Page 69 of Property of the Hellfire Riders

Dammit!

“What’s up?” I ask, trying to hide the panic creeping up my throat. I have seconds until Reynold’s emerges.

“I was just dropping off some report on a case,” he says, oblivious. He motions to the leather bag hanging off his shoulder. “Is your suspension already over?”

“No. Uh—no—I needed to grab a few things.” My eyes dart toward the front doors and Logan’s face.

“Well, I could’ve gotten them for you.”

“No, that’s alright.”

He gives me a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “You know, we should grab a coffee sometime. Just you and me. I think we’d have a lot to talk about.”

I force a polite smile, though every instinct is telling me to get away. “Maybe another time, Logan. I’ve got a lot going on right now.”

His eyes narrow slightly, and he leans in closer, lowering his voice to an almost conspiratorial whisper. “Come on, Izzy. Don’t be like that. You never know what you might find out over a cup of coffee.”

I take a step back, keeping my tone light but firm. “Thanks, Logan, but I really need to be somewhere.”

He sighs, the friendly mask slipping just a bit to reveal a hint of frustration. “Fine, fine. Just thought you might be interested to know we’ve had a big hit on the Puppeteer case.”

My heart skips a beat. “Really? What did you find?”

Logan’s eyes gleam with a kind of twisted satisfaction. “We’ve connected the Puppeteer to the Hellfire Riders. Detective Reynolds is moving in on them soon. He’s got something big planned.”

I struggle to keep my expression neutral. “That’s…interesting. Thanks for the heads-up, Logan. I’ve really got to run, but maybe we can catch up later.”

He smirks, as if he knows he’s rattled me. He reaches, catching my wrist in his clammy, sweat covered hand.

“You know, no one’s ever told me no before.”

I meet his gaze head-on, my heart pounding in my chest. “Well, I guess there’s a first time for everything.”

He laughs, but there’s an edge of menace in it.

"You know, I like that," he whispers in my ear, his hot breath making the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "It'ssexy." His grip tightens on my wrist, and I struggle to keep my face blank.

The moment Logan's hold constricts, all of my senses heighten. His eyes gleam with a dark hunger that sends chills down my spine.

"Logan, you're fucking hurting me," I say between gritted teeth, hoping my voice won't betray the fear that's starting to coil in my stomach. I’m ten seconds from kneeing him in the groin, but I don’t have time to fight my way out of here from this creep.

“Am I?” he asks.

Before I can react, a large hand grabs Logan's wrist, prying his fingers from mine with a force that leaves no room for resistance. I look up to see Tank standing there, a wall of muscle, every part of as chiseled as he is terrifying. The moonlight catches the hard lines of his face.

There’s no mistaking the deadly promise in his eyes. He’s not just defending me; he’s issuing a warning.

Logan yelps loudly as I hear a sharp crack.

“Touch her again and I'll do more than just break your hand,” Tank growls, his voice a low rumble that sends a shiver down my spine for an entirely different reason.

Logan’s face pales as he looks up at Tank, realizing just how outmatched he is. He stammers, trying to find his voice. “I-I didn’t mean anything by it. Just a misunderstanding.” He furiously blinks away the tears collecting in the corner of his eyes.

Tank’s grip tightens for a moment, making Logan wince before he releases him, shoving him back with a controlled, almost casual force. Still, the motion causes Logan to nearly topple over.

“Get the fuck out of here,” Tank says, his tone leaving no room for argument. “And don’t let me see you near her again.”

Logan stumbles back, his eyes wide with fear and humiliation. He mutters something unintelligible before turning and practically running away, casting one last terrified glance over his shoulder.

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