Chaos series by Kristen Ashley

I aimed my eyes to him. “He’s so tiny.”

He lifted a hand to curl it around the side of my neck. “Keep lookin’, baby.”

“He’s so tiny, Low. Just a baby. What if a dog—?”

He gave my neck a squeeze. “Keep lookin’. Hear?”

It was the hear? that got me.

I pulled my shit together, nodded, moved away, and hurried toward my neighbor’s yard. I sensed Logan going back up the drive.

I barely got into the yard, calling out to Chief and heading to my neighbor’s door to knock on it and ask if they’d seen my cat, then beg them to help us look when I heard Logan bellow, “Millie!”

I sprinted toward his voice, which meant up the drive and into my courtyard.

When I arrived, I saw Cleo was standing at the back gate. Logan was standing several feet away from the back door to my house.

Zadie was standing in the opened door, holding Chief tight to her throat.

“I found him—” she started.

She didn’t get it all out. I flew to her and tried (but failed) to keep my shit together as I pulled Chief out of her hold and into mine.

I cuddled him close, whispering, “Oh, God. Oh, baby. I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“Where’d you find him?”

My relief was pierced when this was barked by Logan.

“In-inside,” Zadie stammered her reply.

At her tone, I took a step back so I could look at her.

She was looking at her father and doing it looking terrified.

And guilty.

Then I looked to Logan, who simply looked infuriated.

He’d read his daughter’s look.

“M-m-maybe I was wrong,” she went on. “Maybe I-I-I didn’t see him run out.” Her eyes glanced off me before looking beyond me. “F-f-found him curled up on that long chair in your bedroom.”

“Everyone inside,” Logan snarled, and I held Chief closer as Logan waited for Cleo to dash inside before he strode purposefully toward the door.

I darted a hand out when he got close to me, wrapping it around his forearm to waylay him.

He looked down at me and he was my man, I knew him. I knew the old him and the new him. And I knew, even with the fury burning into me from his gaze, he’d handle this and not lose it (too much).

But still, at the look on his face, I had to fight back quailing.

“Take a second,” I whispered, still holding a now squirming Chief close. “Take a breath.”

He didn’t take a second and he didn’t take a breath. He twisted his arm from my hold but in turn took hold of my hand and dragged me (and Chief) into the house.

He slammed the door and Chief jumped in my arms, starting to claw when he heard the loud noise.

Then Logan dragged us into the living room where Zadie was now standing, looking more terrified and still guilty. Her sister was standing several feet to her side, looking at her like she wanted to shake some sense into her.

Logan let my hand go, and before he let loose the wrath I felt sweltering from him, I hurriedly spoke.

“Okay, everyone,” I started. “It’s all good.” I kept talking as I bent to release Chief on the floor. He scampered away and I straightened. “Chief’s here. He’s safe. Let’s all take a quick moment to collect ourselves—”

Logan cut me off.

“Right now. The truth,” he demanded of his youngest. “You see that cat run out the door?”

“I thought—” she began.

He bent forward and thundered, “The truth!”

Her chin quivered and it took her some time to get up the nerve, the time she took building more heat in her father, so it was fortunate she found the courage before he exploded (again).

“N-no,” she whispered.

“So you’re standin’ there tellin’ me you scared the shit outta Millie just to be a snot,” Logan declared.

I put a hand to his biceps and held tight.

“Low, you need to take a moment,” I advised.

He didn’t even look at me.

He kept his gaze pinned to his girl.

“Answer me,” he demanded.

“I…” she started, trailed off, looked to me, and burst into tears as she burst into a flurry of words. “I’m sorry! It was mean! I didn’t think you’d get so scared! I thought you’d look inside first and find him!” Her watery eyes went to her father. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to scare her that bad.”

Logan was immune to her tears. “But you meant to scare her.”

She pulled in a painful, hiccoughing breath, still bawling, nodded, and looked at me. “Not that bad, though. Swear. Swear! Not that bad!”

“It’s okay, sweetie,” I said gently.

“It fuckin’ is not,” Logan bit out.

I looked to him. “Low,” I said, this time quietly. “Careful. Language.”

Again, he didn’t even look at me.

But he did gesture to me, jerking his head my way.

“Love her,” he growled. “Bottom of my soul, straight to my gut, I love this woman. Told you that so you already know she’s got that from me. But she decided she didn’t give a shit about my girls and did nasty things to you that made you hurt or made you scared, she’d be gone. She’d never see my face again. She’d be history. Now, love her and love you, Zade. So you do that shit to her, what am I supposed to do with you?”

Zadie’s hiccoughing sob tore at my heart but still, I had it in me to move swiftly to Zadie, pull her into my side, wrapping both arms around her, while snapping irately, “Logan! Calm down!”