Page 20 of Protecting Vera

“No. You can’t go back. Frizz and Justin can go to the cabin. If you head back to Texas, you could end up dead. The police aren’t doing anything to protect you there. We’ll figure something out.”

She lifted her hands and shook her head. “What can we do?”

He pressed his lips together, trying to calm his racing heart. “The less you know, the better. Trust me, we’ll figure something out.”

She shook her head. “I can’t let you do something that could get you in trouble.”

His smile was automatic, and he might have laughed a little. “If we do something, no one will figure out who did it.”

She narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. “How does that work?”

“Like I said, it’s best you don’t know. I should have done something when you showed up. I thought getting you out would stop him, but obviously, he’s not the type of guy who is smart.”

With Frizz at risk and this Logan guy not giving up, he had to do something to stop him. He didn’t want to break the law, but sometimes extreme measures were necessary. Some guys learned lessons quickly, but this Logan creep seemed like the type of man who wouldn’t ever learn.

Logan couldn’t believehe’d seen Vera’s friend. God, if he could only remember her name. The woman had some stupid name, like a nickname, but he didn’t remember it. He would have to spend time in this shitty mall looking for her. She would return, he knew it. Women were stupid, and they liked to shop. She would forget he’d been here and show up.

He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen Vera. Where had she disappeared to? He’d watched her hotel for a while but never seen her leave. What had happened?

Burning her out of her apartment had been a mistake. Before the fire, he’d been able to track her with the software he’d put on her phone and computer. Now, he had no clue where she was.

He hoped she was miserable. When he found her, he would make sure she never left him again. They would have to move somewhere else to live. He couldn’t have her yelling for help and someone hearing. They would need space. Maybe he could find a ranch or somewhere in the mountains.

People were nosy. Stupid people at the apartment had told someone that he’d set the fire. They didn’t have proof, just someone saying he’d done it. He’d deflected the questions from the detective, and acted like he had no clue what the guy was talking about. He was sure the heat would die down, but he had to be smart. Holding Vera in an apartment wouldn’t work.

What was worse, his dad wanted him to get a job and start working to earn money. His old man said he had to have experience if he wanted to take over the company when he died. Stupid prick, it wasn’t like it was hard what his dad did. He could probably do it with his eyes closed. Maybe he would help his dad along on the path to dying and get the money now. Then, he could buy a ranch house and keep Vera locked up for his pleasure. He needed more time, though, and he had to find her first. She was around here somewhere. He just didn’t know where.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Vera hated that Frizz had run into Logan. She wished there was a way to make Logan stop. The guy was a menace. He was dangerous, and Frizz didn’t need the pressure. Guilt hit hard. She wanted to help Frizz, but other than giving herself up to Logan, she had no way to help.

Her worry didn’t dissipate over the week, even after talking to Frizz on Wednesday and knowing she was safe didn’t alleviate her fear. By Friday afternoon, she was barely able to concentrate enough to finish work. When Hop stepped in, she was on edge.

He seemed happy, and that made her even more edgy. She headed into her room, hiding so she didn’t say something she would regret. When she went out to grab something to eat, he was in the kitchen, reading something on his tablet.

“Oh, hey. How are you?”

She blew out a frustrated breath, trying to decide if she should just say fine or tell him. He must have figured something was wrong because he got up and came over to her.

“What’s going on?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. Everything. You seem like you’re not worried about Frizz, and I’m freaking out. I don’t know if I should stay here or head back to Texas so Logan stops targeting her.”

He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. The heat from his simple touch was too much. She didn’t want to feel desire for him, but it was there, rising up as he rubbed her back.

“It’s going to be okay. I talked to a guy who lives in Texas. He understands the situation and knows how to handle it.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“It means she’ll be safe.”

“But what if?—”

His finger landed on her lips, quieting her. Heat exploded through her, making it hard to do anything other than stare into his warm brown eyes. Her brain turned to mush, and she swayed closer.

Heat flared between them, and for a second, she thought he was going to turn away. It would have been the smart thing for both of them. They shouldn’t be doing this. But that didn’t stop her when he leaned in so he was less than an inch away from her face. He gave her time to step back or turn away. She didn’t.

Then his lips brushed over hers, and it was like all the tension leaked out, making her weak. Her fingers were on his chest, then she slid them around to the sides of his body, her hands shaking along with the rest of her.

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