Of Loss & Betrayal (Madison & Logan 2)

I wanted to interject, to ask him more questions, but I was afraid if I did, he would stop talking to me, so I stayed silent, letting him lead the conversation.

“I didn’t try anything with her while they were together. What kind of person would I be to fuck my friend’s girlfriend?” He raised an eyebrow at me. “From what I know about your past, you aren’t as self-controlled.”

His comment seemed offhand, but it sliced through me like a dagger. Still, I kept silent.

“When Kristina moved here with Logan, I thought I would never see her again.” He gave me a half-smile. “But then she came back to L.A. She was torn up about Logan choosing you instead of her. I was there for her. I comforted her and consoled her through her breakdowns. I can’t even tell you how many nights I rushed over to her apartment after a call in the middle of the night where she was sobbing hysterically. And slowly, she got over Logan.” He dropped his gaze to the gun in his hands. “And then one miraculous day, she looked at me differently. Not as a friend and a shoulder to cry on, but as a man.” He looked back up at me, his eyes intense. “The word love pales in comparison to the intensity of our feelings. I had

never been so happy in my life.”

Logan groaned, his eyes fluttering open. My heart dropped when Mack sat up and pointed the gun at him. Logan looked up at him, although I wasn’t sure if he actually saw Mack since he seemed so out of it. His gaze shifted to me, and then his eyes fluttered back closed again.

“What happened to you and Kristina?” I asked, wanting to direct Mack’s attention away from Logan and keep him talking. I was eyeing the fireplace poker, wondering if I could grab it before Mack was able to shoot. I wasn’t sure if I could make it, but I didn’t know what other choice I had.

Mack’s eyes narrowed at my question. “That idiot got into a car accident in L.A. and Kristina found out about it through one of their mutual acquaintances. She acted like the world was coming to an end and begged Logan to let her see him. And that bastard agreed because he felt so bad about her insisting that she was traumatized, because it was bringing up all the old memories about her father dying in a car accident.” His mouth twisted. “She was beside herself with worry and grief. She didn’t want Logan to know we were together, so we visited him separately. After she saw him, she told me that we were over. She needed to be there for Logan, and she realized that she could never love anybody but him.”

Mack laughed, the sound ugly and twisted. “I have countless beautiful women begging me to give them the time of day and I have to fucking fall in love with the one woman who couldn’t care less about me.”

“Did Logan and Kristina really get engaged?” I couldn’t resist asking, since Mack seemed to enjoy pouring out all the details of their dirty past.

Mack curled his lip. “Kristina was fucking delusional. She begged Logan to give her another chance, but he told her that he was in love with you, and he could never be with anyone else. She was convinced that if she could just break the two of you up, Logan would come back to her. On the day he was supposed to fly back to Chicago, she begged him to meet her for coffee. He kept refusing until she said that she was having thoughts of harming herself.” He shook his head. “I don’t think he even noticed the ring on her hand. She told me she begged for one last picture of them together to remember him by, so she had a waiter take a picture of them.” He grimaced. “That’s the story behind the picture that she claimed was their engagement photo. She was planning on using it, somehow, to break you guys up, but the perfect opportunity presented itself when Logan lost his memory.”

“Why did you go along with all of this?” I asked in disbelief. “The woman you love is plotting to get back with her ex, and you’re just letting it happen?”

Mack’s expression turned hard. “I’m not stupid. I know it sounds like I just followed her around like a lost puppy, but I knew she would realize that it was me she loved when she finally got it through her head that Logan didn’t want her.” His expression softened. “And she needed me to stay with her. I really did come here for work, but after she flew out here because of Logan’s accident, I stayed behind since I knew what a fragile state she was in.”

“Why did you pretend to become my friend?” I asked, repulsed that I had ever considered Mack a good person. “What was the point of all that?”

Mack shrugged. “I genuinely felt sorry for you. And I was on your side. I wanted you to end up with Logan, because that meant Kristina would be free.” He gave me a rueful look. “I wasn’t lying when I said I developed some feelings for you. I figured we could just fuck, but when you told me you weren’t interested, I dropped it. I have to admit that the thought of screwing the woman Logan is in love with was pretty appealing. Kind of like getting revenge, in a twisted way.”

I felt sick by his admission. I felt even sicker by the casual way he admitted it all.

“And Kristina didn’t care that you were becoming friendly with me?” I asked disbelievingly.

Mack had the audacity to look a little embarrassed. “She actually encouraged it. She wanted me to get close to you so that I could get information about you and your relationship with Logan. I was also a connection for her to you guys. Without me, you would have never known about her suicide attempt or have taken pity on her and invited her over for Thanksgiving.”

My eyes narrowed. “Was that a real suicide attempt?”

Mack shrugged. “It was real enough. I didn’t want her to do it because I was afraid it could be fatal, but she was convinced that she knew the exact amount she needed to take for it to look like a suicide attempt, but not die. She knew it would take something drastic to get Logan’s attention.”

“That’s sick,” I hissed. “And you went along with it.”

Mack had the gall to look defensive. “I couldn’t stop her. I told you I thought it was a bad idea.”

“Did you know she was planning on killing me and making it look like a suicide attempt?”

Mack dropped his gaze. “I knew, but she said she was going to kill Logan too. Nothing I said could convince her not to take it that far, but I was satisfied that she was planning on killing both of you.” His expression hardened. “She lied to me.”

“So why are you doing her bidding now?” I cried out. “You’re going to take the fall for her.”

Mack looked at me, his heart in his eyes. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought he was simply a man in love. But I did know better. He was sick and twisted.

“She told me she finally realized that I was the only one for her. But she couldn’t live knowing that you two were going to live happily ever after. She needed me to prove my love and loyalty to her by killing you both.” Mack’s body tensed. “So that’s why I’m here.”

“Mack, please,” I begged, my voice trembling. “She’s lying to you, again. We became friends, didn’t we? I know you don’t want to do this. You don’t want to kill me, and you have no reason to kill Logan. If you leave, I’ll pretend none of this ever happened. I swear.”

Mack shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he said, having the nerve to look apologetic. That meant shit when he was planning on carrying through with Kristina’s demands. “I have to do this, otherwise Kristina will never want to be with me.”

“Kristina’s crazy!” I screamed, no longer able to hold it in. “And you’re just as crazy as her if you pull that trigger!”