Eight million dollars.
Logan was trying desperately to wrap his mind around that much money. Sure, as the commanding officer of a Raider Battalion, he oversaw a budget ten times that amount. Yes. He was responsible for that money, in a way, but it was mostly numbers on a spreadsheet, tangible only in the equipment his special operators used on missions.
Fuck me.
He would now be accountable for growing that money. He didn’t know shit about investing. He vowed in that moment to learn everything he could and invest the children’s money wisely. He would also see to it that they had a wonderful childhood, using the money so they could go to camps in the summer, travel and see the world— at least the good parts—and learn how to do whatever they wanted. Anora would learn ballet, or whatever the hell classes she desired. Brann could ride horses, sail boats, go to the best baseball camps available, if that’s what he wanted.
Those kids would have a much better childhood than he did.
“I imagine you’re going to want to sell the house as soon as possible,” Ed announced. “You’ll have to work together on that. Legally, Logan has the power of attorney to sell the property, but you, Teagan, are responsible for collecting those assets. Again, we’re here to help you through everything.”
“The house is still a crime scene as far as I’m concerned, no matter what Detective dickhead says. I’ll go over his head if I have to.” Logan chugged the last half of his water. “Somebody murdered Marsha and they may now be after the children…unless she gave them what they wanted.”
“Oh my God, no.” Teagan’s voice was an octave higher than normal. “Do you really think someone may come after the kids?”
Logan put his hand over the back of hers and gave it a little squeeze. “Somebody murdered Marsha, and if the police aren’t willing to look into this, I know some guys down in Richland. They’re damn good detectives.”
Ed glanced at his watch once again. “Speaking of detectives, the one I met, and the social services lady should be back any minute. We need to discuss the children. They’re still here, right? They’ve been so quiet.”
“Yeah, back in their bedroom.” Teagan gestured toward the hallway. “They come and stay with me some times, so I’ve converted that room for them.”
“Good.” Mr. Keller grinned. “At this very moment, my clerk is filing with the probate court to give you, both of you, immediate custody of the children while their future is determined. We’re also asking for an emergency hearing on their permanent custody.” He waggled the papers once again. “Most often the judge will grant custody to whomever is named in the will, but that doesn’t automatically mean you’ll get them. The state is a bit old-fashioned in that it prefers children to go to a two-parent household. Also, given how much money these two children are worth, I wouldn’t be surprised if long-lost relatives start crawling out of the woodwork.”
He looked at Logan. “It’s a damn good thing Marsha named you guardian. I don’t think many people are stupid enough to argue with a Marine officer.”
“They’ll be sorely disappointed if they try.” He grinned over at Teagan. “I’m going to do everything within my power to see to it that she gets the children.”
There was a knock at the door. Their private time with Mr. Keller was done, but certainly not over.
Once everyone was reseated in the living room, Mr. Keller explained everything that was in Marsha’s signed will.
“Mr. Keller, as you know, the state is concerned about placing two children, one of each sex, in the care and custody of a single parent,” Melissa Cook explained. She looked at Logan with regret in her soft blue eyes. “We will be asking for placement in an established home with a husband and wife.”
Teagan threw her hands up in the air. “What am I supposed to do? Run out and get married?”
Melissa, as she had instructed Logan to call her, gave Teagan a small smile. “I’m not sure that would help much. Again, the state prefers establish families. In your favor, though, is that you have an established relationship with the children.”
That sounded encouraging as far as Logan was concerned.
Standing, Melissa’s gaze swept the room before landing on Teagan. “May I see the room you have prepared for the children?”
“Sure.” Teagan showed the social services woman down the hall, talking in low voices.
When they returned, Melissa announced, “Given the wishes of Mrs. Davis as stated in her will, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia I am going to grant temporary emergency custody of Anora and Brann Davis to Teagan Williams.” She walked over and shook Mr. Keller’s hand. “I’ll see you in court.”
As she headed for the door, Detective Russo stood and called out, “I still have questions for the children.”
Melissa glanced over her shoulder. “You’ll have to get that permission from the children’s temporary guardian.” Her gaze slid to Logan and she gave him a little wink.
Damn. Melissa Cook had been looking out for them the entire time. Logan only hoped she continued to keep the best interest of the children in mind when they went to court. No matter what, though, he controlled the purse strings and would see to it that those two precious little children had the best childhood possible.
“Ms. Williams,” Detective Russo approached Teagan.
Mr. Keller reached over and touched Teagan’s forearm. “I’ve got this.” The older man stood and quickly moved between her and the detective. “The children have just suffered two traumas in a row. At ages four and seven, I doubt they have any relevant information as to who murdered their mother.”
“I haven’t changed my assessment of the incident, yet.” Detective Russo crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s still filed as a suicide.”
Incredulity washed over Ed’s face followed quickly by anger. “Marsha Davis didn’t commit suicide. Detective, you need to do your job and prove that, then go find the son of a bitch who killed her. If you truly wish to waste your time interrogating the children, you’ll need a court order to do so. I suggest you re-examine all of the facts in Mrs. Davis’s murder so you can reopen the case.”
Teagan was beaming when she stood. She looked at Ed with grateful admiration before she strode toward the door and opened it. “Detective Russo, I believe that concludes your business for today. You will not speak one word to the children, even if you see them on the street, without a court order which will be examined thoroughly by Mr. Keller. You will never speak to these children without me present.”
“You have a good day, ma’am,” Russo said through clenched teeth as he left the apartment.
Teagan shut and bolted the door closed. She practically skipped back to Mr. Keller and threw her arms around him. “Thank you. I’m so glad you were here to deal with him.” She corrected herself. “Both of them.”
Seeing Teagan in the other man’s arms sent a rush of jealousy through Logan.
What the hell? He had no reason to be envious. It wasn’t as though Teagan was his. True, Mr. Keller came charging in like a white knight and saving the damsel in distress, which was usually Logan’s job, but that was no reason for him to be resentful. He and Teagan were just good friends. He was thankful Ed had shown up.
When Teagan placed her lips on the man’s cheek, unexpected anger rose from deep inside Logan. He wanted to punch the man out.
She quickly released Ed, then launched herself at Logan.
“The kids are ours.” Her huge smile was so full of joy just before she wrapped her arms around his neck. It was as though her touch forced her happiness into him. “I was so afraid Ms. Cook was going to take them away from us, then it might be weeks or even months before I could see them again.” As he enveloped her small body, he felt her shaking.
Is she crying? Or were those happy tears? He could never tell the difference. Women always confused him. They were so emotional. He liked the feel of her body next to his.
She leaned back, grinning ear to ear. “I have children.”
He could clearly see the excitement in her eyes. Deep down, she had wanted children in her life. He could see that now. He was happy for her. Teagan would make a good mother.
Logan had always thought he would make a good father, but that hadn’t happened for him.
Her face fell. “Oh, fuck, I have kids. All the time. I can’t send them back home when I get too exhausted. What the hell am I going to do with two kids?”
He couldn’t stand that look of terror in her face.
“No, we have children.” Saying the words out loud made them real.
Fuck. I have kids. What the hell am I going to do with two kids? Then he knew exactly what they would do with Anora and Brann. “We’re going to do our best. We’re going to love them every day and let them know how special they are.”
When his eyes met Teagan’s, a silent message passed between them.
They were in this…together…for at least fourteen more years.
“We can do this,” she reassured them both.
“We’re going to do this,” he volleyed back.
“You’d better not walk out on me.” Her warning made him wonder who had walked out on her before. Then she corrected herself, “I mean us. Me and the children.”
He gave her a half grin. “Marsha already committed me until Anora turns eighteen. A judge is going to make it legal and binding.” He squeezed her gently. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be there for you and the children.”
Her blue eyes darkened. “You’re one of the best men I’ve ever known in my life.” She laid her lips on his. The contact was all too brief, but he felt the shot of heat in his heart. His lips still tingled when she pulled back.
“You’re going to make a great mother.” Logan believed his words.
“I sure as hell hope so.” She tilted her head. “You can put me down, now, big guy.”
He grinned. “You’re the one that jumped into my arms.”
“Yeah, I was excited.”
Loosening his hold on her, he gently slid her to the floor. “You have every right to be happy.” Logan glanced over at the attorney who seemed to be taking in their reactions. “And Ed is going to make sure you keep those children.”
Mr. Keller gave them a big smile. “It looks to me as though you two won’t have any problem working together. It may take a few days before we can get in front of a judge, but I’ll see what I can do to make that happen sooner rather than later.” His phone buzzed and he checked the text. “Excuse me, please, I need to call my clerk. She’s at the courthouse now.”
Logan grabbed Teagan’s hand. “Let’s go check on our kids.” They started down the hallway and didn’t release their hands until the doorway. He wasn’t sure why he’d done that, it just felt right.
Teagan sat on Anora’s bed and grabbed each child around the waist pulling them down next to her. “The social services lady and the detective are gone. I’m going to be taking care of you, now.”
She looked up at Logan. He’d been content to stand back and let her take control of the situation. He wouldn’t know what to do if they started crying.
“Your Uncle Logan is going to be helping too,” she explained.
“What happens when he goes back to North Carolina?” Brann asked.
“Yes, that’s a good question,” Ed said from the door. “And one the judge may ask you…this afternoon.” He grinned a bit nervously. “Judge Salter has a slot free this afternoon and since this is an emergency, he is willing to slide you in. What do you say?” His gaze bounced back and forth between Teagan and Logan.
“Hell, yeah. Let’s get this thing settled.” Logan looked at Teagan, Anora, and Brann for confirmation before returning his gaze to Mr. Keller. “Unless there some reason that we should delay it?”
“I have a great deal of paperwork I need to prepare. I’ll see you all at the courthouse at three o’clock this afternoon.” He turned to leave then spun back around. “Bring the children. Judge Salter can be a bit of an odd duck. He may want to speak to the children himself, possibly in chambers. Call if you have any questions. I’ll see myself out.” He glanced at his watch and disappeared through the door.
“The children are going to need nicer clothes,” Teagan announced. “One of us needs to go to the house and pick up enough clothing for them for the next week or two.”
“I’ll go.” He sat them on the bed and pulled Brann onto his lap. “Do you have a suitcase in your bedroom?”
“No. All the suitcases are kept in the closet in the spare bedroom.” Brann said without looking at him.
He lifted the boy’s chin until their eyes met. “What’s up? You know you can talk to me.”
“What’s going to happen?” Brann asked quietly.
Logan ran his hand up and down the boy’s spine. “I’m going to go over to your house and pack up a whole bunch of clothes for you and Anora. This afternoon, we’re going to go to the courthouse where Judge Salter will officially let your Aunt Teagan and I take care of you.”
The boy sniffed back a tear. He was trying so hard to be brave. “Do we…will there be a…” A tear escaped his eye and trickled over his rounded cheek before he swiped it away with the back of his hand. “Will Mom have a funeral?” The tears now flowed freely as his shoulders shook.
Logan gathered the child into his arms. He was so small compared to Teagan who he had just held moments before. He wanted to surround this child and protect him from everything bad the world could throw at him. “Yes. I’m sure there will be a funeral, in a few days. In the meantime, you’re going to hang out here, safe and sound with Aunt Teagan and me. Is that okay, buddy?”
Brann simply nodded. He waited until the boy calmed before he left the apartment.
When Logan pulled up outside the Davis home, he was surprised to see an unmarked police car sitting in the driveway. Using the key Teagan gave him, he unlocked the front door and walked in.
Fuck. It still smelled of death, but he knew the body had been taken away hours ago. Logan’s stomach rebelled anyway.
Suck it up, Marine.
Detective Russo stepped out of the office into the hall. “What the hell are you doing here? How the fuck did you get in?”
Logan held up the keys Teagan had given him, thankful she and Marsha had been such good friends. “The kids need clothes.” Disappointed that he couldn’t spend some time in the office checking things out for himself, Logan headed up the stairs. In the guest bedroom, he pulled out the largest suitcases he could find and headed to the children’s rooms.
More familiar with little boys, he decided to get Anora’s bag packed first. He’d learned to get the bad shit out of the way before tackling more favorable tasks. After unzipping the suitcase on her bed, he opened all the drawers assessing the spatial needs. Logan wasn’t surprised when he heard footsteps in the hall.
“You seem to know your way around this house.” Detective douchebag’s tone was accusing.
“Brann and Anora are my godchildren. I’ve been here before.” Not very often, but Logan wasn’t going to give the detective that tidbit of information. He decided he had room to take everything in the little girl’s room. Hopefully that will make her feel more at home in Teagan’s apartment.
“To see Marsha Davis or the children?” The dickhead stepped into the room.
Logan wanted to deck the asshole for even suggesting that he had something going on with Marsha, but hours before going to court was not the time to get arrested for assaulting an officer of the law. Without looking at the man, he continued to pack small little pink and purple outfits.
“Marsha was the wife of my good friend.” At least Logan had thought of him as such until his funeral a few days ago. “Gabe and I had worked together years ago and remained friends. That’s why I’m his children’s godfather. Even though he and Marsha were separated, I had promised both of them, and God, that I would take care of the kids.” He looked over his shoulder at the young man and wondered if he understood responsibility. “I take all my obligations seriously.”
“You were with Mrs. Davis yesterday morning.”
Logan gathered everything from the next drawer and dumped it into the suitcase. “I was. We were cleaning out Gabriel’s apartment and returning the keys to management.” He shrugged. He’d give the detective what he wanted, his whereabouts all day. “We return to the house where Teagan had prepared lunch for all of us, then Teagan and I took the children to the zoo. On our way home, Matthew Saint Clare called me and informed us what he had found when he had arrived.”
Placing the last of the items from the dresser into the suitcase, Logan finally turned and looked at the man lounging against the doorjamb. “That gives you my alibi, and Teagan’s. What else do you need to know, detective?”
Standing upright, the detective held his gaze for a long moment. “Why do you think this was murder and not suicide?”
Logan was surprised that detective dunce would even reconsider his immediate decision. “Marsha would never commit suicide. First, she loved those kids with all her heart and would never leave them alone. Second, she wasn’t distraught over Gabriel’s death. If anything, she was relieved. Because of his job, she was afraid the children were targets for kidnap. Last week, with Gabe’s death, that threat was gone. Third, it was Gabe’s office. His domain. According to Teagan, she rarely went in there. Forth, that was Gabe’s computer and she wouldn’t touch it. Marsha was a former Navy lieutenant. She was well aware of the meaning of the words top-secret, confidential, and eyes only. Fifth, you heard what Teagan said. Marsha shot a gun left-handed. I’ll be surprised if the coroner finds gunshot residue on her right hand.”
The detective narrowed his eyes. “Suicides don’t require an autopsy.”
“Are you telling me that you didn’t require an autopsy?” Logan was flabbergasted. How fucking dumb could this guy be? “If you haven’t already, you had better order an autopsy right this minute, before I go over your head and speak with your lieutenant. I’m sure he’d be interested in hearing why my friends and I believe it was murder.”
He looked like a chastised puppy. “No need. Someone already called the captain. That’s why am walking the scene once again.”
Inwardly, Logan gave a fist pump. He’d bet money that Matthew had placed the call.
The detective tilted his head toward the master bedroom down the hall. “It looks as though Mrs. Davis was removing her husband’s clothes from the closet and was interrupted.”
Hearing the word closet reminded Logan of his task. He had to get the kids packed up and their bags back to Teagan’s, then run by his hotel room, grab a quick shower and change back into a suit, then get everybody to the courthouse by three.
“That was my interpretation, also,” Logan admitted.
Upon opening the door, he stared at rows of pastel outfits.
Holy, Christ. How many changes of clothes did one little girl need? The bottom row looked too small for her. Glancing at the floor, he understood. Six dolls, approximately two-foot-tall, lay in boxes. He recognized them as the popular, and expensive, American Girl dolls. In another corner, set a Barbie doll house filled with the iconic dolls.
Fuck. He was going to need a suitcase just for toys.
Logan let out a deep breath. “Look, detective, I got a lot to do and very little time. Is there anything else you need from me?”
All pretense of cockiness gone, the detective asked, “If you have just a few minutes, would you please stop in the office downstairs before you leave.”
“I can do that.” Logan really wanted to see the office and spend a few minutes there. He’d make time.