the helmet.
Logan reached under his hoodie and pulled a knife from one of the pouches on his vest. He flicked the blade free with a snick.
“No,” the bound man said weakly.
“Relax.” Logan pressed a hand down on the guy’s booted feet. “I’ll only cut you if you move. So hold still.”
Logan and Harper made quick work of the guy’s gear. They didn’t risk cutting him free, so his clothes were sliced off him. They went through the guy’s pockets, examining his gear, gleaning information about him from each piece.
In under fifteen minutes they’d thoroughly searched the guy and removed every stitch of clothing besides his underwear.
Harper closed the hatchback and stared at the pile of gear.
“They were professionals. Americans,” he said.
“Yup.”
“I’ll bag the guns and toss the rest.” Harper bent to the task.
Logan glanced over his shoulder. “I’d prefer if Evan rides with you.”
“Nah,” Harper replied. “You can’t separate him and Felecia right now. Kelsey could do it.”
Logan bit the inside of his mouth. Harper was right. It was just Logan getting hung up on keeping her close to him. She’d kick his ass if he said as much out loud. This was their first test. Logan had to make the right call for the situation and ignore his personal wishes. Besides, he knew he could trust Kelsey just as much as the guys. And Harper had a point. Evan would be distracted with his wife, upset and in another vehicle.
“I’ll tell her,” Logan said.
Harper scooped up the ruined clothing and tossed it into a nearby garbage can. Logan turned, leaving him to the rest of the clean-up.
Evan turned his head and Logan gestured for the two of them to return to the Jeep.
He waited for Kelsey outside the vehicle.
“Coast is clear. Haven’t seen a single car,” she said. “What’s up?”
He so did not want her away from him. “Would you ride with Harper and keep an eye on our hostage?”
She grinned at him. “That like, physically hurts you to ask me that, doesn’t it?”
“It’s not that I think you can’t or shouldn’t do it.” He glanced at the street behind her. “I just... I want you close.”
“Well, I appreciate you letting me out of your sight.”
He grabbed her wrist when she would have walked past him. “That’s not what I mean.”
“Chill. I’m making a joke. I’m not irritated with you. I’ll be fine, and if I’m not, you’re right behind us.”
He swiped his thumb lower until he felt the warmth of her skin. “Be safe.”
“You, too. And Logan?” She tipped her chin up just a bit more. “This is what I’ve been trying to talk about. These feelings? They’re interfering with our job. On both sides. Either we get this under control, or we have to stop.”
“I’m not—Kelsey.” He needed to pick his words carefully, but they were too jumbled.
“I’m talking about both of us. Not just you.” She pulled out of his grasp and turned.
He watched her jog ahead to the hatchback and get in the backseat where she could watch their captive.
Damn it, he was trying. Didn’t he get a fucking minute to adjust? Did she expect him to be perfect all the time?
Logan got into the Jeep and mentally tamped down on his irritation.
“I got Zora on the phone,” Felecia announced. “Only for a moment, but she said she they were safe. I told her about the safe house and she said to go, stay quiet and wait for instructions.”
“Great,” Logan muttered.
21.
Tuesday.
Kelsey peered over the seat at the dazed young man bound and gagged in the back of the car. She’d seen Felecia nail the guy with a baseball bat, but Kelsey had assumed the helmet had protected him. Now she was worried the kid had a concussion. Could be that or fear. He had to know getting caught was bad news for him.
Did he have any idea who he’d attacked tonight? Or why?
“He moving?” Harper asked.
“Not even a little.” She twisted to face forward.
He tilted the rearview mirror so he could see her face. “Thanks for checking on me back there.”
His words stung, though they dripped with sarcasm.
She’d hoped Harper wouldn’t remember her coming out of Logan’s apartment.
What did she say? What could she say?
Kelsey wasn’t ready to commit to Logan. Suddenly things were happening fast around them. She was drowning in feelings she didn’t know how to deal with and then add Logan to the mix? It was too damn much. She was suffocating under the pressure of it all.
“Hey, you okay?” Harper asked.
“Fine.