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I turn back to my sorta-saviors, a bit wary since they’re not my usual guys. “Thanks! You saved my bacon there. Mr. Duncan’s probably safe, but you never can tell. I thought you weren’t gonna come out for a minute there.” They glance at each other, confusion written on their faces like they’re still not sure what to say, and I try to fill in the quiet. “Sorry, I don’t know if we’ve met yet. I’m Allie, but I guess you already know that. And you two are . . . ?”
I let the syllable hang, inviting them to answer, but there’s a sudden slapping of shoes on the pavement to my right and I look over to see Logan running toward me. Talk about a welcome surprise.
The two guys go back on alert, though I think hear one mutter, “What the hell? Another one?”
I’m shocked as Logan growls as he gets closer, his hands balling into fists.
“Get back.”
I’m not sure if he’s talking to me or the guys, but I step back anyway.
Logan puts himself between the guys and me, looking at the two guys. “Stay behind me.”
“What’s going on, Logan? How many guys are here tonight? Is something wrong?” I can feel my heart start racing in my chest, worry blooming that maybe something happened at Petals. Maybe something happened to Dominick. It’s the only explanation for why I’d have three guards tonight.
Logan talks over his shoulder, eyes never leaving the two monsters in front of him. “They’re not with us, Allie.”
I gasp, realizing just how foolish I’d been. Hell, I’d jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire, a big ass bonfire that scared off the hurting dad I know and left me alone with two beasts I don’t. All because I stupidly assumed they were Dominick’s guys. But what else should I have thought when there’s always some huge guy tailing me at Dom’s instruction? This just seemed status quo.
“Oh, shit,” I whisper, the curse coming out before I can stop it.
The brunette speaks again, apparently the spokesman for the pair as he tries to make eye contact with me and offers a friendly smile.
“Look, I don’t know what’s going on here. I’m Max, and this is my buddy, Dalton. We’re opening an MMA gym right over there.”
I back him up, telling Logan, “I know there’s going to be some kind of gym opening soon. I’ve heard the occasional thumping metal and hip-hop coming from inside, but it didn’t occur to me that they might be random guys. The timing was right, and I mean, look at them! I didn’t care if they were Dom’s guys, or powerlifters, or Crossfitters. Hell, I would’ve been happy if they were buff yoga dudes. Just someone to help me get a little distance.”
Dalton smirks, and Max points behind him to the door they came out of and turns his attention back to Logan. “We came outside and . . . Allie, right? Seemed nervous with that guy, so we came to see if anything was going on.”
Logan is still tense as he questions me. “That true? I missed some of it because I was coming down the stairs.”
I nod, then realize he can’t see me because his eyes haven’t left Max and Dalton.
“Yeah, I just needed a little assist. I thought they were my guards for the night, and Mr. Duncan left. I don’t even know if he meant anything, but he was weirding me out. No harm, no foul, Logan. Now, what the hell’s going on?”
He snorts. “You know what’s going on, Allie. You’ve had eyes on you all this time. You obviously know that.”
His words shock me. Not that I didn’t suspect—okay, I knew—but that he’d come out and say it. But if he’s willing to not play shy with the truth, neither am I. “Okay, I knew that but have been choosing to ignore your lame attempts at ‘reconnaissance’.” I say the word with finger air-quotes because seriously, how am I supposed to miss Logan in a crowd? “But can we just pretend this never happened? That’s what I want to do. Rewind ten minutes like zzzzzz.” I make a whirring sound like my dad’s old cassette tape player. “And maybe poof . . . none of this ever happened. Yeah?” I coat the request with sugary goodness, like it might entice him to agree with me.
Logan shakes his head. “You know I can’t do that, Allie.”
I knew that’s what he’d say. Logan is a great guy, precise and intelligent in addition to being a badass in the ring. But he’s not really a shades of grey kind of guy. To him, things are black or white, right or wrong, what he was told to do or not. And I’m sure Dominick has told him to report everything, judging by the way he confessed that Dom’s keeping eyes on me.
