His hand emerged. The expected gun was missing. In its place was a thick manila envelope. She blinked at it, confused.
“I believe the FBI will find this interesting.” He pushed it into her hands.
“What is it?”
“A mere sample of the substantial evidence we have accumulated. The Krupins have been credited with a number of crimes of which we are innocent. We have proof that Chester Abercrombie was responsible for these events, with money from Senator Edwards. We hope the FBI will agree to correct these errors and clear our good name.”
She heard his unspoken “or else” loud and clear. His intense glare burned into her retinas, and she gripped the envelope with both hands, icy fingers curling in her gut. Not knowing what else to do, she gave a weak nod, as if she had some magical power with the FBI. It seemed to satisfy him, because he turned away and closed up his cart.
“How are they going to contact you?” Ellery asked. “To get the rest of the evidence?”
“I will contact them.” He pushed the cart toward the door.
“Hey!” she called out, as his hand reached for the handle. He sent a scorching gaze over his shoulder. She knew she was a fool to bait him further, but something inside her refused to be silenced. She gritted her teeth and returned his glare. “You said Sophia belongs to you. So you’d better stick with her. Even if she ends up with scars, like me. You tell her she’s beautiful.”
For the briefest moment, the corners of his eyes crinkled, and she’d have sworn he’d cracked a smile under his mask. Then the door opened, and he was gone.
CHAPTER 32
Kara stopped Logan outside Ellery’s hospital room. “Hold on. Talk to me for a minute before you go tearing into that room with that crazy look on your face.”
“I just need to see her. I have to know she’s okay.”
Simply knowing how close he’d come to losing her again had ripped a hole in his chest. How was he going to keep functioning when the time came to set her free?
“She’ll be okay, but you need to be calm,” Kara said.
“How can I be calm when the FBI just let Alexander Krupin waltz into her room? I swear, if he hurt one hair on her head, I’ll—”
“You may be the one who’s hurting her.”
Logan stopped, like he’d been slapped in the face. “How am I hurting her?”
“Answer me this… Do you love her or not?” Kara jammed her hands onto her hips.
“It’s not that simple.” He swallowed hard. He couldn’t say anything to Kara without it getting back to Ellery.
“It would be simple if you really loved her,” Kara said with a huff. “I can’t believe I defended you because I thought Ellery was misjudging you!”
“What did she say about me?”
“Nicer things than you deserve, in my opinion.” Kara took a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting it out slowly. He had a feeling a tornado was about to erupt. “This is a crappy time to break up with her, if that’s what you’re planning to do.”
“What if that’s what’s best for her?” he demanded. Kara had no idea how much he’d agonized over his decision.
“Don’t you dare use that as an excuse to dump her.”
He flinched at the finger she shook in his face.
“I’m not. I’m doing the unselfish thing.”
“Are you kidding me?” Red-faced, Kara gestured toward Ellery’s door. “That woman has been through hell and suffered and lost everything, only to fight her way back. She’s not afraid of anything life can dish out. Her only fear is that no one could ever really love her because of a few marks on her skin. And you…”
Kara glared up at him with such ferocity he edged backwards. “You dangled love in front of her and got her hopes up. And now you’re just going to rip it away?”
“You said it yourself… she’s suffered enough.” It was humiliating to admit, but he wanted Kara to understand. “She almost died because of me. How could I live with that?”
“You aren’t responsible for death, Logan. That’s in God’s hands, and Ellery doesn’t fear it. So who are you trying to protect? Is it really Ellery?” Kara’s voice cracked. “Or is it you?”
“Ellery!” he declared, refusing to consider the other possibility. “I can’t be the one who brings more pain into her life.”
“Pain is part of life. So she’ll have it, whether you’re in her life or not. She doesn’t need someone to protect her from it. She needs someone who’ll stand beside her and love her in the middle of it.” A tear tracked down Kara’s cheek. “Which brings me back to my original question… Do you love her or not?”
Her words bit, venomous as a cobra.
Could he face the answer?
Logan was back.
His mere presence was comforting, though he was sitting to the side—elbows on his knees, head between his hands. Poor guy was probably falling asleep. He’d evidently only had time to get a haircut before Kara had called him back.
“This information could’ve been fabricated.” Salena Estrada, the new leader assigned to the FBI team, was leafing through the pages. Thankfully, she was the only FBI agent left in the room, the others having been sent off to fulfill their various duties. “Even the photos could’ve been doctored. It’s going to take time to verify what he’s given us.”
Ellery nodded, barely listening. They’d been talking to her for an hour. Her throat was raw and her concentration had been wavering even before Logan came in the room.
