Read Online Christmas Conspiracy by Robin Perini - Free Book Online Page B

her again, but she seemed able to reach inside him and fill this big empty space with just the sound of her laughter—or the sight of her holding his babies.
    Gently, he shook her awake. “Honey, we’re home.”
    Damn, there he went again. He hoped she overlooked the slip.
    Kat stirred, then sat up slowly. “Home?” She looked around sleepily. “You mean your ranch?”
    She stared at the big house and he could almost see the nervousness take hold of her as she straightened in the seat.
    “You’ll be safe here.” His heart ached with the need to pull her against him and make all her fears go away, but nothing would be that easy. He sighed, opened the car door and grabbed a few bags, setting them on the landing, knowing help would arrive soon.
    Rafe met him on the front porch. “You took your time getting here.”
    “I had to dump the second transmitter in the back of a cement truck heading east. Hopefully, the decoy will keep them busy for a while,” Logan said quietly, walking with Rafe to the car. Logan opened the back door of the station wagon and removed his daughter from her car seat. “I also doubled back a lot to make certain I wasn’t followed.”
    “I noticed you ditched our phone transmitter, too. Zane was pissed when he lost track of you. Gotta tell you, Logan, a commando geek thinking you don’t trust his security is not a pretty sight.”
    “He’ll have to get over it,” Logan said under his breath. “I couldn’t risk anyone tapping into our signal and tracking us while I was on the road. That station wagon doesn’t have near the horsepower of my SUV, and those kids have been through enough.”
    “That’s why he was freaking.” Rafe didn’t wait to be asked what needed to be done. He walked around the other side of the car and picked up the dead weight of Hayden.
    The day’s events must have worn the kids out. Neither woke.
    For a moment, Kat lingered beside Rafe, studying the man who could kill with his bare hands. Logan didn’t know if her exhaustion—or intimidation—kept her silent. Holding Lanie carefully, Logan backed into the screen door and held it open while Rafe and Kat walked through.
    “The kitchen’s through there.” Logan tilted his head toward an oak-trimmed entrance. “We’ll be upstairs.”
    “Second door on the left,” Rafe added.
    The little angel stirred in his arms then snuggled down against Logan’s neck. His heart swelled at the trust. He followed Rafe up the stairs and into a bedroom near Logan’s own room. Two miniature beds rested side by side, and a large stack of toys piled in the corner. Someone had even remembered diapers and baby powder.
    He frowned. “They had cribs in Kat’s house. Is a bed safe?”
    “ Your son does gymnastics on his crib. Not only that, he climbed out, then pulled a gun on you before you knew what was happening. A kid like that deserves a bed.”
    “Yeah, but the trick will be to keep him in it.” Logan settled Lanie under a frilly pink comforter. “He’s a hellion. Thinks he’s invincible.”
    “Can’t imagine who he takes after....” Rafe said, tucking Hayden beneath a comforter covered in fire engines. “There’s more stuff downstairs. Zane’s sister has kids. She told us what to get.”
    “Thanks.” Logan stared down at his children. He couldn’t take his eyes off them.
    Rafe put his hand on Logan’s shoulder. “You’re a lucky man.”
    He cleared his throat. “Yeah.”
    “We won’t let anything happen to them.”
    “It’s not going to be easy,” Logan said, easing quietly into the hallway. “What have you found out about the people coming after us?”
    “We have at least two distinct players, maybe more.”
    “Agreed. The king wants a live heir, but whoever tried to burn down the barn wants Kat dead. What about the guy I killed at the hospital?”
    “Zane got hold of the morgue photos. He came up with an ID. It took some digging, but bottom line, the man’s associated with Victor