Page 83 of Somewhere Without You
“Getthe fuck off me!”he shouted, stumbling backward.Butbefore hecouldbreak free, a shadow stretched across the lawn.
Logan.
He moved with an eerie calm—his face set in stone as he closed the distance. He didn’t say anything as heslowlyapproached Jackson, raised his arm, and swung. Hard.
The crack of fist against bone echoed into the twilight.
Jackson’s head snapped to the side, and he crumpled to the ground with a guttural grunt—Winston still growling at his feet.
Logan didn’t stop.
He grabbed Jackson by the collar, yanking him upjustenough to drive his knee into his gut. Jackson gasped, the wind knocked clean out of him, folding over with a strangled noise.
“Touch her again,”Logan said, his voicelethal,“and I’ll bury you myself.”
Jackson coughed, choking on his breath. He tried to speak but Logan shoved him back down, hard—the impact sending up a puff of dirt.
Winston stood over him, teeth bared, body tense, ready to strike again. I sat upslowly, my entire body shaking from adrenaline and fear.
Logan turned to methen, concerned. He crossed the distance in two strides, dropping to his knees beside me.
“Are you hurt?”
I nodded,thenshook my head.“I’m fine.”
“You’re safe now,” he said, carefully brushing a strand of hair from my face.“I’ve got you.”
Behind him, Jackson let out a raspy cough. Logan turned, the softness in his face vanishing as he stalked back toward him.
“People disappear in these mountains all the time,”Logan saidcoldly, nodding toward the dark silhouette of the Appalachians.“No one’s going to ask questions. Notevenfor someone like you.”
Jackson pushed himself upright, fury still burning in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak—but alowgrowl from Winstonquicklycut him off. He snapped it shut, his gaze flickingnervouslyto the dog.
“I’m going to count to five,”Logan continued, voice like steel.“Andif you’re still standing here, Winston and I willpersonallydrag your sorry ass into those woods.AndI promise, once you’re inthere, you won’t be coming back out.”
Jackson glanced between the three of us. He dusted off his shirt, smirking.“Suit yourself. She’s all used upanyway.”
Logan didn’t hesitate. His fist shot out, connecting with Jackson’s nose with a sickening crack. Jackson reeled back with a cry, blood pouring down his face.
Logan shook out his hand.“Want to try for a third?”
Jackson stumbled, one hand clutching his face, the other groping for balance as he glared up at Logan. Buthe didn’t step forward again.
Heknewbetter now.
“This isn’t over,”he grunted through bloody fingers.
Logan stepped forward again, forcing Jackson to backpedal.“Foryou,it is. Now go.Beforeyou bleed out right here.”
Jackson hesitated—justenough to make me wonder if hewasstupid enough to try something else.Thenhe turned and staggered down the drive, disappearing into the encroaching shadows.
The second hewasout of sight, my knees gave out.
Logan caught me before I hit the ground, arms tight and steady around my shaking body.“Hey, hey—I’ve got you,”he murmured, his voicelowand soothing.“Everything’s ok now. He’s gone.”
Winston circled us once,thensat by my side, pressing his weightgentlyagainst my hip.
Buteverythingwasn’tokay.Becausewhile Jacksonhadhurtmephysically, what Loganhaddone, left behind woundsthatcutjustas deep.
