Of Loss & Betrayal (Madison & Logan 2)

It was the wrong thing to say. Mack’s expression grew angry and he stood up abruptly. His hand steadied the gun and he looked straight at me. “I have to kill you first to make it look like a murder-suicide. I’ll shoot you in the head to make it quick and painless.”

I heard a growl and both of our heads whipped toward the direction of the sound. I had completely forgotten about Lola, but she was focused on Mack, her stance aggressive. It was all the distraction I needed and I flung myself towards the poker. My hand grasped the cool, metal rod but before I could lift it and use it as a weapon, I heard the ear-splitting crack of a shot being fired.

I flinched, thinking that I had been shot, but there was no pain. I whirled around, afraid of what I would see. I dropped the poker and burst into tears of relief when I saw Logan with the gun in his hand, standing over Mack’s lifeless body.

“Logan!” I rushed to him, throwing my arms around him. He wrapped his free hand around me, but I could still feel how weak he was. I guided him to sit down and he laid the gun on the coffee table. I looked over at Mack, feeling sick. There was a hole in his chest and a rapidly growing pool of blood beneath him. Regardless of his intent to kill us, I was heartsick that it had come to this.

“Maddie,” Logan rasped. “Are you all right?”

“I’m okay,” I reassured him. I looked away from Mack’s body. “We need to call 9-1-1.”

Logan was silent as I called the police and to come quickly. Lola padded over to Logan and put her head on his lap. When I got off the phone, Logan was stroking her head with his eyes closed.

“You need to go to the hospital. They’re sending over an ambulance.”

Logan shook his head. “I’m okay,” he said tiredly.

“You’re not okay,” I said

firmly. “Don’t fight me on this. You’re going to the hospital.”

Logan nodded wearily, showing just how affected he was by whatever Mack had drugged him with. I wanted to ask him questions, but Logan was in no condition for an interrogation, so I just sat next to him, content to be in his arms.

The police and ambulance came quickly. I tried to explain what happened as quickly as possible, insisting that Logan needed medical attention. We got into the ambulance to head to the hospital, where the interrogation would continue.

It was a whirlwind at the hospital between getting checked out and answering endless questions. I learned that Mack had shown up at Logan’s office, saying that he had come into town unexpectedly. He had said he wanted to talk to Logan to apologize for any inappropriate feelings he had developed for me. During the conversation, he had somehow been able to slip Rohypnol into Logan’s water on his desk, and it had all been downhill from there. The next thing Logan knew, he was lying on my couch and Mack was pointing a gun at me. After he had roused, he pretended to pass back out, but he had been waiting, biding his time for a chance to take Mack off guard. Lola had provided the perfect opportunity, and when I turned my back to grab the fireplace poker, Logan had tackled him and the gun had fired. Fortunately, it had been Mack who had been shot, and not Logan.

They kept Logan overnight for observation and I stayed with him. He was still a little lethargic, but he held onto me tightly that night. We didn’t say much. Being together was enough. Despite all the tragedy and turmoil we had been through the past few months, I finally felt like things would be okay. A sense of peace settled over me and for the first time in a long time, I felt safe.

Chapter Twenty-Three

I closed the lid of my laptop, happy to be done working for the day, since it meant the weekend had started. I looked out the window at the rain and frowned. At least it wasn’t so cold anymore, I thought to myself, as I got up and threw on a light jacket.

“Lola,” I called. She came bounding off the couch and skidded to a halt in front of me, her tail wagging happily and her tongue hanging out. I scratched her between her ears. “Silly dog.”

I didn’t bother with an umbrella since the rain was so light. It felt good to be outside after being cooped up inside all day. The rain actually felt refreshing and I found myself smiling as I watched Lola sniff a flowerbed as if it held the answers to the mysteries of the world. It apparently met her approval, and she crouched down to relieve herself.

The past five months had been amazing in some ways and difficult in others. Going through Kristina’s trial had been painful, since I had to testify. As angry and disgusted I was at her for trying to ruin our lives, she had been a pitiful sight in the courtroom. She had lost a lot of weight, and her eyes were glazed and dull. It was like she had sunk into herself and was only a shell of the person she used to be. She didn’t seem fazed at all by Mack’s death, even though she had been partially responsible for it. She had stared at Logan during the entire trial, even calling out to him a few times, but he just ignored her. I was relieved when the jury came back with a guilty verdict for attempted murder, rejecting her insanity plea. She was given a life sentence, although she would be eligible for parole after twenty years. I tried not to focus on the possibility of her release.

I pushed aside the dismal thought as Lola pulled on the leash, eager to sniff everything in her path. We took a leisurely walk in the cool April weather, until I realized that it had turned from a light drizzle to a more steady rain. We walked quickly back to my apartment where I dried Lola with a towel before changing into dry clothes.

I checked my phone and saw I had missed a text from Logan while walking the dog.

Leaving work now. Will be over soon. Love you.

It was such a simple thing. A text from your partner telling you he was leaving work and that he loved you. But I treasured it, because all of the past turmoil had taught me that there weren’t any guarantees in life. I wanted to embrace every beautiful second of it, because I didn’t know what would happen in the next minute, let alone the rest of my life.

My phone rang and I picked it up with a smile on my face.

“Hey! How are you?”

“The question is, how are you?” Emily said. “Just one more week until your wedding!”

“I can’t believe it,” I admitted, feeling giddy by the mention of it. “It came quicker than I thought it would.”

Planning a wedding in five months had been no small feat, but with help from Emily and Logan’s mom and lots of caffeine, we had somehow pulled it off. Exactly one week and one day from now, I would become Mrs. Logan Delaney.

“I still can’t believe you didn’t want a bachelorette party,” Emily said grumpily. “I live for bachelorette parties. Especially if they’re in Vegas.”