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Logan leaned back on one elbow against the bar as his eyes scanned the party. His eyes briefly settled on his target as his phone began to buzz in his pocket causing him to turn away as he pulled it out and answered.
“Miss me already?” he asked.
“You wish,” Mac retorted. He could practically picture her rolling her eyes.
“All the time,” he assured her. He grinned when she snorted and nodded at the waiter passing by, reaching out and snagging a glass of champagne when the man slowed briefly. “Thank you,” Logan told him, just loud enough to be heard over the soft jazz coming through the speakers.
“Oh, Echolls, manners. I’m so proud,” Mac teased.
He rolled his eyes and fought back another grin. “Is there something you wanted or did you call just to hear my voice?”
“I called to let you know Wallace is in position.” She paused. “And to check in.”
Logan smiled slightly as he scanned the room again. Wallace didn’t have a position for this particular job and they both knew it.
If anyone had told him back when he was a kid that he’d be best friends and (literal) partners in crime with a computer nerd and a former basketball player with an uncanny ability to blend in with the crowd, he’d have laughed in their faces and told them to get their heads checked. Yet here they were and, though he wouldn’t admit it out loud, he wasn’t quite sure what he’d do without the two of them.
“I’m good,” he said. “Trust me.” A part of him had expected to feel something and there was always a chance that he might later but right now the only thing he felt was the usual steady focus that helped him complete a job.
“Crazily enough, I do.” Mac sighed. “You have what you need?”
Logan glanced down at the ring on his right hand and smirked. “Of course I do.”
“Good luck,” Mac said after a moment of hesitation. She didn’t wait for a response before hanging up. Shaking his head, Logan slid his phone back into his pocket and began to make his way across the room, easily maneuvering between people. He didn’t pause as he grabbed a second glass of champagne off a passing waiter’s tray. As he walked, he adjusted his grip so that his right hand was over the top of the glass and then lightly flexed his fingers, triggering the release on his ring as the clear liquid stored inside trickled out and into the champagne.
It only took a few seconds and then he carefully adjusted his grip once more so that his fingers were wrapped around the flute instead.
Only a couple of feet from his target, he bumped into a tiny blonde heading in the same direction he was. He smirked down at her.
“Sorry, Tinker Bell, but I’ve got dibs,” he told her, already starting to move passed her when he heard her gasp.
“Like hell,” she snapped, her tone a mix of surprise and annoyance.
Logan faltered as the words on his left hip burned and he sucked in a breath.
Well, fuck, that certainly wasn’t in the brochure.
~*~*~
Veronica stared in shock at her soulmate as his steps briefly faltered before he turned and pointed a finger at her while keeping a grip on the champagne flute.
“Hold that thought,” he said before turning and continuing towards...
Well, hell.
Her target.
Because, of course, Logan Echolls would want to say hi to his father.
She moved closer and watched as a bright smile appeared on Aaron Echolls’ face. “Son,” he greeted, opening his arms for a hug.
“Dad,” Logan replied, accepting the hug. “Here, I got you some champagne so we could toast to tonight.”
Veronica tilted her head and narrowed her eyes even as she angled herself so she’d be able to hear them a bit easier over the jazz music currently playing. She didn’t think anyone else had noticed the slightly surprised and suspicious look that Aaron had given his son but she definitely had.
“I promised Mom,” he added in a lower voice, tilting the champagne glass in his right hand towards Aaron. Her lips twitched.
Ah, the things a boy would do for his mother.
She gave them a moment, watching as they each drank half their champagne in one go and she raised an eyebrow as she also watched Logan give Aaron a challenging look as he finished his champagne with a second drink.
And it worked as Aaron drained the rest of the champagne.
Now, Veronica decided, would be the best moment so she moved forward and deliberately drew Aaron’s attention to her.
“Well, hello,” he said, looking her up and down.
Veronica smiled and held out her hand, reminding herself that punching him in his leering face would draw too much attention. “Hello, Mr. Echolls. I’m Veronica Mars from Navarro Photography.” She fought to keep her smile from turning victorious when he took her hand and squeezed lightly. Doing that would cause a small needle to prick his skin so quickly it would simply feel like her ring had twisted and pinched his skin.
“Of course!” Aaron’s smile grew wider. “Yes, I spoke to your colleague. Lilly, I believe.”
Veronica grinned. “Yes, Lilly was originally going to be the one taking the promotional photos tomorrow but she had to back out so I’ll be the one working on the shoot with you and your co-stars.” If one could define backing out as Lilly declaring she was graciously giving up her chance to off Aaron Echolls so that Veronica could do it and “find a hot guy and have yourself a little fun, Veronica Mars.”
She didn’t think Lilly had expected her to meet her soulmate and for him to be the son of the man she had just injected with a slow acting poison though.
Weevil was going to find this hilarious, the bastard.
~*~*~
Logan studied the woman (Veronica Mars, he reminded himself) as she spoke to his dad.
His soulmate was good, he had to give her that. Based on his quick search on his phone, Navarro Photography was a legitimate company and had worked with a number of celebrities that it’d be stupid to lie about working with. From the few photos he’d glanced at, they were good at what they did, working to always put the subject in the best and most interesting poses. Aaron was certainly eating it up, the way she was asking for his thoughts on what would make the best shots to set up for him tomorrow.
Not that Aaron was going to make it to the photo shoot tomorrow. The poison would kick in within the next few minutes if the calculations were right. By the time the EMTs arrived, Aaron would most likely be dead and if he wasn’t, he’d be dead by the time they arrived at the hospital. And when they did the toxicology test, there’d be no sign of the poison that Logan had given him and it would look like a severe heart attack had killed Aaron Echolls.
Wallace had always been excellent at chemistry.
The proof of that was evident in the way Aaron suddenly cut off mid-sentence, clutching his chest and falling to the floor as Veronica cried out in alarm.
“Dad?” Logan asked, making sure both his expression and his voice were just the right mix of alarmed and concerned as his mother rushed over from where she’d been laughing with a few of her co-stars just moments ago. He crouched next to his dad and pulled out his phone, dialing 911.
“Aaron?” Lynn asked, reaching out to grip the hand that he’d pressed against his chest. “Aaron!”
“911, what is your emergency?”
“My dad,” Logan said, letting his voice shake. “My dad just collapsed while holding his chest.”
“Okay, sir, where are you?” the operator asked calmly.
“I—fuck,” Logan said. “The Plaza. We’re at the Plaza.” He looked up when someone touched his shoulder and saw Veronica standing there, holding her hand out, giving him a concerned look.
“Help your mom,” she said kindly. “I’ll talk to them.”
Logan didn’t bother saying anything else as he handed his phone to Veronica, happy to let her deal with the call as he focused on his parents. Aaron was gasping for breath while Lynn continued to clutch his hand and talk to him, telling him to hang on.
Despite that, when Lynn looked up and met Logan’s eyes, he could see the faintest hint of relief. Lynn might not know that Aaron was about to die but even Aaron having health problems was a sort of freedom.
His mother deserved a life free of Aaron’s abuse and the humiliation of his affairs which was one of the main reasons he’d agreed to take this job even when Wallace had offered to do it for him.
“No one should have the blood of family on their hands, man.” Wallace turned to Logan. “I can do it.”
Logan’s lips twisted briefly and he let out a laugh. “I’m the best one to do this and we both know it. I can get close very easily.” He met Wallace’s gaze steadily. “I’m not exactly going to cry over it.”
Wallace studied him for a few moments before he nodded, satisfied at what he saw. “Okay then, let’s go over how you’re going to get him to drink the poison.”
“Yeah, about that. I have an idea.”
Everything moved quickly from there it seemed. The EMTs arrived and loaded Aaron into an ambulance, Lynn climbing in to go with them, and Logan promising to meet her at the hospital.
But first, he thought, he had to find one of his parents’ personal assistants to make sure they could take care of things here while he went to play the part of the dutiful son.
~*~*~
“Okay, if I were a guy who just watched my dad collapse, where would I be?” Veronica muttered to herself, doing her best to see where Logan Echolls had gone and cursing her lack of height.
Then again, at least he wasn’t freakishly tall because wouldn’t that be weird and awkward for them? “How about a kiss, sugar lips? Please bend in half so we can get to that or find me a ladder.” Yeah, no thanks.
“Ah ha,” she whispered when she spotted him. She took a few moments to study him and fought back a surge of guilt at the clench of his jaw and the way he was unable to hide the worry on his face.
She gave herself a mental shake. She had a job to do and she’d done it. The fact that her target had been her soulmate’s father wasn’t the part to focus on.
Taking a deep breath, Veronica made her way over to Logan, waiting just off to the side as he finished giving instructions to the young man (Mark, Lynn’s personal assistant, she remembered). It wasn’t too much longer before Mark walked away and Logan turned to her, raising an eyebrow.
“I thought you might want this back,” she told him, holding out his phone.
He stared at it for a moment before taking it and sliding it into his pocket. “A returned phone instead of keeping it for my info. How refreshing,” he quipped.
Veronica’s lips twitched. “Well, I did text myself from your phone,” she admitted. “I know right now really isn’t the time but I thought if...” She shrugged. “Well, I figure this puts the ball in your court. I’d like to get to know you but I also don’t think you need me pushing you.”
“I have a feeling that’s very out of character for you.” He smirked when she grinned, unable to stop the small laugh that escaped.
“Look at that, it’s like you know me already.”
He smirked. “I don’t buy into that cliché,” he told her.
“Neither do I,” she assured him.
They stood there, watching the each other, the silence stretching between them as they each tried to decide what to say next. Finally, Logan blew out a breath.
“I better get going.” He gestured towards the door as he spoke. “I’d like to check on my mom.”
His mom, Veronica noted. Not his dad. Like he wasn’t all that worried about the man.
She wondered, for just a moment, if Logan Echolls was the one that had hired them to kill his father.
A man who could do that might just be the kind of man who could be an assassin’s soulmate, she thought.
~*~*~
Logan wasn’t even halfway to the car before his phone rang and even before he answered, he knew it was going to be his mom telling him that Aaron was dead.
“Mom,” he said as he answered. “I’m almost to the car and then I’ll head right over. I had to find Mark but he was already halfway through doing everything I was going to talk to him about anyway.” He started to head down the stairs that led to the basement parking. “How’s Dad?”
“Logan, honey,” Lynn hesitated, “you’re dad, he...he didn’t make it,” she told him, voice choked.
Well aware of the cameras throughout the parking garage, Logan stumbled to a stop and gripped his hair with his free hand. He doubted that the police would get involved once they confirmed it was a heart attack which meant there’d be no reason for anyone to pull CCTV footage but Logan wasn’t considered one of the best for nothing. Success was all in the details, after all. “What?” he asked, allowing himself to look and sound shocked. He took a deep breath and began walking quickly once more.
“He flatlined in the ambulance,” she said. “They tried to bring him back but they couldn’t.” She let out a shaky breath. “They just couldn’t.”
They wouldn’t have been able to, Logan thought to himself, pleased that everything had gone so smoothly. He took a few more minutes to comfort his mom, reassuring her that he’d be there as soon as possible and that he’d be fine before he hung up and switched to the messaging app that Mac had created for each of their phones that required both a passcode and his fingerprint to access before typing a quick message.
Flatlined in the ambulance. Hit complete. On my way to the hospital.
He logged out and dropped his phone into the cup holder knowing that any responses Mac or Wallace would send could wait. He backed out of his parking space and, as he rounded the corner to pull out onto the street, allowed himself to enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done. As Logan pulled out into the sunlight, he thought of the lighter that had belonged to his grandfather that his mom always carried around and fought back a smile.
Free at last.