Page 53 of Fast Kill

Her lips twitched. “If you say so.”

“I do say so. But if you hate it, I’ll turn on something else. What do you like?”

“No, leave it, it’s fine. I like rock music.”

“Yeah? Huh. Guess we’ve got something in common after all.”

A little smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she faced forward. “So where are we going, anyway?”

“It’s a surprise.” When he’d asked Charlie about this last night, it had surprised him that she’d never invited Taylor home for a visit, given that they were so close. But Charlie had been all for his idea.

“Am I dressed okay? You were kind of vague about what I should wear.”

He eyed her snug black yoga pants and form-fitting athletic jacket. “It’s perfect.” And it didn’t hurt that the outfit showed off the shape of her sexy body perfectly. “I’m looking forward to this.” It had been a long time since he’d had something to look forward to.

“That grin looks a little evil to me. What exactly do you have planned?” she asked, sounding a little worried.

“You’ll just have to wait and see.” He turned onto the street, immediately spotting the plain-clothes DEA agent who would follow them, parked at the curb across the street from the front entrance. Logan nodded at him and the dark sedan pulled out behind them to follow. He didn’t notice anyone else behind it. “We’ve got a long drive until we get there, so kick back and make yourself comfy.”

“Okay.” Her lips tipped up at the corners, her eyes hidden by her sunglasses. The sky was a clear, bright blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds. “I feel like such a rebel right now, skipping work like this.”

“You deserve a break.”

Since she’d gotten the most pressing work done yesterday and because Logan had assured her boss that he’d keep a watchful eye out for Taylor’s safety, Chris had been more than happy to give her the day off. And they were going far enough out of the city that any threats from Dillon and the cartel were minimal. Logan would still be vigilant though. His job for today was making sure Taylor was safe, happy and relaxed.

He headed for the highway, relieved that no one else besides the agent seemed to be following them. At the edge of the city the agent called him to announce their tail was clear, and that he was going back to watch the building. “Roger,” Logan said. “Appreciate it.”

“So tell me about your family,” Taylor said, sinking back in her seat. “I’ve been curious.”

“About what?”

She shrugged. “Your parents, siblings. What they do, what they’re like, whether you’re close or not.”

Wow, she sure knew how to hit on all his sore spots. “My mom and dad are still married. They met in college and now they run a residential construction business.”

“Does your dad do any of the building?”

“He used to, along with me and my brother when we were younger.”

She aimed a thoughtful smile at him. “You used to swing a hammer?”

“I did, on my summer vacations while I was in high school and throughout college.” He shot her a smug look. “It’s why I’m so good with my hands.”

She laughed softly at his not-so-subtle innuendo. “I’ll just bet you are. So you have a brother. Are you guys close?”

“Not as close as some brothers are. I’m four years older, and we’re just really different. We butted heads a lot growing up, and then I went into undercover work and that didn’t exactly bring me any closer to my family. I’m tightest with my mom. Try to call her every couple weeks or so, and I make a point of going home for big holidays if I can. My line of work doesn’t make that easy though. They’ve learned to live their lives without me, for the most part.”

“Oh.”

“I’m not proud of that,” he admitted. But after learning what Taylor had gone through, he appreciated his family a whole hell of a lot more. “I’m going to make an effort to keep in touch more often from now on, though.”

“I’m glad.”

That was it. No pity, no recriminations or admonishments. Just one more thing he liked about her, and the list was adding up fast. His parents would like her, maybe his brother too. If things progressed between them, maybe he’d ask her to go home to Maine with him for a quick visit. His mom would love that.

He and Taylor chatted for a bit longer, then fell into a comfortable silence as he cleared the city limits and headed west toward the mountains. Logan let himself relax, but remained watchful. “Ever been to the Shenandoah Valley?” he asked her a few minutes later.

“No. Is that where we’re going?”

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