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22
MADDIE
Three large menstand with their arms folded across their impressive chests. They look like some sort of boy band like that—if boy bands had dodgy families, bad attitudes, and too much testosterone. Their barely-concealed rage permeates the air, pressing against my skin.
I welcome the burn—only from them. I know their anger stems from worry over me. I’m sure my sister would have a field day with this psychology, but . . . I don’t hate their possessiveness. Even when it’s over the top.
Emotions flit across their features, one after another, in small ways. Tapping fingertips against legs, rubbing an eyebrow with his thumb, a muscle in his jaw flexing. It all paints quite a picture for me.
When we’re within reaching distance, Matteo wastes no time pulling me into his arms and crushing me to his chest. His heart thumps underneath my ear, a fast beat that has my own heart rate climbing to match his.
I wrap my arms around his middle and hug him back. “I’m fine.” My face is squished against his pec, so it comes out a little garbled, but I think he gets the idea.
“I swear to god, Madison, you’re going to send me into an early grave. What were you thinking taking off like that?” He snaps at me, his words like flying daggers in the air. It’s a direct contradiction to the tender, almost reverent way he holds me against him. He kisses the top of my head and runs his hands up along my back to fist the hair at the nape of my neck. I arch my neck so I can see his face, keeping my hold on him. “If I have to chain your ass to my bed to keep you from running right into danger without backup—to keep you safe, I will.”
I lick my lips, my throat suddenly dry at that mental image. “But I did have backup—you guys.”
“We’re a team, Maddie. That means you don’t go rogue or else we can’t trust you.” Dante’s reprimand slices me open and skewers me on the spot. He’s right, I know he’s right, but I can’t be sorry that I did it if it got us Leo. He doesn’t move to touch me in any way, and that alone would be enough to clue me in to his feelings on everything.
But ever since I was snatched off the streets in broad daylight, fate or god or whatever divine intervention is out there highlighted a new path for me. One where I start living my life the way I want. Which includes apologizing when I mess up. And not rolling over because it’d be easier than speaking my mind and standing my ground.
I untangle myself from Matteo, but he doesn’t step back, forcing me to go around him to stand in front of Dante. “I’m sorry, Dante. I did what I thought was right at the time, but I should’ve waited for you guys. I can’t apologize for doing it because who knows where Leo would be if I hadn’t found him when I did.”
“That’s not the point, Madison. The point is we’re a team, and we make those decisions together.”
He said team but it felt like a placeholder for the word family. He tightens his arms across his chest, stretching the black fabric of his tee across his biceps in a distracting way. I close the gap between us, my hands gripping his forearms. Pushing onto my toes, I kiss him on the corner of his mouth. He lasts approximately a half second before his arms uncross and wrap around my back. He hauls me into his chest and brushes his lips across mine.
Right before I get swept away in all the things Dante, he sets me back on my feet, hands lingering along my waist. And then, I get what I didn’t realize I was waiting for: his acceptance. We share a private smile between the two of us.
“Hate to break this little . . . lovefest up, but can we move this to a more secure location?” Acid drips from Aries’s voice, and I spin on my heel to look at him.
His hair is all over the place, like he spent the last half hour running his fingers through it. I imagine his aura dripping in the sticky dark blues of fear. His hands are shoved in his pockets, but nothing about him says nonchalance. Everything screams back off and fuck you.
“I’m sorry, Rafael.” My voice is low, an apology meant for his ears only.
“Don’t, Raven. Don’t try to butter me up now. You broke a promise, and there will be consequences. But we need to move. This was too easy and it’s making me twitchy.”
I nod, my lips pinched closed. “When we get back home, then.”
“Count on it.” Aries jams his thumb against the down circle, and the elevator lights up instantly. It must’ve been waiting on the lobby floor for other guests.
Dante and Aries take up the back, I’m in the middle, and Leo and Matteo are in the front. I don’t think they need to form some sort of protective circle around me, but I keep those thoughts to myself. I anticipate some over-the-top protectiveness happening for the next little while, until we all feel safe—well, as safe as we can.
My pocket vibrates, and I pull out my phone to see my mom’s calling me. Again.
“What is it?” Dante murmurs from over my shoulder.
“I think my mom’s drunk pocket-dialing me. She does this sometimes, when she’s out on her famous girls’ trips, but it’s more annoying than anything. One time, she left me a twenty-seven-minute voicemail where I heard all the explicit details of her and her friends and their affairs. Did you know you could leave a twenty-seven-minute voicemail? Because I didn’t.” My brows hit my hairline as I look at Dante meaningfully.
“Maybe she needs something,” Leo suggests.
“She always needs something from me, that’s the problem. I’ll call her back once we’re settled in.” I roll my eyes and power off my phone. If she’s going to drunk pocket-dial me, then I’ll save my battery.
The elevator dings, signaling our floor and it takes an eternity for the doors to open. We’re all on edge. Aries was right. This feels too easy, but maybe we just caught them unaware.
And maybe we got lucky. Dante pulls a gun from the back of his pants, casually walking with it by his side. Okay, so he feels it too.
Leo holds the door open, and I hustle across the glass enclosed elevator lobby to walk through it. “Thank you.”
