The After Party (A Badboys Boxset) Page 5

  But what if he didn’t want me inside this part?

  With a deep intake of breath, I decided if I had doubts like that, I should probably find out sooner rather than later.

  I looked up at the building he lived in. It was magnificent. The tall limestone structure had solid lines of big bay windows stretching across its façade, beautifully landscaped sidewalks, and large lanterns on either side of the covered steel awning that led to the giant glass double doors.

  I felt a little like royalty as I walked beneath it.

  “Good afternoon, Madame, can I help you with something?” the doorman dressed in classic red asked.

  “Yes, hi, I’m Elle Sterling, here to see Logan McPherson.”

  “Oh, yes, Madame, his father called ahead. I’m to send you right up.”

  I smiled at him but my stomach rolled with worry that Logan would send me away.

  Pushing my doubts aside, I followed the doorman. He led me to the elevator and ushered me inside before he pressed the button. “Mr. McPherson lives in apartment 12A,” he told me and then he tipped his hat. “Have a good afternoon.”

  “Thank you.”

  The ride was the longest elevator ride of my life.

  Finally, standing outside his door, I hesitated. Should I just give him what he asked for? Was I being unreasonable coming here? I thought I wanted to save us, but maybe what I really wanted was to save him—from his past, his demons, because I couldn’t save myself from mine. And was that really far of me?

  Time passed, seconds, minutes.

  With the ugly truth coming to light, that this was more about me than us, I turned to head back toward the elevator. I might have taken two steps, maybe not even one, when I heard a lock turn and the door swing open.

  Divine intervention?

  A cosmic twist of fate?

  I didn’t know, but I’d take it.

  “Elle,” he breathed, exhaustion clear in his voice.

  The flip in my belly was from the sound of that voice, and that voice alone. No one had ever made by body react the way he did. No one had ever made me feel the way he did. And no one had ever loved me with the intensity that he did.

  Slowly, I turned back. With just that one glance, I knew instantly I had to try to make him see things my way. I loved him way too much not to. Dressed in a designer suit, crisp white shirt, and sharp tie, I wanted to lunge for him but settled on staring as I slowly approached him.

  His gaze raked down my body and took its time drinking me in on the climb back up.

  As always, the air between us was thick. I drew in a deep breath and blew it out. “Logan,” I managed as sternly as I could, considering that my entire body was shaking with need from head to toe. “We need to talk.”

  With a slow nod, he stepped aside to let me in.

  My feet moved but I don’t remember telling them to do so. I wasn’t even sure they were mine.

  Suddenly his hand pressed against the small of my back and my body hummed in delight, making me more than aware of what was mine.

  I entered his spacious apartment and felt that just by doing so I had entered his other life. It was a strange yet satisfying feeling. Like he had invited me into his other world, although I knew it was really that I had barged in.

  My eyes darted toward the huge expanse of windows. The place was grand in its natural form, yet it reflected who he was. The furniture was sparse, and what was there was simple and functional. There was a lot of black, a whole lot of glass, and not a bit of color, yet the windows were magnificent and the light shining through them more than spectacular. On the walls were photographs of the Brooklyn Bridge taken from many different angles, including an incredible aerial shot. If photos could be sexy, these were super-sexy.

  Curiosity rose within me. I was just about to ask him about them when the ding of the elevator from the hall struck me as odd. I stopped looking around. Then, I turned and noticed he hadn’t closed the door behind me, which made me wonder if he wasn’t expecting me to stay long.

  Someone cleared his throat and my eyes darted to my right. That’s when I noticed Logan wasn’t alone. Oh God, I’d been so involved in him, in his place, that I’d never looked anywhere but at the room in front of me.

  My belly flipped again, and this time the feeling was unpleasant.

  What if I’d interrupted something important?

  A distinguished older gentleman was now standing next to me with his umbrella in his hand, looking as if he was about to leave.

  I realized then that Logan had been seeing his guest out when he opened the door. It wasn’t some cosmic intervention or crazy twist of fate.

  The handsome man was without a doubt Logan’s grandfather, the wealthy Logan Ryan. He looked to be almost six feet tall, not as tall as my Logan, but almost. He was long and lean, like my Logan. His hair had gone silver at the temples but remained dark everywhere else. And he was dressed in a finely tailored suit, nothing ostentatious but very professional looking.

  My eyes landed on the watch he wore, which was almost identical to the one Logan wore, except his band wasn’t made of rubber but rather a fine metal.

  Logan’s job here in New York was with his grandfather’s company, the Ryan Corporation. His title was Associate Counsel, Litigation and Employment. Which meant he pushed a lot of paper—something he really didn’t enjoy. About six months ago, he started to go to Boston two days a week to work with his father, whose family law practice was in trouble due to an alcohol problem that was now under control. Working at his father’s practice was much more hands-on, and Logan really enjoyed his work there.

  Starting sometime last month, though, his grandfather demanded he commit fully to his job in New York. Logan refused and told him that he wanted more time in Boston. That’s when his grandfather began to cut him off financially, revoking his access to his trust fund, and most recently putting a hold on his paycheck. Logan’s personal savings had just about been depleted. He must have been meeting with his grandfather over his finances. I knew money was of concern to him, but only because he needed it to buy information and hire help to assist in whatever quest he had masterminded in his head.

  Glancing between the older gentleman and Logan, it was odd because I could see pieces of him in Logan, just as I had when I looked between Logan and his father. Different pieces, though—these were the more refined ones.

  “This must be the lovely young lady you were telling me about,” the older gentleman said to Logan.

  Logan’s hand spread wide against my back and the possessiveness in his touch sent delicious chills up my spine. “Yes, Grandfather, this is Elle Sterling.” Logan spoke with a pride in his voice that had my heart swelling. He was talking to his grandfather about me.

  “Logan Ryan,” the distinguished older gentleman said, offering me his hand.

  “Mr. Ryan, really nice to meet you.” I smiled, taking my red hat from my head. Suddenly, I became conscious that my attire was anything but appropriate for meeting a powerhouse like Logan Ryan. He was a legend in the business world and here I stood before him dressed for comfort in a pair of black leggings, a white blouse, and a red sweater with matching red ankle boots.

  Logan’s body seemed to unconsciously drift closer to mine. Like the two magnets we were, we couldn’t stay far from each other.

  “I was just leaving, but I’d love to take you and my grandson out to dinner one night. How long will you be in town?”

  My eyes darted to Logan’s beautiful hazel pools. “Not long. I have to get back to Boston. I have a business that I just opened and a niece I’ve been helping care for.”

  “I heard about your boutique. On my next trip to Boston, I must stop in. I have a penchant for unique things. Collecting them is one of my many hobbies. Drives my wife crazy.”

  I knew about his penchant for unique things from my previous life, but didn’t mention where I used to work for no other reason than that I needed to talk to Logan and didn’t want to start up a long conversation w
ith his grandfather. “I’d love to show you around.”

  Logan was unusually quiet.

  His grandfather squeezed my hand. “Elle, I look forward to getting to know you in the future.”

  I managed a smile and hoped Logan and I had a future.

  Diverting his gaze, he held out his hand to Logan. “Thank you for being honest with me, and take as much time as you need.”

  When Logan grabbed his outreached hand, he tugged his grandfather in for an almost hug and said, “Thank you for understanding.”

  They must have discussed his job. I wondered what was decided.

  Just as the door was closing, Logan’s grandfather said, “Call me once in a while, and your mother, too.”

  I guessed Logan wasn’t going to be working for him.

  Logan had no reaction to his comment. Just answered, “Yes, I will, sir.”

  As soon as the door closed, the air in the room shifted yet again.

  My gaze circled the space but then landed on the virile man in front of me. The doubt I saw in his eyes made it hard to breathe. I opened my mouth to speak, but he spoke first.

  “You shouldn’t be here.”

  His words punched every last bit of breath I had out of me. “But, I had to—”

  “It’s too dangerous for us to be together.”

  A pain in my chest flared. “Logan, listen to me—”

  He cut me off again. “We’ve talked about this.”

  Reeling from his words, my fists and my jaw clenched in anger. “No, Logan, we didn’t. You did.”

  Logan’s gaze remained steady. “Then I did.”

  The cold tone of his voice told me his guard was completely up, and that pissed me off even more. I took a breath and said what needed to be said. “You have to stop allowing Tommy Flannigan to rule the direction your life takes.”

  He pinned me with his stare. “That’s not what I’m doing, Elle. What I’m doing is keeping you safe.”

  I shook my head. “I know that’s what you think you’re doing but he’s been your enemy for so long, you can’t see what’s real anymore. Don’t get me wrong—I get it. He’s threatened you your entire adult life and you’re scared, but he’s behind bars now.”

  Maybe I imagined it, but I swear I saw him roll his eyes. “Like I already told you, that doesn’t mean shit.”

  I swallowed bitter vile. “Can we at least talk about this?”

  For the first time during our conversation, he dropped his gaze. “There’s nothing left to say.”

  Resigned, I knew I couldn’t do this anymore. This back and forth wasn’t good for me. I had to keep my life stable for Clementine’s sake. There was no knowing how long Logan would need to be alone and my mind was already scattered enough. I couldn’t live day by day like that. I couldn’t leave things between us open ended. I knew if I did it was consume me.

  My next words felt like a knife stabbing through my heart. “Then you have to let me go, Logan, because I can’t live like this. You want me. You don’t. You pull me close and then leave me behind. It’s making my head spin and I can’t think straight. I can’t work. I can’t concentrate. I can’t do it.”

  His face went blank and he said nothing in return, but his gaze rose and this time he didn’t look away from me.

  Looking into those intense hazel eyes, I felt as though I was caught in a swirling storm. I straightened my shoulders and pushed on. Desperation kicking in, I put it all out there. “I mean it, Logan. If you can’t let your fear go, then we need to end things.”

  Vastness stretched between us.

  He said nothing.

  Pleading now, I said, “You have to know, together, we are stronger. We can support each other.”

  Stare unwavering, he still said nothing.

  Nothing.

  Guilt and fear were written all over his face.

  I hated myself for evoking these emotions within him, but I wanted so much for him to understand we had to do this together. Looking at him, I could see the turbulence in his stare and I blurted out what was so obvious. “Tommy already knows about us, so what is staying away from me going to do?”

  “Save you,” he whispered.

  “You don’t know if he’ll actually try to do anything,” I rationalized.

  “That’s a big if. You weren’t there when he attacked Kayla right in front of me. She was petrified and I couldn’t help her. I can’t go through something like that with you. I won’t risk it. I just can’t.”

  Bile rose up my throat.

  I wanted to take him in my arms but instead I just stared.

  This was it.

  Self-preservation kicked in. I had to accept that under his strong exterior, he was a runner, through and through. And I couldn’t live like that.

  In a state of utter desolation, I shouldered past him and flung the door open. One last time I turned to look at him. God, this was so hard. “Together or apart—you choose. There is no in-between.”

  He blinked as if in shock and opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again. “Don’t do this, Elle. Don’t make me pick. I told you I needed time to figure things out and nothing has changed.”

  It had. He refused to even try to see things my way. In truth, I was afraid to be alone. I’d been alone my whole life. I needed him now because yes, I was scared. “Time isn’t going to change anything.”

  Abundant sunlight was like a halo around his lean swimmer’s build and I watched with disappointment as he shook his head. “Please, just give me some time.”

  My emotions had never switched gears as quickly as they did around Logan. Anger gone, heartbreak set in. “Here’s the thing, Logan: Time is an abstract word. It could be days or weeks, but it also could be months or even years. I can’t live my life in limbo. Not anymore. My emotions can’t be up and down. I have to think about Clementine. I need stability in my life for her sake. I hope you can understand that.”

  “Elle—” he breathed.

  This time I cut him off. We’d said all we needed to say. “Goodbye, Logan,” I whispered, with my throat tight and the sting of tears in my eyes.

  Trapped in that cycle of fear, the atmosphere between us was so fraught, I couldn’t stop my entire body from shaking as I closed the door.

  In the hall, my knees felt weak. Just standing up was taking all of my energy. I wanted to take the last forty-eight hours back and start all over again. I was a mess. I felt dead inside. I knew I’d never be the same.

  As I pressed the down arrow, I looked back. Sadly, no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t catch him after all.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  LOGAN

  I felt really weird all of a sudden . . . kind of like I’d been punched in the gut and kneed in the balls at the same time.

  Stunned about what just happened, I couldn’t move.

  Was I scared?

  Hell, yeah, I was.

  Living without her and knowing she was alive was a much better outcome than living without her because I’d been selfish and needed her in my life and she’d been killed.

  Ding. Ding.

  Reality slapped me in the face as soon as I heard the elevator arrive that would take Elle from my life. She had come here with an ultimatum and I had sent her packing.

  I ran my hand through my hair. She didn’t understand. It wasn’t as simple as her protecting herself.

  Fuck, I couldn’t do this though.

  I couldn’t let her leave like that.

  Grabbing my keys, I rushed out the door but I was too late—the elevator had already closed.

  Like a bat out of hell, I ran for the stairs and pounded down them as fast as I could. In the lobby, the elevator door was already open and she was gone. Hustling out onto the street, I spotted her instantly as she crossed Fifth Avenue headed toward the Met. “Elle!” I shouted in a worthless effort to gain her attention.

  Even this far uptown, the streets of New York were way too loud. Horns honking, cars racing by, people talking, the wind blowing.
>
  Suddenly, it was all too much.

  Not that it mattered, because the light turned red and I was forced to stop. There was a car right in front of me with heavily tinted windows waiting to pass through the traffic, and when I looked into one of them, I saw myself.

  What I saw, I didn’t like.

  Before I met Elle it had been a while since I looked at myself and didn’t see a fuck-up. When I was with her, though, everything I’d done seemed to fade into the background. If I stopped her now would it be just another fucked-up decision I’d make in my life? That list was already so long I wouldn’t add her to it.

  I couldn’t.

  For a moment I tried to imagine not letting her walk away. Tried to imagine my life with her, but in that blissful picture I was always looking over my shoulder. Always worried. And all I saw was the danger I’d be putting her in.

  I had to let her go.

  I had to.

  What was my life going to be like without her? Would I stay here in New York, go to work at a job I hated, go out with my friends and pretend all was well, act as if the past week was just a blip in my life?

  No, I knew I couldn’t.

  She’d gotten under my skin.

  She was a part of me that I didn’t want to live without.

  Selfishness aside, though, because my need for her was just that, selfish, she needed me to make the right decision.

  And I knew letting her go—at least for now—was it.

  The car moved forward and I could no longer see my reflection, but the image was still in my head. The fuck-up who made one bad decision after another. But today, I would change that cycle.

  The light turned green and as if coming full circle, I didn’t move. I’d go after her and hope she’d forgive me, but first I had to take Tommy out of the picture and put that part of my life to rest. I didn’t know how I was going to do that, but I had a few ideas.

  In order to do anything, I had to get back to Boston. I knew she’d be going there as well—we just couldn’t go together.