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This time, I had a terrible feeling he’d used up his last life.
If so, there wouldn’t be a city in the world, a cave in the jungles, or a rock where the fucker responsible could hide where I wouldn’t find him.
He wouldn’t just face my wrath; the bastard would be chained in a dark, cold place for the rest of his miserable life.
And I’d enjoy every moment of watching him suffer.
CHAPTER 19
Zoe
I’d witnessed Maddox talking in front of an audience of one thousand people without sweating. I’d seen him challenging enemies with a smile on his face. I’d studied the way he’d been cool as a cucumber in the face of atrocities, including the time Raven and I had been locked inside a burning building, the aftermath shaking all of us involved.
But not him.
And I’d seen his look of real despair at the hospital, the unshakable bond he shared with my father not allowing him to hide his emotions. Now I understood so much better the reason the two of them were close and it continued to create shivers all throughout my system.
What I’d learned from silently reading the man while remaining in the shadows was that I knew instantly when he was telling a tale or flat-out lying.
He’d lied to me about something being wrong. Truth be told, whatever he was hiding was eating him alive. While I wanted to admonish him or perhaps beg him for us not to have lies and secrets between us, I couldn’t do that simply because of what I hadn’t confessed to.
“Sit right there. Do not move,” Maddox instructed, pointing toward a small table outside near the door.
I did as I was told, tossing my hair just to tease him. He planted his hands on the table, leaning over and growling. “You don’t scare me, big bad wolf.”
“You’ll learn, my little lamb, that I do bite.”
“Don’t excite me.” I laughed and pushed his chest, watching as he shook his head before entering the small shop. If only I could figure out a way to keep the moment, capturing it as he’d done with me. I wouldn’t mind finding a gilded cage if I could. Easing against the chair, I allowed the angst to fade, doing my best to enjoy the setting. We were on top of a knoll, the stunning waters of the Caribbean seeming so much closer than they were. The rolling waves were gentle, lightly kissing the pearlescent sand.
Even from where I was sitting, I could tell the beach was full of vacationers, the area populated with both fancy and intimate hotels. I felt so lucky that we were on the other side, protected from noise and people pollution. The street was crowded, so many people enjoying the fabulous weather and the dozens of quaint shops and restaurants. I could certainly enjoy living in a place like this, although I wasn’t entirely certain what I’d do for a job.
Sure, there was my trust fund my father had established when I was a baby, a tidy sum built because of the financial advisormy father had hired, but I wouldn’t be able to get my hands on that until I was twenty-five. Besides, I wanted to make a life for myself, to feel wanted and needed.
Especially by a man I could call my own. For longer than a getaway, an adventure full of danger. Giggling, I shook my head, finally feeling more relaxed. Maybe that was the greatest sin of all. My entire family was locked down in my grandfather’s estate and I was enjoying gorgeous weather and the beach life. A pang of guilt crackled through me. I longed to talk to my father. Maybe I’d try calling him later, even if Maddox had explicitly told me not to use the phone, to keep it turned off.
My protector was certainly good at everything he did. Every. Single. Thing. Grinning from the wicked thoughts coursing through my mind, I closed my eyes, envisioning the night we’d shared, the intimacy that had kept us both silent as the passion had erupted.
He’d yet to tell me how he felt, at least not in anything other than sexual terms. Maybe I was expecting too much from the handsome man, certainly more than he was capable of giving. If that was something I had to live with, I was fine with it. The images came fast and furious, ones that could warm the cockles of any woman’s heart, no matter if she’d been labeled an ice queen and fit the mold.
Which I didn’t.
Certainly, if I had, Maddox had thawed me out with his soft lips and rough touch, his refusal to take no for an answer and the adorable dimple that rarely showed since he almost never smiled. Swooning was new to me, but not around the man of my dreams.
There I went again, acting as if I was some love-struck high school kid. Maybe that wasn’t so bad, at least for now. I didn’t need to adult all the time. Did I? I laughed softly to myself, more than enjoying the day and of course the fabulous company.
I was a girl in love and felt as if I could conquer the world. Giggling, when I felt his presence behind me only seconds later, I held my breath, refusing to open my eyes.
He placed his hands on my shoulders, kneading them as if realizing I’d been tense for days. Weeks. Who was I kidding? The fact he remained silent allowed me to keep my eyes closed, envisioning even more filthy things in the back of my mind. I felt his weight shift as he lowered down. His hot breath cascaded across my shoulders and I longed to reach up and touch him. Somehow, I had a feeling he’d retaliate in a playful yet forceful manner.
When he continued to remain silent, a single chill coursed down my spine. Then something happened that petrified me more than having shots fired, than having the two men dressed in black dragging me from the greenhouse.
The person standing behind me laughed. It wasn’t just any laugh. The sound was full of anger and darkness.
And a promise.
I couldn’t stop shivering, couldn’t move or think straight. But when I opened my eyes and tried to scream, the feeling of his hands being on me wasn’t there any longer. I jerked up, knocking over the chair, the table tipping precariously as I spun around. There was no one there. The closest people were sitting at a table behind me, now staring as if I’d grown a second head.
The woman rapidly spoke what sounded like French, appearing uncomfortable.
