10. Logan

CHAPTER 10

Logan

I 've never slept sounder than with Stephanie in my arms. The past few days make my old life seem like someone else's, not mine.

But old habits die hard. I'm an early riser and Stephanie does need her sleep. It's barely dawn when I head out to get some more firewood, wondering if today's a good day for fishing.

"Colonel Sloan," a stiff voice announces from behind me. My feet freeze to the spot instead of spinning me to deal with whoever the fuck this is.

But there's something resigned in his tone, something buried so deep in me that know exactly who this is. Once the shock of another person actually being able to creep up on me wears off, I guess a part of me remembers.

The part I was already trying to forget.

"At ease, Colonel. I didn't come all the way out here to go ‘boo' either."

"What do you want?" I ask, forcing my eyes straight ahead, as if my whole body as well as my mind was once in this man's control.

"To congratulate you, soldier, and see if you can't get the early news all the way out here, huh?"

I hate riddles, but this man, whoever he is, it's the same one who knows where I'll be to deliver the assignments. The same man who can out-creep me? He's the only one who knows what really happened out in the jungle that night and why.

I already know it's not for me to know let alone understand.

"We're all parts of a machine, Logan. You've served your country. I came in person to tell you to stand down. You're free. Dismissed."

There's a shooting pain in my temples that lasts a few seconds. I'm done playing this game though and spin around. The only sound filling the empty space is the cabin door.

It's Stephanie.

"I reached for you and you weren't there," she huffs sleepily, looking cold and in need of me.

"Did you see anyone just now?" I ask her, certain I'm losing it but hoping what just happened was real.

She's thoughtful for a moment, even looking up at the sky and chewing her lip.

"Ummm… I saw a guy, about your height. Same hair and eyes."

I feel a second of panic in my belly before I realize she's just being Stephanie.

"He was out here. But then he took me back to bed, I think," she says so innocently, I can't help but chuckle.

"What are you doing out here anyway?" she asks, shivering again until I pull her close.

"Just making sure of a few things. You wanna see if we can catch the early news? I got cable up here, it should still work."

With a sideways glance, she readily agrees, but it's not another ploy to get her to open up for me. I think this might be it. We might both get out of this in one piece after all.

"Oh my God. Oh my God! Logan!"

"Stephanie…"

"Logan, it's… turn it up please."

I press the remote doubly hard, finally getting some volume to match the images flashing across the screen.

Senator Forest, his heiress daughter Stephanie. What makes me growl when the sound won't work quickly enough is seeing my own mug on the early news.

The fuck?

"...Just repeating, Senator Ret Foster has been arrested attempting to flee the country in a private plane… Foster is wanted for questioning over the attempted assassination of his daughter, Stephanie Foster as well as his wife's death over nine years ago. Federal agencies have also indicted the former Senator, stripped of his office this morning, on charges-"

I flick the channel, making Stephanie howl in protest, but I miss the bit about me.

"It'll be on another station, trust me," I drone.

If it's set up by who I know it was, it'll be on the news all week, guaranteeing I see it.

"Here! See!" I exclaim, hushing her once I find a channel just airing the story.

"Colonel Logan Sloan is being hailed a hero this morning after foiling an assassination attempt on up-and-coming senator, Stephanie Foster. The assassination allegedly orchestrated by her own father, State Senator Ret Foster…"

Stephanie is glued to the screen, shaking her head in disbelief. I gotta hand it to whoever pulls the strings up there. It's the honorable discharge I deserve, and getting to keep Stephanie?

Well, it'll never bring Jase back or the others. But she's the only thing I'll ever need again, at least those bastards can see that.

I have to jangle my car keys in front of her face to get her attention, knowing the easiest way for us both to find out just what is going on is to head back.

If the mailman tells me I'm done and the news headlines make Stephanie safe and me a hero, I can live with that.

I can live with her, for the rest of my days, knowing that the worst is well and truly behind us.

Once it gels that I mean for us to leave, Stephanie starts to fidget.

"What is it?" I ask, concerned.

"What about breakfast?" she whines, making me smile, especially with the way she presses her legs together when she says it.

She's absolutely right.

I take her hand firmly in mine, walking her to the bedroom. "It really is the most important meal of the day."