Logan ran his hardworking hand over my wet cheek. “Life isn’t simple. You’re not the only person who has felt like they’ve lost everything, Cassie. You can beat this. You can heal, all it takes is time.”

There was no use trying to hide my pain from him. He’d made it obvious he’d never let me out of his sight. I knew it was for my own good. He was there to help me, not make it worse. I just wondered if his support would be enough, or if I was a lost cause; a sinking ship without life jackets. Maybe I wasn’t meant to have a future. I didn’t feel like I deserved one, not after what I’d done. “I know you mean well. It’s just hard to imagine getting over something like this.”

He stood and walked into the kitchen while still speaking. “It takes a ton of time. How do you like your coffee?”

“Extra cream and sugar if you have it.”

“Figures,” he responded.

While I heard him stirring my cup, I got up and made my way down the hall to the bathroom. When I saw my reflection in the mirror I thought I was mistaken. I didn’t know the person staring back at me. What had I done to my body? Who had I become?

It was a hard, brutal truth.

Chapter 20

Logan

Sometimes it was hard separating my personal life from work, especially when they meshed together. Cassie was a perfect example. My job was to protect her, but it was my personal choice to allow her to stay in my home until she could get on her feet. I didn’t do this for every woman who came into my life with troubles, but I knew she had nowhere else to go. I’d done a thorough background check on her when she moved in with Mr. James. It was important when we knew everything we could about the people he was associated with.

I was surprised to discover she was a good girl, who came from a small town with deep roots. There wasn’t much about her. She’d been fingerprinted when she was a kid, probably on a school trip to the police department. She’d never been convicted of a crime. She’d gotten her license when she was sixteen, but hadn’t received a speeding ticket. Hell, I even checked out her parents to make certain they had no connection to Mr. James. I was surprised when I mapped out her residence. They owned hundreds of acres of land. I wondered what a girl like her was doing in Las Vegas with a bunch of criminals. I suppose that’s why I knew she would be the perfect in. She was too much of a good girl to revert to a life of crime. I waited until the opportunity was right and picked her up for possession. In all honesty, it broke my heart to see she was using. It boggled my mind how a person from a good background could ruin their life so easily.

I’d hoped by keeping an eye on her she’d get clean and eventually go home where she belonged. Unfortunately, fate had other ways of interfering. Now I was stuck being the person she hated more than anyone else in the world. Even with her staying under my roof, I feared she’d never trust me.

After waking up to find her still cuffed to my coffee table, I knew I had to prove I was one of the good guys. The girl was hurting. She was struggling, both to come off the drugs, and also emotionally deal with the loss of her boyfriend. I was no miracle worker, but I knew what she’d need.

The first thing I did was free her from the restraints. They weren’t necessary. I’d gotten word in the middle of the night that Tammy Larsen had been detained. They found her at a bar she frequented, usually to pick up men she would take home. I swear the woman was a walking sex addict.

Anyway, it didn’t take her long to start spilling about Rocky and how his operation was run. She gave us names, and once we obtained the right warrants, we’d spend the next week making sure everyone involved was charged. Tammy would probably have a minimum sentence, but she’d have to do time, even if it was reduced to a couple years. She’d been a big part of the business, and for that she was going to be held responsible.

For the time being, Cassie would remain under my watch. I’d make sure she stayed under the radar, and prepare her for when the time came to testify. That was probably going to be the tricky part. With the amount of crime in Vegas, even the biggest criminals had to wait their turn to be tried. I hoped she’d be able to stay content for as long as we needed her to. It was important she remain the witness in Brant’s murder, because if James somehow found a loophole in his trial, we’d still have him for that.

I wanted to tell Cassie about it, but since the investigation was still ongoing, I had to keep all information from the witness.

So I did the best with what I did have – time. I proceeded to make her a coffee with extra cream and sugar. I could hear her walking to the bathroom and wondered if she was going to get a shower or just use the facilities. I walked out on the porch, leaving the door open for when she finished.

It wasn’t long before I heard someone come up behind me. Since I knew my roommate had worked the late shift at the hospital, it could have only been one other person. “Did you see your coffee on the counter?” She came around and sat in the chair beside me.

“I did. Thank you.” She was quiet as she sipped on her hot beverage. “This view is beautiful.”

“It’s what sold the house. Once I was transferred, I needed to find a place pretty fast. I looked at a few places, but they were too close to the city and the lights. I enjoy being out here away from it all. It’s quiet, almost like Vegas doesn’t exist.”

“Where I’m from, it’s quiet too. You can see all the stars in the sky. It smells clean, if that makes sense. I miss the smell of freshly tilled pastures, and when the summer breeze leaves a hint of watermelon.”

“Have you thought about returning? I mean, aside from the investigation, what is keeping you from going back?”

“Pride I suppose.” She chewed on her thumbnail as she spoke about it. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to face my family, not after what I’ve done. I didn’t just steal and lie. I disrespected them, and the way I was raised, that’s inexcusable.”

“I don’t believe that. Granted, my parents were also strict when it came to us kids, but they were also kind. There was nothing they wouldn’t have done for their children. I think they would have forgiven my sister, had they survived.”

In that instant I realized I’d divulged information to Cassie, who was still a stranger. I regretted it immediately.

“Wait,” she caught on quick. “Are you saying your sister caused the fire you told me about? Your sister was responsible for your parent’s death?”

I nodded. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m saying.” I paused for a moment, contemplating continuing the story. “She was on drugs.” I waited and watched her reaction. When I knew she was waiting for me to keep going, I explained. “She was out of her mind. With the help of her piece-of-shit boyfriend, they set fire to our home. I don’t know whether I was supposed to be inside. I’d spent the night at a friend’s house because he had a video game system my parents wouldn’t buy me. That damn game they refused to let me play saved my life.”

I took a second to gather my composure. Still to this day it hits me hard.

Cassie put her cup down on a small glass table and turned her body to face me. “What happened to your sister?”

“She was charged for their murder. She’s been in a women’s prison since the night it happened.”

“What happened to you?”

“I bounced around with family members and the foster system until I was eighteen. I went to college, and finally when I turned eighteen, I joined the academy.”

“You turned your pain into something productive. Instead of getting lost in grief you used your loss to serve a better purpose. I admire you. I don’t know if I’ll ever be a strong enough person to make a difference. Take the drug use for instance. I didn’t need to be pressured. I wanted to know what it felt like. I wanted to experience it. I actually liked who I was when I did it.”