Page 33 of Logan

Mara nodded. “When needed. But we only use her skills when it’s to protect the clan.”

“Too bad. I would pay her handsomely for her skills. I have lost access to my former network.”

Logan tipped her chin toward him. “There is no need for you to pull any more of these dangerous jobs. You were never in danger of being reported to the police, but if you were caught, these people would kill you. What Lothos would have done is infinitely worse.”

“You don’t understand. I have to.”

Mara clasped her hands on the table. “Why Emily? We are your family, and we will protect you from any threat, whether it is human or dragon. Surely, you feel safe in our home territory.”

Mara was treading on dangerous ground. Her origins were bad enough, but she had managed to add a dark twin to her cesspool of criminals who wanted her dead.

“It’s complicated. I just have to do a few more jobs since I was unable to procure the pearl.”

Logan growled. “Why won’t you trust us? Trust me to?—”

“Logan, why don’t we let Emily explain her side of things. Perhaps she has a valid reason for wanting to pull these jobs,” Mara said calmly.

As Emily poured out the tumultuous story of her life since her mother’s passing, Mara listened with rapt attention, her expression a mix of compassion and empathy. With each revelation, Emily felt a weight lift from her shoulders, as if the burden of her secrets had finally been lifted, if only for a moment.

She spoke of her father training her to be a skilled thief, and the mountain of gambling debts that had plagued their family since before her mother’s tragic death. And then, with a heavy heart, she recounted the deep-seated animosity and prejudice she faced from her own kin, who labeled her as “Hapa,” tolerating her for her skills and nothing more.

As she spoke, Emily couldn’t help but feel a sense of liberation wash over her, as if the act of sharing her story with Mara had unlocked a door to a deeper connection between them. And with each passing moment, she found herself opening up more and more, eager to lay bare the secrets that had long weighed upon her soul.

Mara took another sip of her tea as Emily concluded her story. “You feel you have to steal a few more items to repay your debt to your uncle. That if you don’t that anybody in your life, or those around you are in danger?”

Emily nodded. “I don’t have friends, and my family are all related to my uncle, but he will figure out I am... with Logan. He may even consider you a friend for me, simply staying here for one night. My presence puts you in danger.”

Mara nodded. “I understand.” She turned to Legion. “We can fix this minor debt thing, right?”

Emily blinked. Did Mara actually think it was a small amount of money? Emily had been doing her uncle’s bidding for years to pay down this debt. “It’s not minor.”

Legion’s eyes flickered. “How much is the debt, Emily?”

Emily swallowed hard. “It’s two million dollars. That was to be my cut of the pearl.” She was still feeling guilty that she hadn’t told Logan it was gone. And she had been the one to destroy it. The last thing she wanted was to bring her family down on him.

Logan stood from the table. “Emily, do you still have your cell phone?”

“Yes, but why do you want it?” she asked.

“I am going to make some arrangements.”

Emily took out her cell and handed it to Logan. “What kind of arrangements?”

CHAPTER 15

Logan had her type her password into the phone to unlock it. “I am going to contact your uncle. I will say I am your fiancé and plan to pay your debt to his family. I will tell him who I am. Most powerful families know not to cross Rule Industries, whether they are involved in criminal activities or not.”

She grabbed Logan’s hand. “Don’t tell him who you are. If he knows you are rich, he will extort money from you. Trust me, he will find a way, and he will use me to do it.”

Logan took her hand and kissed her knuckles. The gesture was wickedly sweet and seductive, but it only made her heart ache more. “Trust me, Emily. If he is smart, he will take the money and walk away. If he does not, he will regret it more than you can imagine.”

Emily snatched her hand from Logan’s grasp and turned to Legion. “Please listen to reason.”

Legion sighed. “In this circumstance, I am afraid Logan is right. I can’t allow your family to hold something as meaningless as money over you.”

She grunted, knowing he meant every word. They hadn’t evenbatted an eye at two million. She hadn’t looked into Rule Industries, which shook her as odd. Why hadn’t her uncle ever stolen from them? He couldn’t have known they were dragons. Doubt crept in as she wondered if she was trading one master for another.

“I don’t want to owe anybody. Not you or my uncle.”

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