Page 46 of Betrayed

“I really am sorry for everything. I hate what I did.”

He met her gaze again. “I know. At least I’m starting to realize that. But I don’t know if I can ever trust you again.”

“I don’t know what I can do to prove myself to you. I’ve changed, Logan.”

“Can people ever really change?”

“By the power of Christ, yes. Added bonus if they have the love and support of family and friends.”

They hadn’t been able to change their behavior before they were married, and as soon as times got tough, she fell into the same old sin. But had she changed?

“Have you been with anyone else?”

“No.” The definitiveness of the word caught him off guard. “I may have messed up with Daryl, but I promise you I will never be with another man except you, if you are ever willing to have me back.”

He just stared at her. She wanted to come back to him? Even after he was so nasty when he kicked her out of the house?

She reached out and gripped his upper arm. “I still love you and always will.” She let her hand drop. Turning, she walked away until she reached the door. Before pushing it open, she looked back at him and smiled.

He stood there like a blubbering fool, watching her walk away. She was an enigma. She’d betrayed him so completely, but somehow he now felt like he was the one who had betrayed her. Had he? Was he just as guilty? Had he driven her into another man’s arms? Was his unforgiveness a betrayal to his vows?

Half an hour after leaving Logan gawking in the lobby, AJ wandered into the fire station. She couldn’t go home; she was restless after a week of sitting around. She needed to do something. She was supposed to be working today, so she might as well come in and putz around some.

“What are you doing here?” Seth’s tone was playful.

“I’m bored.” AJ still wasn’t sure what to think about the new guy. He was young, cocky, and good looking, and he knew it. Eventually, life would catch up with him and cut him down a notch. But as far as she knew, he’d had a very blessed childhood. His dad was pastor of a big church in Winston-Salem, and his parents were the picture of a beautiful marriage.

Seth laughed. “I believe it. I’m sure Ty will let you clean the toilets.”

She shot Seth an annoyed look, which increased his laughter.

She went into the living area and found Ty in his office. “Please give me something productive to do. You know research says getting back to work is important to healing from a concussion.”

Ty looked up from his desk and set his pen down. “I distinctly remember telling you to take two weeks off, and then we would get you back into work.”

“I’m feeling so much better. No headache today, and I can focus on things now. A week was enough.” She didn’t want to tell him being home might make her an easier target for her apparent stalker.

“Fine. Only fifty percent of normal station tasks that don’t involve a ladder or climbing on anything. No calls. Nothing strenuous or taxing.”

“Yes, sir.” She gave him a sloppy salute.

“And no overnight. Daytime hours only. You need rest—solid sleep to heal.”

She nodded. Not that she relished the idea of sleeping in an empty apartment while Zara worked the night shift. The more she thought about it, the more those groceries coming into her house felt like a violation of her space.

After leaving Ty’s office, she went to the checklist they kept on the wall by the kitchen—routine tasks that needed to be done. Seth wasn’t joking about the bathroom. It must have been quiet this morning.

She cleaned the bathroom, then helped with lunch prep. A call came in, so she completed lunch on her own while everyone else went out.

An hour later, the crew came back and collapsed at the table set with lunch.

She sat with them. “Tell me what happened, so I can live vicariously through you all.”

Brennan said, “Another cop’s house got hit with arson.”

“Another? There have been others?”

“Yeah, Caleb said their trash can got lit up last Tuesday. Then Sergeant Fain’s house was hit on Thursday, again started in a trash can, but the side of the house caught because no one was home. It was out before too much damage was caused. Then today’s call was at Officer Wells’ house.”

AJ asked, “Trash can again?”

“Yep, but it was too close to his car, and that lit up.”

“What is going on?” She crossed her arms. Was Logan in danger? Will? Zara?

Don, a firefighter ten years her elder, said, “That’s the question. It’s supposedly a bunch of teens, but why? Amelia caught one of them, but he didn’t talk other than giving up his partner in crime.”

“Has anyone gotten hurt?”

Emily said, “Thankfully, no. But if this continues, someone is going to end up hurt or worse.”

AJ’s stomach flopped. Cops being targeted. The three people in the world she cared about most were officers. Protect them, Lord.