Beg for Me (Be for Me 2)

“You want to have your cake and fuck all the others as well?” Xander said, his eyes sending daggers into the model’s back as she walked away.

“Don’t be a prick, Xander.” Logan turned to his barely touched drinks.

“What else can I be when I’m trying to make you see sense?”

“I don’t need to see sense. I know, alright?” He grew angry. “I know.”

He knew how special Min was. How he felt when he was with her.

“So what are you going to do about it?”

“What can I do?”

“You’re not going to quit, are you?” Xander stared at him. “You wouldn’t quit on this?”

Logan swivelled on his stool to face his cousin. “Is that what you think I do, Xan? Am I a quitter?”

Xander said nothing.

Logan stared at him. Is that what they all thought he did? Just gave up when it wasn’t working his way?

But he’d wanted out of skiing—out of that relentless cold, punishing schedule. He’d never loved it the way they’d all thought he had. He’d wanted away from Summerhill. Away from his father.

Because he’d wanted to explore other things. His own interests. His own dreams.

But giving up on Min?

“I think she’s the perfect woman for you,” Hunter said thoughtfully, from behind him. “She’s hot but she’s also discrete. She blew off Rex’s ex beautifully at the engagement party, can do the frigid bitch look real well”

“Hunter,” Logan said warningly. He uncurled his fingers from the fists they’d clamped into.

“I’m just saying she comes across as being able to handle your lifestyle.”

And what kind of lifestyle was that?

The new-woman-a-night kind? He didn’t want any woman but Min. That’s what he needed to tell her.

But he needed to tell her the rest of it first. He needed her to understand, because he realized now just how right she was. He needed her to know why.

He sighed and picked up his drinks, depositing one each in front of his two buddies. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. Good cop, freaking bad cop.”

Xander and Hunter exchanged looks over his head.

“And don’t think I’m too dumb to figure out what I should do.” He had to go talk to her. He had to convince her. Had to try.

“Well, you had us wondering, man.” Xander slapped him on the shoulder. “It’s taken you long enough.”

“Yeah, why are you still here?” Hunter stared at him.

Logan looked at them. The guys had seen him through thick and thin. Logan had spent months away at a time when he’d been on the circuit, but these guys had always been there for him when he’d gotten back. Together with Rocco and Connor. He didn’t want to let them down either.

He walked out of the hotel and hailed a taxi. In the car he felt hot, then cold. Stupid nerves. Worse than when waiting for the signal at the starting gate.

But when he got to her apartment, there were no lights on. She didn’t answer when he rang her buzzer. Didn’t answer when he rang her phone.

For a moment he just stood blankly on the sidewalk. It hadn’t occurred to him that she wouldn’t be there. He had no freaking clue where she would be. Not with her mom, he knew that. So where then?

He thumbed the screen of his phone. He was gonna need more help than he’d realized.

“Hunter,” he said as soon as his buddy answered. “I need your help.”

“Anything.”

“Finding Min. She’s not at her apartment.”

“Oh. Hmmm. She isn’t?”

It wasn’t like Hunter to prevaricate.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Logan demanded.

“I’m not allowed to tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“Let me put Xander on.”

“Xan?”

“Logan.”

Logan could hear Xander’s smile as he spoke.

“You’re looking for Min?” Xander asked.

“You know I am, dumb-ass. Where is she?”

“Why didn’t you ask sooner, she’s staying at Rocco’s hotel.”

“What? Why the fuck didn’t you tell me? We were just there.”

“Figured you needed to sweat it a little more.”

“You bastard—”

“Plus,” Hunter interrupted smoothly, clearly having wrestled the phone from Xander. “It meant we knew where she was and that she was safe. Until you finally came to your senses.”

“Hmmm.”

“You’re welcome.”

“See you so—”

“Logan?” Hunter said, stopping him from ending the call.

“What?”

“I have that diamond ring you gave her. She wanted me to give it back to you.”

Yeah so now he felt extra crap. That damn diamond. He’d just tossed it at her. She’d had to put it on her own finger. And she’d not liked it. It was a cookie-cutter ring—a stereotypical, flashy number that he’d picked for the look of things. To keep up the appearances. All the money, no emotion behind it.

He really was as bad as his father.

Well not anymore. Never, ever again.

Chapter Thirty

#SpecialDelivery

“Room service.”

Min frowned as she heard the housemaid call through the door. She hadn’t ordered anything but she opened the door anyway. Then was glad she was still holding it, because she needed to lean against the solid wood.

He took advantage of her jello-leg moment to walk right in.

“L-l-Logan,” she swallowed. Whispered. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I know. Sorry. I figured if I called out, you mightn’t let me in. So I got the housemaid to help out.” He glanced at the pack of caramel cashew ice-cream he had in his hand. “You hungry?”

She shook her head and glanced out the door, before closing it. The housemaid was already at the other end of the corridor.

Slowly Min turned to face him.

“I checked the records and you haven’t been out all day, haven’t ordered in any food,” he said. “You’ve gotta be hungry.”

He was here to ensure she wasn’t starving? She so didn’t want the brotherly concern. She hugged her arms to her chest and crossed to the other side of the room. “Did Hunter tell you I was here?”

“Xander. Hunter likes to keep his promises.” He put the ice-cream on the table between them. “He did give me the diamond, though.”

“Oh,” she swallowed. “Good.”

“Not good, Min. You should keep it.”

She shook her head. “I could n-n-never...”

To end up with a collection of diamonds from unsuccessful engagements? Worse, to have a permanent reminder of her time with him? The scar on her heart was going to be enough.

He looked at her, seeming to be waiting. For what? For her to fall at his feet or something? It was too unfair of him to turn up looking like that, like he was hurting.

Like he was missing her.

Or maybe that was wishful thinking because her heart was so battered.

“Why are you here?” she asked.

He looked thinner. He looked tired. He looked unhappy.

But that wasn’t her problem. Too late she tried to steel herself. He didn’t want anything to do with her anymore, right? He couldn’t have made it clearer. He’d cut her from his life. He hadn’t been interested in anything other than their silly game. He hadn’t wanted to know when she’d tried to challenge him.

“You mind if I sit?” he asked.

She shook her head, watching as he ran his hands down his thighs and took a space on the sofa.

She perched on the edge of one of the two dining chairs. She had to keep her distance.

“Something up with your apartment?” he asked.

“Hunter... insisted. While that construction work was happening.” And it had been cold. And she hadn’t been able to face arguing with him. Or Rocco. Or Xand

er. Or Chelsea.

She’d figured she’d stay here for just a couple nights, then skip town altogether.

He glanced about the room. “But you’re not working?”