Page 23 of Consuming Logan

“Lina had already called me,” he said, in response to Logan’s comment. “My shift is over for today. I would’ve arrived earlier, but I wanted to review the surveillance camera footage. One of our best detectives, Lance Stevens, processed the scene. I talked with him on my way over.”

Logan nodded. “Sarah’s husband?”

When Maribelle scowled, Ava went into defense mode. Their financial planner’s ex-husband, Gardner Johnson was the former Shell Cove Police chief. The corrupt cop had been found guilty of human trafficking in the Sky Faraday scandal. Though innocent of any wrongdoing, Sarah had been ostracized by the Shell Cove elite. When others had abandoned her, Logan and now Ava were loyal clients.

“One and the same,” Bishop confirmed. “Good cop, too.”

“What do you know about the guy who attacked us?”

Ava inhaled a deep breath and braced a hand over her stomach to quell the rising anxiety. She watched the man she loved, unshakable even in this weakened state, plow forward, digging for answers.

Bishop ran a hand over his bald head. “That’s just it, Logan. From what the eyewitnesses said the attacker was focused on Ava until you intervened.”

The blood stilled in Ava’s veins. Time rewound, catapulting her back to the front of the club. Memories poured through Ava’s mind. She began to tremble. Squeezing Logan’s hand, she pulled on his strength, willing her mind not to succumb to the terror at seeing that blade.

“Ava?” She couldn’t respond, too overwhelmed with the fear she’d felt before. The sense that she was again helpless to stop someone from hurting her, only this time he’d injured the man she loved. “Sweetheart, you’re crying.”

Ava looked up through the tears filling her eyes. “I’m sorry. You’re the one injured, and…”

Okay, not what she had planned. Ava needed to be the one to reassure him.

“Shh. Come here.”

She looked into his emerald eyes, darkened with concern and immediately calmed. Instead of cowering, Ava came to her feet, standing at Logan’s beside. She sucked in a ragged breath, pulling on a courage she did not feel. She was scared of losing Logan, of losing the baby.

“I’m okay. Bishop ask your questions.”

“Ava if you need me to come back at a different time I can.”

She looked down at Logan, the bruising had spread across his jaw. The right side of his upper body had to hurt, yet here he was fearlessly seeking to catch the man who had done this to them. She would do her part and stand boldly at his side.

“Ask your questions.”

Bishop nodded. “Before tonight, was there any indication that either of you were in danger?”

“No.”

“Maybe,” she said at the same time as Logan’s reply. She thought about the bouquet of flowers she’d received at the office. The ominous message,I’ve been waiting for you.

Maribelle sucked in a sharp breath. “I knew it,” she began.

Logan leveled his mother with a quelling glare. “Knock it off.” Then he turned shrewd eyes on Ava. “What?” he growled.

Ava shifted, locking her knees to steady her shaky legs. “I think someone’s been watching me, ah… not watching, maybe targeting me.” Ava could feel the tense aggression radiating from the man in the bed. She kept her focus on Bishop knowing what she’d see when she looked at Logan. He was pissed. Before Logan could ask, she rushed out with an explanation. “I haven’t seen anyone, but a flower bouquet was in my office yesterday when I arrived. And then, before we left the Tower club a waiter handed me a single flower—” she trailed off. She must sound like a crazy person. Bishop needed facts not fiction.

“I didn’t send the flowers, Bishop.”

“I gathered that,” Bishop stated.

“When did it start, sweetheart?” Logan asked the question, but Bishop gestured with the pen in his hand and a small white pad in the other for her to answer.

“About a week after I returned from deployment. And, about two weeks ago one of the guys working the repairs to my clinic attacked me.” Ava suddenly began to perspire, the dampness adding to her anxiety. Gliding her palms down her thighs she wiped away the moisture and continued. “He was under the influence of Galaxy, so I didn’t make a big deal of it.”

“I did,” Logan growled. “I followed up with the military base security office. The bastard vanished without a trace.”

Bishop ran a finger underneath his chin in concentration. “I’ll need the name of that officer. And your co-workers, Ava. We’ll start there before interviewing the staff here at the hospital, Logan.”

He did a slow tap of the ballpoint pen against the tablet as if he was formulating a question he didn’t want to ask.