Page 44 of Logan

“Then you should be happy. Why are you here?”

Her uncle sighed. “You were supposed to die after the heist. I had it all arranged. Once you dropped off the pearl, you were to be gunned down by a rival. Your death was to give me a reason to usurp more territory.”

Her shoulders slumped. She should have known that her uncle would never let her go. “Why do you hate me so much? I did everything you asked.”

Her cousin grunted. “It isn’t personal, Emily. Your father sullied himself with that Canadian whore. You were born unclean. He should have fucked her and left her, but he couldn’t get enough of that bitch. Father only allowed him to keep her because he was never going to be a family head. But we don’t want a future tied to your tainted blood.”

She put her head down as if she would cry. Part of her wantedto. She connected with the familiar thread in her mind.Logan. My uncle is going to kill me. I’m sorry. I love you.

She had never said those words to anyone except her parents, but in her last seconds, she wanted him to know she would have chosen him. That the life he offered was a gift she would have cherished.

Her eyes moved to her cousin as he pulled his gun. She could see the barrel and knew she would never see the bullet. Her magic began to rise, but she was unsure how to create a shield and doubted it would be strong enough to withstand this attack. She was exhausted from the transmutation and didn’t know enough about her powers to use them properly yet.

As his fingers squeezed the trigger, time seemed to stop. Just as the bullet should have left the chamber, the glass sliding door to her balcony imploded, and Logan stood retracting his wings from his back. His eyes were ablaze with fire, and he looked like an avenging angel from hell.

Her uncle scrambled from the couch and moved behind his son as they backed away from Logan.

Her cousin made the mistake of firing his weapon. The bullet bounced off Logan’s skin as if it were made of steel before he grabbed her cousin by the throat and snapped his neck in one easy motion. He dropped the body to the floor before he moved toward her uncle.

“You were paid for her services, and you came to kill her out of spite. I warned you to take the money and go, but you had to bring about the death of your oldest son.”

Ming glanced at his fallen son and held his hands up. “It wasn’t personal. She knows too much about our operation. She is too involved. I will give the money back in exchange for my life.”

Logan’s eyes blazed. “The money is meaningless to me. She is everything. You had a treasure worth more than anything youcould ever steal, and you squandered it. Now you will live out your days wishing you had made another choice.”

“You aren’t going to kill me?” her uncle asked.

Logan placed his hands on either side of Ming’s head. “Death is too good for you.”

She felt Logan’s power flare out before her uncle’s eyes glazed over. He dropped him to the floor beside his son, but Ming’s chest continued to rise and fall.

Emily stood from the couch. “What did you do?”

“I crushed his mind. A part of him will know what is happening, but he will never communicate with anyone again. He will live out his days locked in a mental prison.”

Emily stared at her uncle. “He won’t live that long. His youngest son will take over the business, and they have no use for the infirm. He will end up in a public facility when the family cuts off funding.”

“Good.” He grabbed her hand and led her to the door, but paused before he opened it. “Do you have everything you need from this place?”

She stared at him. “All I need is you.”

CHAPTER 20

As Emily and Logan made their way back to the vehicle parked in front of her apartment, a sense of resolve settled over them like a comforting cloak. Without a backward glance, they slipped inside, the engine purring to life beneath Logan’s steady hand.

As they pulled away from the curb, Emily’s gaze remained fixed forward, her thoughts focused solely on the road ahead. She trusted Logan implicitly, knowing that his family’s influence extended far beyond the realms of mortal understanding. His assurance that everything would be taken care of brought her a measure of comfort, a reminder that in their world, even the most daunting challenges could be overcome with a touch of magic. That the bodies would be discovered in her uncle’s home, and her apartment would be in pristine condition with a letter from her saying she was getting married to Logan and was moving in with him.

As they journeyed back to the cabin, Emily allowed herself to succumb to the gentle lull of the vehicle’s motion, her eyelids growing heavy with the weight of exhaustion. She dozed fitfully;her dreams were a hazy tapestry of images and sensations as they snaked their way through the winding roads of the forest.

She finally awoke to the sight of the cabin looming before them, bathed in the soft glow of the moon. It stood as a beacon of hope amidst the tranquil beauty of the wilderness, its pristine condition returned by the power of magic and the unyielding determination of those who dwelled on the property.

They exited the vehicle and made their way inside. The fire was crackling in the fireplace, but she just wanted to go to bed. Logan sensed her weariness and led her up the stairs.

The large king-sized bed looked as it had when they entered the first time, and she placed her bag on the floor before unzipping her jacket. She threw it on the chair in the corner before realizing Logan was still standing by the door.

“Is everything alright?” she asked.

“I was wondering if you would be comfortable if I slept naked beside you?” She wasn’t surprised he asked. Everything he did was to make her feel comfortable in his presence.

---