“By now you’ve all seen the photographs plastered all over the web of the woman many believe to be MJ Lane, bestselling author of the book everyone has been talking about, Isabelle’s Command. Well, we have her with us today. Please welcome Sadie Bannerman.” Kelsey Wise paused, smiling like a cat about to pounce. “Ms. Bannerman, tell us, is it true you are MJ Lane?”
“Yes.”
To her credit, Ms. Wise’s smile remained in place when Sadie failed to elaborate.
“You have the people of America and many other countries around the world eagerly awaiting the second book in your series.”
“The wait is almost over. Book two, Isabelle’s Command: Submission releases next month. I think fans will be pleased with how the series’s heroine finds her voice,” Sadie said. This was the easy part, talking about her work. “In the third book, which I’m writing now, Isabelle comes into her own, unafraid to go after what she wants.”
“And I assume what she wants is your bad-boy hero?”
“I see you’ve read the first book.”
Ms. Wise raised her hand to her mouth as if admitting a secret. “I have.”
“I think readers will be satisfied with Isabelle’s transformation over the course of the books. She wants the hero, but she is not willing lose her sense of self to the relationship.”
“Speaking of relationships...” Ms. Wise looked as if she was chatting with a girlfriend, but Sadie knew the hard part was coming. “Can you tell us more about the handsome man in those photographs?”
“No.”
There was a beat of silence and Ms. Wise’s eyes widened. She’d been promised a tell-all interview, not one-word answers. “Some of those images were quite erotic,” the host continued. “Were you looking for inspiration?”
“No. I was looking for love. I didn’t know it at first, but what you see in those pictures happens every day around the world. A girl falls in love with a boy.” Hearing a slight waver in her voice, Sadie paused. She wanted her words to be loud and clear, no hesitation.
“Sometimes,” she continued, “that leads to intimate moments. I think most people watching today will understand when I say that I expected those moments would remain private.”
“But now that they’re out there, for the world to see, can you tell us who the mystery man is?” Ms. Wise prompted, scrambling to save her interview.
“No.”
Watching her exposé slip through her fingers, the host turned to the one question Sadie wanted to hear. “And the little girl?”
Sadie shook her head. “Nothing more than an example of a news outlet drawing false conclusions. The little girl lost her father in Afghanistan last year. The man in the pictures knew her father and took her out for ice cream. The only story there is sadness and loss. If the media wishes to delve deeper, perhaps they should highlight one of the charities that support children of fallen soldiers. Or look within their communities for children who might need a little extra cheering up, a chance to just be a kid after losing a parent on the battlefield.”
The stunned expression on Ms. Wise’s face said it all. Sadie had hit her mark, shutting down the hurtful chatter about Charlotte. They might still dig, and try to determine Logan’s identity, but she felt saying more would only hurt, not help.
Sadie waited for the host to express her supposedly heartfelt sympathy for the girl in the picture. Instead, Ms. Wise raised her hand to her ear. Someone was feeding her information.
Nerves churned in Sadie’s stomach for the first time. Had her answers backfired? She sat still, knowing there was little she could do now. Had someone behind the scenes discovered Logan’s identity? What if they knew his name? His rank? The details behind his last mission?
Sadie forced herself to sit still when every bone in her body screamed, Run. Coming on this show, setting the record straight, had been a mistake. She’d failed on so many fronts. But she’d especially failed Logan. She’d tried to be his hero. To save him from losing everything he cared about. And judging from Ms. Wise’s wide smile, Sadie had only made it ten times worse.
“It appears we have a special guest. The mystery man himself showed up at our door asking to speak with Ms. Bannerman.” Kelsey Wise gave her a wink. “He’s headed for the stage.”
Logan. He was here. Hope surged through her. He’d come back. Again. This time, she refused to let him leave until she had her say. She had one chance to go after what she wanted—a future with the man she loved.
Sadie stood and squared her shoulders and held her head high. She was going for it. Right here. Right now. On national television.
23
LOGAN
FOLLOWED THE security guard and the eager girl with the clipboard through the winding fluorescent underbelly of the news studio. Sadie was here somewhere. He had to talk to her. Now. He was running out of time.
His commanding officer had given him a brief respite. Less than forty-eight hours. By this time tomorrow morning, he had to report for duty. Logan had every intention of securing his future with Sadie before the deadline.
The hallway ended, letting out into a bright open space. The stage, he realized, where they filmed the show. Lights and cameras surrounded the room’s perimeter. In the center was a raised dais with an L-shaped sofa and a coffee table. In front of the sofa, Sadie stood beside a blonde woman who looked as if she was made of plastic.