Page 40 of One Night Seduction (ONS #1)

Logan

It took less than an hour to talk my client out of completely torching this case.

He’s desperate to get home to his family in Boston and was willing to do whatever it took to get there.

Even if that meant taking a plea that would ultimately call into question all sixty-two of his current family’s businesses.

As one of the most notorious organized crime bosses to this day, the DA would love to take him down any way they could, even at the risk of losing the bigger fish.

Sometimes I feel slimy covering these criminal’s asses.

I never represent a murderer or rapist, that’s a hard line that I draw.

White collar crime, though…am I an asshole if I look the other way?

Probably, but it keeps this firm afloat and allows us to do the work that actually matters, like pro bono cases for domestic violence victims, low-income families, and malpractice suits that take years to go through.

I contemplated stopping by the store to get Arianna some flowers and champagne because I meant it, we’re celebrating tonight.

We are both free from her mother, free to love openly, to have any kind of future that we desire, and I intend on making her choice to stay worth it.

Instead of stopping at the store, though, I decided to just head home. I just want to be near her.

When I get to the house, I park my car before coming up to the front door. I punch in my code when I realize the door isn’t actually locked. Shaking my head, I push the door open. I keep telling her to make sure she locks the thing after she comes inside.

Shutting the door behind me, I engage the lock before calling out for her.

“Ari!”

“In here!” another voice calls out.

I frown at the sound, following it to the formal living room. I stop short, in complete disbelief of what I’m seeing. Arianna is tied to a chair, slumped forward with blood dripping down her head and a dazed expression on her beautiful face.

“Logan,” she slurs as Kelly stands behind her, wrapping a chunk of Arianna’s hair in her fist, yanking her head up before pressing a kitchen knife to her neck.

“Welcome home, sweetheart,” Kelly purrs.

The room reeks of alcohol, and I look down to see shattered glass and blood on the cream colored carpet.

“What are you doing, Kelly?” I ask stiffly.

“Just handling a little problem,” she says as she drags the tip of the knife down Arianna’s neck, over her chest, and down to her stomach.

“I wasn’t expecting you home so soon. Good thing I came prepared,” she says, stepping away from the chair to show off her red lingerie set that she’s currently wearing.

My eyes scan the room, thinking of what exactly I can do to get Kelly away from her.

“Look at me!” she snarls, and I snap my eyes to hers.

She preens at the attention, pushing out her tits as she speaks.

“That’s better. Do you like what you see? ”

I don’t speak, gritting my jaw tightly. I notice Kelly sway slightly on her feet and my eyes narrow.

“Are you drunk?” I ask, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.

“Not anymore.” She shrugs. “Kinda coming down now.”

“What about the baby?”

“You mean the baby you don’t want?” she asks, tears springing to her eyes out of nowhere.

My god, she can change emotions at the drop of a hat.

“I didn’t say that,” I say, attempting to play off her mood swings.

She looks at me curiously as I take a step towards her. I feel Arianna’s eyes on me, but I force myself not to look at her, focusing all of my attention on the crazy bitch with the knife.

“You wanted a paternity test!” she snaps, like she’s attempting to keep her guard up.

I continue walking slowly, but Kelly is still on edge, digging the knife deeper into Arianna’s side in a way that makes her wince.

“I did. I wanted to know if this baby was mine or if we’d have to try again,” I say as I reach out for her, resting my hand on her stomach and rubbing it soothingly.

She seems to soften at my touch, the knife moving away from Arianna slightly, allowing me to breathe a little easier as I continue.

“You want to have a baby with me?” she asks desperately, like she’s never wanted anything more.

“Of course, baby. You’re the love of my life. I’m just so sorry I hurt you,” I say as I cup the back of her neck, keeping her eyes pinned on me.

“You’re mine.” Kelly nods with a watery smile.

“I know, baby. I know. Everything you’ve done, everything you’re doing. It’s for us. ”

“Yes!”

“I know,” I dip my chin, my thumb rubbing soft circles on the back of her neck as I keep her focus on me.

“I’ll get rid of this baby, and we can start fresh,” she says with a smile, a tear slipping down her face.

My gut twists at her words, at how I never saw the fucking crazy behind the mask. I don’t let it show, though, forcing a genuine smile to spread across my face.

“That’s all I want, Kelly.”

I glance out of the corner of my eye to see that she’s still holding the knife, though one of her arms has wound around my neck. Fucking hell. Sparrow, please forgive me.

Slipping my free hand around her waist, I smash her mouth to mine.

She greets me eagerly, her tongue wrapping around mine like a fucking sea serpent as I hear the thud of the knife hit the carpet.

Kelly’s hands wrap around my neck, and I take the opportunity to lift her into the air.

Her legs wrap around my waist as I begin carrying her across the room and into the foyer.

I feel her teeth nip and pull against my lower lip, and I fake a groan as I slam her against the wall.

She moans, grinding herself against me as I rest one of my hands on the wall.

Tearing my mouth away from hers, I cover her neck with kisses as I attempt to hit the emergency alarm on the keypad inside the doorway.

Everything goes well until the enter button makes a beep.

It’s soft, almost silent, but her ear is centimeters from it.

Immediately, she freezes. Pulling away from me, her calculated eyes narrow as she looks from me to the keypad, 911 flashing on the display.

Shit.

Kelly headbutts me, catching me off guard as I drop her with a thunk. She somehow recovers quicker than I do as she scrambles towards the living room, bending down to grab the knife .

“NO!” I shout, moments before the most haunting, gut-wrenching sound pierces the air.

My brain struggles to process the image of my Sparrow, wide-eyed and terrified, as she looks down at the knife sticking out of her abdomen.

A horrified gasp erupts from Arianna before she screams. That’s all it takes.

I see red.

Letting out a roar that I’m fairly certain isn’t human, I rush Kelly.

She still holds the knife in her hand, her crazed eyes still on Arianna, which I use to my advantage.

I tackle her to the couch, pinning her down by her throat as her eyes bulge in fear.

Her nails begin clawing at me as her other hand attempts to stab me with the knife.

I grapple with her for several seconds before I’m able to get a hold of her wrist, twisting it hard enough for her to let it go.

Her nails dig into my face, attempting to scratch my eyes out before I shove her deeper into the couch.

Somehow, she’s able to get her knee up and drives it straight into my balls.

Pain radiates my entire body as I groan, falling off of her and onto the ground.

The crazy fucking bitch stands to her feet, looking down at me with a disgusted look before her glare returns to Arianna.

Arianna looks at me, her face contorted in pain while her eyes bulge with panic.

She will not hurt her further. She will not touch her.

Reaching out for Kelly, I’m able to grip her ankle before I pull sharply.

She topples over, unsteady from her buzz or these ridiculous fucking shoes, but not before she hits her head on the mahogany end table.

Her skull makes a sickening crack before she collapses onto the ground.

Pushing myself up, I move over her limp body, not giving a fuck whether she’s alive or dead before I drop to Arianna’s side.

Her light blue shirt has a deep red stain that is only growing by the second.

I press my hand against it, forcing a scream to erupt from her as I attempt to stop the bleeding.

“I know, Sparrow. I know. Keep breathing. Help is coming.”

“Log-gan,” she pants.

“I’m here, Ari. I’m here.”

“I-I don’t want to di-e.”

Panic fills me as I shake my head.

“You won’t! You hear me! You will not die.

You and I, we have so much life to live, so many new heights to hit together.

I still need to pick out the perfect ring, plan the perfect proposal.

I need to hear you say that you’ll marry me and watch you walk down the aisle in a white dress.

I need to have babies with you and grow old with you.

You and I? We’re just getting started, okay? ”

She smiles at that, her breathing becoming choppy.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” I nod.

“Okay, I’ll marry you. I’ll have babies with you. Th-he works.”

I feel a tear slip down my face as I let out a gasping laugh and give her a watery smile.

“Perfect, that was easy,”

Arianna chokes out a laugh, wincing at the end.

“Seattle PD, open up!” a shout calls out.

“In here! Hurry!” I call out.

Several loud pounding noises echo through the house before I hear the door splinter open. The security alarm goes off as heavy footsteps sound from the front door.

“Over here!” I yell again.

“Hands where we can see them!” a police officer yells.

“She’s bleeding out! Help her! Save her!”

I watch him call in the scene on his radio as another officer comes over to us, untying Arianna before checking Kelly for a pulse.

“Make that two ambulances,” he says to his partner.

“Help is here, Sparrow. You just have to hold on, okay? Just hold on.”

She gives me a soft smile, but I see the life begin to drain out of her.

“No, no, no! Fuck! C’mon, Ari, baby. Stay with me. Don’t leave me.”

One of the cops rushes inside with a first aid kit, pulling out rolls of gauze that I quickly put against her before applying pressure once more. She’s lost too much blood. She doesn’t need gauze, she needs a doctor.

Thankfully, the sound of sirens rings out before four paramedics rush inside, two coming over to Arianna and two to Kelly.

Carefully, they lift Arianna onto a stretcher, taking over holding her wound as they rush her off.

I try to follow her when a cop stops me with a hand on my chest. I look down at his hand, pure fury running rampant inside me.

“Get your fucking hands off me.”

“We have some questions, sir.”

“Then ask them on the way to the hospital, that’s my fucking fiancée!”

I don’t care what Arianna says when she makes it out of this. She agreed to marry me, she’s locked in now. She has to live because she promised. She has to be okay because we have a whole life to live.

The cops agree, thankfully. One stays behind while the other jumps into the car with me, immediately asking questions about what happened. I give him every shred of detail I can while my mind stays laser focused on the ambulance carrying my whole world in front of us .

When we get to the hospital, it feels like it takes forever to get to the nurse’s station.

“Arianna Fulton, where is she?”

“Are you family?” she asks.

“Yes,” I answer immediately.

Her fingers move across the keyboard, not fast enough if you ask me, before she looks at me.

“It looks like they took her up to surgery.”

“She’s alive?” I ask, like I need to hear the words.

“I can get someone to come out with an update if you’d like.”

“Please,” I rasp as I dig my hands into my hair and walk towards the wall, slumping down to the floor.

For hours I pray to God. I bargain, I threaten, I beg. I’ve never been a religious man, but in this moment, I’ll say as many Hail Marys, do as many good deeds, promise anything in the whole fucking world if I can have Arianna back.