Page 34 of Unmistakably Us

Eleven

After the whole naked fighting thing, which Logan had to admit was genius, the conversation turned. The subject matter was still heavy, at least to Logan, but the atmosphere was lighter.

He found himself eager to try naked fighting with January. Fighting was an evil, vile thing to him, a thing he was forced to participate in his early life. A thing he dreaded in his later years. It always meant someone won and someone lost. He was always the loser when he was younger, and he went out of his way as an adult to always—always—be the victor.

But fighting with January? That, he had a new outlook about it. The way he saw it, there would be no losers if they were both naked and working through problems like a normal couple.

The way he had started interacting with the men was more easy, relaxed. Logan had always felt like an outsider, even with these men. He was starting to realize that, in this case at least, it was more his perception than their actions that fueled those feelings.

He knew that wasn’t the case with past family, past girlfriends, but it certainly seemed it was here.

Dax talked about Stacy and how he had damn near given up on ever having a relationship with her but this family has set him on the right path. After botching it with matchmaking efforts, that is. According to everyone, Francis knew and finally squashed the efforts, and the rest, as they say, was history.

Walker gave all the credit to Gus and Andy. It was those two who kept his relationship with Erika alive when they were both too stubborn and childish to see what they needed.

Frank boasted about how he helped Michael see the light. Of course, true to his Vegas garage rule, he didn’t spill details without him here to approve it.

The general consensus of the garage was to credit Francis for bringing John around. Of course, no one here knew any details because Francis wouldn’t dare talk about it, and John was about as tight-lipped as anyone.

Logan did know a little about that particular situation, though, but like the rest of the Reid clan, he wouldn’t tell.

John himself had shared some details with him. Of all the people around him and January, John seemed to be the first to readily accept a him and January thing. Although, he knew John had information that he pointedly refused to share. That bothered Logan. He knew if John was being open-ish with him but holding something back, it was not going to be something Logan would like at all.

For a few minutes, he just took in the atmosphere around him and let his mind wander down a road of hopes and dreams he hadn’t let it travel before. Frank joined him, abandoning Dax and Walker, who had taken up tossing dice for each other’s betting blocks. This family gambles more than old ladies in Biloxi. They bet on everything, but it was all in fun.

Logan had even gotten in a few. He never won, but he rather enjoyed being included. The more he looked back on it, the more he realized the Reids had included him from day one. They never treated him as a lessor or an outsider.

A memory came rushing back to Logan of John and Michael in the hangar. They were betting on January and me already. That’s what they were talking about.

“Son.”

Logan gave Frank a sharp look at the word.

“Sorry, you don’t mind, do you?” When Logan failed to answer, Frank continued. “Right, Logan it is. Logan—”

He finally found his voice. It was scratchy and rough. Logan wanted to say son was fine and mean it, but there was a still a part of him that couldn’t trust it. He wanted to, but he had lived decades this way so he couldn’t be expected to change overnight. “You can call me son, if you want to.”

He spoke with an air of casualty, like it was a sacrifice he was making for the older man, but in truth, it felt nice to be wanted.

“Okay, son, I can tell there is something heavy squatting on your heart like an elephant. Why don’t you run it by us and see if maybe we could help? I know my lady would whoop my ass all the way to the state line if I let you leave with that burden of yours.” Of course, it’s all about Francis, not me being i… “Not to mention it would tear me up, too.”

That was the exact right thing to say. Logan was ready to drop the bomb. Even if it cost him this new family and January and…everything, he wanted to be a better person. These people brought that out in him. Even if my secret ends all of this the minute it’s revealed, it will be worth it to be the man they all think I am. The man I want to be.

“Really, Vegas?” Logan needed verification. Obviously, he planned on telling Michael who he was, but he wanted to be the one to do it. He didn’t want his brother to come by that information any other way.

“Right down to the gambling.” Frank chuckled. “I have to add, that doesn’t mean we’d keep something illegal or harmful or whatnot secret for long. Long enough to get you the representation or the help you needed, but yes, Vegas.”

It came rushing out in a tidal wave. “Michael is my half-brother. I came here to spy on him or maybe even make him pay or something. I don’t really know what I wanted.” The rest of the garage went dead quiet. Logan continued vomiting words.

“I didn’t come here wanting to be a part of this family or his. I didn’t want a girl or a relationship, and I damn sure never wanted to be standing in a garage with a bunch of dudes talking about fucking feelings.” Sucking in a quick breath so as not to chicken out, Logan just kept heaving words at his audience, an audience that had now closed in on him to hear every fucking syllable. Mouths agape, they all wore a similar shocked expression.

“I used to hate him. I didn’t even know him, and I hated him. For years, I fucking hated him. I used to blame him for taking the only mother I ever knew away. I was left with a murdering rapist asshole that ended up in prison and got himself killed for it. Then I was left with a string of abusive and criminal family members until finally, I left and never looked back.”

Logan inhaled almost violently after spitting out those words. For the first time in his life, it actually felt cleansing, like Gus was always going on about.

“Lucinda hid him away. She left me so he could have a better life before he was even born. I wrongly blamed him my whole life for having what I never did.”

Dread followed in the wake of the clean feeling, settling in his stomach like gas station sushi. The garage was eerily silent. Even Walker, who always fucking had something to say, was uncharacteristically mute.

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