Dark Moon Falls: Logan, page 10
Logan took her in his arms and squeezed, kissing her forehead as he held her. “What’s mine is yours, baby girl.”
And then Madison started crying all over again.
Seventeen
Logan felt helpless, a feeling he hadn’t felt since he witnessed the murder of his brother. Madison’s entire apartment had been ransacked, nothing had been left untouched. They called the sheriff’s department, and Jag arrived with a team to investigate. Logan stuck to Madison like glue as she gave her statement, and then he whisked her away from the nightmare that had been made of her home, her memories, her life.
Logan knew her home would be more of a mess when they were permitted to return. Fingerprints would be swept for, things moved around even more as the Crime Scene Unit did their investigation followed then by Sheriff Templeton and his team. Everyone knew who did it; they just had to prove it now, a task Logan believed would be futile. Doyle Carter was smarter than to leave his fingerprints behind. He left his message with his destruction, and they got it loud and clear. He was coming after Madison full force.
The entire ride back to the cabin, Madison had sat in the passenger seat of Logan’s Jeep, her arms around her waist as she huddled in on herself, staring blindly out the window as she rubbed her arms. He allowed her time to process, remaining quiet so she could sort through her emotions, but reaching out every once in a while to stroke her arm, just to let her know he was there. She wasn’t alone. She would never be alone. They would get through this. He would get her through this.
They made a quick stop at Keesler’s, picking up a few items she needed, such as shampoo, body wash, deodorant, those things women needed to make them feel more like themselves and not a guest. He also took her to pick out some clothes to get her through the next few days until they could get back into her apartment to rescue whatever they could. Not that she seemed eager to return. A casual walk through the state park had forever turned her life upside down, but Logan knew she was strong enough to survive. He would make sure of it.
When they finally made it back to the cabin, Logan turned the engine off and just sat there a moment. Madison still seemed sunken in on herself, lost in the turmoil of things around her, in the fact that someone hunted her, wanting to end her life just to protect his. Doyle wouldn’t succeed, however. He had already taken Logan’s brother from him. Logan would not allow him to take anyone else, especially his mate.
“I’m sorry about your place,” he said, not sure what else to say to try to make her feel better. A home invasion was a violation of a person’s safety, their sanctuary. It invaded their mind almost as bad as a physical assault. It proved they weren’t safe even in the place they thought they were untouchable. No amount of cleaning could wash away that feeling.
Madison turned to him, a soft smile on her lips as she reached out and touched his arm. “I was planning on moving in with you, anyway,” she said. “Now, there’s just less to move. I’ll want to go back for pictures and other things that mean something to me, but otherwise, it’s all just possessions. Doyle thought he would break me, but he hasn’t. No one can do that unless I allow it, and I have no intention of giving them that power.” She turned to the cabin, pointing with an uplift of her chin. “I’m home, with my mate. My future is here. Doyle can’t take that from me.”
Logan squeezed her hand and then opened his door. As he stepped out into the night, he took a deep breath of the air surrounding the cabin, but nothing seemed amiss. Doyle was now alone, and Logan doubted he’d take a shot from the distance. No, he was the type who preferred destroying lives up close and personal. He would make sure it was a face-to-face confrontation whenever he made his move.
As Logan opened her Jeep door, he reached in to help her out. “How about a movie and some popcorn after we put all this away?”
“Sounds like a perfect evening.”
Together, they pulled the bags out of the back of the Jeep and headed for the cabin. A branch snapped nearby, bringing them both up short as they scanned the area, Logan taking another deep breath. “Nothing,” he told her. “Probably just a small animal scurrying about.”
Madison nodded, but Logan didn’t miss the scared look on her face, a look he doubted would go away until Doyle was out of the picture one way or another.
They went inside, locking the cabin back up tight once they were safely inside and all the bogeyman noises outside. Dax greeted them, his tail wagging as if they had been gone for weeks instead of hours.
No longer happy having Madison in the guest bedroom, Logan cleared out drawers in his room for her clothes as well as half the closet and even made space in the master bathroom for her. He wanted her to feel like this was her home now that she decided to move in with him, and whatever he needed to do to make that happen, he was more than willing to do.
Once he was done with his portion, he moved to the kitchen to fix dinner, leaving her alone with her organizing. He found himself jerking his attention to the windows every time a sound came from outside, a tree branch snapping, the wind banging bushes against the cabin, even animals making their nightly cries looking for love in the dark. With fall moving into winter, the wind had picked up on the mountain causing the whistling noises he had always ignored before Doyle came back into his life. Logan took a deep breath as he stood at the stove, doing his best to calm his nerves. He wouldn’t do Madison any good if he was wound up, spooked at normal sounds. He needed to portray a calmness for her in which she could hide.
When Madison came out of the back of the cabin, Dax still following in her wake, she still wore a pair of his pajama pants and his old T-shirt, which made him smile. She never looked sexier. “You ready to eat?” he asked.
“I am, actually,” she said, her hand going to her stomach. “I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I smelled whatever you’re cooking.”
“I went simple tonight,” he said, smiling. “Spaghetti. I figure I’ll fill up on popcorn later.” He turned back to the noodles in the pot, stirring them so they wouldn’t stick.
He felt Madison slide up behind him, her arms gliding around his sides and up his chest as she hugged him, her head pressed against his back. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything. I don’t know what would have happened to me if you hadn’t found me.”
Logan turned, her arms going around his neck as his went around her waist. “Technically, Dax found you, but I’m glad he led me to you. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” He leaned down, kissing her softly as he pressed her to him tighter, his cock twitching in his jeans.
They stood that way a moment, lost in the passion between them, their tongues doing the dance their bodies craved. It took everything Logan had not to rip her clothes from her body, throw her on the kitchen table, and take her right then.
When they broke the kiss, Madison glanced behind him at the meal simmering. “I meant what I said before about letting me cook once in a while,” she teased. “I like cooking. I might even add some vegetables once in a while.”
He eyed her suspiciously. “What are vegetables?” He winked at her. “You’re free to cook anytime you desire. I just enjoy taking care of you, that’s all.”
“Then, perhaps, we take turns,” she suggested. “I’m sure I can’t cook steaks like you do.”
“Deal,” he said with a chuckle. “However, if you want, I’ll let you grab some plates and pour us some wine.”
“You got it,” she kissed him again, softer, less urgent.
They sat at the table, enjoying their meal and light conversation. Logan kept the lights on, hoping the brightness kept Madison calmer. Together, they washed the dishes, cleaning up from dinner, and then Logan let Dax out to run for a bit while Madison volunteered to make the popcorn. When he returned, Madison had stripped out of his pajama pants, wearing nothing but his T-shirt and looking even sexier than she had earlier. He began to rethink the idea of watching a movie.
Soon, however, they were both cuddled up on the couch, popcorn in Logan’s lap, Dax curled up on the other side of the couch beside Madison, and an old Cary Grant movie in the DVD player. Logan wrapped an arm around Madison’s shoulders, never feeling so lucky in his life, while she laid her head on his chest. How could something so beautiful come out of such tragedy? This is what his life had been missing, and he never knew it. He leaned over, kissing the top of her head, savoring the way he felt right then in that moment.
Madison looked up when he kissed her, a mischievous grin on her lips as her hand slid up his leg. “Did I ever tell you what watching Cary Grant does to me?” she asked with a bounce of her eyebrows.
“Oh, please, do tell,” he said as he shifted slightly on the couch, pulling her around a little so he could have better access to her special places. He started to slide his hand up her leg when Dax leaped off the couch, barking like crazy as he raced to the back door.
It was right then that all the lights in the cabin went out.
Eighteen
As soon as the lights went out, Madison felt the panic swallow the calmness she had felt just moments before. “Do you lose power out here often?” she asked, doing her best to keep her voice from trembling.
Logan shook his head, which Madison only saw thanks to the light of the moon filtering through the windows. “Almost never,” he told her as he grabbed her arm and led her to the hallway, instead of remaining there out in the open.
Her back against the wall, Madison sucked in a deep breath, her fingers curling into tight fists. “Then, this is probably...” She couldn’t finish the sentence. Finishing it would make it true. She didn’t want it to be true.
Logan must never have heard of that superstition. “Doyle,” Logan hissed, and in that moment, Madison knew Doyle had found her.
“Do you think he followed us from my apartment?” She moved over to him, needing to stick close to his side.
“Possibly,” Logan replied. “I’m sure he knew you were here before tonight, though. That first wolf either tracked you here or Doyle sent him. He’s known you’re here all along, but didn’t want to attack you with me around more than likely. His back is just against the wall now, and he’s out of lackeys to carry out his dirty work, so he’s making his move.”
Madison wrapped her arms around her waist, tilting her head back against the wall. “Well, that ruins a good movie night.” She felt a chill run up her spine. This was it. Doyle was outside the cabin, ready to take out the only witness to his crime.
Logan put his hand on her arm, chuckling softly. “God, I love you.” She felt him lean over and kiss the top of her head. “We’ll be fine. Just stay away from windows and trust me to get you out of this.”
“I love you, too, but how are we going to get out of this?” Doyle had proven to be rather resourceful at not getting caught and still getting his way. She trusted Logan to do his best to protect her, but the rogue wolf seemed one step ahead of them all the time.
She saw Logan glance over at the coffee table. “Damn. I left my phone over there. You wouldn’t happen to have yours on you, would you?”
She shook her head. “Your T-shirts don’t come with pockets.”
He nodded. “Stay here.”
“Wait, Logan...”
But he was already crouched down and racing across the wood floor to where his phone rested. He snatched it up and scurried back to where she hid in the hallway. “The master bedroom has a walk-in closet. Get in there and call Jag. Tell him what’s happening and to get his ass out here quickly. Don’t come out until you hear my voice on the other side of the door. Understood?”
Her eyes went wide as she stared at him. “Where are you going? Come in there with me. We can wait him out until the calvary gets here.” She didn’t relish the idea of being alone in a dark closet while he intended on risking his life to save her.”
He kissed the top of her head again. “Baby girl, I am the calvary. This is our chance to end this. The others will just scare Doyle back into hiding, prolonging the inevitable.” He turned her and gently pushed her toward the master bedroom. Swatting her ass, he said, “Now scoot. I’ll be right back. Promise.”
She took a couple of shuffling steps because of his push, then stopped and turned around to face him. The hallway was dark, but she could make out his silhouette at the entrance thanks to the moon peeking through the windows behind him. “I don’t like this,” she hissed. “Come with me.”
“I’ll be there shortly. Now, go, so I know you’re safe. Please.”
She growled a sigh, but still, she turned and eased her way down the hall, her back against the wall, her senses on high alert for anything that seemed out of place. This whole night seemed out of place. “God, I so hate this,” she whispered as she peered around the bedroom door, making sure no one was about to jump out at her. Before she slipped through the doorway, she turned one more time to look at Logan.
He stood at the hallway’s entrance, still watching her. She watched as he made a shooing motion with his hands, hurrying her along. With a deep breath, she slid into the master bedroom and eased her way over to the closet. Once inside, she huddled down under the hanging clothes, doing her best to get out of sight in case someone opened the door. As soon as she huddled in the corner, she opened the contacts on Logan’s phone and found Jag’s name. She hit call and waited for the deputy to pick up.
* * *
As soon as Madison was out of sight, Logan turned his attention to the barking Dax at the back door. Crouching back down so he would be less visible in the windows, Logan scurried over to the door and opened it. “Scout,” he told the German Shepherd, and Dax bounded through the doorway, leaping over the three steps and hitting the ground running, his bark echoing in the surrounding woods.
Logan watched which direction Dax went, and then he slid along the back of the cabin in the opposite direction. He took a deep breath of the air as he went, determining that Doyle was alone at least. Of course, that didn’t make the man any less deadly.
For two years Logan had pictured this confrontation, but while he had always envisioned his revenge, he had never considered that he would also be protecting his mate as well. This fight was about more than just payback for Dusker; it was about Madison’s future, his future with his mate. The stakes were high, and Logan was determined not to lose. Doyle would not slip through his grasp this time.
Dax growled from the other side of the cabin, his barking a siren to anyone within hearing distance. Logan remained in the cabin’s shadows, his body tense, his steps cautious as he scanned the area around him for Doyle’s hiding spot. When he reached the front of the cabin, he darted off into the trees, running at a crouch. Dax’s growl turned into the sounds of attack. The German Shepherd had found the enemy.
Logan ran toward the sound while Doyle was occupied, rounding the other side of the cabin just in time to see Dax pulling at the man’s leg. Doyle screamed, kicking out to shove the dog away from him as he brought his fist down on the German Shepherd’s head.
Dax whined as his feet went out from under him, but he held onto the man’s leg, his growls echoing off the cottonwoods around the cabin. This time, he twisted, pulling Doyle’s leg out from under him, the rogue hitting the ground on his ass. Doyle screamed out, kicking the dog in the head with his other foot. He continued to kick until Dax was forced to let go. Only the dog didn’t stay down for long. He scurried to his feet, leaped into the air, his jaws going for Doyle’s throat. Doyle caught the German Shepherd by the neck, placed a foot in the dog’s belly, and threw Dax over his head and into the trunk of a tree. Dax hit, the sound loud in Logan’s ears, and slid to the base of the tree with a painful yelp, unmoving.
Doyle pushed himself to his feet, but Logan was already there, leaping into the air to tackle the rogue and bring him back down. The two of them tumbled, skidding across the ground as the hard earth dug into their bodies. Doyle punched out, catching Logan in the gut and knocking the wind out of him. The rogue then scrambled to his feet, spun back around and went to kick Logan in the head.
Logan rolled, but not away from Doyle, but rather toward him, reaching for the leg holding the man up and knocking it out from under him. Doyle hit the ground again, and Logan scampered on top of him, his fingers digging into the man as he reached for his throat.
Doyle bucked and rolled, taking Logan with him. Once on top, he swung his fist, bashing it into the side of Logan’s head. He went to swing again, but Logan caught his arm before it could connect, struggling to spin the man back over. With his other hand, Doyle reached for Logan’s throat, his hand shifted into the claws of his wolf as he swiped downward.
But he never connected. Instead, Logan watched as the man’s head bounced forward and to the side, the sound of a loud crack filling the woods.
Madison stood behind them, a thick branch clutched in her hands, a feral look in her eyes. “Fucker hurt my dog!” She lifted the branch once more, bringing it down on Doyle’s back, screaming like a woman possessed.
Logan laid there, eyes wide as he took her in, standing over Doyle in her T-shirt, rage stretching her features. Shaking the vision from his mind, he leaped to his feet, his body screaming against the movement, as she raised the branch a third time, catching her arm and keeping her from swinging. “You got him, baby girl,” he assured her, pulling her into his arms and holding her tight as he took the branch from her hand. “You got him.”
From behind them, Dax whined as he tried to move to his feet. Madison sprang from Logan’s arms, racing to where the injured dog lay, and quickly examined his injuries. “We need to get him help,” she said, tears streaming down her face as she petted the dog. “It’s okay, boy. You’re going to be okay.”
Logan stood over Doyle, the branch dangling in his hand as he stared at his mate with Dax. He took several deep breaths, his ribs sore as well as his head. He glanced down at Doyle’s motionless body, blood seeping from the man’s skull. Kneeling down, Logan felt for a pulse. Nothing. The fight was over.
