Page 101 of Consuming Logan

The move took the other man by surprise. He went down, dropping to one knee. Without waiting, Logan raised his foot and drove his heel into Ash’s face. The other man dropped, a lumbered log crashing backwards onto his back.

With his heart in his throat, Logan dropped down pulling Ava’s limp body in his arms. Ripping off his shirt, he wrapped it around her wrist creating a tourniquet to staunch the flow of blood.

“Ava,” he cried, fumbling with the medical supplies down on the floor. “Stay with me, sweetheart. Please,” he sobbed, ripping into the suture kit and threading the needle. Thank you, Granny Lou. His hands, covered in Ava’s blood, shook and tears blurred his vision. He’d closed wounds all his adult life. He could do this with his eyes closed. Logan willed his fingers on his injured hand to move. They didn’t.

Ava covered his hand with hers. “Do your job. Save our babies,” she whispered.

He relaxed his grip on the needle, trusting the skill he’d honed through years of application. He inserted the needle. “Don’t leave me, Ava mine.”

“I’m with you, Logan.”

He loved her. He couldn’t lose her now.

A growl came from behind him. Logan spun around. Ash stood there, Kylie’s gun in his hands. Panic shot through Logan.

“I win,” he smiled pointing the gun.

Logan pierced him with his stare. “You can’t. Ava loves me and our babies will live. Brooke never loved you or she couldn’t have been with me.”

Ash’s eyes hardened. His fingers tightened around the gun.

“No,” a male voice roared.

Logan turned just in time to see Tyson lunge in front of him. An explosion of sound shook the room. The bullet from Ash’s gun hit Tyson in the chest. The Irishman’s big body crashed to the floor. Logan’s breath sawed in and out of his lungs. His brother lay motionless. No, this couldn’t be right. Tyson couldn’t die.

Logan, momentarily shocked, couldn’t believe Tyson had risked his life to save him. Without thought, Logan shot to his feet and slammed his shoulder into Ash’s gut. The move lifted the other man off his feet, turning he used all his strength to slam the body huddled over his onto the glass desk. Chest heaving, Logan didn’t stop until the glass shattered, thick shards embedded deep in Ash’s flesh.

He leaned down. A triangle wedge of glass protruded from a gaping chest wound, likely lodged in his heart. Eyes fixed on the ceiling; Ash lay dead.

Tyson’s grunt of pain had Logan spinning around. He looked at his brother. How was it possible he’d survived a bullet at close contact?

“You took a bullet for me,” he said more to himself than Tyson.

His big brother coughed and pulled up his shirt, revealing a Kevlar vest. Logan nodded; thankful he was okay.

“Caleb,” he bellowed into the wrist monitor moving back to Ava. “Tyson’s down too. Where’s my help?”

Tyson struggled to sit up. “Yeah, your arrogant ass is a lot of trouble.”

“You helped to save my Ava.” Logan extended his blood-stained hand. “Thank you, brother.”

Tyson motioned to Ava. “How is she?”

“Ava mine,” Logan whispered, pushing the suture needle through her abdomen. “I’m never letting you and my babies leave the house again.” She didn’t respond and her pulse was weak. With shaky hands and tear-filled eyes, Logan took care with the wife of his heart and his babies. He laid each stitch, not thinking about his hand and that Ava needed more than he had available. By her side is where he would stay.

“Someone needs to intercept Susan Holbrook and Randall Lester. They have Monique.” He heard Tyson say.

“Copy all, Caleb,” Tyson grunted. “Monique exited the hotel. No one was with her.”

Logan could hear footsteps, several pairs, approaching. “The paramedics are in the elevator headed to you. Hold tight, brother.”

Caleb was right. They were brothers. Just like Darwin, Maximus, and Tyson. He could count on his friends to be there for him in good and bad times. Wasn’t that the definition of family?

Sutures done, Logan pillowed Ava’s head on his biceps, before curling his body protectively around hers. “I won’t let you leave without me, Ava mine.”

Chapter 37

Ava peered through the glass pane of the Blessed Life Sanctuary. Logan stood at the altar, her superhero. She and their babies were alive because of his love. Through her cloud of pain and darkness, she’d felt his heat, smelled his scent, followed his heartbeat.