Violet’s POV
The car hummed beneath me as we drove in silence, the weight of the moment pressing down on me like a thousand tons of stone. I could feel Logan beside me, his presence so close, yet so far away. His hands gripped the steering wheel with a tightness that mirrored the tension in the air. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off—his sudden change, the way he kept glancing at me, the odd softness in his eyes that didn’t belong to the cold, cruel Logan I remembered.
The city passed by in a blur, the streetlights flickering as if they were unsure whether to illuminate the path ahead or leave us in the shadows. I stared out the window, but my mind was elsewhere, unraveling every moment that had led me to this point.
Why was Logan doing this? Why had he pulled me out of Aaron’s dungeon? I didn’t believe for a second that it was because he cared. No, there had to be more to it. There always was.
I finally broke the silence, my voice sharp, cutting through the tension. “Why are you doing this?”
He didn’t answer right away, and I could feel the weight of his hesitation. It only made me more suspicious. I turned toward him, my gaze burning with questions I had no answers to. “You’ve never been this nice to me before. What’s changed?”
Logan's jaw tightened, his knuckles whitening against the steering wheel. For a moment, he didn’t speak, and I wondered if he was going to brush me off again, like he always did. But then, without warning, he shifted in his seat, leaning slightly toward me. His fingers grazed the side of my face, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear. The touch was so gentle, it almost felt like a lie. I jerked back, my heart racing, my instinct to protect myself surging to the forefront.
“Stop talking, Violet,” he said, his voice low, his eyes flicking to the road. “I’ll answer your questions when we’re there.”
I scoffed, the anger rising like bile in my throat. “Oh, so now you want me to be quiet?” I hissed. “After everything that’s happened? You think I’ll just sit here and trust you? I’m not some fool, Logan.”
His eyes flicked to me again, briefly, before focusing back on the road. “Please, just let me drive,” he said, his tone clipped. “I’m doing this for you, whether you believe it or not.”
I didn’t believe him. Not for a second. I leaned back in my seat, crossing my arms tightly across my chest. My heart pounded, but the pounding wasn’t from fear anymore. It was from the swirling confusion and anger I couldn’t suppress.
“I’m not going to stop talking until you tell me why you’re really doing this,” I said, my voice shaking with defiance. “Why did you suddenly decide to save me? What’s the real reason?”
Logan’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, his shoulders stiffening. For a moment, the air felt charged, like a storm was brewing just beneath the surface. He shifted in his seat again, his eyes narrowing with what looked like frustration.
“Ryker told me to,” he said, his voice cold and clipped, as though the words themselves tasted bitter.
My heart skipped a beat. “Ryker?”
He nodded, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like it might crack. “He wanted me to get you out. He doesn’t trust Aaron. He doesn’t trust what’s going on with you.”
I stared at him, disbelief crawling up my spine like a slow poison. “And you expect me to believe that? Ryker? The same blood runs in the blood of the both of you, he might have a tough reasons.”
“I’m not asking you to believe me, Violet,” Logan said, his voice a mixture of frustration and something else—something I couldn’t quite place. “I’m just telling you what happened. What I was told.”
I shook my head, my chest tight with confusion and betrayal. “I don’t believe you, Logan. You’re lying. You’ve always been a liar.”
Logan’s expression hardened, the softness that had been there earlier completely gone. “If you don’t believe me, that’s your choice. But I’m getting you out of here, whether you like it or not.”
Before I could respond, he swerved the car into a narrow side street, slowing to a stop at the end of a long driveway. I glanced up, spotting the imposing figure of the pack house in the distance. The familiar walls loomed ahead, but this time they didn’t feel like a refuge. They felt like a cage.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I barely noticed when Logan unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. My heart raced. I should’ve said something, should’ve protested, but the words wouldn’t come.
Then, without warning, he opened the door on my side of the car. I recoiled, trying to push myself further into the seat, away from him.
“Get out, Violet,” Logan said, his voice sharp.
I shook my head, my throat tightening. “I don’t want to. I don’t trust you.”
“I don’t care if you trust me,” Logan snapped, his voice colder than I’d ever heard it. “You’re getting out of this car. Now.”
I moved to get out, but I was too slow. Before I could make another move, Logan grabbed me, his arms encircling me with surprising gentleness. I tried to push him away, but it was no use. His strength overpowered me, and within seconds, I was lifted out of the car as if I weighed nothing.
“Let me go!” I screamed, thrashing against him.
But he didn’t let go. He held me against him, his grip firm but not hurting. I kicked and twisted, trying to break free, but it was like fighting against a wall. “Put me down!” I yelled.
Logan’s face softened, but his voice remained firm. “I’m not putting you down until I say so.”
“Then you’re a damn fool,” I hissed, my teeth clenched in anger. “I don’t trust you, and I’m never going to.”