Indestructible (42 page)

Katie stood, ready to throw back, when Natasha pinned me with her stare, reeking of alcohol. “Did he ever tell you about his twenty-first birthday, Cassandra? You should ask him. I’m sure he’s
dying
to replay that memory.”

“Leave her alone,” Katie threatened, “or we’ll replay for everyone here exactly how many old geezers you had to screw to keep your rent paid the last five years.”

Natasha swung her glare to Katie. “Maybe I’ll see if Lawrence is looking for some
real
fun.”

“Who’s ready to eat?”

Blythe stood across the room, her eyes on us. It was Oliver’s day, and I wouldn’t let Natasha rattle me. Katie seemed to brush her off, as well.

“Let’s go find
our
men,” Katie spouted, a broad grin in place as she looped her arm through mine.

Logan held out a seat directly beside him. Oliver was down a few spots, sitting beside a younger version of himself except for the blonde curls—Charlie had short, caramel locks. They sat closer to the end beside Blythe, who fawned over them both.

I missed my grandmother. Watching them together reminded me of how wonderful mine had been.

“Everything all right? I saw you with Natasha,” Logan whispered.

Resting my hand below the table over his thigh, I smiled. “Everything’s perfect. She may be miserable and bitter, but I couldn’t be happier.”

His lips brushed over my neck, and he placed a soft kiss on the tender skin behind my ear. “I love you,” Logan murmured.

A throat cleared behind us. “Hate to interrupt, but perhaps you can kiss your girl later and introduce her to your father now.”

I looked up to meet a pair of deep blue eyes that were identical to Logan’s, just on an older face. So this was the man who’d broken Blythe’s heart. He was handsome now—I could only imagine how much more so he’d been twenty years ago. He was also charming, which was obvious in the way he held himself and stared down at me.

“Cassandra, this is my father, Edward,” Logan said.

“Hello. It’s nice to finally meet you,” I said, smiling.

“A pleasure, darling. I hope you’re feeling better after the accident.”

“Yes, thank you.” I sneaked a peek at Logan. It was strange that so many people I’d never met knew so much about me.

“Wonderful. You’ll need some energy to keep up this afternoon. Oliver and Charlie are set on going to the aquarium.”

“Sounds like fun. I’ve never been to one.”

“Never?” Logan and Edward asked in unison.

I shook my head, smiling.

“Well, Logan’s been going since he was little. One of his favorite places,” Edward explained.

“Yes, it’s where he proposed to me,” Natasha cut in, and then leaned in to give Edward an awkward hug. “How have you been, Dad?”

My eyes dropped, as did my stomach. I turned back to face my plate that Logan had piled high with food while I was speaking with his father.

“Natasha. It’s been a long time. Maybe not long enough.” With that, Edward pulled away from Natasha, placed his hand on my shoulder, and threw me a wink when I peeked up before he walked away to his seat next to Blythe.

Natasha sat on the other side of Oliver, but it was still too close. Logan had proposed at the aquarium, where we were going in a couple hours.

“I’m sorry. We don’t have to go,” Logan whispered. “I can ask Oliver to pick somewhere else.”

“Don’t be silly. It obviously means a lot to you, so I’d love to go.”

He gave a nervous smile and turned back to his plate, picking at his food. Katie turned out to be quite the conversationalist. She filled the next hour with a multitude of questions for Logan and some for me, even telling stories about Logan and how much of a hands-on father he was. It was nice to hear, even though I didn’t need to. I’d seen it firsthand multiple times. I was in love with Logan, and she didn’t need to try and convince me he was a good guy. I could’ve used her a couple months before, though.

Through it all, I didn’t miss the way Natasha glared at Jax, who didn’t speak a word to her. I’d be talking to him before the weekend was up.

As everyone finished and stood to go upstairs, Logan was checking his phone beside me when I asked the unthinkable. It was stupid that I allowed Natasha’s words to eat at me, and why it chose that moment to pop out, I wasn’t sure.

“What did you do for your twenty-first birthday?” I asked in a hushed voice.

Judging by the blood draining from his face as he lifted his head and his inability to look me in the eyes, I knew it was best left in the past.

I suddenly realized I didn’t want to know. I groaned, withdrawing my words instantly. “Never mind. Forget I asked.”

He turned in his seat and stared back down at his phone, where he typed something. “We can talk later. Caleb just messaged.”

“Are they in Aspen yet?” I knew whatever was happening wasn’t good, because Logan looked tense. Dread settled in my gut.

He nodded, his jaw clenching as he held up his phone with the display facing me so I could read what it said.

Got in a few minutes ago. Big problem. Place has been raided.

My hand flew to my mouth as he scrolled down, revealing photos of his Aspen home. It was almost bare, and what little was
left had been destroyed.

“Who would—” I started, but he cut me off with a hard shake of his head. His eyes cut to Natasha, who was in earshot, standing from the table.

Valentine’s
, I remembered. He’d sent her there. I closed my eyes, reeling at her audacity.

Logan took my hand, guiding me up. As he walked me toward the stairs, he whispered, “Don’t say a word to anyone.”

“Are you going to call the cops?” I asked, my voice drastically low.

Logan glared over to Jax, who was holding his date in his lap. “No. Jax is going to make all my problems go away very soon.”

What did that mean?

Chapter Thirty
Played

As it was my first visit to an aquarium, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But the underwater tunnel that placed us right in the middle of another species’ environment was simply breathtaking. I could see why Oliver had chosen the place for his birthday, and as irritating as it was, why Logan would’ve proposed to Natasha there.

Oliver walked between Logan and me, each of us holding one of his tiny hands.

“You like it?” Oliver asked, staring up at me with sparkling eyes.

“I love it,” I replied with a smile.

Oliver dropped our hands and ran ahead of us to pull Charlie over to look at the hammerhead shark passing by. They pressed their noses to the glass, oohing and ahhing over the terrifying creature.

Brave boys.

Logan’s arm snaked around my waist, his lips pressing above my ear in a chaste kiss.

“I love having you here. Feels right.”

The coaxing static between us sizzled.
Not the place for a rendezvous.

“How old were you the first time you came here?” I asked, curious and in need of a distraction from the soft caress of his fingers up the back of my shirt.

“Shortly after we moved here from Harmony. Grew up coming here at least once a month. They built this tunnel a couple years before Oliver was born. I brought him every chance I could,” he said, staring at his son.

“I like it here. It’s peaceful,” I said, my eyes on the boys as we stopped behind them.

They were laughing hysterically at the faces they made at the stingray gliding along the glass in front of them. It was nice not having to suffer through a crowd—the entire tunnel was closed off for the next few hours for Oliver to enjoy. Turns out it was a perk of the Wests being long-standing members and regular financial donors.

“Turn around and smile, Oliver!” Natasha called from somewhere behind us.

My eyes rolled back at the grating sound of her voice. Logan turned us to find her holding a camera in her hands, which was pointed our way. I immediately pulled Logan and me out of the shot.

“Say, ‘birthday boy’!” Natasha instructed with a grin.

Oliver threw his arm around his little cousin’s neck and they both smiled, repeating her words with more enthusiasm than I’d have thought their pint-sized frames could possess.

As soon as Natasha lowered the camera, they swung back around, fascinated once again with the aquarium.

“Can you believe my little boy is six years old already?” Natasha asked. I didn’t know whom the question was directed at, nor did I care—especially considering she didn’t even know Oliver was turning five, not six.

She moved in front of us, her eyes remaining on Oliver. I wished for his sake to discover some untapped proud mother hidden within her, but all I saw was the cruel woman who’d abandoned her son and was now making my life hell. He deserved so much better.

Neither Logan nor I acknowledged her, pivoting back toward the glass.

“He’s growing up too fast. That’s all I meant,” Natasha muttered.

“Maybe if you’d stuck around earlier, you’d see he’s doing just fine in his development,” Jax barked, appearing beside her. “And he’s five, not six. Seriously?”

Natasha rolled her eyes, ignoring the last part. “What happened to your date,
Jax
? Did she tire of you already?”

“Decided to cut her loose before she picked up any of your skank tactics.”

“I want to see an octopus!” Charlie shouted, halting the words that were about to spill from Natasha’s open mouth. She snapped her lips shut and pursed them.

“I’m not sure if there are any in there,” Logan explained, completely impassive to the lashing Jax was giving.

“We’ll find them,” Oliver declared, thus beginning the boys’ slow movements back and forth through the tunnel.

“Come sit with me,” Logan whispered.

There was a bench in the center of the walkway that wasn’t yet occupied, and Logan led me to it. Lawrence and Katie were on the opposite end of the room, while Blythe and Edward followed behind the boys.

For being divorced as long as they had, they seemed to get along well. Edward was affectionate, and nothing but a gentleman. You’d never know they weren’t still married.

Where Luke and Julia had run off to, I wasn’t sure, but I had a feeling it had to do with setting up a separate room for Oliver’s cake and presents.

We sat in silence, enjoying the view, my head resting on Logan’s shoulder. A short while later, I caught him tapping his watch while exchanging a look with Jax. Something was going to go down, judging by the impatient looks Jax kept giving his phone. Whatever they had planned, I wasn’t thrilled with the timing or venue.

Minutes ticked by with Logan’s hand stroking up and down my back while Jax continued to pace the far end of the tunnel, typing rapidly on his phone. I couldn’t stand the suspense any longer, and was about to ask what was going on just as Jax gave Logan a thumbs up.

Logan’s hand stilled on my back, and his lips curled slowly into a broad, mysterious grin.

I pulled away when he turned to me. “I need you to go with Katherine and my parents for a little while. Oliver will show you the other side of the aquarium. I’ll catch up with you.”

“What’s going on?” My muscles tensed, eyes darting to Natasha standing in the corner, who was seemingly comfortable just watching the creatures.

Logan cradled my face in his palms. “You still trust me?” There was a weary vulnerability in his voice.

My hand covered one of his and slid it to my lips, where I kissed the center of his palm. “More than ever.”

His lips slanted over mine in a short, intense kiss, then he pulled away. “Don’t hit me—at least, not in front of the kids,” Logan whispered, and then he was up.

Uh…what the hell?
Hit him? Why would I—

I watched, thunderstruck, as he strolled over to Natasha, slipped his hand around her waist, and settled it over the back pocket of her jeans, tugging her against him. She leaned fully into his body, and my stomach churned. Yeah, I wanted to hit him all right—especially when she began to giggle at whatever words he was whispering into her ear.

My blood boiled, rage igniting at the sight of her hand skimming up his back, resting there as though it belonged. I knew there was a reason for the atrocity, but it was still hard to watch. I noticed Lawrence escorting Katie out of the tunnel with the boys, and Edward and Blythe following behind as if they knew a lot more than I did.

Typical.

Jax stepped in front of me, staring down at me impatiently. “Why don’t you go see the penguins with the boys?” he asked, loudly enough for Natasha to hear. “Give Logan some time alone with his son’s mother.”

She didn’t look my way, but I caught the way her body stiffened. She was listening.

Jax’s voice lowered to a hushed murmur, and he threw me a wink. “We got this.”

“Got what?” I whispered. My eyes were still glued to Natasha, who was practically draped over Logan’s front as he walked with her a few feet farther away. If she tried to leave this tunnel with him, he’d be fearing more than my fist.

“Shit, time’s up. Get out of here, now, or you’ll ruin this. Got it?” Jax leaned in and whispered, then dragged me up, his features darkening. Logan and Natasha were already at the opposite end of the tunnel.