Page 6 of Logan

Mace simply nodded.

“Lot of money invested. Lot of work. Lot of pressure,” Logan pressed on.

Mace continued to nod.

Sucking in his bottom lip, he hissed as he inhaled. Shaking his head slightly, he chuckled and reached his hand across the table. “I’m in.”

A wide, white-toothed smile crossed Mace’s face as his hand clasped his. It was impossible for Logan not to reply in kind. The smile stretched facial muscles unused to curving his lips upward while deep inside, the spark continued to flame.

4

ONE YEAR AGO

Logan stepped out onto the porch, a steaming mug of coffee cradled in his hand, the warmth seeping into his chilled fingers through the ceramic. His gaze swept over the transformed vista before him, a testament to the changes in the past two years. His new, much larger home perched closer to the edge of the rolling hills at the base of the mountains. The house was more than he would ever need by himself, but he’d listened when Mace told him it would be better to start large and have the space when needed. Logan could have sworn he saw a twinkle in the eyes of the otherwise stoic man. Even though he disagreed, he bowed to the expertise and experience of his partner.

The expansive front porch offered a panoramic view of his sprawling land. Behind him was a two-story, four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath house with a full basement and attic space. A sigh left his lips at how he’d overdone the house. But both Mace and Carson had convinced him that it would not only provide a place for him to work since the basement extended into the hills behind the house but also just in case he started a family.

They’d sprung that little tidbit on him, and he’d nearly choked on his drink at the time. Now, he waited for the deepchuckle to end before taking a sip of coffee. He was glad his sister and her husband had children because he was afraid that particular life event would pass him by. Even though he was starting a new career where he would be leading again, his personal life was still very much alone, and he was fine with that.

This life was not for the faint of heart. He knew most of Mace’s and now Carson’s employees were married and wondered how the hell they managed, but then the coastlines of Maine and California were a lot different from northern Montana.Yeah… ’fraid that’s not for me, and probably not for the people I’m hiring.So far, the former special ops he had now employed were rougher, tougher, and a lot more stoic than many. They’d have to be to make it out here.

As his gaze roved over the landscape, it landed on his hangars. They were expanded to house the newer helicopters there. He no longer flew tourists but still completed rescues when needed. But his main job, for which he was well paid, was to get LSI Montana up and running. Mace had projected that it might take a full three years, but Logan was ahead of schedule.

Casting his gaze toward the old house he used to live in, he was in awe at how it had been expanded. It was now a bunkhouse, complete with six bedrooms, a common area, a kitchen, and three large bathrooms, ready for Keepers needing lodging.

As two men emerged from the bunkhouse, he grinned. Two of the best men he’d known as a SEAL walked toward him. When he’d thought about his former teammates, the only two who immediately struck him as potential Keepers were Sisco and Devil. Sisco had served as their medic, and Mace had advised having someone with medical experience. Sisco had been excited to hear from him—so much so, that Logan felt guilty that the past years had passed by, and he’d let everyone from his former Navy life just fade away.

Sisco was out of the Navy, now living in Texas, working as a paramedic for the city of El Paso. He reported he liked his job, but now that his parents had passed, he no longer felt any ties to the area, considering his brothers and sisters were dispersed all over the country.

When Logan informed him of his new change in career paths, Sisco encouraged him. “There’s no one better to take this on than you, man!” he had enthused.

And when Logan asked him if he would consider coming on board, which included moving to Montana, Sisco informed him he was already looking into flights. Logan thought he was joking, but Sisco showed up at the ranch a few days later. They’d talked long into the night while sharing whiskeys, and by sunrise, Sisco had agreed without hesitation that he was all in on becoming a Keeper. And for Logan, it was the affirmation he hadn’t even realized he was searching for.

Devil was a different matter. Hard to track down and elusive to get hold of when Logan finally had an address. Logan was dumbstruck to discover Devil was living in Montana on the Flatfeet Reservation. It is one of the Indigenous American reservations that allow non-tribal members to live there. When Logan finally got Devil to answer his phone, his old teammate cried out, “Preacher? What the fuck, man? Where the hell have you been?”

Logan had laughed, having thought the same thing about his teammate. When he told Devil he was in Montana, too, more exclamations followed. He’d invited him to visit, and much like his time with Sisco, he and Devil let the years of separation float away as they reminisced and caught up. It turned out that Devil was still making deals, only now to aid the residents on the reservation. On their team, Devil had been able to get just about anything they needed… extra or better food, a specialized weapon, a vehicle repair, fixing a broken transmitter,or acquiring a state-of-the-art radio. Someone once said that all it took was to make a deal with the devil and Devlin could get it. Thus… he became known as Devil.

He’d discharged from the Navy about a year after Logan did and spent time moving around the States, living and working as he traveled. He finally ended up in Montana. He spent time on the Flathead and the Blackfoot Reservations, finding their need called to his sense of helping.

After Logan and Devil had enjoyed a sunset evening of sipping beer on the front porch, Logan felt the same connection with Devil that he’d continued with Sisco. He told him of his new endeavor and asked if he was interested in joining. He’d barely gotten the words out of his mouth before Devil shouted, “Hell yeah, man! I’m all in!”

“You know it’ll never be for the glory?—”

Devil’s eyes had narrowed. “When the fuck did I ever go all out for the glory?”

Logan chuckled. “Never.” They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Logan reached over to shake his old teammate’s hand. “Welcome aboard, Devil. You and Sisco make my first employees.”

“You once saved my life. I’ve spent years trying to figure out if there was any kind of meaning in that. I’ve done some good, and I’m still close enough to the reservations to keep helping. I’m not joining you out of a sense of duty, but you’ll get my promise that you won’t regret this offer, boss.”

Logan had nodded, but he didn’t need the reassurance from Devil… he already knew he was getting the best.

Now, as the two men approached, Logan’s attention snapped to the arrival of a large black SUV. It’s arrival was followed by a cloud of swirling dust. He was no longer surprised when someone arrived. Between the construction workers and Mace’s visits, there were often people around… sometimes too damnmany. He hadn’t included a gate yet, but his new security system at the lane entrance let him know exactly when someone arrived.

The SUV appeared first, and he wasn’t surprised when Mace and Carson exited the vehicle, but the three-row SUV emptied three more men. Standing straighter, Logan remained on the front porch as the five men approached, with the two from the bunkhouse not far behind. He recognized the three new men from their résumé photographs.Looks like I’ll need more coffee.

He greeted Mace and Carson, having met Carson a year ago when he made a trip with Mace. Logan had the chance to assist with a mission Carson was involved in and had as much respect for the LSI West Coast leader as he had for Mace.

After greeting his partners, he turned to the others and shook their hands, needing no introduction. He’d video-conferenced with these men but had never met them in person. Cole Iverson. Frazier Dolby. Todd Blake.

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