A/N - Again, thank you to everyone who is reading this story! I can't believe we're up to Chapter 11 already. Only two more chapters to go and then I'll likely write an epilogue for it too. See the end for notes.
As always, thanks to Bondopoulos for doing her beta magic on this chapter.
Disclaimer: All VM characters belong to Rob Thomas.
By the time Veronica made it to the airport, Logan was already waiting for her in the small bar. Unfortunately, she was about twenty minutes later than Logan's arrival time, and she could tell from the irritated look on his face that he hadn't appreciated waiting. He was nursing what looked like a glass of scotch and she hoped it was his first one, especially if he decided to drive back to Neptune rather than fly back to San Francisco.
"Sorry," she apologized as she slid into the seat across the small table from him. "There were two accidents on the freeway between here and Neptune."
Logan nodded in understanding but he still looked rather exasperated, although she guessed it was more likely related to the overall situation than her tardiness. Veronica pulled a manila envelope out of her bag and set it on the table in front of her, drumming nervously on it with her fingers. She'd only printed one picture for now and tried to crop it so it wasn't showing more than Logan really needed to see. Faces and naked torsos really should be plenty. Logan's gaze quickly fell to the envelope for a few seconds before he looked back up at her expectantly.
"The picture is a bit... graphic," she explained sensitively. She saw him swallow hard and nod. She suddenly felt ill thinking about how she would feel if it was someone showing her a picture of Troy with someone else, or even worse, if Troy had seen pictures of what happened between her and Logan less than a week before. She slowly pushed the envelope toward Logan, his eyes falling to track its movement across the table. When it was in front of him he took a deep breath before he reached out and took it. Veronica watched as he slowly opened it and slid the photo out. She was thankful that the bar wasn't very crowded and that he'd selected a table in an isolated corner. He grimaced and then a pained look formed on his face as he focused on the picture. She saw the moment he realized who was in the picture with Hannah, and his initial, pained expression was replaced by one of shock and confusion.
"What the hell?" Logan mumbled as he glanced up at Veronica. "Him?" he asked angrily.
"Yeah, I was a bit shocked as well," Veronica somberly replied. She continued to study Logan as he looked back down at the picture and then shoved it back into the envelope. She was really hoping to try to gauge his reaction to figure out how to proceed with this. He ran his hand nervously through his hair as he clenched his jaw tightly.
"Why do I have a hard time believing it's just a coincidence that Gory Sorokin is the one fucking my wife?" Logan ranted as he looked angrily down at the envelope again.
Veronica let out a loud sigh and shook her head in reply. "It really could just be a coincidence, Logan," she answered, though she was having a hard time convincing herself of that too.
"I can't believe she'd get mixed up with a guy like that... not after her dad and the Fitzpatricks." It was easy to see the rage boiling up in Logan as he came to terms with what Hannah had been doing.
"Maybe she doesn't know who he actually is," Veronica offered, since she'd also wondered how on earth Hannah could have gotten involved with Gory. "I never actually heard her say his name, or any other name at all, when he called her. He could have given her a fake name and she wouldn't know. Did you ever mention him and what happened at Hearst?"
Logan shook his head, looking even more furious by the second. "He was gone our sophomore year, so I didn't even think about it again. I'd kept an eye out for him right after the incident in the cafeteria when you filled me in on exactly who he was, but then I didn't give him another thought after that."
"He's still dangerous, Logan," Veronica warned. "His family is still involved in a lot of illegal stuff, even if he's been able to keep his own record clean." She'd looked him up in the PI database after she'd seen him with Hannah at the hotel. He'd had a few minor traffic violations, but other than that, there wasn't anything recorded for him. She had wondered if Gory's membership in the Castle organization had kept anything more substantial from getting pinned to him. She narrowed her eyes at Logan before she continued. "Promise you're going to be smart about this and not do anything that could end badly?"
Logan let out a bitter laugh. It was easy to tell he was starting to unravel now as the reality of everything weighed down on him. "What's wrong, Veronica? Are you worried about feeling responsible if I do something stupid?" he spat out angrily. She could see fury and recklessness quickly growing in his expression, not to mention the tone she always hated to hear from him. "I promise I won't hold you liable for anything. I can sign an affidavit if you want… maybe in blood," he added aggressively.
All of a sudden, Veronica wasn't looking at twenty-four-year-old Logan, she was looking at seventeen-year-old poor little rich asshole with a death wish again. And those same angry feelings that she'd felt all those years ago quickly came rushing back. And just like that day, she stormed out... in a burst of professionalism.
After Veronica hastily retreated from the bar, Logan downed the rest of his scotch and debated ordering another. It didn't take him long to feel terrible about how he'd just acted. Why can't I stop being an asshole around her? It's not her fault any of this is happening. He picked up the envelope she'd brought with her and tapped against the top of the table in irritation. He really wanted to believe that Hannah didn't know who Gory actually was. Logan didn't think he could forgive her for cheating on him, but Veronica was right; it could be dangerous for Hannah to get mixed up with Gory. If Hannah did know that he was from a mob family and still had chosen to be with him, well then she deserved whatever happened. But if she didn't know... Logan still cared enough about her to not want her to get hurt.
He finally decided he'd go home and confront Hannah about everything. They could decide what to do from there. He had proof now, so it wasn't like she could deny it. Hopefully they could work out a reasonable arrangement... an amicable divorce... something, anyway. And if Hannah didn't know how dangerous Gory was, at least he'd feel better having warned her. She could then make an informed decision about what she wanted to do with her life... with her baby. He suddenly felt even worse, realizing that the baby she was carrying was Sorokin's.
It was dark by the time he reached their condo. Hannah's car was parked out front, and he pulled up next to it then headed in the front door. The lights above the kitchen island were the only ones on downstairs and he headed there first, tossing the envelope from Veronica on the counter top. He could hear the shower up in their room going. He knew it was the night Hannah normally had Pilates, so he figured she was showering after getting back from class. He'd felt terrible about the way he'd acted with Veronica at the airport and decided that he'd call and apologize while he waited for Hannah to finish her shower. He doubted Veronica would answer his call, but he still knew that he owed her an apology. His life turning to shit once again was certainly not her fault, and he really shouldn't have acted that way with her. He also desperately needed a drink, so as he pressed the contact number for Veronica on his phone, he moved toward the liquor cabinet. He heard her voicemail greeting start to come on as he grabbed a bottle of scotch, and then he momentarily set the phone down to grab a glass. His hand hadn't even touched the glass yet when he heard footsteps entering the kitchen. He quickly turned toward the noise and then stood frozen in place.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Logan asked furiously.
"Oh... you know... just fucking your wife while I waited for you to get here," Gory sneered at Logan. "I have to admit I was beginning to get a little worried that you had decided to just fly back to San Francisco, but I'm glad to see that you didn't."
Logan felt his heart rate quicken as it dawned on him that this encounter definitely wasn't just a coincidence and that Gory must have bugged his phone. His panic grew tenfold as Gory's arm came up and Logan saw the barrel of a gun pointed directly at him.
"I told you that you were going to die someday... and it's so much more poetic knowing it's going to be with your own gun," Gory told Logan as he waved the gun around in the air slightly.
Gory took a few more steps into the kitchen and picked up the envelope that Logan had tossed there, keeping the gun aimed at Logan as he reached in and slid the picture out with one hand.
"Your perky little blonde PI does a decent enough job. Got my good side," Gory added with a wicked laugh. "I'm a bit disappointed that she didn't give you a more indecent shot, but this will work."
"What are you talking about?" Logan asked angrily as he glared at Gory. "Do you actually think you can get away with shooting me?"
Gory laughed loudly as he nodded. "Of course I can... You returned home from your meeting with your hot little PI and found me here with your wife. You pulled the gun on me, and after a struggle, I overpowered you, grabbed for the gun and killed you in self-defense. Given your history of violence and the evidence that I was having an affair with your wife, I'm pretty sure I can sell it. Especially in Neptune... and with my special connections, yeah... I'm not worried about it at all."
"You're insane," Logan exclaimed, trying to at least pretend he didn't believe Gory's plan would work, but deep down he knew that Gory was probably right.
Gory had taken a few more steps into the kitchen, and now the island was no longer between them. "And speaking of your hot blonde PI, I can't wait to fuck her next."
"You'd better stay away from her," Logan growled out angrily. "She'd never let you even get close to her."
"Oh, I know she won't be easy to seduce like your wife was, but I really don't mind it when they struggle and fight back. I can't wait to hear those sounds in person that she makes when she's being fucked. Too bad you didn't get a round two with her the other day."
Logan sneered angrily and his hands clenched into fists at his side at the realization that Gory had heard what happened between him and Veronica.
"And if it makes you feel any better, I promise she won't have to live long with the guilt. I'm pretty good at arranging accidents... of course with her it might just be easier to make it look like a suicide. What after losing you... not to mention her dad... the poor little broken thing just couldn't take it any longer."
Logan couldn't help his unintentional reaction to Gory mentioning Keith, and Gory must have noticed it because his lips curled up into an even bigger sneer. "Oh yes... poor, dead Keith Mars... you're surprised I know about that? Well when you cross one Russian family, you need to know who their allies are if you don't take down the entire family. The Sukarenkos were more than grateful when Yelena and I connected the dots for them regarding how Yevgeni and Sergei were arrested and sentenced to all those years in prison. Hit and runs are pretty easy to have orchestrated in Neptune when you have the right connections." Gory paused for a moment as he looked thoughtfully at Logan. "Yeah, I think I'll be sure to mention to Blondie that I was responsible for her dad dying; I'm sure that will make her fight me even more and make it an even better fuck than you got."
Logan had been angry many times in his life, but the amount of rage flowing through him at that moment paled in comparison to anything he'd ever felt before. He would die before he let anything happen to Veronica. He figured that if he moved quickly, even if Gory got a shot off, he'd hopefully have enough adrenaline and momentum to turn the gun on Gory and take him down with him. He'd gladly make that sacrifice for her even after all these years of being apart. She was still the only person he'd truly loved with all his heart and he couldn't die without trying to do something to save her. Logan took a deep breath and lunged as quickly as he could at Gory. Everybody dies some day.
Veronica was sitting out on the balcony of her apartment watching the ocean in the dim light of the moon when her cell phone rang. She slowly pulled it out of her pocket, and when she saw Logan's name on the display, she sat the phone on the table and went back to watching the waves.
She was still too pissed about how he'd acted at the airport to talk to him now. She hoped he'd jumped on a plane back to San Francisco and far away from her. Either there wasn't another flight available yet, or he had decided not to go back tonight since he couldn't have made it all the way back there already. She waited a minute to see if he dared to leave a message, and when a little over a minute went by without a message notification, she grabbed the phone and shoved it back in her pocket. The fact that he hadn't even bothered to leave her at least a quick apology made her even more upset with him. She had always hated that irrational, angry side of Logan. That had certainly been a large contributing factor for why they had broken up before senior year of high school. Although she had to admit that a part of her could understand why he'd be feeling angry and hurt right now. His seemingly perfect relationship with Hannah had more or less just crumbled right before his eyes. Not to mention how Veronica herself had acted toward him as well.
She felt terrible about her momentary lack of judgment that day at his house. Even if she did still have unresolved feelings for Logan, throwing aside all rational thoughts and having sex with him was the worst possible thing she could have done. It had not only hurt him, but she had hurt Troy as well. She still felt so guilty over betraying Troy like that when he'd practically begged her not to take the case because he was afraid something was going to happen. And now Troy was on the other side of the country, likely burying himself in an assignment, so he wouldn't have to deal with what happened between them. Maybe I should fly out there and try to fix things with him. He loved me so much and I hurt him so badly. Even though he'd only been gone for a few days, she was already starting to feel an uneasy void from his absence. Troy had been a constant in her life for the last year and she was starting to miss that. She hadn't even realized how much she'd come to depend on him until he wasn't there for her anymore. She knew that she still had Mac and Wallace, but Wallace was working in Seattle and Mac was busy with Max and the baby. Troy really had become the main person in her life. With Logan's case being closed, she could put her other cases on hold for a few days while she flew out to try to fix things with Troy. But what if it's too soon? What if he needs more time before he's ready to forgive me? And can I honestly say that I don't still have feelings for Logan too? She knew that even though she was currently angry at Logan, it didn't erase all of the other feelings that she had been struggling with over the past few days.
Veronica was surprised when her phone beeped in her pocket, notifying her of a voice mail message. It had to have been at least five minutes since Logan had called, and she couldn't image what sort of message he could have left that would be that long. She debated about whether to listen to it then or not. If he'd kept drinking at the airport after she left, it could be another long drunken rant like he'd left her all those years before. She stared at the phone for a few minutes before finally giving in to her curiosity and punching in her code. She heard Logan say 'what the hell are you doing here', but his voice wasn't very loud. Terror immediately coursed through her entire body as she heard what had to have been Gory saying he was there fucking Logan's wife while he waited for him. It was even harder to hear Gory through her phone, especially sitting out on the balcony with the ocean noise in the background, so Veronica quickly walked back inside and closed the sliding glass door behind her.
She got the door closed just in time to hear Gory's threatening reminder that Logan was going to die one day and then heard him mention a gun. Fuck! She stood there frozen with fear, not really sure what she should do. The message had to have started over five minutes before when Logan had first called. She continued to listen and quickly realized that Gory must have bugged Logan as well based on the comment she'd just heard. She also couldn't help but wonder then whether Gory had set up the meeting with Hannah so that Veronica would get the pictures. He had made it so easy for her with the location of the room and leaving the curtains open. She hadn't even stopped to consider that he'd done that intentionally. The amount of panic and fear she was feeling only increased as she listened to Gory share his plan to get himself off for killing Logan. Veronica felt tears starting to stream down her face as all she could do was stand there and helplessly listen. Veronica tried telling herself that Logan would figure out how to get away. That he'd be okay. But then she heard Gory make a threat against her and could only imagine what impact that might have on Logan, especially as she heard the tone of his voice as he warned Gory to stay away from her.
Veronica started to move toward the counter where she'd put her purse and her keys. Maybe if she hurried over there, Gory wouldn't have shot him yet and she could do something to stop him. She was about to grab for her keys when she heard Gory say her dad's name. She could barely breath as she listened to Gory's admission that he'd been responsible for Keith's death. No, no, no! She closed her eyes, which did little to stop the tears that were pouring down her cheeks. She thought she heard maybe Hannah's voice for a second, but couldn't really make it out, although there was some other background noise at the same time. The next sound was clearly a gunshot, followed by Hannah's blood curdling scream. And then the line went dead.
A/N - On the plus side, at least you won't have to wait weeks to find out what happened! I loved all the guesses on who the mystery man might be. I know several people had guessed Gory at the very beginning, although I'm not sure anyone suspected he was doing it to get his revenge on Logan. Some of the random ones I really loved were Norman Phipps and Sean Friedrich - thanks Notaparkerfan for those! I don't think I've ever come across a story with Norman in it, so that would have been great if there wasn't a much darker motive for this. I had wondered if people might think of Liam or Chardo too, and they were mentioned once or twice as well. I'm guessing you all won't need much encouragement to let me know what you thought of this chapter. Thanks for reading!