Page 70 of Bloom: Part 2

“I don’t need you to come. I’m just telling you… in case I do something really bad. If he’s cheating, I’m going to hurt him, Crowe.”

“Bloom—”

I ended the call and turned my phone off. A few minutes later, the front doors of the hotel opened. Two figures came out together. I easily made out Logan’s figure. I could pick his silhouette out of a million others. But the man with him wasn’t Joel like I’d thought. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or more worried.

If Logan had taken a second lover, I would have expected someone more like me. This guy was the opposite. He was the same size as Logan. I frowned. Logan had mentioned once that I wasn’t the type he usually fucked. He used to go out with older, more mature men.

Well, this guy fits the bill.

I fought the need to reach for my knife and charge them both. I still needed to know why. What did this man have that I didn’t?

They parted, going to their separate cars. Logan got in first and drove away. Right past me, but didn’t notice me. I didn’t need to follow him. I knew exactly where he would be going.

Logan’s companion took out a phone and slowly walked in my direction. With the phone tucked between his ear and shoulder, he lit a cigarette and took a drag.

“Yes, everything’s going according to plan,” he said.

As he got closer, I pulled my helmet lower, hiding my face. It seemed his car was near me, but he was too absorbed in his conversation to pay attention to me or my bike.

“I couldn’t get him to leave the kid behind, so you’ll have to deal with them both…. Yeah, he’s determined to marry him. If I’m to keep up this charade that I’m here on behalf of WITSEC, I can’t say no. I have to take the kid too…. Look, it hasn’t been easy, okay? I can’t make a move until he’s ready, and Agosti has his soldiers all over town. One of his lawyers is here too…. Yeah, I know I can’t let him go to New York, and he wouldn’t either. He hates his father’s guts. I’m trying my fucking best here…. Do you know how much this could cost me if anyone knows I’m using my job as a Marshal to help someone like you?…. Fine.”

What the fuck!

Logan hadn’t met up with this guy for sex. I couldn’t understand it all, but it sounded like he was pretending to be someone he wasn’t and planning to double-cross Logan. Like hell he would. Later I could apologize to Logan for not trusting him, but no way was I letting this double-crossing piece of shit go. I needed to know what he knew.

The man finished his call, muttering something under his breath. He flicked the cigarette butt to the ground and ground it out under his boot, then got into his car. I waited until his taillights blinked on, the low rumble of his engine cutting through the quiet night. He pulled out of the parking lot. With a steadying breath, I started my bike, keeping a good distance behind him.

I trailed him, keeping to the shadows, my headlights off. The roads grew darker as we moved into the seedier part of town, the flickering neon sign of a rundown motel promising hot girls. He turned in and parked near the back entrance. I watched from the edge of the lot as he got out, scanned the area, then headed to a room.

As soon as he unlocked the door and stepped inside, I swung off my bike, my heart thundering as I approached the door. I pulled my knife from my boot, the weight of it solid and reassuring in my palm. I knocked.

“Who the fuck’s there?”

“It’s me.” I smiled, knowing he was using the peephole.

“You? What are you doing here?”

So he recognized me. “Logan forgot something that he asked me to give to you.”

“Just a minute.” Seconds ticked by, but then the lock clicked open and the door swung inwards. “I don’t understand. I was under the impression when I spoke to him just now that he hadn’t explained yet what his real name is.”

Logan had a different name? I pushed the information to the back of my mind for now and pressed my knife against his round belly.

“Take a step back slowly,” I said.

I entered the room and closed the door behind me.

His breath hitched, and he raised his hands. “Fine. Just… take it easy.”

I tightened my grip, my gaze locking onto his. “Easy isn’t exactly how this is going to go, especially if you don’t start explaining what your meeting with Logan was all about.”

The man swallowed. “Look, kid, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. You should forget you met me and Logan while you’re at it. This won’t end well for you.”

“I’m the one with the knife.” I slashed the blade across his cheek, surprising him enough to get behind him and hold the blade to his neck.

“Fucking son of a bitch,” he growled.

“Take your belt off,” I said.

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