Page 10

Logan

The radio crackled to life, jolting me back to reality. Dispatch’s voice, sharp and urgent, pierced the quiet hum of the station. “We’ve got a multi-vehicle pileup on I-85 northbound, mile marker 27. Multiple injuries reported.”

My stomach lurched, a cold fist clenching inside me. “Let’s roll, Beau!”

Beaumont leaped into the driver’s seat. I slid into the back, making sure everything was secure. The wail of sirens pierced the air as we surged out of the station, the flashing lights painting streaks of red across the asphalt.

My mind raced, mirroring the frantic pulse of the city outside. Tragedies like this were an ugly reality, a stark contrast to the quiet rhythm of our everyday lives. And every damn time I answered one of these calls, I worried it would be someone I knew who needed help.

“Getting reports of at least a dozen vehicles involved,” Beau said, his voice strained. “Gonna be bad, Logan.”

“Yeah, bad,” I muttered, my gaze fixed on the road ahead. Suddenly, the ambulance screeched to a halt, throwing me forward. I was out the door before the vehicle had fully stopped, the cries of the injured already filling my ears. The scene before me was a twisted nightmare of mangled metal and shattered glass.

This was it. Time to face the ugly reality and do what I was trained to do. I just prayed I wasn’t too late, not for the victims, and not for those who loved them.

The acrid fumes burned my nostrils and choked my throat as I sprinted toward a woman the fire department had just pulled from what was left of a sedan. The metal had crumpled around the guardrail like a discarded toy. I could feel Beau right behind me.

“What’s the situation?” I asked as I walked up to Dawson.

He glanced at me. “She’s conscious and somewhat coherent. Keeps saying something about her daughter. There’s signs of a child in the backseat, but we haven’t found her.”

Jesus. “Any chance she was thrown?”

“Possibly. We’ve got people searching for her,” he said.

The woman’s eyelids fluttered. “My… my daughter…”

“Ma’am, right now I need to get you stabilized. Can you tell me your name?” I asked, using my pen light to check her pupils. I turned to Beau. “Pupils are non-responsive.”

I checked her heart and assessed the damage to her body. Broken wrist, looked like her right ankle had been crushed, contusion on her forehead. I got to work while Beau talked to her, getting as much information as he could from her. Once she was ready, we loaded her into the ambulance.

“No, my daughter,” she said.

“She’ll meet you at the hospital. Right now, we need to focus on keeping you alive.”

A tear slid down her cheek, and I hoped like fucking hell I hadn’t just lied to her. Dawson and his crew better damn well find the kid! Assuming she’d even been in the car.

I climbed into the ambulance, the doors slamming shut, leaving the scene behind. By the time we reached the hospital, I knew the mom would pull through. Her vitals were stable, so barring any internal injuries I’d missed, or something I wasn’t able to detect without further testing, she’d make a full recovery. I just had to hope the others had found her daughter, or discovered she hadn’t been there to begin with. I’d have to check with Dawson later. It would bother me until I knew what happened.

The drive back to the station was a blur. From what we’d heard over radio chatter, two people hadn’t made it. Another three were on their way to the hospital. And as of right now the little girl was still unaccounted for. I felt haggard and couldn’t wait for my shift to end.

Pulling into the parking lot, I let out a sigh and closed my eyes for a moment. The adrenaline was receding, leaving behind a weariness that burrowed deep into my soul. All I craved was a hot shower and the oblivion of sleep.

But as I clambered out of the ambulance, reality slammed into me like a rogue wave. Scarlet was waiting by the entrance, her arms folded across her chest, her face a stormy landscape of anger and suspicion. What the hell was wrong with this damn woman?

“Logan,” she said, her voice taut with barely suppressed emotion. “We need to talk.”

The way she looked and spoke would make it seem to outsiders as if we were in a relationship. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’d started to wonder if the woman had a few screws loose.

“Can’t it wait?” I asked, my voice betraying how fucking drained I felt. “It’s been a long one.”

“No, it can’t.” She took a step closer, her eyes narrowed like a hawk’s. “I know you’re hiding something, Logan. And I’m not leaving until I find out what it is.”

Seriously, what was her fucking issue? We weren’t best friends. We’d never dated. It wasn’t that I was hiding anything from her… I just never shared much with her to begin with. Every alarm in my head was ringing, screaming out a warning this woman was crazy.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.

Scarlet’s lips curved into a sardonic smile. “Don’t play dumb with me, sugar. I’ve seen the way you’ve been acting lately. Distracted, jumpy. And don’t think I haven’t noticed those mystery calls you keep taking.”

“If you’d stop coming to our side of the damn building, then you wouldn’t see shit,” I said.

“I’m allowed to go over there if I want. Everyone else does!”

My jaw clenched, the urge to tell her to mind her own business burning like a hot coal in my throat. But if this woman really was unhinged, then I didn’t need to push the wrong buttons.

“It’s nothing,” I insisted, trying to sidestep her inquisition. “Just some personal stuff I’m dealing with. Leave it alone, Scarlet. I don’t pry into your life, don’t pry into mine.”

But Scarlet wouldn’t listen. She grabbed my arm, her fingers digging into my skin like a vice. “Personal stuff, huh? Like what? A new girlfriend? Is that it? You have some little slut hidden away?”

I yanked my arm free, my temper flaring. “Back the fuck off, Scarlet. I mean it. Who I see is none of your damn business. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

For a moment, we stood locked in a silent battle of wills, the tension crackling between us like static electricity. Finally, she retreated, her expression unreadable.

“Fine. Keep your secrets, Logan. But just remember, I’ve got my eye on you.”

What the hell was that supposed to mean? She turned on her heel and walked away, leaving me standing alone in the parking lot. The idea that she’d been watching me, dissecting my every move, sent a shiver down my spine. Had she been stalking me? If so, just how far was she going to take things? It made me wonder if the times I’d felt watched had anything to do with her.

I tried to shake off her ominous words and put it from my mind. Now wasn’t the time to figure it out. I still had a job to do. Inside, the station was a familiar hive of activity. My fellow paramedics moved about, restocking supplies, and chatting about their calls. From the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw Scarlet watching from the shadows in the doorway.

I glanced that way and saw her, eyes narrowed as she stared at me. Part of me wanted to confront her in front of everyone, but I held back. For one, it was a damn miracle she’d shown up to work. If I ran her off, the other dispatchers wouldn’t be too happy with me. And an unhappy dispatcher made for a miserable shift. I’d most likely end up with all the shit calls no one wanted.

I couldn’t help but wonder if Scarlet had been watching me all this time, what would her next move be? What was her end goal? And worst of all… what would she do to Akira? It was clear she didn’t like the idea of me having a girlfriend.

My phone vibrated with an incoming text, and I tugged it from my pocket, expecting it to be one of my brothers. Instead, I saw an unfamiliar number on the screen. Frowning, I tapped open the message, a chill crawling down my spine at the cryptic words: Your angel’s wings are about to be clipped. Choose wisely .

My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs, fear and confusion churning within me. By angel did they mean Akira? Or one of my brothers? Who the hell was this? What choice was I supposed to make?

Another thought snaked its way into my mind. Scarlet. Her recent odd behavior, the probing questions she’d been asking -- could it all be connected to something far more sinister than I’d realized? Was she behind this message?

Shaking my head, I tried to clear the confusion. I needed clarity, not this debilitating turmoil. Focusing, I tried to decipher the meaning of the message, who had sent it, and what they might want. No matter how long I analyzed it, nothing and no one came to mind… other than Scarlet. And I hated to point fingers when I couldn’t be sure it was her.

If Akira was in danger, I needed to act fast. Every second wasted could mean jeopardy for her. But if Scarlet was somehow involved, I needed to tread carefully. One wrong move could alert her, potentially making things worse. Or if it wasn’t her, this would blow up in my face and I could lose my job by accusing her of something this serious.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm the frantic beat of my heart. As I stared at the phone in my hand, the seconds ticked by. My feet echoed against the cold tile floor as I paced the length of the room. I wanted to forward this to someone in the club, see what they thought. But I didn’t know enough about technology to know if something like that would be traceable.

“Logan, man, you okay?” I blinked and focused on another paramedic, Jack. His voice cut through the fog of my anxiety, his brow creased with concern. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

I hesitated. If it really had been Scarlet and she was watching, then saying anything could have dire consequences. “I… I got a weird message. I’m not sure if it’s a scam or the real deal. It’s possible someone is in danger.”

Jack folded his arms. “Danger? What kind of danger?”

I couldn’t provide an answer. “I don’t know for sure. But the thought of something happening to my girl or one of my brothers because I didn’t act fast enough…”

The sentence trailed off, the fear a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Hey, listen to me,” Jack said, his voice firm yet reassuring as he placed a hand on my shoulder. “You can’t do this alone. You’re part of a club for a reason. They have your back.”

The Swift Angels were more than just a club. They were my family. We’d been through hell and back together, and I knew I could count on them when it mattered most.

But I couldn’t shake the nagging voice whispering in the back of my mind. What if I’d fucked up by involving them? What if had put them in danger? I had no way of knowing if it was the club or Akira in the crosshairs right now.

I ran a hand through my hair, the internal struggle a storm raging within me. I knew I needed to make a decision, and fast. Every moment I wasted put someone at greater risk.

“I need to think this through,” I finally said, my voice raspy with the strain of indecision. “I can’t rush into anything without knowing what I’m up against. Who I’m up against.”

Jack nodded, his expression serious. “Just remember, you’re not alone in this. Don’t struggle if you don’t have to. And if you think it has to do with that pretty girl of yours, why not ask her family for help?”

“What do you know of her family?”

He snorted. “Dude, you aren’t as subtle as you thought. I know you’re dating Akira, and that her dad is a Dixie Reaper. Everyone in town knows who she is. Did you really think no one would spot you?”

Despite the fact Scarlet also knew about me and Akira, she wasn’t the only one. The message really could be from anyone. Instead of narrowing my options, they’d just increased exponentially. Shit.

I took a deep breath. Which way did I go? Talk to the Swift Angels or the Dixie Reapers? Or maybe I should just reach out to Dawson since he walked in both worlds? Whatever I decided, I needed to do it soon.