Logan’s POV
I’m lounging in the garden with Samantha when I spot Richie driving in. My heart leaps with the thought of seeing Nadine again, but when she doesn’t emerge, my excitement fades.
Samantha tries to snap me out of my daze. “Babe, what’s up with you? You look like shit,” she says, waving her hand in front of my face.
I grab her hand, yank it down, and shoot her a cold glare.
“Oops, sorry,” she says, taking a sip of wine from her glass.
I stand up and head over to Richie. “Where the hell is my wife?”
He bows his head in greeting. “Good day, sir.”
“Cut to the chase. What’s good about the day? Where the hell is my wife?”
“I dropped her at the hospital,” Richie replies. “She told me not to wait for her.”
I ball my hands into fists and clench my jaw. I feel like punching him right now, but I manage to keep my composure.
“You fucking left her alone? What did I fucking tell you? Take her wherever she wants to go and stand watch over her!” I roar in anger.
My mind races with all the things that could go wrong. I can’t stand the thought of anything happening to Nadine. She has come to mean so much to me.
“So where the fuck is she right now?” I demand, sensing Richie’s growing terror from my outburst.
“But this isn’t the first time she’s asked me not to wait up for her, and we’ve never had any issues with that before,” Richie says defensively.
“This is not the fucking time for that. She is in fucking danger, Richie, and I can’t stand anything happening to her.”
Richie’s face pales as he takes in my words. “I understand you’re upset, sir. I do. But I don’t know what’s going on with her right now. She seemed fine when I dropped her off.”
I know she saw me and Samantha in a compromising position, but I trusted Richie to keep watch over her when she left.
Damn, that flowery gown she was wearing. I had ordered her to change, but she was defiant. Now that it’s getting late, I’m on edge.
I rush inside the house to change into something more comfortable and then head back outside to find my wife.
I can’t let anything happen to her. With the can of worms I’ve opened with Jake, she might be his next target.
I know Nadine and Jake had a conversation at the gala, and he made himself seem vulnerable so she would take pity on him.
Nadine, being the soft-hearted person she is, would want to console him.
I make a beeline to my car. Despite my cold demeanor, I can’t ignore the fear I feel for Nadine.
“Wait, where are you going?” Samantha calls out, looking puzzled.
I ignore her question and focus on starting the car. I think it’s high time I let her leave my house. I’m done pretending we’re back together.
Being the lost puppy when it comes to Samantha, I agreed to her plan, even at the cost of my marriage with Nadine. How stupid can I be?
I rush to my car and drive to the hospital at breakneck speed. As I’m about to knock on the door to her mother’s private room, it occurs to me that I shouldn’t disturb her.
I consider other options I haven’t used before, especially since she hasn’t given me a reason to worry until now. But today, I’m super fucking worried about her whereabouts.
I place a tracking device in her ring so I can monitor her location. I log onto the app on my phone and check her whereabouts. I lose it when I see that her location is at a bar.
I rush out of the hospital, ignoring the stares from everyone around me. I know I shouldn’t be feeling this bad, but I feel horrible knowing that I’ve pushed her to the point of deciding this.
I call her phone, but it goes straight to voicemail. “Shit, what could be wrong? Is she alright?” I think of all the things that might be going wrong and why she isn’t picking up.
It’s getting late, and it’s not safe outside. I don’t want anyone taking advantage of Nadine. She’s incredibly naive, and I wonder how she’s managed to get through all these years.
I get into my car and drive to the location displayed on my phone. My thoughts are scattered, and my mind tries to justify her going to the bar, telling myself she just wants to escape the living hell I’ve made the house for her.
Soon enough, I arrive at the bar, and it’s crowded. How will I find this petite woman in the middle of all this?
I make my way inside, scanning the room and pushing through the crowd. I spot the bar attendant and see Nadine seated at the bar, engaged in conversation while sipping her drink. Her eyes sparkle in the dim light of the bar.
I approach her carefully, trying not to attract too much attention. Nadine’s back is to me, and she seems absorbed in her conversation with the bar attendant.
She looks carefree as if she’s having the best time of her life. My heart tugs in my chest seeing her smile.
I haven’t made that effort to bring even a tiny smile to her face, but I’ll be damned if another man makes it happen.
I move to go and meet her, but someone grips my shoulder. I jerk around to see who it is.
“What’s up, Logan?” Lucas’s voice cuts through the noisy bar.
“Lucas, what are you doing here?” I called out, surprised to see him.
“Just chilling with my friends over there,” he says, pointing in the direction of a group at the bar.
I glance in the direction Lucas pointed and see a group of people huddled together.
“I didn’t realize you were a regular here,” I say, trying to keep my focus on Nadine.
Lucas shrugs. “I come here occasionally. Anyway, what brings you out tonight?”
I hesitate, my eyes drifting back to Nadine, who’s still engaged in conversation. “I’m just…” I start, but Lucas follows my gaze and asks, “Isn’t that your wife? Damn, she’s hot.” He checks Nadine out from afar.
I give him a cold glare, and he immediately raises his hands in surrender. “Chill, big man. I’m just stating the obvious. Just go grab your wife before someone else does.”
I pat him on the back and hurriedly leave, eager to be out of his presence.
As I approach Nadine, I sense that she is looking around, possibly feeling eyes on her. I try to be subtle, not wanting to make my presence too obvious.
The guy stretches out his hand, inviting her to dance as a band plays in the background.
I notice that she is reluctant at first, but she eventually takes his hand. As they dance, she looks peaceful, resting her head on his chest.
My legs seem to have a mind of their own as I march my way down to where they are and yank the guy away from her.
“What the fuck, man?” the guy yells as he stumbles back.