Page 6 of Justice for the SEAL
Nighttime was just slightly coolerthan the day, the air clammy and still. Logan walked down the crowded street, lights from restaurants and bars shining in the haze. He was aware of the people around him, but all he could see was the burning car and the one woman hecouldn’tsave.
Royce’swife.
The bodega next door had a camera that covered the sidewalk. You could clearly see Royce come out of the HERO Force building and a man intercept him on the way to his car as the bomb went off and Royce freaked out, the man grabbing him and throwing him into a waiting van while all eyes were on theexplosion.
Logan wanted to find the guy who did this and make him pay. He wanted to strap him into a car and make him burn alive like he’d done to that poorwoman.
He squeezed his hand with the bandaged palm, pain screaming along his nerve endings. He wasn’t ready to go home, couldn’t imagine falling asleep, and he’d found himself back in front of HERO Force headquarters where the explosion had takenplace.
He’d walked in one big fuckingcircle.
Of course he came back here. Where else was he goingtogo?
Two women stood on the sidewalk with their backs to him, and he hung back. One of them was crying. The taller one put her arm around the shorter and said, “They’ll find him. Royce willbeokay.”
He narrowed his eyes. Who were these two? Coworkers of Royce?Friends?
“The pavement,” said the shorter one. “Look at thepavement.”
The other woman nodded. “I know, it’s fuckingterrible.”
Logan’s eyes went to the blackened asphalt, his mind clearly remembering the flames that hadcausedit.
“Let’s get you home,” said thetallerone.
“I don’t want to go home. I don’t think I couldstandit.”
“Then come with me totheclub.”
“Fine. I don’t careanymore.”
Logan followed them, his mind working to put the pieces together. Was this woman having an affair withRoyce?
He wanted to see her face. Get a name. She didn’t seem to know where Royce was, but surely she was involved with himsomehow.
The women walked several blocks until thethump-thump-thumpof music could be heard, then he followed them into a dance club, throngs of people pressed together andmoving.
He let himself get caught in the flow of humanity away from the women, wanting to get some space between them andhimself.
The music was loud, bass rumbling through his body. He ordered a drink. He could let himself get lost in this place tonight. After his brush with death today, he needed to get lost, especially tohimself.
Suddenly, all he wanted was sex, and there was plenty of it on display here. He wanted a woman who knew how to fuck and could make it okay until the sun came uptomorrow.
But he had to find out who those women were, what their connection was to Royce. At least get a good look at them, if not their names. His eyes scanned the room, quickly finding them at the other end ofthebar.
Now that he could see their faces, his interest piqued. The shorter one looked like a big-chested librarian in a tight skirt, just begging for someone to rip itoffher.
His cocktingled.
Fuck.
He tipped his drink back, the liquor burning a path down his throat. He was feeling restless, and as his stare collided with the woman’s, he couldn’t even think of why it was a bad idea topursueher.
5
It was dark,with bursts of light rhythmically flashing here and there. Gemma closed her eyes. She wasdrunk.
More drunk thanwaswise.
