Logan's Love: Dark Side Vampires Vol. 2 Page 2
Ashton slammed the glass back onto the table as the three men erupted in laughter. “What the hell did you do that for?” Ashton barked suddenly, having his fill of Will and this stupid night out. Jumping to his feet, he grabbed a few napkins and wiped the drink off his face.
“Relax, Ashton, just having some fun.” Will looked at him peculiarly as if looking for something. That was it; he was out of there. Ashton shot him an irritated glance and headed off to the men’s room. He planned to wash up and call a cab. Will could spend the rest of the night with his friends.
He found that as he approached the men’s room door, his vision began to blur, and a dizziness came over him. He felt as if he’d had too much to drink, but he knew that wasn’t the cause. Maybe he was getting sick. He made it inside the men’s room and leaned heavily against the row of sinks. His head was spinning, and the dizziness was fast turning to nausea. Fuck, he didn’t want to pass out here. There’s no telling what would happen to him in the bathroom of the Dark Side.
He started for the door, thinking it would be better to pass out with a lot of other people around than hidden in a bathroom, but someone came in and grabbed hold of him. He couldn’t comprehend who or what they were saying to him, but their grip was painful. He started to panic just as he lost consciousness.
…
Logan saw the incident and wondered what Will had planned. Ashton looked pissed and rightfully so. Words were had, but the place was too noisy for Logan to hear. Will’s expression was calculating as he watched Ashton cross the room, heading towards the men’s room in the back hallway.
It wasn’t more than a couple of minutes, and Will got up and followed Ashton while the friends remained seated but kept glancing over towards the back hallway as if expecting something. It looked off, and Logan wasn’t one to ignore his instincts, so he decided to follow.
“Jordan, take over for a few. I’m going on break.” He left the bar and was walking towards the back hallway when a spasm of panic hit him. He didn’t understand the how or the why, but he was feeling Ashton’s emotions. Logan hurried to the men’s room and pushed on the door only to find it barred by something placed against it.
Without hesitation, Logan forced the door open, knocking over the trash can that had been shoved under the handle to keep the door closed. Will began a loud and aggressive explanation of why he was holding a semi unconscious Ashton face down on the countertop next to the sink the moment he stepped inside.
“He passed out.” Will barked. “I was trying to get him back on his feet.” Will pulled Ashton up and gripped him tightly against his chest. Ashton’s head rolled back awkwardly to lay on Will’s shoulder.
“What did you do to him?” Logan took several steps closer as Will backed up, hauling Ashton with him.
“I didn’t do anything. He had too much to drink.” Will had his hands full trying to keep Ashton on his feet.
“He had one drink besides the one you threw in his face. That’s not enough to render him unconscious.” Logan pointed out. “What did you do to him? Was there something in his drink?”
“Back off, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Ashton is drunk nothing more, and I’ll take him home. Now get out of my way.” Will stiffened and drew Ashton up tighter to his side. “He came with me, and he’ll leave with me.”
“He’s not going anywhere.” Logan moved closer. When he did, the bar and bathroom's overwhelming smells dissipated, and an aroma, light but pervasive, filled his senses. He looked down at the angelic face of the man in Will’s painful grip, and his heart shattered. His drive to watch and keep safe this stranger was no longer a mystery. Will dug his fingers into Ashton’s ribs in an attempt to get him to wake up, and Logan felt the pain.
“Tell this man you’re going with me.” He demanded as he yelled into Ashton’s ear. Ashton groaned, obviously in pain but still too out of it to defend himself. “Tell him you’re with me, Ashton.” He barked the words, and Logan lost it.
“Give him to me.” Logan snarled and reached for Ashton as Will twisted to the left, digging his fingers into Ashton’s side, eliciting a painful gasp. Logan felt the full effect of his vampire surge to the forefront as his fangs dropped, and his eyes turned blood red. He didn’t care what Will thought; his only care was securing his beloved’s safety. This man would let go and step back, or Logan was going to rip his head off.
The moment Logan raised his hand and lunged at Will, he screamed and threw Ashton at him. Logan caught the half-conscious man easily and also caught Will by the throat as he tried to run from the bathroom.
Logan pulled him close, face to face, so Will could get a good look at Logan. Even if he didn’t consciously comprehend what he was looking at, his primitive brain recognized the ancient supernatural threat, and his terror spiked. Will tried to pull at Logan’s hand, but his struggle was useless.
“You and your pals are going to get the fuck out of here, and you’re never coming back,” Logan spoke low and clear. “If you call the police or ever show your face around here again, I will kill you.” Logan tightened his hold for a second to make a point. “You’re from St. Louis, you know who John Dyer is and what he will do to a low life like you who causes trouble.” Logan let go, and Will stumbled just as Logan pushed him towards the door. “Get out.”
Will looked at Ashton and was about to say something but thought better of it when Logan moved on him, ready to finish this. “I’m going.” He stammered as he quickly rushed from the room, slamming the door behind him.
Logan stood there silently with his arms wrapped around Ashton, breathing in the tantalizing scent of his beloved and just marveled at the moment. He swung the slight man up into his arms and carried him out of the bathroom and down the hall towards an elevator at the back. Ashton tried to open his eyes and made a soft groaning sound, but he did not wake up.
Logan stepped into the elevator, and when the doors closed, he pulled the young man closer and rubbed his cheek against Ashton’s soft blond hair. “Relax, my love. I’ll keep you safe, I’ll always keep you safe.”
The elevator opened on the third floor of the building that had been a warehouse before John decided to renovate and make it into a bar that was a source of revenue and shelter for his organization. John and Race kept their quarters on the first floor close to the action, but the rest of the men had their apartments on the second and third floors, and in the surrounding area.
They were large loft-style apartments which each man occupied alone since, until this moment of all the Dark Side men, only John had found his beloved. John had recently purchased a country home, and he and Elliot were in the process of renovating and getting it suited for their needs. He would keep his apartment at the Dark Side, but their permanent home would soon be in the country.
Now Logan, too, had found Fate’s gift, and his life would be forever tied to this little human in his arms. Ashton Webb, the name touched him as familiar as did his sweet face and those assessing honey hazel eyes. “You knew something was wrong, didn’t you, sweetheart? I could see it in your tense, analyzing expressions.”
Logan entered his apartment and carried Ashton not to the guest room but rather to his own bedroom and laid him out carefully on the large, plush comforter. He wasn’t sure if Ashton could hear him, but just in case, he continued to talk to him and reassure him.
“My name is Logan Brown. I’m one of the bartenders at the Dark Side. You saw me at the bar fixing drinks. I smiled at you, remember.” Logan wanted to remove Ashton’s jacket and shoes but feared the move might be misinterpreted if Ashton was at all aware. He made sure the pillows were tucked under his head and grabbed a light blanket from the chair to cover him. “I couldn’t let you leave with your friend Will. You and I both know that he put something in your drink. You’re safe here; no one will bother you, so rest and recover.”
Logan pushed the hair back from Ashton’s face but didn’t linger too long, still not wanting to give the guy the wrong impression. He made su
re Ashton was as comfortable as he could make him and then left the room to make the report.
He kept the bedroom door ajar so he could keep an eye on his beloved. Ashton was quiet, and from what Logan could read from him, he was now truly asleep or rather unconscious. He was not showing any signs of reacting to sounds or his surroundings. His calm was helping Logan to relax. His beloved’s anxiety had been tearing at him mercilessly.
His first call was to Race to inform him of finding his beloved and to lay out the circumstances of his discovery. There was no telling how this incident would work itself out and whether Will and his friends would ultimately have to be dealt with. He didn’t seem all that sharp, streetwise, so he would probably do something, not in his best interests.
None of that mattered to Logan since he had his beloved safe and secure in his apartment under his protection. There might be a fair amount of explaining to do once the man woke up, but he was confident that he could win over his beloved.
“We have a guy down here saying that you took his friend and disappeared. His name is Will Chandler, and he said his friend’s name is Ashton Webb. Do you know anything about this?” Race sounded bored. Logan filled him in on what went down in the bathroom.
“What a son of a bitch.” Race barked. “I have him in the backroom waiting. I think I’ll go and explain a few things to him.”
“That would be good, Race, that would be really good.” Logan would have done it himself, but he didn’t want to leave Ashton in case the guy woke up. Will Chandler needed to be convinced of his place in this world, which was rock bottom. He had no power here.
“No problem, and congratulations on finding your beloved. We need more bonding around here, although I thought it should have been me next and not you.” Race told him, feigning seriousness.
“Maybe next time, friend.” Logan understood; he’d felt the same when John found his beloved Elliot. He was happy for John but also felt a shadow of envy. Fate works in her own time, and some vampires wait many centuries before they meet their forever lover. Logan was just past one hundred, so he was considered rather young for a vampire and would have many years to spend with his beloved.
He closed the call and went back to the bedroom. Walking up beside the bed, he looked down at his beloved and again marveled at the emotions that flooded his heart and mind. Ashton was a virtual stranger, yet he knew that he would gladly lay down his life for this man without hesitation.
Logan reached out and ran the pad of his thumb across Ashton’s plump bottom lip needing the contact and felt Ashton react to his touch. He then pulled up a chair and settled in for the night.
…
Ashton began to cough hard and repetitive. He couldn’t catch his breath; his throat was so dry. Suddenly someone was over him, holding him steady as a glass of water was pressed to his lips. Where am I, was his first thought and concern right after stopping himself from choking. The water did the trick, and the soft tones of the man holding him didn’t hurt either.
“Drink it slowly let it ease down your throat and relieve the dryness.” The voice was not familiar, and yet it was. It was there on the edges of his memory a voice that he’d clung to. He continued to drink slowly as instructed but glanced up into the face of the man holding him. The question of ‘who are you’ must have been written on Ashton’s face because the man immediately introduced himself.
“My name is Logan Brown. I’m a bartender here at the Dark Side. Do you have any memory of what happened last night?” Ashton looked down at himself, checking his clothes, and realized he was still fully dressed but was lying in a strange bed in a strange room.
Logan sat down in a chair beside the bed, but he kept his hand on Ashton’s arm as a sort of support. Although confused, Ashton did not find the man’s presence unpleasant or unwanted. He felt like a friend or maybe more than that. Ashton tried to focus on gathering his thoughts and giving Logan his full attention.
“I remember coming to the bar with Will. I really didn’t want to go out, but he insisted I needed to be more social. Will is the assistant manager at the jewelry store where I work. A couple others were supposed to join us, but they canceled at the last minute.” He began to cough again, and the glass of water was back in his hand. “Thanks.” He said and took a long, satisfying drink before handing it back.
“Who were the other two men at your table?”
“I don’t know they were friends of Will’s. I don’t remember their names.”
“What is your last memory.” Logan was helping him to focus.
“I wanted to leave. I had one drink with them, and I didn’t see any need for me to stay longer. Will had his friends, and all I remember is wanting to go.” He paused and remembered their insistence that he have one more.
“They pushed until I agreed to drink one of the shots of whiskey that they had bought for me. Will knocked it into my face while I was drinking, getting it all over my clothes.” He glanced down at himself again and smelled his jacket. It still had the whiskey smell on it, as did his shirt.
“How much of it did you drink?”
“Probably half of it.” Ashton looked down at where Logan held onto his arm. It was a light touch, but the warmth and serenity it provided was immense. “I got up to go to the bathroom, and that’s all I remember.” The fact that he was fully dressed and had no obvious pain anywhere on his body led him to believe that nothing too terrible had happened. He’s also pretty sure he has this man, Logan Brown, to thank for that.
“Did Will leave me here after I passed out?” It was a pretty shitty thing to do but not out of the realm of possibilities as far as a man like Will Chandler was concerned.
“You only had one drink besides the one your friend threw in your face.” Logan began, and his tone so careful and paced caused Ashton’s anxiety to spike. Something did happen.
“Will is not my friend.” He stated firm and clear.
“No, no, he is not your friend.” Logan agreed.
“I was drugged?” He felt his throat tightening at the very thought of being helpless and vulnerable and at Will’s mercy.
“Possibly.”
Ashton reached over and placed his hand on top of Logan’s, suddenly needing the extra reassurance as he said. “Tell me everything.”
CHAPTER THREE
“I had a bad feeling the moment you walked into the place. You were not Will’s usual date. He liked them wild and ready for a good time. You were so buttoned up and ill at ease; it was clear you didn’t want to be there.” Logan wasn’t sure how much detail he should give, but it seemed natural that Ashton would want to know why the bartender was so suspicious.
“He’s a regular at the Dark Side?” Ashton asked.
“Yeah, he’s here nearly every weekend. When he came to the bar to get your drinks, I asked about you, and he told me it was your birthday, and he planned to show you a good time. The whole situation gave me a bad feeling.” Logan paused, but Ashton had nothing to contribute; he just sat there staring at their hands and waiting. He could feel the trepidation rolling off his beloved, so he tried to hurry his explanation along.
“When he pushed that drink into your face, and you took off for the bathroom, he looked too pleased as if the whole thing had been orchestrated, so when he followed you, I followed him.”
“I passed out in the bathroom.”
“Yeah, when I got there, he had you up and pressed against the sink. I don’t know what he was planning, but considering he had the trash can jammed against the door to keep it closed, I don’t think it was anything good.” He felt a tremor pass through Ashton as he fought to control his outrage.
“He said you were drunk, and he was going to take you home. I told him he was not leaving with you. He threw you at me and took off.” The relief that came over Ashton was refreshing. “I carried you up here to my apartment, so you could sleep it off. I live on the third floor over the bar. I don’t know what he did or if he did anything, but not many people get that wasted
on one vodka and soda and a half a shot of whiskey.”
“Did you call the police?”
“No, this is the Dark Side; we solve our own problems. We don’t call the police.”
“Good.” Ashton took a deep breath. “I don’t want anyone knowing about this. This is humiliating. If it hadn’t been for you, God knows what would have happened to me. The thought has me tied up in knots.” He blew out another anxious breath. “Shit, the guy is a straight-up bastard. I thought I’d be bored out of my brain going out with him, but I never feared for my safety. Being drugged and assaulted was not something I considered as a possibility for the evening.”
Logan could feel his beloved getting more agitated as he thought about what the outcome might have been last night. He kept his hand on Logans gripping tighter as his emotions sharpened. “He didn’t touch you; he didn’t have time, and I assure you he won’t bother you again.”
“I have to work with that asshole.” The pain in his voice put Logan on edge.
“He’s been warned off, and he knows what will happen if he makes trouble or goes after you again.” Logan made it as clear as he could without scaring Ashton. Ashton was a tentative man, timid even, and Logan didn’t want to push his discomfort. He wanted Ashton to lean on him and draw strength and support from him and not be fearful of him or the Dark Side.
“Thanks for helping me out and thanks for letting me sleep here last night.” Ashton moved and swung his legs over the side of the bed but continued to hold onto Logan’s hand. “I’ll call a cab and get out of your way.”
“I’ll give you a ride; you don’t have to call a cab, but first, why don’t you wash up and have breakfast with me.” Logan wanted to spend some of the day with his beloved and get to know him a little. Ashton lifted the lapel of his jacket and smelled it.