Fic: Out of Area (R) Logan/Veronica
Title: Out of Area
Author: rachel_shanz
Characters: Logan/Veronica
Rating: R for some sex and a bit of language.
Word Count: 3300ish
Spoilers: Goes AU during 2x19.
Summary: Logan and Veronica are getting cryptic phone calls. Is it just a prank, or a message from beyond?
Notes: This fic is brought to you by my excessive viewing of Twin Peaks. Written for the Gotcha! challenge at loveathons. Thanks to the ever so sexy truemyth for holding my hand and being an awesome beta.
Out of Area
”This is Logan with today’s inspirational message: ‘All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them.’ - Walt Disney.”
“I have a message for you: red on gold may look convincing, but nothing is as it seems. There’s more where that came from, lover, but you’re going to have to earn it.”
***
Veronica looked up, startled, when Logan plopped down beside her at lunch. ““I really don’t need anymore details about your sex life, Logan, I promise.”
“I need you to listen to something.”
The complete lack of any snarky comment or sarcastic edge caught Veronica off-guard and she found herself closing her notebook to give Logan her complete attention. “What’s up?”
Logan flipped open his cell phone, pushed a few buttons and held it out to her. Taking the phone from his hand, she held it gingerly to her ear. A mechanized voice informed her that there was one old message and Veronica felt the blood drain from her face as the voice mail started to play.
Logan must have noticed, because a warm hand came to rest on her shoulder. “Veronica? Are you okay?”
Pulling out her own phone, Veronica mirrored Logan’s actions from a few minutes earlier, pushing buttons and handing the phone to him. He brought it to his ear, but Veronica could still hear what was being said as an achingly familiar voice began to speak.
“Hey, Veronica, I’ve got something to tell you. Several things, in fact, but let’s start with this one: red on gold may seem convincing, but nothing is as it seems.”
“Fuck,” Logan muttered, dropping the phone back in Veronica’s hand. “Who the hell is that?”
Veronica blinked. “You can’t be serious.”
“I know who it sounded like,” Logan said. “But that’s not possible. Lilly’s dead, Veronica.”
“I noticed,” Veronica snapped, averting her eyes from his face. The last thing she needed was to see him laughing at her. “That doesn’t mean it’s not her.”
“You really think its Lilly,” Logan said softly. Veronica had to give him credit; his voice was only slightly incredulous.
“When did you get the message?” Veronica asked, changing the subject abruptly. She suddenly didn’t feel like discussing means of communication from beyond the grave.
Logan shrugged, not even batting an eye at the new direction in conversation. “I’m not sure. I think the time-stamp says about three.”
“Mine was 3:10 a.m,.” Veronica said, nodding.
“Great,” Logan sighed. “So can you do your little detective magic tricks and find out who our charming mystery caller is?”
“You don’t think I already tried that?” Veronica asked. She raised an eyebrow in Logan’s direction. “I didn’t earn my fake P.I. license based on good looks alone.”
Logan smiled at that and Veronica’s stomach dropped slightly. Great. She really didn’t have time to contemplate her body’s continued reactions to Logan’s presence. She hadn’t had time when she’d led him onto the dance floor and slid her arms around his neck, and she didn’t time now. In fact, she would probably never have time. Ever. Right.
“So.” Logan’s voice pulled Veronica back to the conversation at hand. “What’d you find out?”
“What?” Veronica asked, racking her brain for the topic of conversation for a second before it clicked into place. “Oh, I didn’t find out anything. There’s no evidence of the call. According to my phone records, it never happened.”
***
“Hello?”
“Logan, are you watching the news?”
“Currently or in general? Because I have to say, legalized drugs in Mexico are the first step to a better tomorrow.”
“Currently. They found one of your dad’s Oscars in the Kane’s backyard, with Duncan’s hair on it. And Lilly’s blood.”
“Red on gold.”
“She’s trying to tell us something, Logan.”
“Sometimes her arms bend back?”
“The message said ‘nothing is as it seems.’ What do you think that means?”
“The great Veronica Mars is actually asking for my lowly opinion?”
“Really not helping, Logan.”
“I don’t know what it means. Probably that my father’s a liar, which really shouldn’t come as a surprise.”
“I need to think about this. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
***
“Leave me a message.”
“One down, two to go. The secret is in the Union and what’s missing is always more important.”
***
Veronica was waiting in the school parking lot when Logan pulled up the next morning. She was still on edge from the night before and waking up that morning to yet another cryptic message hadn’t helped.
“That’s twice in one week,” Logan smirked as he came to meet her. “Just can’t start your day without me?” His tone was light, but there was a strained undercurrent that sarcasm couldn’t quite cover.
“Did you get another message?” Veronica asked, getting straight to the point. She didn’t really have the energy for witty banter at the moment.
Logan’s face sobered instantly. “Yeah,” he said grimly. “I did, and I think I might know what this one means.”
***
“Are you sure about this?” Veronica asked, her voice just loud enough to be heard over the soft whirring sound of the automatic doors they were walking though.
“Union Bank,” Logan nodded. He came to a stop just inside the doors and Veronica halted beside him, letting the cooled air wash over her. “My dad used to say that this was the only bank he trusted with important stuff. I’d bet anything he has at least one safe deposit box here.”
“We don’t even know for sure that’s what the message was referring to.”
“If it’s not, then we’ll try something else,” Logan said, turning to face her. Their eyes locked, but Veronica looked away quickly, breaking the contact and forcing herself to ignore the tiny shiver that danced down her spine at the pure intensity in his gaze.
“Stay here,” Veronica told him, nodding towards the waiting area. “I’m going to see if I can talk my way into seeing any safe deposit boxes your father keeps here.”
Logan raised an eyebrow at her and then at the young, blonde co-ed working behind the counter. “What, you’re going to sweet talk Miss Kappa Kappa Gamma over there?” He tilted his head, running his eyes over Veronica in a way that made her heart jump in her chest. “I’m not sure you’re her type.”
Fighting the urge to squirm, Veronica took a step back, away from him. “I’m not trying to seduce her, Logan. I just need her to believe my sob story.”
“And what, exactly, is your tragic tale of woe?”
“I’m not exactly sure,” Veronica admitted reluctantly. But, hey, she had at least five minutes before someone noticed them loitering in the lobby and politely asked them to either leave or make a transaction. That was plenty of time to come up with something good.
Logan didn’t seem to agree with that thought, because he just shook his head and said, “Allow me.” And then he was striding away from her and getting in the short line in front of the blonde’s counter. Veronica dropped into the nearest chair with a huff. Fine, but when he ended up fucking it up, she was really going to enjoy the “I told you so.” Even though she wasn’t completely sure that she actually had told him so. Whatever.
A few minutes later, Logan was at the front of the line and Veronica didn’t even try to hold in her eyeroll when he leaned across the counter, bringing his head right next to the blonde’s, and began speaking to her in what appeared to be a very earnest, heartfelt manner. The girl put her hand on his arm, stroking the bare skin lightly as she listened intently. Veronica looked away, focusing on counting each and every one of the tiny roses stitched into the rug under her feet and steadfastly ignoring way her chest got tight every time that bimbo smiled up at Logan.
She was at rose number eighty-nine when Logan’s shoes appeared in her line of vision. “Let’s go,” he said, and Veronica looked up to see the him grinning at her so hard she wouldn’t have been surprised to see a bright yellow feather sticking out from between his teeth. He jerked his head sideways, towards where the blonde girl was waiting across the room.
“What’d you tell her?” Veronica asked, swinging her messenger bag over her shoulder and falling into step beside him.
Logan shrugged. “That several of my mother’s priceless family heirlooms were in a safe-deposit box here. And, since our house burned, I didn’t have the key and was afraid that I would never be able to retrieve some of my mother’s most treasured objects.”
“She bought that?”
“Hook, line, and sinker.”
“And you didn’t even have to sleep with her first.”
“Watch out, Mars. I think you might be turning a little green around the edges.” He smiled at her again, slow and lazy this time, and Veronica’s heart absolutely did not skip a beat.
Except that it totally did.
***
“Put these on.” Veronica tossed a pair of plastic gloves at Logan before beginning to work her hands into another pair. “We don’t need to leave any finger prints behind.”
“Right. Safety first,” Logan smirked, but at Veronica’s look of annoyance he pulled the gloves on without further comment.
“Okay,” Veronica said, staring down at the medium-sized metal lockbox. “Let’s do this. Open it.”
There was a faint click as Logan turned the key and then he lifted the lid, flipping it back until it hit the table with a metallic crash. Inside, incased in clear plastic, were two gleaming golden statues with Aaron Echolls’ name etched across the bottom.
“How many of these things does your father have?”
“Three, amazingly enough. Those two and…” Logan trailed off, running his fingers lightly over the third plastic box, empty except for a smudge of dark red along the bottom. “Is that blood?”
Veronica took a deep breath, fighting the sudden tightness in her chest. “Yeah, it is.”
Logan frowned down at the box. “How did these even get here? They were in my house when it burned, on a shelf by the mantel.”
“What’s this?” Veronica reached across Logan to pluck a small, green rectangle of paper out of the corner of the box. “A business card.”
Taking it from her, Logan squinted down at the small writing. “Dean Samuels? I know him. He did all the big decorations for my mother’s parties. Actually, when my dad won his first Oscar, that one,” he tapped the plastic cover above the middle trophy, “she had a six-foot tall plastic replica made to stand in the entryway.”
“That’s….creepy.”
“It looked real, too. Full of pretension and wearing a big, false grin. Might as well have been a giant version of dear old Dad.”
“It looked real? Logan, what if your dad had fake statues made to go in the house? If Lilly really did steal one of them…”
“Then next time it happened, he wouldn’t have to ruin another one of his precious trophies by getting blood all over it,” Logan finished, not even trying to hide the bitterness in his voice.
“Something like that, yeah.”
“Right.” Logan flipped the lid to the box closed again and dropped the key in his pocket. “Next stop, Sheriff’s office.”
“What? Logan, no.” Veronica grabbed his wrist before his hand landed on the doorknob. “We need more evidence.”
“Obviously my dad hired someone to take the statue and bury in it Duncan’s backyard. It shouldn’t be that hard to figure out who.”
“You do realize that this is Sheriff Lamb you’re talking about here.,” Veronica pointed out dryly. “No, we should wait one more night, at least. See if we get another message.” Veronica knew that her poker face never slipped, but her voice must have because Logan’s face softened at her words.
“It’s not Lilly,” he said gently, lifting one hand to brush her hair back off her face. “It’s not her, Veronica. This is just someone’s idea of a sick joke.”
“Then how did they know? About the blood? And this safe deposit box?
“I don’t know. Maybe they didn’t, maybe they just got lucky.”
Veronica dropped her gaze, looking away from the sadness in his eyes. “You don’t know that,” she said, blinking back the hot prick of tears. She took a steadying breath and looked back up, steeling her gaze to meet his eyes. “I promised her that bastard would rot in jail, Logan. And I’m going to make sure that he does.”
“She’s not watching us, Veronica.” Logan’s voice was still soft as he stroked his thumb lightly over her cheekbone, making her breath catch. “She can’t see us, can’t see this.”
He leaned forward and before Veronica had a chance to realize what was happening, his lips were pressed against hers. It was barely a kiss, but Veronica couldn’t stop herself from leaning into it and opening her mouth slightly beneath his. His hand slipped into her hair and he stepped closer, murmuring her name like a prayer against her lips as he deepened the kiss.
The moment shattered when two sharp ring tones cut through the air simultaneously. Veronica jumped back, turning away from Logan to dig her cell phone out of her bag. Her fingers closed around it just as both phones stopped ringing as suddenly as they had started.
The display read: “1 new voicemail. Number: Out of area.”
***
It's not the first time the Echolls men have shared a girl, but it seems more wholesome when they are screaming your real name.
***
“So, you’re saying that Kendall isn’t really Kendall?” Logan asked, looking at Veronica for confirmation as he turned the key in the ignition, bringing the XTerra’s engine to life.
“Pretty much. Priscilla Banks spent some time in jail for fraud, which would probably have put a cramp in her golddigging.”
“There’s not much that woman won’t do for money, but what does this have to do with my dad?”
Veronica leaned back into the seat, trying to ignore the sense memory of Logan’s mouth on hers. Of course, that would be much easier if he would stop chewing on his damn lip. She jerked her eyes forward before answering.“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I think I might have an idea. You said she’d do anything for the right price. I’m guessing that includes helping murders plant evidence.”
“As long as she didn’t have to break a nail.”
Pulling out her phone again, Veronica tapped in a familiar number and waited for the call to connect. “Hey, Cliff? It’s Veronica. I need a favor.”
***
“Hey.”
“Hey. Are you busy?”
“I always have time for you, Mars.”
“I heard back from Cliff.”
“Pins and needles, here.”
“Priscilla Banks has been to visit your dad twice in the last few weeks.”
“So, my father and I really do have the same taste in women. Does this mean we can go to the police?”
“I’m on my way to the Sheriff’s office right now, if you want to meet me there.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
***
“That was easier than I thought it would be.” Logan pushed open the door to his suite and stepped back, motioning Veronica in ahead of him.
“I guess even Lamb has a good night every once in a while.”
“Yeah.” Something in Logan’s voice caught Veronica’s attention and she looked up to find him staring at her.
“Logan,” Veronica began, but she really didn’t know where she was going with that and was almost relieved when he stopped her by bringing his mouth down to cover hers.
She froze, just for a second, but then his hands were sliding around her waist and pulling her closer and she could feel herself giving in. He licked at the seam of her lips, and she parted them, allowing his tongue access to her mouth. She’d forgotten how good he tasted, how warm his mouth was, how he knew exactly how to slide his tongue against hers to make her knees go weak. She’d forgotten what it felt like to kiss him, really kiss him, not a chaste brushing of lips like earlier in the bank. But now the memories were flooding back and she wanted more.
She broke away, gasping for air, but didn’t give Logan a chance to react before she dragged him back down for another kiss. She slide her hands under his shirt, tracing her fingers over smooth, hot skin as she began to back across the room, not stopping until the backs of her knees came in contact with the couch. She sank down on to the cushions and tried to pull Logan along with her, but he pulled away.
“Veronica,” he said, and the rough edges of his voice made her shiver. “Are you sure? Because I can’t just -”
“Yes,” she breathed, cutting him off. And she was. She wanted this, wanted him. “Yes.”
And then he was kissing her again. He pressed her back against the couch and crawled on top of so that the heavy warmth of his body was covering her completely. She could feel him pressed hard against her thigh and that just made her rub against him, smiling into his mouth when he groaned.
This time it was his hands under her shirt, stroking her skin softly before he moved back long enough to pull it up and over her head. His shirt followed directly after and when he lowered himself back down, the slide of skin against skin made Veronica gasp his name.
She repeated it as he trailed his fingers up over her ribcage to cup her breasts, drawing his thumbs over her nipples, which tightened instantly through the thin fabric of her bra. He was watching her intently, like he was drinking in her every expression and emotion and the raw passion in his eyes sent heat rolling though her body to pool in her stomach.
He dropped his head, licking a line down her throat and across her collarbone, nipping at her skin as he worked a hand behind her to unhook her bra. Sliding the straps off her arms, he moved down to flick his tongue lightly over first one nipple, then the other. Veronica arched into him at the sensation and tightened her grip on his arms, her fingers digging into his biceps hard enough to bruise.
“Logan, please,” she murmured, raising her denim-clad hips to rock against his, her body desperate for friction.
Raising his head, he grinned at her. “Please what?” His fingers crept back down to tease along the line of her jeans, drawing small circles on her overheated skin.
“I don’t know,” she whimpered, her words breaking off at the end. “Just…please.”
“Hold that thought,” he muttered, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before climbing off the couch and disappearing from view. Veronica bit back a groan at the loss of contact and was about to demand her tell her what in the hell he thought he was doing when he reappeared, holding a phone in each hand.
“Here,” he said, dropping hers lightly on her stomach. “Turn it off.”
Veronica hesitated, watching as Logan pressed the power button in his phone and set it down on the coffee table. Lilly was gone, she was never coming back; no matter how many times Veronica caught her killer. But Logan was here, living and breathing and asking her to be with him.
Pressing the off button, Veronica waited until the screen went black and then set her phone next to Logan’s before reaching for him with a smile.
When it came down to it, the decision hadn’t been hard at all.
Cross-posted to loveathons, fic_From_mars, and veronicamarsfic.
Author: rachel_shanz
Characters: Logan/Veronica
Rating: R for some sex and a bit of language.
Word Count: 3300ish
Spoilers: Goes AU during 2x19.
Summary: Logan and Veronica are getting cryptic phone calls. Is it just a prank, or a message from beyond?
Notes: This fic is brought to you by my excessive viewing of Twin Peaks. Written for the Gotcha! challenge at loveathons. Thanks to the ever so sexy truemyth for holding my hand and being an awesome beta.
Out of Area
”This is Logan with today’s inspirational message: ‘All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them.’ - Walt Disney.”
“I have a message for you: red on gold may look convincing, but nothing is as it seems. There’s more where that came from, lover, but you’re going to have to earn it.”
***
Veronica looked up, startled, when Logan plopped down beside her at lunch. ““I really don’t need anymore details about your sex life, Logan, I promise.”
“I need you to listen to something.”
The complete lack of any snarky comment or sarcastic edge caught Veronica off-guard and she found herself closing her notebook to give Logan her complete attention. “What’s up?”
Logan flipped open his cell phone, pushed a few buttons and held it out to her. Taking the phone from his hand, she held it gingerly to her ear. A mechanized voice informed her that there was one old message and Veronica felt the blood drain from her face as the voice mail started to play.
Logan must have noticed, because a warm hand came to rest on her shoulder. “Veronica? Are you okay?”
Pulling out her own phone, Veronica mirrored Logan’s actions from a few minutes earlier, pushing buttons and handing the phone to him. He brought it to his ear, but Veronica could still hear what was being said as an achingly familiar voice began to speak.
“Hey, Veronica, I’ve got something to tell you. Several things, in fact, but let’s start with this one: red on gold may seem convincing, but nothing is as it seems.”
“Fuck,” Logan muttered, dropping the phone back in Veronica’s hand. “Who the hell is that?”
Veronica blinked. “You can’t be serious.”
“I know who it sounded like,” Logan said. “But that’s not possible. Lilly’s dead, Veronica.”
“I noticed,” Veronica snapped, averting her eyes from his face. The last thing she needed was to see him laughing at her. “That doesn’t mean it’s not her.”
“You really think its Lilly,” Logan said softly. Veronica had to give him credit; his voice was only slightly incredulous.
“When did you get the message?” Veronica asked, changing the subject abruptly. She suddenly didn’t feel like discussing means of communication from beyond the grave.
Logan shrugged, not even batting an eye at the new direction in conversation. “I’m not sure. I think the time-stamp says about three.”
“Mine was 3:10 a.m,.” Veronica said, nodding.
“Great,” Logan sighed. “So can you do your little detective magic tricks and find out who our charming mystery caller is?”
“You don’t think I already tried that?” Veronica asked. She raised an eyebrow in Logan’s direction. “I didn’t earn my fake P.I. license based on good looks alone.”
Logan smiled at that and Veronica’s stomach dropped slightly. Great. She really didn’t have time to contemplate her body’s continued reactions to Logan’s presence. She hadn’t had time when she’d led him onto the dance floor and slid her arms around his neck, and she didn’t time now. In fact, she would probably never have time. Ever. Right.
“So.” Logan’s voice pulled Veronica back to the conversation at hand. “What’d you find out?”
“What?” Veronica asked, racking her brain for the topic of conversation for a second before it clicked into place. “Oh, I didn’t find out anything. There’s no evidence of the call. According to my phone records, it never happened.”
***
“Hello?”
“Logan, are you watching the news?”
“Currently or in general? Because I have to say, legalized drugs in Mexico are the first step to a better tomorrow.”
“Currently. They found one of your dad’s Oscars in the Kane’s backyard, with Duncan’s hair on it. And Lilly’s blood.”
“Red on gold.”
“She’s trying to tell us something, Logan.”
“Sometimes her arms bend back?”
“The message said ‘nothing is as it seems.’ What do you think that means?”
“The great Veronica Mars is actually asking for my lowly opinion?”
“Really not helping, Logan.”
“I don’t know what it means. Probably that my father’s a liar, which really shouldn’t come as a surprise.”
“I need to think about this. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
***
“Leave me a message.”
“One down, two to go. The secret is in the Union and what’s missing is always more important.”
***
Veronica was waiting in the school parking lot when Logan pulled up the next morning. She was still on edge from the night before and waking up that morning to yet another cryptic message hadn’t helped.
“That’s twice in one week,” Logan smirked as he came to meet her. “Just can’t start your day without me?” His tone was light, but there was a strained undercurrent that sarcasm couldn’t quite cover.
“Did you get another message?” Veronica asked, getting straight to the point. She didn’t really have the energy for witty banter at the moment.
Logan’s face sobered instantly. “Yeah,” he said grimly. “I did, and I think I might know what this one means.”
***
“Are you sure about this?” Veronica asked, her voice just loud enough to be heard over the soft whirring sound of the automatic doors they were walking though.
“Union Bank,” Logan nodded. He came to a stop just inside the doors and Veronica halted beside him, letting the cooled air wash over her. “My dad used to say that this was the only bank he trusted with important stuff. I’d bet anything he has at least one safe deposit box here.”
“We don’t even know for sure that’s what the message was referring to.”
“If it’s not, then we’ll try something else,” Logan said, turning to face her. Their eyes locked, but Veronica looked away quickly, breaking the contact and forcing herself to ignore the tiny shiver that danced down her spine at the pure intensity in his gaze.
“Stay here,” Veronica told him, nodding towards the waiting area. “I’m going to see if I can talk my way into seeing any safe deposit boxes your father keeps here.”
Logan raised an eyebrow at her and then at the young, blonde co-ed working behind the counter. “What, you’re going to sweet talk Miss Kappa Kappa Gamma over there?” He tilted his head, running his eyes over Veronica in a way that made her heart jump in her chest. “I’m not sure you’re her type.”
Fighting the urge to squirm, Veronica took a step back, away from him. “I’m not trying to seduce her, Logan. I just need her to believe my sob story.”
“And what, exactly, is your tragic tale of woe?”
“I’m not exactly sure,” Veronica admitted reluctantly. But, hey, she had at least five minutes before someone noticed them loitering in the lobby and politely asked them to either leave or make a transaction. That was plenty of time to come up with something good.
Logan didn’t seem to agree with that thought, because he just shook his head and said, “Allow me.” And then he was striding away from her and getting in the short line in front of the blonde’s counter. Veronica dropped into the nearest chair with a huff. Fine, but when he ended up fucking it up, she was really going to enjoy the “I told you so.” Even though she wasn’t completely sure that she actually had told him so. Whatever.
A few minutes later, Logan was at the front of the line and Veronica didn’t even try to hold in her eyeroll when he leaned across the counter, bringing his head right next to the blonde’s, and began speaking to her in what appeared to be a very earnest, heartfelt manner. The girl put her hand on his arm, stroking the bare skin lightly as she listened intently. Veronica looked away, focusing on counting each and every one of the tiny roses stitched into the rug under her feet and steadfastly ignoring way her chest got tight every time that bimbo smiled up at Logan.
She was at rose number eighty-nine when Logan’s shoes appeared in her line of vision. “Let’s go,” he said, and Veronica looked up to see the him grinning at her so hard she wouldn’t have been surprised to see a bright yellow feather sticking out from between his teeth. He jerked his head sideways, towards where the blonde girl was waiting across the room.
“What’d you tell her?” Veronica asked, swinging her messenger bag over her shoulder and falling into step beside him.
Logan shrugged. “That several of my mother’s priceless family heirlooms were in a safe-deposit box here. And, since our house burned, I didn’t have the key and was afraid that I would never be able to retrieve some of my mother’s most treasured objects.”
“She bought that?”
“Hook, line, and sinker.”
“And you didn’t even have to sleep with her first.”
“Watch out, Mars. I think you might be turning a little green around the edges.” He smiled at her again, slow and lazy this time, and Veronica’s heart absolutely did not skip a beat.
Except that it totally did.
***
“Put these on.” Veronica tossed a pair of plastic gloves at Logan before beginning to work her hands into another pair. “We don’t need to leave any finger prints behind.”
“Right. Safety first,” Logan smirked, but at Veronica’s look of annoyance he pulled the gloves on without further comment.
“Okay,” Veronica said, staring down at the medium-sized metal lockbox. “Let’s do this. Open it.”
There was a faint click as Logan turned the key and then he lifted the lid, flipping it back until it hit the table with a metallic crash. Inside, incased in clear plastic, were two gleaming golden statues with Aaron Echolls’ name etched across the bottom.
“How many of these things does your father have?”
“Three, amazingly enough. Those two and…” Logan trailed off, running his fingers lightly over the third plastic box, empty except for a smudge of dark red along the bottom. “Is that blood?”
Veronica took a deep breath, fighting the sudden tightness in her chest. “Yeah, it is.”
Logan frowned down at the box. “How did these even get here? They were in my house when it burned, on a shelf by the mantel.”
“What’s this?” Veronica reached across Logan to pluck a small, green rectangle of paper out of the corner of the box. “A business card.”
Taking it from her, Logan squinted down at the small writing. “Dean Samuels? I know him. He did all the big decorations for my mother’s parties. Actually, when my dad won his first Oscar, that one,” he tapped the plastic cover above the middle trophy, “she had a six-foot tall plastic replica made to stand in the entryway.”
“That’s….creepy.”
“It looked real, too. Full of pretension and wearing a big, false grin. Might as well have been a giant version of dear old Dad.”
“It looked real? Logan, what if your dad had fake statues made to go in the house? If Lilly really did steal one of them…”
“Then next time it happened, he wouldn’t have to ruin another one of his precious trophies by getting blood all over it,” Logan finished, not even trying to hide the bitterness in his voice.
“Something like that, yeah.”
“Right.” Logan flipped the lid to the box closed again and dropped the key in his pocket. “Next stop, Sheriff’s office.”
“What? Logan, no.” Veronica grabbed his wrist before his hand landed on the doorknob. “We need more evidence.”
“Obviously my dad hired someone to take the statue and bury in it Duncan’s backyard. It shouldn’t be that hard to figure out who.”
“You do realize that this is Sheriff Lamb you’re talking about here.,” Veronica pointed out dryly. “No, we should wait one more night, at least. See if we get another message.” Veronica knew that her poker face never slipped, but her voice must have because Logan’s face softened at her words.
“It’s not Lilly,” he said gently, lifting one hand to brush her hair back off her face. “It’s not her, Veronica. This is just someone’s idea of a sick joke.”
“Then how did they know? About the blood? And this safe deposit box?
“I don’t know. Maybe they didn’t, maybe they just got lucky.”
Veronica dropped her gaze, looking away from the sadness in his eyes. “You don’t know that,” she said, blinking back the hot prick of tears. She took a steadying breath and looked back up, steeling her gaze to meet his eyes. “I promised her that bastard would rot in jail, Logan. And I’m going to make sure that he does.”
“She’s not watching us, Veronica.” Logan’s voice was still soft as he stroked his thumb lightly over her cheekbone, making her breath catch. “She can’t see us, can’t see this.”
He leaned forward and before Veronica had a chance to realize what was happening, his lips were pressed against hers. It was barely a kiss, but Veronica couldn’t stop herself from leaning into it and opening her mouth slightly beneath his. His hand slipped into her hair and he stepped closer, murmuring her name like a prayer against her lips as he deepened the kiss.
The moment shattered when two sharp ring tones cut through the air simultaneously. Veronica jumped back, turning away from Logan to dig her cell phone out of her bag. Her fingers closed around it just as both phones stopped ringing as suddenly as they had started.
The display read: “1 new voicemail. Number: Out of area.”
***
It's not the first time the Echolls men have shared a girl, but it seems more wholesome when they are screaming your real name.
***
“So, you’re saying that Kendall isn’t really Kendall?” Logan asked, looking at Veronica for confirmation as he turned the key in the ignition, bringing the XTerra’s engine to life.
“Pretty much. Priscilla Banks spent some time in jail for fraud, which would probably have put a cramp in her golddigging.”
“There’s not much that woman won’t do for money, but what does this have to do with my dad?”
Veronica leaned back into the seat, trying to ignore the sense memory of Logan’s mouth on hers. Of course, that would be much easier if he would stop chewing on his damn lip. She jerked her eyes forward before answering.“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I think I might have an idea. You said she’d do anything for the right price. I’m guessing that includes helping murders plant evidence.”
“As long as she didn’t have to break a nail.”
Pulling out her phone again, Veronica tapped in a familiar number and waited for the call to connect. “Hey, Cliff? It’s Veronica. I need a favor.”
***
“Hey.”
“Hey. Are you busy?”
“I always have time for you, Mars.”
“I heard back from Cliff.”
“Pins and needles, here.”
“Priscilla Banks has been to visit your dad twice in the last few weeks.”
“So, my father and I really do have the same taste in women. Does this mean we can go to the police?”
“I’m on my way to the Sheriff’s office right now, if you want to meet me there.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
***
“That was easier than I thought it would be.” Logan pushed open the door to his suite and stepped back, motioning Veronica in ahead of him.
“I guess even Lamb has a good night every once in a while.”
“Yeah.” Something in Logan’s voice caught Veronica’s attention and she looked up to find him staring at her.
“Logan,” Veronica began, but she really didn’t know where she was going with that and was almost relieved when he stopped her by bringing his mouth down to cover hers.
She froze, just for a second, but then his hands were sliding around her waist and pulling her closer and she could feel herself giving in. He licked at the seam of her lips, and she parted them, allowing his tongue access to her mouth. She’d forgotten how good he tasted, how warm his mouth was, how he knew exactly how to slide his tongue against hers to make her knees go weak. She’d forgotten what it felt like to kiss him, really kiss him, not a chaste brushing of lips like earlier in the bank. But now the memories were flooding back and she wanted more.
She broke away, gasping for air, but didn’t give Logan a chance to react before she dragged him back down for another kiss. She slide her hands under his shirt, tracing her fingers over smooth, hot skin as she began to back across the room, not stopping until the backs of her knees came in contact with the couch. She sank down on to the cushions and tried to pull Logan along with her, but he pulled away.
“Veronica,” he said, and the rough edges of his voice made her shiver. “Are you sure? Because I can’t just -”
“Yes,” she breathed, cutting him off. And she was. She wanted this, wanted him. “Yes.”
And then he was kissing her again. He pressed her back against the couch and crawled on top of so that the heavy warmth of his body was covering her completely. She could feel him pressed hard against her thigh and that just made her rub against him, smiling into his mouth when he groaned.
This time it was his hands under her shirt, stroking her skin softly before he moved back long enough to pull it up and over her head. His shirt followed directly after and when he lowered himself back down, the slide of skin against skin made Veronica gasp his name.
She repeated it as he trailed his fingers up over her ribcage to cup her breasts, drawing his thumbs over her nipples, which tightened instantly through the thin fabric of her bra. He was watching her intently, like he was drinking in her every expression and emotion and the raw passion in his eyes sent heat rolling though her body to pool in her stomach.
He dropped his head, licking a line down her throat and across her collarbone, nipping at her skin as he worked a hand behind her to unhook her bra. Sliding the straps off her arms, he moved down to flick his tongue lightly over first one nipple, then the other. Veronica arched into him at the sensation and tightened her grip on his arms, her fingers digging into his biceps hard enough to bruise.
“Logan, please,” she murmured, raising her denim-clad hips to rock against his, her body desperate for friction.
Raising his head, he grinned at her. “Please what?” His fingers crept back down to tease along the line of her jeans, drawing small circles on her overheated skin.
“I don’t know,” she whimpered, her words breaking off at the end. “Just…please.”
“Hold that thought,” he muttered, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before climbing off the couch and disappearing from view. Veronica bit back a groan at the loss of contact and was about to demand her tell her what in the hell he thought he was doing when he reappeared, holding a phone in each hand.
“Here,” he said, dropping hers lightly on her stomach. “Turn it off.”
Veronica hesitated, watching as Logan pressed the power button in his phone and set it down on the coffee table. Lilly was gone, she was never coming back; no matter how many times Veronica caught her killer. But Logan was here, living and breathing and asking her to be with him.
Pressing the off button, Veronica waited until the screen went black and then set her phone next to Logan’s before reaching for him with a smile.
When it came down to it, the decision hadn’t been hard at all.
Cross-posted to loveathons, fic_From_mars, and veronicamarsfic.