Blake, Abby - Emma's Education [Viper's Dungeon 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (18 page)

“Logan dragged him back into the club. I expect that the security guards are taking care of the rest. Hopefully, it won’t take long for the police to get here.”

She nodded numbly, not really sure what to do now.

It seemed like an eternity before she heard the sirens, but two police vehicles finally arrived. Fifteen minutes later, they placed a handcuffed Greg into the backseat. As the officers passed Emma and Jace, Greg protested his innocence once more, pleading with her to explain why he’d needed to kill the men who’d defiled her.

Good heavens. Considering that Greg was the one who’d brought her to Viper’s Dungeon in the first place, his claim he needed to protect her now was hard to take seriously. The officer closed the door and shook his head as he moved toward where she leaned against Jace’s solid warmth.

“What part of ‘anything you say can and will be used against you’ did he not understand?” The officer gave her a friendly smile, glanced at the possessive way Jace was holding her, and turned just a little more serious. “Are you Emma?”

“Yes.” She bit back the word ‘Sir’ even though something about his demeanor suggested that she should say it. He gave Jace an assessing look before turning his attention back to her.

“I need you two to come down to the station to file a statement.”

“Of course,” Jace answered. “We’ll just check on Logan and meet you there.”

The officer nodded but kept his eyes on Emma. She felt very uncomfortable with his scrutiny, but she held her ground and waited for him to speak. Obviously, something was on his mind. He glanced at Jace again.

“I need to speak to Emma alone.”

“Why?” she blurted out. Her ears were still ringing from the gunshot. Maybe she’d misheard him.

“Mr. Marsden has raised a number of concerns about your welfare.”

Jace loosened his hold and took a step back. Her knees wobbled slightly as she adjusted to standing on her own, but she gave the officer an annoyed look and waited for him to ask whatever ridiculous question he planned to ask.

“Mr. Marsden claims that you are being held against your will and subjected to physical and emotional abuse. Do you require police assistance?”

She smiled with relief. “No, officer. Thank you for your concern, but I’m here with Jace and Logan of my own free will.”

He held her gaze, almost as if he were looking for the truth in her eyes. Emma had a vague feeling that she somehow knew this man. Wasn’t he the Dom who’d been flogging a sub on the St. Andrew’s cross last Friday night? Finally, he looked past her to Jace. “This one is definitely a keeper.”

Jace laughed and stepped back to wrap his arm around her waist. “That she is. Thanks, Derek. We’ll meet you at the station as soon as we see Logan.”

“Do me a favor. Convince the stubborn ass to go to the emergency room.”

Emergency room!

* * * *

Logan groaned as Emma rushed into Viper’s office. It was obvious she wanted to hug him, but she hesitated when she saw his torn leather pants and the massive bandage that Viper had wrapped around his thigh.

Tears filled her eyes. “Why the hell hasn’t anyone called an ambulance?” She glared at Viper angrily and then turned back to Logan. “We need to get you to the emergency room.”

“I’m okay,” he said quietly, hoping to reassure her. “He missed me, mostly.”

“Mostly?
Mostly?
Explain to me how a bullet
mostly
misses!”

“Emma, calm down. It’s just a graze. I’m fine.”

“Calm down? Are you fucking kidding me? My ex-boyfriend just tried to kill you, and you’re telling me to calm down?”

“Emma, be quiet.” Judging by the anger that reddened her face, trying to dominate her at the moment was a really bad idea. But damn it all to hell, if this was the way she reacted to a little graze, how the fuck would she react if he came home injured from a mission?

He shook his head, frustrated and plain out pissed that he hadn’t been fast enough to take the asshole down before the gun went off. If he’d been doing his physical training like he’d done every other day for the last ten years—instead of playing sex games with a tempting, little sub—he might not have been hurt, and he wouldn’t have a hysterical woman on his hands.

“Emma, you are a submissive, and you’re still in Viper’s Dungeon. Be quiet or I’ll gag you.”

Jace moved from his place in the doorway, obviously ready to disagree with him and take Emma’s side. Fucking great. Make that one hysterical woman and one pissed off Dom. Getting involved with them had been a major mistake.

“Gag me? Are you fucking serious?” Her voice had reached a higher pitch than his ears wanted to hear. He winced, but held his jaw tight and nodded in answer.

“You know what, Logan? Red. I’m using my safe word.” She stood in front of him, hands on hips, her jaw set at an aggressive angle, not a hint of the submissive he’d been cuddling the last three days.

He’d been wrong to get involved. He was a Navy SEAL, for fuck’s sake. It was damn near impossible to keep a relationship going while he answered the demands of his career. But that’s who he was, plain and simple, and the sooner he got back to the SEAL teams, the better for everyone.

“Thank you, Emma. I’m sure Jace will be able to give you a lift home.”

He watched her determination falter at his cold words. She closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and then looked him straight in the eye. “You asshole,” she whispered and then turned and fled the room. It took every ounce of strength he owned to stay where he was and deny his need to run after her and apologize.

He rubbed a hand across his forehead. This was why he’d avoided involvement for so long. It took a special type of woman to love a Navy SEAL, and even if Emma was strong enough—and after the way she’d reacted to this minor injury, he doubted that very much—he’d vowed never to put a woman through the type of anxiety a SEAL’s wife experienced every day.

Jace looked angry enough to pound him into the ground, but without a word, he turned to follow Emma.

Chapter Eleven

Six months later…

Logan ran his hand down his face tiredly. He was finally home after a three week mission that had somehow lasted three months. Three long, interminable months that proved to him that even though he was working with a new squad, he was still a Navy SEAL through and through. And probably would be for a long time to come.

And this was exactly why he’d called it off with Emma. He grabbed his gear. He was tired, hungry, and ready to sleep for a week, but Emma was still the main thought on his mind.

“You look like shit.”

Logan grinned at the familiar voice of his swim buddy, but when he glanced over he found Cam wearing civilian clothing. Cam nodded, silently confirming his medical discharge. Before Logan had gone on this last mission they’d both known it was a possibility, but having it confirmed wasn’t what Logan had wanted. Judging by the tight lock of Cam’s jaw, not what he’d wanted either.

But they both knew that a SEAL who couldn’t physically keep up with the rest of his team created a danger for them all.

Cam held his hand out. “I just wanted to say goodbye.”

“Where are you headed?”

“Not sure yet. Thought I’d stop at Viper’s for a few days before heading over to visit my folks in Florida.”

Viper. Viper’s Dungeon. Emma

And with one single thought Logan’s mind slid back to the woman who’d been his obsession for the last six months.

He hadn’t even had enough time to make a phone call before they’d gone wheels up three months ago. And even if he’d had a chance, he wouldn’t have been able to tell her where he was going or when he’d be back. That was no life for Emma. It took a strong woman to be the wife of a Navy SEAL. The night he’d been grazed by a bullet had proven she wasn’t strong enough.

If he’d let things get serious, she would’ve spent the entire time he’d been gone worrying that he’d be hurt or killed. At least by breaking things off she could get on with the life Viper said she’d been building with Jace.

He shook his head sharply, wanting to slam his fist into the wall at his own selfish need.

But it didn’t matter how many times he tried to convince himself to leave Emma and Jace alone, he couldn’t shake the need to know she was all right.

“Just let me get the paperwork done, and I’ll come with you.”

* * * *

Jace couldn’t quite believe the audacity of the man who’d just walked in the door of Viper’s Dungeon. He hadn’t seen Logan is six long months, so he was surprised, and a little pissed, by the relief he felt. It was good to see Logan safe and well, but it didn’t change the fact he’d walked away from Emma without a word. He’d left the explanations to Viper.

Emma had been devastated, even more so when the check she sent to Logan, via Viper, to cover the cost of her shoes and lingerie went unbanked. She hadn’t said anything, but Jace had known that the longer the check remained uncashed, the more Emma worried it tarnished the weekend they’d spent together. Jace had tried to convince her that Logan was likely out of the country on assignment, but neither of them had truly believed it until about three months ago when the check had finally been processed. It left Jace wondering if that was the beginning of Logan coming to his senses or the last they’d ever hear of the man.

Jace had hated Logan for the way he’d hurt Emma, but after months of rumination, he’d finally pieced together Logan’s probable thinking. It was likely Logan rejected Emma because of her reaction to his being shot. As a SEAL Logan would consider the graze from a stray bullet an ordinary day, so to have Emma become so upset would’ve made him worry about her reaction if he got seriously hurt on a mission.

But her initial reaction had been heightened because Logan had been injured protecting her. If Logan had hung around for few more hours, he would’ve realized that Emma was far stronger than he’d obviously given her credit for.

Jace glanced around the room, located Viper, and signaled for the man to relieve him. He’d only just started his shift, but he wasn’t willing to wait three hours before confronting Logan. Fortunately, Viper had obviously seen Logan come in because he wore a smug smile and had already been moving in Jace’s direction. Viper took over Jace’s duties with little more than a nod.

In the last six months, Emma had gotten her home fixed, her banks accounts corrected, and the alarm system installed that Jace had insisted upon. And, even without Logan, Jace and Emma had managed to build a life together. It hadn’t been easy moving forward without the man who completed their unusual triangle, but they’d managed it together. Only two days ago Emma had agreed to move in with Jace, and he’d even begun thinking marriage and babies. But still he hesitated to propose, his hopes for the three of them still afloat in his mind.

Jace turned his attention to Logan, indicated for him to follow and then marched out of the room. He deliberately chose the private room the three of them had used that last night together, but if Logan felt any remorse, he didn’t show it.

“What do you want?” Jace demanded. He might be glad to see Logan, but he wasn’t going to make things easy for him. After the way he’d left, he didn’t deserve a break—well, not yet.

Emma would be very happy to see him despite the way he’d treated her. Although, if Logan wasn’t here to stay and sort things out, then there was a good chance that Jace would finally try to pulverize him, somehow.

“I just wanted to check if Emma’s okay.”

Anger exploded in Jace’s gut. “That’s it? After six months of silence, that’s it? That’s all she gets?”

Logan shrugged, but Jace could see the effect his anger was having. Logan held his jaw tight, his hands were balled into fists, and he crossed his arms in a movement that seemed more defensive than aggressive.

“I know I hurt her. I didn’t want to…I just…” Logan hesitated, ran a hand through his hair, and finally gave in to his emotions. “Can’t you see that me leaving was the best option?” he asked angrily.

“The best option for Emma or the best option for you?”

“For me? What the fuck are you talking about? I left so that Emma wouldn’t spend her life worrying about me.” He started to pace in the small room. “I’m a Navy lifer. I’ll probably be a SEAL until I’m injured or killed or too old to keep up. Emma wouldn’t be able to handle that. You saw how she reacted when I was shot.”