“Where are your parents now?” he asked.
The question surprised me. I hadn’t thought of my mother or my father as parents in so long. Again, the need to speak honestly overtook me. “My mother’s dead and I haven’t spoken to my father since the day I left for college. I have no idea where he is.”
Something came over me. I had to get out of here before I broke down. With trembling fingers, I picked up the bill and looked at the total.
When I reached into my purse to leave some money, Logan grabbed the check from me. “I asked you out. I got this.”
“Thank you. It was really good, but I need to get going. I’ll grab a taxi.” I suddenly felt like I should get away from him. He was making me feel things I didn’t want to be feeling. Thoughts of my parents seemed to be strangling me. I quickly jumped to my feet.
Concern glimmered in his eyes and he quickly rose and pulled out his wallet, tossing two twenties on the table. “No, I’m done. I’ll take you.”
I wanted to argue but my mind was a jumble and before I knew it he was behind me, holding my coat out. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” His warm breath brushed against my ear and shivers danced down my spine.
Dispelling the urge to lean into him, I pulled my hair out of the collar of my trench coat. “You didn’t. I’m fine.”
I clearly wasn’t.
I hated my past.
I hated my father.
I hated my mother for putting up with him.
I hated my sister for leaving me.
But I hated myself even more.
LOGAN
She was anything but fine.
Yet I wasn’t any good at consoling people. I didn’t know what to say or do. Besides, I was pretty certain she wasn’t looking for comfort. She was tough, and although I understood why, I also knew what she’d told me wasn’t the only reason. There was more to Elle than she let on. Hey, I got it. She had some demons she didn’t want to let out. And I certainly didn’t want to be the one to unleash them.
I raced in front of her, taking the lead. “Come on, let’s go.”
She nodded but didn’t say anything.
Didn’t I feel like a real shit.
Melancholy seemed to swallow me whole.
Fuck.
The rain was falling harder than it had been earlier and I watched as she put that red hat on again. It was soaking wet and I was certain it wasn’t helping to keep her dry, but she seemed to like it, so although I didn’t say a thing, the sight made me smirk.
Once we were outside, we both kept our heads down. She followed me through the alley and back toward Molly’s. I paused for a moment at the corner and looked around before reaching in my pocket and unlocking the SUV. The taillights of my black Range Rover blinked up ahead. I had unlocked the doors at a good distance so when the rain started falling even harder, I moved faster, making sure she was right behind me. We reached my vehicle in the downpour and I opened her door. Elle didn’t look at me as she got in quickly. I didn’t stop to talk; I just wanted to get off the goddamn street. I ran to the other side and hopped in. When I did, I looked over at her just as she was wiping the rain from her face, or was it a tear?
Both of us were wet. Both of us were out of breath. The air in the car was cold. But the heat that rose as we looked at each other was scorching. For a second, I considered making a move on her, but then, the longer I watched her, the more I realized things between us weren’t going to be that simple.
She looked vulnerable.
It wasn’t something I could handle.
I just wasn’t expecting it.
She was a fighter.
Or so I had thought.
I had to avert my gaze. I knew then that I couldn’t see her after tonight. There were only two categories of women for me—the just fuck and the never fuck. Somehow, she didn’t seem to fit in either and that was dangerous. As if the situation she was in weren’t already dangerous enough, she didn’t need my involvement in her life fucking her up more.
Patrick Flannigan was a heartless, greedy bastard and O’Shea was on his shit list. Add me to the mix and she was in real danger. Many years ago, my grandfather, Killian McPherson, had ordered me to keep my distance from Patrick and ordered Patrick to keep his hands off me. Since I hated Patrick, I dutifully obliged. Since my grandfather was in charge at the time, Patrick was forced to obey. But Gramps was in a home now and no longer here to act as a buffer between Patrick and me. I was on my own. For that reason and so many more, I knew better than to get too close to Patrick.
My father’s well-being was one of the many reasons.
But for her, I’d have to take a risk.
I’d have to step closer.
My own consequences be damned. I was going to make sure she wasn’t a part of O’Shea’s issues. But I had to be smart about it. I had to figure things out first. For my father’s sake.