Page 62 of Logan

She narrowed her eyes, peering at him, but he managed to keep his face emotionless.

“Okay,” she said, drawing out the word.

“It’s just that now things will get hotter, and I have to be able to do my job. And that’s not something that I need an audience for.”

“An audience?”

“A distraction.”

Her voice dropped slightly as she repeated, “A distraction? I’ve gone from a partner to an audience to a distraction. Wow, that’s some kind of fast demotion. Do I dare ask how me as aloverfits into that?”

“Don’t make this harder than it already is.”

Her mouth dropped open as her expression became etched with incredulity. Her chest depressed with the air that forced its way from her lungs. “Harder?”

He worked to keep his voice steady, but his gut was clenching. “I needed you to tell me what they had so I’d know how to destroy it properly and safely. You’ve done that. Now, I need to finish the job I was hired to do.”

“Turn over the information, right?” She stood with her arms crossed, her foot tapping a pattern on the floor. “Why do I need to leave for that? Won’t I be needed to testify against them?”

“I need to take care of them and destroy the lab. Me…not you.”

“Destroy how?”

“Fire,” he responded. “Nothing there will explode, so everything can be destroyed in a fire.”

Pinching her lips, she tried a different angle. “What about my makeshift lab in the shed?”

“I’ll destroy that too.”

She threw her arms out to the side. “I could help with that, Logan. Why are you pushing me out?”

“I’m not willing to risk your safety anymore. I can focus on what I need to do if I know you’re safely away from here.” Holding himself back from taking her in his arms, he clipped, “Your part in the mission is finished now, and you need to go home. That was what was always supposed to happen.”

Time stood still, seeming longer with the agony that filled the air so completely that breathing was almost impossible without choking.

Vivian made no movement other than the slight quivering of her lips as tears gathered in her eyes. Her hand formed a fist that she beat softly against her chest. “Are you telling me to leave the job…or are you telling me to leaveyou?”

Sucking in a ragged breath, Logan hardened his voice as he repeated, “You need to head home.”

Her head gave a short, jerky nod as she set her unfinished coffee cup in the sink and walked past him, rounding the counter. He swallowed deeply, his heart ripping in fear she would never give him another chance when the mission was over.

Ten minutes later, Vivian returned from the bedroom with her suitcase in hand. Bypassing him without speaking, she moved to the table and packed up her laptop. Glancing around the room, she snatched her e-reader from the coffee table and added it to her purse. Taking out the burner phone, she laid it on the counter before reaching into the drawer and snatching her personal phone from where he’d placed it weeks ago. “What about Sakari? I don’t want to leave her here?—”

“She’ll be fine.”

Scoffing, Vivian shook her head. “Oh yeah. The man who so easily shoves meaningful people away is going to assure that our… the cat is fine. Sorry if I don’t believe you.”

“I promise I won’t leave her to her own defenses. I’ll find a home for her. I promise no harm will come to her.”

Pulling her purse up on her shoulder, she picked up her suitcase and moved toward the kitchen door. Stopping, she choked back a sob before swallowing it down. She turned to face him, staring as he kept up the stone-faced persona he managed to hold on to.

“I was in the bedroom packing and thinking of all the terrible things I wanted to call you…say to you. But I just can’t. I told you I didn’t do flings, but the truth is, I’m glad I was here. Glad I met you. Glad I got to work with you.” She took another shuddering breath, and a lone tear ran down her cheek as she finished, “And I’m glad I…” Choking back a sob, she shook her head as though arguing with herself. “Good luck, Logan.”

With those emotionless parting words, she walked out the door, threw her bags into the back of her little rental car, and backed out of the driveway. Logan watched her every movement, a weight heavy on his heart. Stalking out of the house, he headed toward the shed with destruction on his mind.

34

“You’re leaving?”

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