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“Damn, Annika,” Jolene exclaimed. “I’ve never seen anyone talk to a grown man like that before. You must be averygood teacher.”

“Sorry about that, Annika,” Natalie said, giving her a hug. “He’s just a grieving widower.”

“Yes, I understood that. He blames Logan.”

“Well,” Natalie started. “Carlie, his wife, was in a really bad accident. Her car went into the river. Logan was inches away from reaching her when she slipped below the surface and disappeared, succumbing to her extensive injuries. They searched for her for hours.”

“Does Logan blame himself?” she wondered.

“Graham seems to think he does. That’s why he gave him some time off.”

“Not again,” Annika breathed. Just like with Jamie, he was placing the blame for another accidental death squarely on his own shoulders.

“What?” The men returned, saving Annika from having to reply.

Logan kneeled down in front of her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

He hugged her tight to him, then sat back on his heels. “What thehellwere you thinking, Annika?” She stared at him in disbelief that he would speak to her so harshly but could see the underlying fear in his expression. “That was a risky move. He could have had a gun or something.”

“He did. I felt it.”

Logan blanched and grabbed her to him again in a fierce hug. “Fuck, Sunfire. That was just about the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Go easy on her, Logan,” Miss Letty said. “She did exactly the right thing by defusing the situation.”

“He’s just grieving and looking for somewhere to place that grief,” Annika said after Logan released her again. “I just gave him something to focus on. Gave him a purpose. At least for the next day or so.”

“I, for one, hope he does exactly as you ordered,” Emma said.

“Only time will tell,” Miss Letty responded sadly. She patted Annika on her hand. “You are a wonder, my girl. Simply amazing,” she mused, then said her goodbyes to the group.

Logan reached for her hand to help Annika stand. “Let’s go home.” She nodded.

They all said their goodbyes, and Annika promised she’d see them all again. She and Logan spent a quiet ride home. There was a tension radiating from his body, and his knuckles were white as he squeezed the life out of the steering wheel. Annika wished these new trucks still had those bench seats so that she could slide closer to Logan and put her head on his shoulder, offering him as much comfort as she could with her body.

As soon as they were in the house, she was in his arms, and he was kissing her like a starved man. “Annika,” he moaned against her lips.

Chapter 10

Breakingthekiss,hestaredather,ragestillcoursingthroughhim.“Thatwasafuckingrecklessthingtodo,Annika.”

She stiffened and dropped her arms from around his neck. “I only did what I thought was right.”

“You should have let me handle it. The guy was unhinged. There’s no telling what could have happened. Christ, Annika. He had a gun.” He paced away from her, running his fingers aggressively through his hair.

“I know that?”

“Then what were you thinking confronting him like that?”

“Logan,” she started softly. She was trying to calm his rage, but he was resisting. He wasn’t ready to let it go yet.

“Fuck, how could you act so stupidly?” He regretted the words before they were even out of his mouth.

He watched as Annika shrank before his eyes, her arms wrapping around her stomach before her face flushed with anger. She dropped her arms and stiffened her spine. She jutted her chin out, finding her fierce inner Sunfire; he was in for it now.

“As I said, I did what I thought was right. I know how situations like that can get out of hand quickly. And I knew that you would risk violence to protect me. Making him focus on me, I made him see me as a person, not his victim. I drew his attention away from what was causing his anger. And it worked. I calmed him down without the violence I know you would have resorted to.”