15. Logan

FIFTEEN

"Jesus Christ,Logan, where have you been?" Sawyer yells so loud, I have to hold the phone away from my ear. "We've been calling you non-stop. Beau and I went to your apartment, but your neighbors haven't seen you."

"Uh, yeah, I kind of lost my phone." More like an evil criminal mastermind took it from me when he abducted me, but I'm not sure how to answer the inevitable questions that response would generate. Plus, I bet it's all classified and stuff, so maybe I'd be breaking some Homeland Security laws by revealing top-secret intelligence to a civilian.

"We even tried filing a missing person report with the police!"

"You called the police? Aw, that's so sweet!"

It's been the better part of a week since I've spoken to any of the guys at Mars. First with the kidnapping and being held captive, then I was so preoccupied with Jared's injuries and making sure he was okay that I forgot to check in. I've missed at least a handful of shifts already. But even if I hadn't missed work, I know the guys are genuinely worried.

"Yeah, well, they wouldn't let us file a report since you're an adult and you hadn't been gone long enough. But still. What the hell, Logan? Where are you?"

"Uh…" I glance toward the door of Jared's hospital room and the police officer standing on duty who was kind enough to let me use his phone. How much should I say? What am I allowed to say?

"The hospital?" My voice goes up at the end like I'm asking a question.

A beat passes before Sawyer speaks again. "Are you in the hospital or are you asking me if you're in the hospital?"

Uh, crap. "I'm at the hospital."

"Which hospital? Are you okay? We'll come see you right away." There's a fumbling sound as Sawyer covers the mouthpiece on his end, but I can still hear his shout. "Hey, Beau! It's Logan. He's in the hospital."

"No! No, I'm not hurt. I'm fine. I'm here for…" Am I allowed to tell them about Jared? "Someone else."

Another beat passes. "Who? Do I know them?"

"No, not technically. You've never met before."

"What the fuck, Logan? Can't you answer the damn questions normally?"

Before I can respond, there are voices in the background that sound like Everest and Beau. Beau and his husband, Gavin, are the co-owners of Mars, and my bosses.

"Hold on, I'm putting you on speaker."

A second later, the familiar and comforting sounds of the gym come through the line. The clanging of weights and grunts of weightlifters. The upbeat pop music Sawyer likes to pump through the sound system. Even the high-speed blenders that are usually my domain behind the juice bar. At least they were able to find someone to fill in for me.

Tears spring to my eyes. If someone had told me that one day I'd miss the chaos of Mars so badly that I'd cry, I would never have believed them. But here I am, getting weepy because I miss going to work so damn badly.

"Logan? It's Beau. Sawyer said you're in the hospital? Which one? I'll come over right now."

"He's not hurt. He's there with someone else, but he won't say who," Sawyer explains for me.

"What?" Beau sounds confused and I don't blame him.

"It's Jared!" I finally confess.

"Who's Jared?" Everest asks.

Oh shit. They don't know that Jay is actually Jared and Jared is an FBI agent. No wonder Jared didn't want to tell me what he did for a living. It raises way more questions than it answers.

"Uh, I mean, Jay. That's his nickname."

"Did you know Jay was short for Jared?" Everest asks again, probably to Sawyer instead of me.

"Jay, as in the guy you're seeing? Is he okay?" Beau demands, and I blink back more tears at his obvious concern. Beau might be my boss, but he and Gavin make a point of treating their employees like family. From the first day they hired me, they've always felt more like older brothers to me than my employers.

"He will be."

"What happened?" Sawyer asks again. "Where have you been this whole time?"

"I, uh, can't really tell you." I grimace at having to be so evasive. God, it must have been terrible for Jared, constantly having to find unsuspicious ways to avoid talking about his job. How did he do it?

Silence stretches over the line. I can imagine the guys exchanging incredulous looks with each other.

Finally, it's Sawyer who speaks. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" he yells so loud, I pull the phone away from my ear again.

Across the hall, the police officer gives me a sympathetic look. Sawyer was so loud even that guy heard him. I stand from the row of seats opposite Jared's room and wander down the hall for a little more privacy.

"It means, yeah, something happened, but it's… classified," I murmur the last bit as quietly as I can.

Not quietly enough, apparently.

"Ho. Ly. Shit!" There's a banging noise that I bet is Everest jumping up and down while slapping a countertop. "Jay's a spy! I knew it! You've been dating a spy!"

"You said he was a serial killer," Sawyer corrects him.

"A spy was my other guess!"

"Logan, are you in danger?" Beau's voice comes through louder and clearer while Everest and Sawyer continue arguing in the background. He must have taken me off speakerphone.

"No, not anymore," I assure him. "Like I said, we're at the hospital and the FBI is… I don't know, doing their thing."

"The FBI!" Beau bellows and I wince. Jesus, these guys know how to shout. How come I never noticed that before? "What the fuck have you gotten yourself into?"

"Oh, snap! The FBI!" Everest hollers like this is the coolest thing ever.

And, I mean, it would be pretty cool if we skipped the abduction, Jared getting beaten up and shot, and a car chase. But instead, I haven't slept through the night since we escaped—and I don't think the less-than-comfortable hospital bed is the reason.

"Guys! I just wanted you to know I'm okay. And I'm sorry for missing work."

There's a sharp exhale on the other end of the line. It's the sound Beau makes when he's about had it with our shenanigans. "Don't apologize," he says gruffly. "We didn't want the police showing up and telling us you're dead."

I blink back more tears, wincing at how close we came to that exact scenario. What if Jared and I hadn't made it out alive? Would the guys ever find out what happened to me? Or would they be left hanging, never knowing the truth?

I force a laugh to cover up a sniffle. "No, I'm not dead! I'm very much still alive!"

"When will you be back?" Beau demands.

"Uh, yeah, about that. I'm not sure." I don't know how long the doctors will keep Jared in the hospital. I can't very well abandon him here by himself. But then, I can't leave Beau without a barista either. He'd have no choice but to let me go and find someone else to do the job.

"Maybe a few more shifts? I know I've missed so much work already?—"

"I don't mean for work, Jesus, Logan." He makes that exhale, huffing sound again. "We're worried about you. We want to make sure you're home and safe."

"Oh." A few stray tears escape my lashes and I wipe them away with the back of my hand.

His tone softens. "Your job is yours. We're not going to fire you. We just want you to be okay."

I nod, even though he can't see me. "I'm okay. I promise."

"Good. Now, is there a number we can reach you at?"

"Uh, not really." I'll need to buy a new phone, but the evil criminal mastermind also took my wallet during the abduction, so I don't have access to any money either. Maybe the FBI can let me borrow a phone? At the very least they'd give Jared one, right?

"I'll figure something out and let you guys know."

Beau doesn't sound happy when he speaks again. "Okay, fine. But do you have my cell in case the gym is closed?"

Who the hell remembers phone numbers these days? I had to look up Mars's phone number on our website to call Sawyer at the front desk.

"Hold on." I jog quickly to the nurses" station and ask for a pen and paper, then take down Beau's number, along with Sawyer's and Everest's, just in case. Then I fold up the paper and tuck it into my pocket. It's silly, I know, but it makes me feel better having that little slip of paper on me. Like it's a piece of my family I can carry with me.

"If you need anything—anything—you call me, got it?" Beau says sternly and I'm so grateful to have friends like him.

"Got it."

I walk back to Jared's room and return the police officer's phone to him. Then I slip back inside just in time to hear Jared say something about being bait.

"What bait?"

Both sets of eyes turn to me. Jared's looks wary and Victoria's looks awkward, maybe a bit embarrassed. My stomach sinks. I'm pretty sure I've walked into a conversation I wasn't supposed to hear.

I step forward, glancing between Victoria and Jared. "What bait?"

Jared opens his mouth as if to speak, but nothing comes out. There's sadness in the way he looks at me, as if he has bad news to share, as if he has to say goodbye.

I swing around to Victoria. She must have gotten Jared worked up. He was fine when I left to go scrounge up breakfast—which apparently, is on its way—so it has to be Victoria.

"What. Bait?"

Her eyebrows shoot up at my demand. There's a quirk on her lips as if she finds this whole situation hilarious. I scowl and take a step toward her, though what it is I'm threatening to do, I'm not clear on. She can obviously take me down, if not with her FBI-trained fighting skills, then with the gun strapped to her hip.

"Logan." Jared's voice is rough with emotion.

I shoot Victoria another glare before turning back to Jared.

"Come here." He holds out his hand and I take it. When he tugs me close, I hop up to sit on the bed next to him.

"We—they—haven't had much luck tracking down Alonzo."

"Okay." I don't like where this is going. I grip Jared's hand tighter as my heart beats faster.

"And since we know Alonzo wants me…"

My frown deepens and my stomach churns, threatening to send up acid.

"The fastest way to catch him is to lay a trap."

"No." The word launches itself from my lips without my consent.

"A good trap needs bait."

"No." It's a little louder this time, a little stronger.

"I'm the best bait we've got."

"No!" I jump up from the bed and slash my hand through the air. "Absolutely not!"

"Logan, we don't have much choice." Jared pushes himself up with a grimace and a hand to his ribs.

My heart races. It's difficult to breathe. I'm shaking. "Of course you have a choice! You can choose not to be the fucking bait! What if the psycho gets his hands on you again?"

"That won't happen," Victoria says. "We'll be ready to move the second we lay eyes on him."

I ignore her. It's Jared I need to convince. "But you're still injured! You're in a fucking hospital bed!"

"Actually, that might be to our advantage. Alonzo might let his guard down if he thinks you're a vulnerable target."

Honestly, who the fuck does she think she is? I rear on her, just barely keeping my voice in check. "Are you fucking kidding me? You're going to dangle Jared out there, alone and defenseless, and wait for the lunatic to snatch him up?"

Victoria cocks an eyebrow at my outburst.

"Logan," Jared says, tone placating. "That's the point of a trap. I won't be alone or defenseless. There will be agents watching my back."

"But why does it have to be you?"

There's the slightest hesitation before Jared responds, but it resonates through me, giving me pause.

"Because Alonzo doesn't want anyone else." He sounds tortured, in anguish. His eyes are hardened and his brows are drawn together in determination. His hands are fisted in the blanket covering him. His body is tense, like he's trying to hold himself together.

He doesn't want to do this either. He's just as scared as I am, just as terrified. He knows this is likely a suicide mission. And yet…

He's willingly putting himself in danger. He's risking his own life to catch the bad guy. Because Jared is good, he makes sacrifices, he serves. And if he can do it. Then so can I.

"You're wrong. He does want someone else. Me."