Secondary Targets (28 page)

“Face the facts,” Candy said, “Frankie is a walking, talking replica of Frank, you know.” Her undesirable words surrounded Roxanne like a fine mist. “I know you had your reasons for running away from him.” Compassion filled her tone, yet if offered little comfort. “But you better realize…it might be time to pay the piper.”

R
oxanne went upstairs to take a long, hot bubble bath. Sitting on the edge of the bathtub, she poured bath oil into the stream of running water. She sat there almost in a trance, watching the tub fill and the bubbles grow. Satisfied with the water level, she got undressed and stepped in. She slid down through the bubbles, into the comfort of the water, feeling confident it would soothe her soul and make her troubles disappear.

Why? Why was this happening now? Especially after all this time. Everything had been going so well, too. But now the bottom was about to fall out.

Why did it always come back to Frank Garrett? Roxanne tried to put him out of her mind, just as she’d tried to do so many times before. But somehow, he managed to keep sneaking back into her thoughts. A long time ago, she thought running away would solve her problems. She thought running away would set her free. Free from Frank. Now she realized she’d been mistaken.

It seemed her past was about to come back to haunt her. She knew she wasn’t up to facing Frank. She didn’t know if she’d ever be ready for that. In Roxanne’s mind she had done nothing but love Frank. She’d only tried to help him, and in return he’d let her down. Once again, he’d doubted her before giving her the opportunity to explain. And he’d promised he would never do that again.

Roxanne wanted desperately to be able to go back. Back to the beginning. Back when things were fine. Back before the hatred. Back when there was only love.

As the water rocked back and forth, time began to rock back and forth as well, until Roxanne had no concept of time at all. And once again, she had no idea what was the past and what was the present….

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CRAZY FOR YOU
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**Please turn the page for an excerpt of Cara Marsi's LOGAN'S REDEMPTION**

LOGAN'S REDEMPTION

by

Cara Marsi

CHAPTER ONE

D
an Callahan needed his help. Logan Tanner smiled as he scanned the plush office with its platoon of secretaries. Who would have imagined it all those years ago when he was sneaking dates with the great man’s daughter?

Doriana. The Callahan princess. Vice President of Project Development. Probably an honorary title.

He’d come all this way for a job. Seeing Doriana again had nothing to do with it.

Yeah,
right
. He almost believed it.

The door to the inner sanctum opened and Dan Callahan, CEO of Callahan Construction, approached, hand outstretched. The pictures of the business mogul that accompanied the news articles Logan had read didn’t do the older man justice. Despite his average height, Callahan exuded a power and confidence no photo could capture.

Logan stood to shake the offered hand.

“Tanner,” Callahan said in clipped tones. “Let’s go into my office.”

He led Logan into a spacious room dominated by a large mahogany desk and windows that looked out to the smog-filled Philadelphia skyline.

Callahan sat behind the massive desk and gestured Logan to the leather chair facing him. He pulled a thick envelope from a drawer and pushed it across the desk toward Logan. “The dossiers you wanted on my top officers,” he said. “I’ll have information on the rest of the corporate employees in a few days.” He handed Logan a smaller envelope. “The keys to your hotel room and the car I rented. I had the car parked at the hotel.” His thin lips curled into a smile. “Do you know how hard it was to rent a junker? The hotel wasn’t too thrilled about having it parked in their garage either.”

Logan returned his smile. “If I’m supposed to be a temp worker, I can’t ride around in a luxury car.”

Callahan nodded. “I understand. What else do you need?”

“I want the names and addresses of all the workers at your construction sites.” Logan stuffed the envelopes in his briefcase.

Callahan scrubbed a hand across his chin. “I can get what you need on our supervisors and regular employees, but we hire a lot of day laborers.”

“I know,” Logan said. “I was one of those laborers once.”

Callahan’s blue eyes widened. “You worked for me? Maybe that’s why you look so familiar.”

“We never met before today,” Logan said. “I worked for you for a short time about sixteen years ago when I was nineteen.”

“Well you look damn familiar.” Callahan shrugged. “Why did you leave my employ?”

“I joined the Army.”

“Good reason. You’re from this area?”

“Born and raised, but Arizona is my home now.” And he wouldn’t have come back at all except this assignment was too good to pass up. And there was Doriana.

Callahan steepled his fingers and studied Logan. “I’ll get the information on my construction crews, but why do you want to check out my top people? They’re loyal to me.”

“I’ve been investigating corporate crime for a lot of years,” Logan said. “You’d be amazed at who sabotages a company.”

“Well, you’re the expert.” The older man ran a hand over his graying hair. “I didn’t hire you any too soon either. We had some vandalism at one of our sites last night. It’s escalating just as you said it might.”

“Then I’d better get started.” Logan stood. “Have you worked out a cover for me?”

Nodding, Callahan pushed back from the desk and rounded it to face Logan. “I’ve arranged for you to be temporary assistant to one of our vice presidents. Her regular assistant starts pregnancy leave next week. Stop by her office now. She’s expecting you.”

Vice President? It couldn’t be. What were the chances?   

“Does this VP know why I’m here?” Logan asked.

Callahan shook his head. “As you instructed, I’m the only one who knows.”

“Good.” Logan thrust out his hand. “I look forward to working with you, Mr. Callahan.”

“Call me Dan. My receptionist will give you the suite number where you’re to report.”

“I’ll be in touch.” Logan walked from the room, and the receptionist in the outer office handed him a piece of crisp white paper. After thanking the woman, Logan stepped into the hall.

He glanced down at the paper in his hand. His breath came out in a rush and he crumpled the paper. Damn his rotten luck.

* * * *

“The temp your father hired is here.”

Biting back a groan, Doriana Callahan turned from her computer and faced her assistant.

Lisa closed the office door and leaned her very pregnant body against it. A huge grin split her pretty face.

Doriana arched an eyebrow. “You find it amusing that my father overstepped my authority and hired your replacement?”

Lisa made an unsuccessful attempt to look sympathetic. “I know you’re upset with your dad, but he is CEO. So I guess he can do whatever he wants.” Her gray eyes twinkled. “Your father should do more of the hiring around here.”  

“What are you talking about?” Doriana asked.

“You’ll see. Should I send him in?”

“Him?”

“Yup,” Lisa said. “Your dad hired a guy.”

Doriana frowned. “A guy? I’ve always had a female assistant. What will I do with a guy?”

Lisa giggled. “Trust me. You’ll figure out what to do with this one.”          

“This pregnancy is affecting your brain.” Doriana pushed away from the desk and stood. “He can’t be any worse than the candidates the agency sent over.” She shrugged into her suit jacket and lifted her heavy hair free of the collar. She needed a haircut, but where would she find the time?

Lisa’s gaze swept her. “You’re the only one around here who wears a business suit. We do have a casual dress policy. And you might want to loosen up a little, considering.”  

“Considering what?” Doriana asked.   

Lisa gave her a sly smile. “When you see your new assistant, you’ll see what I mean.”  She patted her protruding stomach. “This baby’s not going to wait much longer. It’s a good thing your dad found someone.”

“I suppose I should be grateful for that.” Doriana sighed. “Wait about five minutes before sending him in.”

“You need to primp,” Lisa said.

“What?”

Laughing, Lisa opened the door and squeezed out.  

Rubbing her aching temples in a futile attempt to massage away her headache, Doriana sat down and swiveled her chair to face the large window that took up an entire wall. Smog blanketed the Philadelphia skyline, obscuring her view of Billy Penn atop City Hall. She missed old Billy’s comforting presence, especially now.

She needed time to mentally prepare to meet the temp her father hired. She did her own hiring for her department, but her dad had insisted on this temp. Didn’t her father trust her after a decade with his company?

Her gaze drifted to the long table under the window. Family pictures rested on the marble top. Most were of Josh growing up. She smiled, remembering how Franco wanted to name his new nephew Noel because he was born on Christmas Eve.

She couldn’t believe Josh would be sixteen next month. She bit her lip as an ache, sharp as a stonecutter’s chisel, stabbed her heart. Nearly sixteen and out of control. When had Josh stopped being her sweet, lovable little boy and turned into the arrogant, rebellious almost-man who fought her every chance he got? A hellion who reminded her more of his father every day.   

Thinking of Josh’s father brought the old, familiar pain. She’d never revealed the identity of her son’s father to anyone. Seventeen, scared and humiliated, she couldn’t admit that her baby’s father had walked away without a word.

She’d moved on with her life and even had a few relationships, but she couldn’t forget the boy who stole her heart and disappeared. She’d never had a chance to tell him she was pregnant. Would it have made a difference? The old doubts and questions tumbled through her mind, making her head throb harder.    

Inhaling deep breaths, she counted to ten, as she’d learned in a stress management seminar. It didn’t help. Nothing helped these days. The demands on her time gave her constant headaches. Her son needed her, but so did Dad and the company, especially with the recent setbacks.

The intercom on the desk shrilled. “Doriana,” Lisa said from the outer office. “Jenson is having one of his hissy fits. He wants you to call him. You have that meeting in a half hour. And Mr. Tanner is waiting. Should I send him in?”   

Doriana’s hand froze over the reply button. Tanner? Long hours had her imagination working overtime.

“Doriana?” Lisa said.

Doriana shook herself back to reality. “Tell Jenson I’ll call him. And I didn’t forget about the meeting. Please send in Mr..., the temp.”

Wearing her best professional smile, Doriana stared at her office door.
Of course it
couldn’t be him
.
It couldn’t be him
. The refrain ran through her head like a mantra.

The door opened and her gaze connected with gold-flecked hazel eyes. Josh’s eyes. No, Logan’s eyes.

“Hello, Dorie.” His voice, deeper than she remembered, held the rough edge that had so excited her as a teenager. He closed the door softly and leaned against it, a black-clad Adonis who, despite the years and the hurt, took her breath. Unmoving, he studied her.

Was he looking for the young girl he’d romanced, then abandoned? That girl died the night her son was born.
Their
son. Anger and bittersweet sorrow swept through Doriana. She brushed strands of hair from her face with a shaky hand.

“You look good,” he said.

So do you
. She couldn’t say the words. Pulling her gaze from his, she glanced toward the window. The pictures. Josh. Fear splashed over her like ice water from the Delaware River. One look at the pictures and Logan would know. She wasn’t ready for this.

Resolve stiffened her spine. She would protect her secret and her son until she discovered why Logan was here. “Is this some sort of joke?” she asked, returning her attention to Logan. “What are you doing here?”

“Working for you, last I heard.”  

He strode slowly across the carpeted room with the predatory grace of a mountain lion. A hunter with a lithe, muscular body and sun streaks gilding his light brown hair. Had he come to snare her with past memories that were better left dead, to destroy her orderly life? To make her son, and her, dream of things that could never be?  

“Not glad to see me, Dorie?”

Heat spread from her neck to her face.
Dorie
. Logan’s pet name for her when they made

love. “Don’t call me that.”  

He stood in front of her desk and stared at her with hooded eyes. “All our memories aren’t bad, are they, Dorie?” 

His low, seductive voice burned her with enough electricity to power a high rise. She stared at his full lips. Her own lips tingled as she remembered the feel of his mouth on hers, remembered his wildness and her own answering needs.

Standing on legs that had the consistency of wet cement, she curled her hands into fists. She wouldn’t let the past hurt her again. Nothing mattered now except protecting Josh. And protecting her heart. “I don’t know how you talked my father into this, Logan, but it won’t work.”

He pressed his palms on her desk and leaned toward her. She held her ground, inhaling his scent of citrus and outdoors. Faint lines bracketed his mouth and eyes. A smattering of gray wove through his hair. His eyes held a steely glint that warned of dangers she knew too well. The guarded look on his face and the rigid set of his jaw hinted at emotions kept in tight rein. Had he finally learned to harness the recklessness that had driven her to him, that had made her betray her parents’ trust?            

“I’m working for you,” he said. “I’m here to stay.”

Like you stayed the last time
? Fear and apprehension squeezed her heart. Did Logan know her secret? Josh had accepted that his father left before he was born. Lately he’d begun asking questions. She promised to tell him about his father when he turned eighteen. What would her troubled son do if he knew his father was in town?

She wouldn’t concern herself with unnecessary fears. In six months, Lisa would be back and Logan would be gone.

“Sit down. We’ll talk.” She sank slowly into her chair and picked up a sheaf of papers, studying them, buying time. She lifted her gaze to find Logan staring at her. Seated in the chair nearest her desk, he stretched his long legs in front of him. The coolness in his eyes slowly gave way to an awareness that made heat coil in her stomach despite her anxiety.

The wild boy she’d known had matured into a confident man whose chiseled features were roughened by the power and air of mystery that clung to him. Clad in black pants that hugged his muscular legs, black leather jacket and deep brown sweater, he looked like a man who’d seen too much of the dark side of life. And was comfortable with it. Excitement quivered along her skin.

He broke the connection and glanced away. She suspected he harbored his own secrets. She followed his gaze to the window. And the pictures. She didn’t want him asking questions about Josh. Not now. The guilt she’d carried all these years pricked her, and she shifted uncomfortably. “Logan, why are you really here?”

He folded his arms across his chest and met her gaze, a challenge in his eyes and the arrogant set of his body. “To work for you.” He scanned the room. “You’ve done well for yourself.” His lips tilted in a mocking smile. “But then your dad owns the company.”

She bristled. “I’ve had to prove myself time and again. I’ve worked harder than you can imagine. But I don’t owe you any explanations.”

“You don’t.” He straightened and his harsh features relaxed. “We’ve got to work together. Let’s make the best of it.”

She breathed deeply in an all-out effort to relax. She’d endured a lot in the years since she’d last seen Logan. Surely she could handle working with him and seeing him every day.  

“How did my dad come to hire you?” she asked.

He settled into his chair and shrugged. “I was between jobs and your dad owed a mutual acquaintance a favor. So here I am.”

“You’re between jobs? What do you do for a living?”