Logan Carter
A rustling sound.
A soft sigh.
Then—
"Oh my—"
Voices.
Jisoo's? Loud. Shocked.
Then footsteps.
Something shifted against me, something warm.
My brain wasn't fully online yet, but I was already aware of three things:
1. Someone was pressed way too close to me.
2 I could feel fingers on my stomach. They were warm. Very nice.
3The entire room was losing its damn mind.
I cracked one eye open.
Min-ji.
Pressed against my chest, her hand resting on my abs.
Jisoo gasped dramatically. "Oh. My. Giddy Aunt."
Then—more movement.
Min-ji's body stiffened against mine.
Her fingers twitched.
And then—
She launched herself off me so fast she nearly fell over the couch.
The next few minutes were hilarious. The banter between the girls, adorable and fun at the expense of a very embarrassed Min-ji.
After having a bit of mayhem, I sat up, stretching lazily, rolling my shoulders.
Hye-won grinned.
Min-ji refused to look at me, her entire face buried in the couch pillow.
Then Ji-an spoke.
"You," she said, voice clipped, "need to get dressed."
I blinked at her.
She was standing stiff, arms crossed, expression neutral.
Too neutral.
I glanced down at my ruined shirt, then back at her.
And then—just to be an asshole—I smirked.
"Min-ji you're so bold," I said lazily, "I find that immensely attractive."
Min-ji's face may have been the most adorable thing I have ever seen. So freaking cute.
She let out a strangled squeak before collapsing face-first onto the couch.
Jisoo gasped dramatically, smacking my arm. "Shameless! Logan. You are so shameless!"
Hye-won was practically cackling. "You are the worst."
I was about to let it go, but then Ji-an clenched her jaw.
And I knew.
She was seething.
She was trying very hard not to show it.
And that?
That was interesting.
I pushed off the couch, stretching one last time before heading for the bathroom.
The second I shut the bathroom door behind me, I exhaled, gripping the edge of the sink.
Not because I was tired.
Not because I was sore.
But because, ONCE AGAIN, I needed a damn minute.
These women were going to be the death of me.
Too many pretty girls. To compromising a situation. Too many moments that tested my patience and self control. Geez. I am not used to this.
I turned the faucet on, letting the cold water run before splashing it over my face.
The chill helped.
Didn't fix everything, but it helped.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, droplets rolling down my jaw.
I'd been in worse situations.
I'd been in far worse situations.
And yet, somehow, this—this cluster of an operation—was testing my patience more than it should have.
This night had been a mess.
The attack. The aftermath. The fact that I was still standing in a hotel suite with four beautiful women looking at me like I was some sort of savior.
It was complicated.
And Ji-an? What the hell was wrong with her??.
I ran a hand down my face, exhaling as the memory hit me again. The one that kept me up most of the night.
Ji-an, straddling my lap.
Ji-an's fingers caressing my neck, my face, my mouth…
Ji-an, whispering in my ear.
Ji-an, asking, "Do you want to have sex with me?"
At that moment, I had wanted a few things in my life more than I wanted to rip Ji-an's clothes off and take her right there. The consequences be damned.
But then I realized, Ji-an… she wasn't random. She wasn't just a hookup. She was more than that. I didn't know her that well last night. I don't know her any better this morning. But I knew that she wasn't someone that took intimacy lightly. It must have been her eyes that had given it away. One part lust, one party bad judgment. Another part, vulnerability and desire. Desire for what? I wasn't sure. Connection?
It was then that I understood.
The invite. I had been an impulse. A bold poorly considered declaration. But most of all. It was a test.
She had wanted to see if I'd break. If I'd react the way every other man did around her.
I hadn't.
I'd touched her—just enough. Just to prove a point.
And then I asked her why.
She didn't have an answer.
Not a real one.
She'd leaned in, thinking she could turn the situation back in her favor—
And I had flicked her in the forehead.
I smirked slightly at the memory.
Because that?
That had driven her crazy.
She had stormed off, slammed the bedroom door, and left me with the knowledge that, for the first time in probably a in her life, someone had told her no.
I looked at my reflection and recalled how Ji-an looked after I flicked her. Considering my own actions. I realized it was sort of a dick move. But I figured if she was going to act ridiculous then she couldn't be too upset when I hit her with some ridiculousness. Which is exactly what I did. Normally I would be more measured, but I figured she would have problems if I didn't make her understand. Flicking was the best way.
I sighed, wiping my face with a towel.
Ji-an was trouble, but I would have to deal with her later.
For now, I had to put that aside. I needed to get my shit together. I have a job to do and its not completed. Not yet.
The priority was getting Nova back to the Gorge.
They had another show tonight, and the last thing we needed was to disrupt their entire tour schedule. We were lucky that none of them got physically hurt last night and that the attack hadn't been announced to the entire world, and already put them behind. There is a lot of money riding on this tour and people would not be happy if the schedule was interrupted. Delaying further would only create more problems—logistical, financial, and public relations nightmares that management wouldn't shut up about.
I was skeptical about them performing, as someone that has had their share of nightmares, it wasn't a good idea.
But above my pay grade as much as it irked me.
For right now, we needed to move.
That meant handling three things immediately:
Personal security for each Nova member. No more lapses. No more chances. These girls weren't walking to the damn bathroom without someone watching them. Coordinating statements for the police. The sooner we got this on record, the sooner we could control the narrative. We also need a police presence at the Gorge. Getting them on the road—safely. Get them into this show, perform their hearts out and then get them on their way without any more incidents. Find me a damn shirt. That one probably needed to be handled first.
The venue at the Gorge was already secured, but I'd have my team do another sweep. Double-check entry points, crowd management, and stage security. No one was getting anywhere near them without triple clearance and they wouldn't be walking anywhere on those grounds without at least ten of my guys around.
It was time to call in some favors.
I exhaled sharply, gripping the sink.
And then my phone started vibrating again.
Emily.
I stared at the screen as it lit up, displaying the 7th missed call. Then the messages followed.
Emily (14 Unread Messages)
Emily: Where the hell are you?
Emily: Why aren't you answering?
Emily: You were supposed to be home last night.
Emily: Logan, pick up your damn phone.
Emily: What's going on?
Emily: Don't you dare ignore me.
Emily: Brother of mine, you'd better be in a ditch somewhere or when I find you I am going to straight murder you! Call your sister!
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck.
I didn't have time for this.
I shot back a single reply:
Logan: Still working. The death match will need to come later. I need a favor.
Emily's response was immediate.
Emily: A favor? Are you out of the your f mind? You disappear all night, don't answer me, and now you want a favor? I am seriously going to kill you!
I didn't bother explaining.
Logan: I need fresh clothes. Nova is heading back to the Gorge for their next show, but I need to change. Can you bring my stuff?
Three dots appeared.
Paused.
Then it disappeared.
Then reappeared.
Emily: Fine. But you better have a damn good explanation when I get there or be prepared for an ass kicking.
I exhaled.
That was as much as I was going to get out of her right now.
I glanced down at my shirt—if you could even call it that anymore. It was torn, stretched, and completely unsalvageable.
I muttered a curse under my breath.
I hadn't packed extra. I wasn't supposed to be on the road with them—I was only meant to oversee the actual event venue, make sure everything ran smoothly.
That had changed fast.
I was in this now.
Which meant I needed to set the tone for how things were going to move forward.
They weren't going to like it.
Management was going to hate it.
But I wasn't running this show for their convenience.
I was running it for their safety. That meant getting these women out of this hotel and back to the Gorge before anyone realized just how serious this situation really was.
I exhaled, shaking off the last remnants of exhaustion.
Time to work.
I pushed open the bathroom door, stepping back into the suite—
And found Ji-an sitting on the edge of the couch, arms crossed, waiting for me. If looks could kill.
Well.
This was going to be fun.