Page 50 of Keeping Kasey (Love and Blood #3)

“Hey! That’s not fair!” Dominic yells, and we all look to the living room, where Logan is holding Dominic by his feet, dangling the boy upside down.

“I told you if you hit me again, I’d hang you upside down. I’m a man of my word, kid.”

“Dominic, you know better than to hit,” Ryder chastises. “Tell Uncle Logan you’re sorry, or you’re going to time-out.”

The boy’s frown is comical as he mutters, “I’m sorry for hitting you.”

Logan turns the boy right side up by tossing him on the couch, and Dominic’s frown disappears as he erupts into a fit of laughter, then begs Logan to do it again.

“How long until dinner’s ready?” Moreno asks.

“Ten minutes,” Elise calls over her shoulder.

“Consoli, is there a place we can talk?”

Logan looks like talking to Moreno is the last thing he wants to do, but he nods to the back hallway.

“Kasey,” Moreno calls, nodding in the direction they’re going.

For the hundredth time, I regret coming here, even as I follow them.

“Is no one else worried about the three of them being alone together?” Damon mumbles, just loud enough for everyone to hear him.

“A disaster waiting to happen,” a lower voice—Ryder’s, I presume—confirms.

Their soft chuckles follow us as we disappear down the hall.

“We can talk in my office,” Logan offers.

“No,” I say, stopping in my tracks.

Logan doesn’t even slow. “Damon’s office it is.”

Moreno turns to look at me, probably for some explanation, but I avoid his gaze.

Damon’s office is more of a billiards room.

Sure, there’s a desk against the back wall, but the poker table is the main focus of the room, and a pool table sits beneath the big windows overlooking the front lawn.

There’s a bar in one corner, but it’s only stocked with water bottles and energy drinks.

When the door closes behind us, Moreno pulls his phone out. “He’s yours?”

He turns the phone to show a picture of Mark. He’s walking out of a bar with crutches under each arm and a thick cast on his left leg. It’s the first time I’ve seen him since the interrogation, and the sight of him moving around— alive —is more comforting than I expected.

When Moreno’s words process, all I can bring myself to say is, “He’s… Mark.”

“Well, Mark is giving me a headache. He’s got a cousin with ties to one of the motorcycle clubs in Phoenix.

He’s telling anyone who will listen that the Consolis kidnapped his girlfriend.

They know better than to get involved in our business, but they gave me the heads-up that he seemed intent on finding a club that would. ”

He’s telling people I’m his girlfriend?

I glare at Logan. “You said Ryan would make sure this doesn’t happen. That was his only reason for staying.”

“Ryan made sure Lover Boy didn’t go to the police , which must have made him decide to go to more extreme lengths.”

“If you can’t get him to back off, I will,” Moreno says, and there’s no ambiguity in his meaning.

“I’ll talk to him. I’ll convince him to stop.” I look at Logan, expecting him to shoot down the idea. It was one of his conditions, after all.

But his face is impassive.

“Wait here,” he says as he leaves.

Once we’re alone, Moreno says, “Lover Boy, huh?”

He wears the most slappable expression I have ever seen. The smugness makes every nerve in my hand itch to hit him.

“You people are insufferable,” I say, ignoring his laugh.

Logan comes back in, holding something out to me.

“You’ve had my phone this whole time?”

He shrugs. “You never asked for it.”

“ Insufferable ,” I murmur with a shake of my head, and point to the door. “Go. I’ll talk to Mark and get him to back off.”

Neither of them moves an inch.

“Seriously?”

Moreno points between Logan and me. “You two might have some deal, but I never agreed to one. I’ll be staying right here.”

I look at Logan, but I already know he won’t leave. If Moreno isn’t going anywhere, then Logan definitely isn’t.

I walk to the far side of the room and turn on my phone. There are almost a hundred missed calls from Mark.

I dial and bring the phone to my ear.

He answers on the first ring.

“Katie! Are you okay? Where are you? I’ve been trying to—”

“Mark,” I cut in, keeping my voice as low as I can, though I’m sure my audience can still hear me. “I’m fine. You need to stop looking for me.”

“He’s there, isn’t he? The Consoli guy, he’s with you?”

My stomach drops. Saying Logan’s name in front of Mark was careless, but I never imagined he’d figure out who Logan actually is.

“Listen to me, I’m safe. What you saw back at my apartment, I know it looked bad, but—”

“ Looked bad ? I was shot, and you were kidnapped.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry you got mixed up in my mess, but right now, I need you to listen to me. I am safe, but you aren’t. You need to stop trying to find me. Forget you ever met me and go back to your life, okay?”

His pause is brief, then his voice drops low. “I can’t do that, Katie—”

“ Kasey , my name is Kasey. You don’t even know me.”

“Katie, Kasey, it doesn’t matter what you go by. I’m not letting you live as that bastard’s prisoner, and I found someone who can help.”

I steal a glance over my shoulder at the men watching me intently.

“Who?” I ask, disguising the word with an exhale.

“I can’t tell you that, but don’t worry. You won’t be there much longer, I promise.”

“Mark, I’m only going to say this one more time, then I’m hanging up.

You have no idea who you’re dealing with.

If you don’t stop looking for me and go back to your normal life, they will kill you.

I’ve done everything I can to protect you, but if you don’t drop this, there is nothing more I can do. ”

I hang up, close my eyes, and vow to never get close to anyone again.

Mark already took a bullet because of me. If he loses his life just because I was lonely…

I won’t forgive myself.

The door opens and closes, but I don’t need to look to see who left and who is still here.

I don’t owe Logan anything, but for some reason, I find myself saying, “He isn’t my boyfriend. He was a nosy neighbor with a Superman complex who I had dinner with to forget how pathetically lonely I was. He’s a nice guy who found himself at the worst place at the worst time.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“No, you didn’t,” I say, turning to face his blank expression. “You just shot him.”

Logan doesn’t say anything, but I didn’t expect him to.

“Let’s just get this over with,” I mutter and shove past him into the hall.