Page 28 of Justice for the SEAL
Somehow the man made it into the truck and the door started to close. Logan’s left hand shot out, the steel frame of the door and truck body cracking the bones in hisfingers.
The truck started, Logan barely getting out of the way before the tires peeled overhisfeet.
He stared at the blurry taillights as they drove out of sight, self-rebuke taunting him. He should have pulled the trigger. His knees started to give out and he forced himselftowalk.
Gemma.
The stairs to her front door were a mountain. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to clear his vision. He used his right hand to guide himself up them as he cradled his left hand against hischest.
He rangthebell.
The sound of footsteps on the stairs and the light came on overhead. “What are you doing here?” She gasped. “Oh my God, what happenedtoyou?”
“I got in a fight with the guy watching your apartment. Lucky for you, I was watchingit,too.”
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Gemma wrungthe bloody washcloth out in the bathroom sink and exhaled a shakingbreath.
Logan’s hand was badly cut and bruising in the same area he’d burned trying to rescue Barbara Royce. It made her stomach turn to look at it, but nonetheless she cleaned it and bandagedhimup.
Thank God hewashere.
What would have happened to her if hehadn’tbeen?
She’d foolishly felt safe once she’d reached her apartment and bolted the door, but Logan’s account and injuries frightened her tothecore.
She clearly remembered the helplessness she’d felt when the man had tackled her on the sidewalk. She’d been stupid to push it from her mind soeasily.
She found the supplies Logan had asked her to gather and returned to him at the kitchen table. Two of his fingers were broken and he guided her throughsplintingthem.
“Are you really a doctor?” sheasked.
“MD and a PhD. You can call me doctordoctor.”
She smirked. “Likethatsong.”
“Whatsong?”
Her face fell. “It was before your time, I guess.” She finished taping his splints in silence. “Tell me why you had Royce’scomputer.”
“He gave it to HERO Force. Someone was sending him threatening emails and he wanted to know whoitwas.”
“Whenwasthis?”
“The day he was kidnapped. It happened right outside HERO Forceheadquarters.”
“Which is why you were there, and tried to helpBarbara.”
“Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I knew Royce. It was work. It didn’t seem right totellyou.”
She met his stare. “You want complete honesty from me, but you filter your ownstory.”
“I won’t do itagain.”
She released his hand. “You’re as good as new.” It wasn’t true. Not even close. He’d been hurt protecting her, and she felt that truth like a debt. “I shouldn’t have come back here,”shesaid.
“You wereangry.”
