Logan (18 page)

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Two hours later, Logan wanted to growl when he was asked, once again, about the jewel. This officer was plain clothes and had been more courteous, but it didn’t matter. Meg was across the room from him being treated as if she were a criminal. Thanks to Morin, the police knew about her prior issues with the law.
 

“You are here with a Mademoiselle Campbell?” Officer Durant asked.
 

“Aye.”
 

Durant’s brow furrowed. “What?”
 

“Yes. I am here with Meg. I have answered this three times. I have no idea why we are both being treated like this.”
 

The officer studied him for a few seconds. “Monsieur Morin believes she has stolen from him, again.”
 

“She didn’t steal from him before, and she didn’t this time. She was out on the bloody terrace with him when it happened.”
 

“And you were?”
 

“I was in here being bored to death by some woman who would not shut the hell up. The Italian countess…or whatever. Isabella Forella.”
 

His anger was tearing at his gut, but that didn’t hurt as much as seeing the look on Meg’s face. She had no color in her face and at the moment, he was positive she was barely holding it together. She was still as a statue as she sat by herself, surrounded by police.
 

“And you never went back into the room.”
 

He shook his head. “I was here the whole time. I wasn’t going anywhere since Meg was outside with that…Pierre.”
 

Durant looked over at Pierre who was staring at Meg. Understanding passed over the officer’s face. “And you came with your brother Angus and his wife Maggie. Where did they go?”
 

“They left after Maggie got sick. She’s been having a time of it with all the rich food and they are newly married. There is always a chance…”
 

Officer Durant nodded. “So, they left…when?”
 

“About thirty minutes or so before the alarm went off.”
 

“And, they are home?”
 

“I have no idea. I had my mobile confiscated.”
 

He nodded. “Everything seems to be in order. And this is the address you are staying at?” he asked, then rattled it off.
 

Logan nodded. “But we are due back in Scotland tomorrow. I have meetings the day after tomorrow I need to attend.”
 

“And your job?”
 

“Art director of Lennon Industries.”
 

His eyes widened slightly. “Oh, pardon me, sir.”
 

He shook his head and waved it away. “I understand you have to do your job, but I feel Meg is being treated unfairly, and I just want to get her home. She’s exhausted.”
 

Durant looked over at her and nodded again. “You are free to leave, but be sure that you keep in contact with us. You have permission to leave France tomorrow, if you agree to come back.”
 

“As a Scottish citizen, I will leave when I want to, unless you want me to give Harry a call?”
 

“Harry?” Durant asked.
 

“Prince Harry…you know, the younger of the English princes. He and I have been friends for quite a few years.”
 

He hated being a name thrower, but Logan knew Harry wouldn’t mind. Of course, he wasn’t sure the prince remembered the man who had painted his portrait ten years earlier, but Logan didn’t think he would get into too much trouble.
 

“Of course.”
 

Durant ordered Meg released. The officers frowned, but let her go. She came to him and he put his arm around her. She was freezing cold, but she had been sitting by the fireplace. He was worried she might be going into shock.
 

Morin strode forward. “What is going on here? How could you let her go?”
 

“She does not have the jewel and, by your own admission, the woman was on the terrace with you.”
 

Morin looked at Durant then at Meg and Logan. He turned his attention back to the officer. “Then Lennon!”
 

“No. He was in here with witnesses.”
 

“Then that brother and the other woman. She is probably no more than a common criminal just like
her
,” he said pointing at Meg.
 

Instead of standing up to him like Logan expected, Meg shrunk away from Morin. The brave woman he had known just hours before seemed to be gone.
 

“We had a car go by and talk to them and to the driver who took them home. They went straight back and Madame Lennon is in bed, resting. They have not been out since.”
 

Logan had had enough. “We will be leaving now. And, if you ever think of coming after any of us, you will deal with my cousin. Believe me, Morin, no one wants to deal with Callum.”
 

With that, he tugged Meg toward the exit. He released her hand, and slipped an arm over her shoulders, as they waited for a maid to return with Meg’s coat.
 

“Monsieur,” Durant yelled from behind them. Logan turned just in time to stop Morin from grabbing Meg.
 

He pushed the older man back and shoved him up against the wall. Then he pressed his forearm against his throat. For one quick second—maybe two—Logan felt the urge to press harder. The compulsion to kill filled his vision, and he wanted to see the life drain from his face, watch the horror as death took him over. Then…Morin smiled. Even as he was gasping for air, his lips curled. The sight left Logan feeling slightly off center.
 

Then, he heard Meg. “Logan, love, please. Don’t. He’s not worth it.”
 

He finally realized she was tugging on him. He released the older man. Morin stumbled sideways away from him.
 

“I want him arrested for assault.”
 

“No,” Meg yelled.
 

Durant shook his head. “I am sorry, Monsieur, but you were lunging toward his companion. In that, you have to deal with a man’s reaction to that threat. You may leave, Monsieur Lennon.”
 

He took Meg’s coat and slipped it over her shoulders. She was even paler than before. Logan pulled her against him and walked toward the front door.
 

“I will have my revenge, Meghan. I will see you suffer.”
 

Neither of them responded, as they walked out of the house.
 

The silent ride home had been tough on both of them. Meg couldn’t form words still. She was too tired and too depressed. Logan helped her out of the car and then took her arm to lead her up the steps.  They walked through the door and Maggie pounced on them.
 

“You didn’t call.”
 

Meg shook her head and instantly regretted it. It caused her stomach to pitch and her head to resume spinning. She was still trying to come to terms with what happened.
 

“They took our phones, and then we just wanted to get home. I didn’t want them to hear anything. I don’t know what the French laws are for monitoring.”
 

Logan helped her off with her coat, and she thanked him. Dammit, she hated that she sounded so proper. She was still a little in shock and didn’t know how to react.
 

“We do need to call Callum and Phoebe,” Angus said.
 

“Yes. Then we all need to get to bed. We have an early morning and we need rest,” Maggie said, studying Meg. She opened her mouth to ask something, but Meg shook her head. She couldn’t talk about it. Not right now.
 

They went into the kitchen and used Angus’ phone to call Phoebe and Callum. They picked up after half a ring.
 

“How did it go?” Callum asked.
 

“Fine, everything is fine.” The warning was easy to hear in Angus’ voice. They had stolen a jewel and while the police hadn’t had time to put a tap on the phone, there was no telling what Morin would do.
 

“Good. And you’re scheduled for tomorrow morning?”
 

“Yes,” Logan said. “We have a flight plan already scheduled, and we are leaving here at eight in the morning.”
 

“Why do we have to leave so early?” Maggie complained. Meg smiled. Maggie was always the worst to get out of bed.
 

“Get there in your night clothes for all I care, just get there. I will feel better when all of you are back on Scottish soil.”
 

The phone jostled and Phoebe came on the line. “I just want to say that nothing has appeared here, so be careful.”
 

Meg looked at everyone else, waiting to see their reactions, but none of them said anything.
 

“We will, Phoebe. Give our love to everyone. We need to get to bed,” Angus said.
 

“Good night.”
 

The phone clicked off.
 

“Let’s do just that. Everyone is packed, correct?” Angus asked.
 

She and Logan nodded.
 

As they walked up the stairs, none of them said anything else. It was an odd sort of silence, the adrenaline of the evening dissolving. She had been through this time and time again. The high of succeeding was followed by a low that was hard to overcome. Sleep was always best, and she intended to do just that after she took a long hot shower. She needed to wipe off the evil she still felt clinging to her flesh.
 

*  *  *  *
 

Logan was worried. As he waited for Meg to take her shower, he had paced the floor. He wasn’t sure what he could do to get rid of that haunted look on her face.  He knew the signs of shock, but he had wanted to give her some space.
 

The jewel was still here. They would never find it if they searched. Maggie had taken care of that. But, still, the fact that it had not reappeared into the sword did bother him a bit. Strike that. It bothered him a lot.
 

Did that mean they had not finished their quest? Worse, did it mean that it was the wrong sapphire?
 

He continued to pace, his mind going through horrible scenario after horrible scenario. He stopped when he heard a suspicious sniffling coming from the bathroom. The shower was still running, but he could hear what sounded like crying.
 

Normally, like any smart man, he headed the other direction when a woman cried. But, he couldn’t. Just hearing the sound of distress struck at him.
 

He walked to the door and twisted the handle. When it turned, a mixture of dread and relief twisted in his stomach.
 

Stepping into the expansive room, he was enveloped by a cloud of steam. He looked around and found her in the shower. She was sitting on the floor, her arms wrapped around her knees, and her face hidden from view. She was rocking back and forth and crying.
 

He hurried forward, ignoring the fact he was dressed, and stepped into the shower. Instead, he picked her up into his arms. She said nothing, which worried him.
 

Grabbing a towel, he walked back into the bedroom. He easily dried her body, as she stood without saying a word. Instead, silent tears streamed down her face. After dressing her in one of his shirts, he sat on the bed and pulled her to him. Her hair was still wet, but he ignored it.
 

“Do you want to tell me about it?” he asked?
 

“About what?”
 

“What did this?”
 

She sighed and he held his breath. Meg liked to talk, but she had hidden a lot of her past from him. He assumed it was out of habit. Now he worried it was more.
 

When she finally spoke, her voice was small and so unlike her. “It was like that night before.”
 

“When Morin had you arrested?”
 

She shook her head and smacked his chin. He blinked and ignored the pain.
 

“Talk to me, Meg.”
 

“I couldn’t help feeling it was all happening again. That somehow, I would be arrested and everything would be lost.”
 

She pulled back and looked at him. Her face was splotchy, her hair a tangled mass of wet curls, and her eyes and nose were red. She looked horrible…and she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him.
 

“I couldn’t have that, Logan. I can’t be the person who causes the Clan to fail. It would kill me.”
 

Logan cupped her face with both hands. “Listen to me, Meghan. You are mine and no matter what happens, I would always come for you. If that bastard had the nerve to get you arrested on trumped up charges, it wouldn’t matter. I would make sure that you were safe.”
 

“You don’t get it.” Desperation dripped from every word. “I worried you would be better off without me. That you would think that.”
 

He took her by the shoulders then and gave her a shake. “Listen woman, I love you. I canna think of living without you. When I say you are mine, it means forever.”
 

Logan didn’t realize he was shouting again. The woman always brought that out in him.
 

She opened her mouth, probably to argue, but he shook his head. “No. Just accept it.”
 

Then he gave her a fast, hard kiss. He wanted it to be more, but he could feel her sag against him, and knew she needed rest. Logan situated them on the bed, and she rested her head on his chest.
 

*  *  *  *
 

Pierre looked out over the city, and wondered if that bitch was sleeping. It was no worry to him because soon, he would take his revenge.