Page 29 of Cowboy's Way

“I don’t know what’s happening, but it’s probably best not to drive anyway,” Logan tells me, wrapping an arm around my back. “Come on, let’s head down to the docks.”

This time, he keeps pace with me instead of pulling me along. If anyone is watching us from the parking lot, I tell myself that all they’ll see is a happy couple, leisurely walking down to the river.

ABOVE EDITED

“Who are Cal and Andy?” I quietly ask him as we put more distance between ourselves and the clubhouse.

“Morons,” he mutters. “Anything you want to tell me?”

“Not particularly.”

My honest reply gets a snort and after looking around, he jumps down into a boat that has a guy sleeping on a chair under the canopy.

If anyone had done that to me, I’d have flown over the side in terror, but the man just cracks an eye open before stretching his arms over his head. I lean against a post to slide off a shoe, but nearly fall over when the man jumps out of his seat at the sight of me.

“Here, let me help,” he eagerly offers, reaching a hand up to help me into the boat and looking up at me with the brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen.

“Back off, Charm,” Logan growls at him, giving him a little shove to take my hand instead. “Ignore him.”

“So, you are the beauty that everyone has been chattering about,” Charm says, keeping his eyes glued to my face instead of sweeping them up and down my body like so many men do. “Faith, is it? And I understand you’ll be working for us?”

“Now, why do I get the feeling you even know my Social Security number?”

“Five-sex-three …Oops, I meant to say ‘six’, of course,” he says so easily that I have to laugh, ignoring the deepening frown on Logan’s face.

Recalling the reason we headed to the dock in the first place, I sit down on one of the seats and Logan immediately shifts to block the view from the clubhouse.

“I take it those aren’t Feds?” he asks Charm.

“Feds?” I parrot.

“Considering the fit of their suits, they are definitely not Feds. They are, however, the reason the Feds have drones flying grids over the tri-state area,” he replies. “Now, I assume that you think I have nothing better to do and you’d like a ride somewhere?”

“Can you drop us off at the dock before my place?” Logan asks him as I try to figure out what the hell is going on. “And then go to my place to make sure that Bruno has enough food and water?”

“It’s been so long since I’ve lived the life of a prospect,” he responds with a sarcastic tinge to his words. “But sure, let’s just go floating up memory lane.”

“Charm is our vice-president,” Logan quietly tells me as the other man starts up his boat and I study Logan as we put some distance between ourselves and the men who showed up today.

“What do you know?” I ask him, worry knotting up my stomach.

“You mentioned your mom forges documents, but we just kind of skipped over that the other day,” he says, trailing a finger along my cheek bone. “Has she ever been to prison?”

I shake my head, my eyes burning with unshed tears of frustration. A lifetime of preparation, and I blow the only gift my mother ever gave me in a matter of days.

Logan’s phone buzzes and he pulls his hand away to study the screen, concern pulling his eyebrows lower than normal.

Just as I start to ask what’s happened, the boat slows down and Logan moves to jump onto the dock, turning back to steady the boat so I can join him.

Charm helps me stand up before leaning in toward my ear. “If you need help, he’ll give it freely and wholly. If you fuck him over, I’m the one that’ll come for you, and you won’t find me charming.”

I gasp in surprise, nearly falling until he catches me and all but swings me up onto the dock. “Oopsies, gotta get your sea legs there, darling! See you soon.”

“You alright?” Logan checks on me, and I realize he was too distracted to notice my exchange with Charm.

Nodding but feeling too exposed out here, I slip back into my shoes and tug his hand, hoping he plans on coming inside.

If the net is tightening around me, I’m not stupid enough to think I can take on the mafia on my own.

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