’t blame you for letting her talk you into —”
“Shut up.”
“She fucks like a wild animal, doesn’t she? She’s the only woman I ever screwed who never said no. It didn’t matter what I asked her to do, she—”
Sarah’s fist connected with his nose. Blood spurted and he staggered back against the car.
“Go away, Madden,” Sarah said. “Now.”
“Whore.” He reached for his handkerchief and covered his nose. “You are an animal.”
“Maybe. I know I’m tempted to go for your throat.”
“Hit the road.” Logan’s expression was grim. “And get on your phone the minute you hit the highway. I want a call from ATF within thirty minutes offering to sell Monty to Sarah.”
Madden began cursing.
“I’m not going to repeat myself.” Logan took a step closer. “Listen to me. I was annoyed with you before, now I want to break your neck. Do what I tell you.”
“I’m not afraid of you.” But Madden backed away. He gave Sarah one last malevolent look as he got in the car. “You think you’re so clever. Oh, you’ve got him now, but he’ll get tired of you and I’ll still be around.”
“I don’t doubt it,” she said. “Cockroaches are great survivors.”
“Unless they get stepped on,” Logan said.
Madden opened his mouth and then closed it without speaking. A moment later he was in the car, streaking down the road.
“God, that felt good,” Sarah said. It felt better than good, as if a gigantic weight had been taken off her shoulders. “Do you think he’ll make the call?”
“I almost hope he doesn’t.” Logan turned on his heel and went into the house.
She stared at him in surprise before following him. “Why?”
“Because I want to crucify the son of a bitch.” His tone was savage. “But you’re feeling just fine because you punched that bastard in the nose, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Why are you so angry? Madden attacked me and I took care of it.”
“Did it occur to you that I would have done it for you?”
“No.”
“I didn’t think so.”
“Why should you? It was my job.”
“The hell it is.”
“Stop pacing around the room and sit down. You’ve been on your feet too much today.”
“I’ll sit down when I feel like it.”
She held up her hands. “Whatever you say. I don’t care if your leg aches all night. It would serve you right.” No, it wouldn’t; he had just done her a great favor. She tried to hold on to her patience. “Look, I’m sorry I involved you in that ugliness with Madden. I owe you and I—”
“You don’t owe me shit. We made a deal and I paid it. Do you think that’s what this is all about?”
“All I know is that you’re not behaving reasonably. It’s not my fault that Madden is the bastard he is.”
“It’s your fault that you didn’t let me help you. You’re not alone in this world, you know. Would it have hurt you to let me protect you? Just once?”
She blinked. “I didn’t need protection.”
“No, you don’t need anyone, do you? You’re not wounded. You haven’t got a scar to your name. Bullshit.”
She stiffened. “Shut up, Logan. I’m sorry if your ego was hurt, but don’t take it out on me.”
“You should have let me help you.”
“You did help me.”
“Is that why your knuckles are bleeding?”
She looked down at her hand in surprise. “It’s nothing. Just a graze.”
He stopped before her. “And you’re so tough that it didn’t faze you.”
“No, dammit, I was too busy trying to understand why you were overreacting to a little— Let me go, Logan.”
His hands tightened on her shoulders. “Why? Will you sock me too?”
“Maybe. If you deserve it.” She looked up at him. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Nothing’s wrong with me. No, that’s a lie.” He shook her. “You’re driving me crazy. You’re not alone in the world, dammit. You don’t have to do everything for yourself.”
“Let me go.”
His hands opened and closed on her shoulders. “What’s the matter? Are you afraid I’ll jump you like your friend, Madden?”
“I know you better than that.”
“Do you?”
Her chest tightened. He was gazing at her with an intentness that made her feel . . . She hurriedly looked away from him. “You’re not Madden. And you said you were my friend. Was that a lie?”
He went still. “No.” His hands dropped away from her shoulders. “It wasn’t a lie.” He walked back to the open doorway and stared at Madden’s car, which was faintly visible in the distance. “And I’m not Madden. Why didn’t you tell me you were lovers?”
“You didn’t need to know to help me. It wasn’t important.”
“No? It feels damn important.”
“It shouldn’t. That was a long time ago and doesn’t affect the present situation. The only use he has for me these days is to help his career.”
“And what about you?”
“Get real.”
“What about you?” he repeated.
“For God’s sake, I was only a kid. I met him right after I joined ATF. I was lonely and I thought he— He was very smooth. He fooled me for over six months. Then I broke it off. He didn’t like it.”
“Evidently.” He didn’t look at her. “He clearly found you very entertaining.”
She felt heat rise to her face. “So?”
“Just commenting. I take it he’s been fucking you in other ways since you stopped letting him come to your bed.”
“That was crude.”
“But true.”
She didn’t speak for a moment. “Yes. He always wanted to be the one holding the whip.”
“I trust you’re not speaking literally. I think even you would have said no to—” He broke off and shook his head. “Sorry. That wasn’t necessary.”
“No, and that was crude too. And none of your damn business.”
“You’re right. As I said, I’m sorry.” He turned around to face her. “I suppose I felt a little hurt that you’d close me out. Friends don’t do that.”
The tension between them was gone, she realized with relief. Or had it just eased? She’d take it either way. “I never said I was your friend.”
“But you are, aren’t you?”
Days of closeness and working together. Nights of tending Maggie. Jokes, humor, familiarity. “I suppose I am,” she said slowly.
“You’re damn right you are. I’ve worked too hard to make sure you—”
The phone rang.
“I’ll get it.” Logan crossed the room in four steps and picked up the phone.
“She’s not available. This is John Logan.
Talk to me.” He listened for a few moments.
“I’ll have someone stop by your office with a certified check within the hour.
Give him a notarized bill of sale in exchange.
Thanks.” He hung up the phone and turned back to her.
“Sanders with ATF. He said he’s the head of the K9 unit. You know him?”
“He’s my boss.” Excitement was surging through her. “Madden called him? He’s going to sell me Monty?”
He nodded. “Tomorrow you’ll have the papers on him.”
Oh, God, it was too good to be true. After all this time and heartache, it was going to happen. “Really?”
He smiled. “Really.”