Page 133 of Ghost Hunted

There’s a pause at the other end, and by now I’m conscious enough to realize that for the second time in his life, he’s surprised.

“Lia. Is Logan okay? Are… you… okay?”

“Logan needs medical attention. He hit his head on the concrete ground. I think he has a concussion.”

“Alright. And you?”

“I’m fucking fine. I can take care of myself. Don’t worry about me. I know you’re not worried about me, anyway. Is someone on his way?”

“Yeah. Sit tight, and…”

“No, I’m not sitting tight. I just wanted to make sure someone was coming for him. Every single person in that house is dead, by the way. I did that. I bit off a chunk of the man my father was indebted to and then killed him. My father’s debt no longer exists. So fuck him, fuck you, and now, I’m leaving.”

“Lia…” I groan.

“Now, wait a minute, Lia.” Damien’s smooth voice reaches me through the phone. “I know Logan loves you so much. He would do anything for you. I know he’ll figure it out… he’ll figure out a way to give you some of what you need. Some freedom, and…”

“No.” Lia shakes her head, her voice choked. “I don’t want some freedom. I want to be free. It’s too late now. He’s shown me that will never happen. As long as I’m with him, I’ll be a captive. I’m sorry.”

“Wait, Li—”

But she doesn’t let him finish, hanging up the phone. Then she turns to me, and I can see her eyes are glittering.

“I’m sorry, Logan. I do love you.”

“Lia, Lia…” I try to sit up as the cloudiness in my vision starts fading. But as it does, my mind grows sharper, and I realize it would be a lot better if I stayed down. Because as long as I do, she doesn’t view me as a threat.

“Lia, I have something to tell you. It’s about…” I drop my voice lower, making it sound shakier than I feel. “Jane.”

She stiffens, pausing in her movement to leave the car. “What about her?”

With a trembling hand, I beckon for her to come closer. “It… it hurts to speak…”

“Well, you’ve been speaking just fine up till now.” She eyes me suspiciously, but at last, giving in to her curiosity, she bends toward me.

“Closer, Lia… let me tell you about… Jane…”

Huffing out a frustrated breath, she bends even lower. So low I manage to wrap an arm around her back.

“Fuck! Logan! Stop that!” She tries desperately to break free from me, and she’s strong, but I’m stronger. Even in my weakened state, I’m stronger. It hurts like hell to hold her in my iron grip, but I would welcome any amount of pain if it meant keeping her.

“Please, stop, Logan!” Tears bubble up in her eyes. “Let me go! You’re hurting me, Logan!”

It’s so typical to hear her complaining about being hurt when I’m the one who’s hovering near unconsciousness, my body broken and bruised.

Then again, I guess she is hurting. She’s hurting a whole fucking lot, and it’s my fault.

But I’m a selfish piece of shit, and right now I don’t fucking care. Just as long as I get to keep her.

“Stop squirming, Lia,” I breathe into her ear. “Be a good girl for me and lie still, and let me tell you about Jane.”

_

“What about Jane?”

She’s sitting on my lap, her arms crossed, the bazooka resting on the passenger seat beside Igor.

Our brutish, semi-mute friend is the one Damien sent to help, and he arrived moments after I got Lia to stop struggling with the promise of telling her about our daughter. Before I could speak again, he’d slammed the door behind her, locked it, and gotten in behind the steering wheel.