Run the Risk

Implacable will sharpened his gaze. “Detective Logan Riske.”

Detective? Fear kept her thoughts in a jumble. “You’re a…a cop?”

Rowdy caused a ruckus, struggling on the stairs, making one cop stumble, another fall. “Stop talking to him!”

The big blond crossed his arms and stared at Logan. “You want to give some orders here, or am I taking over?”

Logan clamped a hand around her arm, drawing her away from the door and into the apartment. “Stay here. I’ll be back up to talk to you as soon as I can.”

When she didn’t answer, he caught her chin.

“Do you hear me?”

She searched his face and hated what she saw. “You’re arresting him?”

He remained cold, distant. “I’ll explain everything later.”

Like an explanation existed beyond the obvious? Her past had caught up to her. Logan either was or wasn’t in league with Morton Andrews, but either way, it didn’t much matter. Not when he exposed Rowdy, and by association, left her exposed, as well.

After all their years of caution, all they’d gone through to stay invisible and safe—she’d destroyed it all.

Thinking of how badly she’d been duped, she laughed, then quickly covered her mouth to muffle the near-hysterical sound. Tears tried to blur her vision, but she blinked them away.

Logan hesitated. “Pepper—”

“You know my name,” she realized aloud. Oh, God, oh, God. “You know everything.”

The other cop uncrossed his arms with a sigh. “Yeah, why don’t I just go handle things? Looks like you have your hands full here.”

After a last searching look, Pepper shoved past them both.

“Pepper!”

Holding her long skirt high above her knees, she went down the steps two at a time and hit the front door hard, flinging it open. She got into the yard in time to see one cop holding open the back door of an unmarked sedan. Another told Rowdy to get inside.

This couldn’t be happening.

Horribly afraid that if they took him, she’d never see him again, she raced toward them. Were they legit cops? Were they good cops?

She had so many reasons for doubt.

Logan called out to her again, but she ignored him. Later, she would have to deal with that, with how incredibly gullible she’d been, how easy she’d made it for him to get to her brother, to use her—in more ways than one.

For now, she needed to talk to her brother.

“Wait!” She got close, but one of the officers—how damn many were there, anyway?—stopped her when she was still several yards away.

Rowdy gave her his darkest, most imposing scowl. “Back inside. Now.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said, choking on the words, on her escalating fear and the awful, grinding shame. “I should have known. I should have listened to you.”

“Say nothing,” he ordered again.

Oh, God. “I’m sorry…” She took a step toward him.

“Stay away from me, damn it.”

No. No, he couldn’t face this alone. He couldn’t do this to her.

He couldn’t leave her.

“Please…”

“You know what to do, now do it.”

“Get him in the car!” Logan grabbed her arm, and this time she couldn’t shake him off.

Seeing that, Rowdy narrowed his eyes more—and continued to resist the efforts of the cops. Infusing his tone with iron, he ordered, “Tell me you understand.”

“Shut him up,” Logan barked.

The officer tried to stuff Rowdy into the car, but he shouldered the younger guy hard and sent him reeling. “Damn  you, answer me!”

Two cops swarmed in on him, and still he fought.

Her heart broke into shattered pieces. “I understand,” she whispered. And then again, louder so that he could actually hear her, she shouted, “I understand!”

Rowdy wanted her to follow the fallback instructions. Did he honestly think she’d forgotten?

Of course he did, and with good reason. Because she had. For a little while there, with Logan, she’d forgotten…everything.

With her agreement out there, Rowdy stopped struggling. Rough hands pulled him around, someone knotted a fist in his hair. He got shoved into the car even though he’d stopped resisting.

Her brother was tough, one of the toughest men she knew. He will be okay. Pepper had to keep telling herself that or she’d fall apart.

Now wasn’t the time for excesses of emotion. She had to be strong, if not for herself, then for her brother.

All along her back, she felt the heat of Logan standing close behind her. He had used her. He had set her up. And she’d made it absurdly easy.

Yes, she remembered everything Rowdy had ever taught her. But this time, to atone for her guilt, she’d do what was best for him, instead of what was best for her.

The officers waited for instructions.

From Logan.

Burying deep the hurt, the fractured hope, the absurd injured feelings, Pepper turned to face him. She needed information. She needed Logan to go on thinking he had the upper hand.

Beyond him, the big blond said, “I grabbed you a shirt.”

Staring at her, Logan nodded. “Thanks, Reese.” He took the dress shirt and pulled it on. As he buttoned it up, he said to Pepper, “I want you to wait in your apartment until I—”

“Go to hell.”

He paused at her cold, flat tone, then nodded as if he simply accepted her reaction.