Stranded with a Billionaire (Billionaire Boys Club #1)(82)

And . . . she recognized four of them. Jonathan, who’d been their helicopter rescuer—and who was as fabulously wealthy as Logan—sat on the far end of the table, a cigar held between his teeth. Cade sat in the middle, his expression more welcoming than the others, but equally perplexed. To his right she recognized Reese, whom she’d met only briefly. And Griffin. And there was one man with his back to her, only part of his face visible.

Reese threw down his cigar and cards, getting to his feet. “What the hell is this, Logan?”

Logan adjusted the cuff links of his jacket as if nothing were amiss. “This is Bront?. My girlfriend.”

“You can’t bring your girlfriend to—” Griffin abruptly stopped short, as if realizing what he was about to say.

Bront?’s heart sank. They were all wealthy. All wealthy and conducting secret meetings together? It could only be one thing. She turned to Logan, and tears shimmered in her eyes. She didn’t know whether she was hurt or terrified. “Why didn’t you tell me you were with the Mafia?”

“The Mafia?”

Loud bursts of laughter rocked the table behind her, and Bront? turned, confused, then looked back at Logan. “I don’t understand.”

“I’m not with the Mafia, love,” he said patiently. “But I do need you to understand this if we’re going to make a life together. These men are my . . . friends.”

“Logan,” Jonathan said in a warning voice. “Don’t you dare.”

Logan ignored him, his gaze on Bront?. He took her hand in his. “They’ve been my friends since college. We were in the same fraternity together. We made a pledge to assist each other in business and remain friends for life.” He studied her face. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“God f**king damn it,” Reese said.

“Leave him alone,” another gruff voice said. It was the man Bront? didn’t know. “He has to have his reasons.”

Bront?’s head swirled with what he was telling her. He was watching her and it seemed to be important, but she didn’t understand. “You’re college friends? But why the basement? Why—”

She stopped when he put his hand on his biceps, over the tattoo. Two fingers. A two-dollar bill. It had seemed so odd to her that someone like Logan would have such a bizarre tattoo. It made sense now, though. She gasped. “A secret society.”

“A brotherhood,” Logan agreed. “We help each other out, no matter what.”

“Hey, I can write down my social security number and my PIN if we’re giving her all of our information,” Reese said sarcastically.

But Logan’s gaze was serious as he stared down at her. “Do you understand?”

She thought for a moment, then took her clutch purse and whacked Logan on the arm with it. “You scared the shit out of me. I thought you were in the Mafia for a second.”

“This is just as secret, Bront?. If word got out that we had business dealings together, people would be crawling all over us. Feds, auditors, you name it. This is a secret. Our secret.” After a long, serious moment, he added, “And I’m trusting you with it. I love you.”

Bront? gazed up at Logan, shocked. This . . . this was a big secret. He was trusting her with everything. Giving her everything that he was.

He wanted—needed—her in his life that badly?

She realized then that Danica had been wrong about Logan. He didn’t treat everything like business. He’d come down into this basement knowing full well that his friends—and business partners, it seemed—would be utterly furious with him. He was risking everything.

For her.

“I love you, too,” she told him with a catch in her throat. “But I think your friends are going to kill you.”

A grin lit his face, and he pulled her close. “They’ll get over it.” He kissed her—long, hard, and fierce. So fiercely that her knees went weak, and she sagged against him.

Behind them, someone cleared his throat. “This is really quite moving,” Griffin said in a cultured voice. “But you seem to forget the implications for the rest of us. We’re not in love with her.”

She turned to look at them, unhappy that this moment of trust was going to cost Logan so much. “You’re all such close friends—I don’t want this to be a problem.”

“Too late,” Jonathan said flatly.

Bront? looked at Logan. “Is there something I can sign that would prove it? That I can stay quiet? That you can trust me?”

“A nondisclosure agreement?” Logan asked.

“Yes, that’s it,” she said with a nod, glancing back at the table. “Would a nondisclosure agreement work?”

“It depends,” Reese said. “Exactly how many other women are we going to be dragging in here and sharing all our secrets with?”

“Only this one,” Logan said, grinning. “I’m not in love with anyone else.”

A warm feeling swept through her, and she couldn’t stop smiling.

“Oh, jeez,” Reese said. “They’re so cute together I want to puke.”

“Be nice,” Cade said. “I’m happy for you both, Logan and Bront?. Come have a seat. We’ll get things worked out as we play.”

Logan moved to the table and pulled out his chair for Bront?, motioning for her to sit down. She did, pretending she didn’t see the wary looks on the men’s faces. While Logan had invited her in for the evening, it was clear that she still wasn’t exactly “invited” in their eyes. “Get an extra chair,” Logan said.