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“I have a place in town that I stay at during the week unless I’m traveling, but I have a place in Weston where my CO’s and their families come to spend the weekends quite often.”
“Why are we going there now?” The buildings grew further and further apart until we were on a long stretch of highway.
“I told you. So you can pick up your car and I can give you our agreed upon payment.”
“So that’s it, then. As simple as one, two…”
“Three,” he finished, his voice flat. He said it so matter of fact, like we were discussing matching Gucci luggage and not the end of everything we’d shared in this short amount of time.
The air inside the car grew thick.
“Well at least you’ll be rid of me very soon. I’m sure that will make you happy.”
Madden sighed. When he opened his eyes, they were softer. “Skylar…”
Before he could finish the car stopped in front of a pair of enormous iron gates. I wanted to tell Jeff to wait, to let me know what Madden was going to say, but the gates swung open and the car move forward.
Madden sat up straighter and I knew that he wasn’t going to finish what he’d been about to say.
Tall oak trees lined the driveway and when we rounded a bend, the house came into view. No, not a house, a mansion. The place was as big as the state house in Augusta.
“You live here alone?” I gasped.
The main building was three stories with huge pillars on either side of the front door. Two wings spread out from either side, both two stories and as big as their own house. It looked like it was right out of a southern living magazine.
“There is a full staff, but yes, this is my home.” He sounded so disinterested that my mouth fell open. How could anyone not be awestruck driving up to this every day?
The car rounded the circular driveway and stopped in front of the path leading to the front door. Jeff was out and had the door open before I could force my mouth closed. It would take me a month to learn my way around a place this large.
A good thing then, that I wasn’t staying longer than I needed to collect my money.
My stomach ached with raw disappointment.
Madden stepped out of the car, then offered his hand to me. I took it, basking in the warmth from his skin. This infuriating man had me running hot and cold and hot again with just a touch. I hated that I had no control of my emotions around him. He pissed me off in one breath, then made me breathless the next.
The door closed and Jeff climbed back behind the wheel. The car rolled down yet another driveway to the right and disappeared.
“My things?” I asked.
“He’ll bring them in through the back entrance. Are you ready?”
I nodded and we started toward the door. A shadow moved off to the left and then another. Two men stepped out from behind one of the pillars. Madden stiffened and moved between them and me.
“Go inside,” he said to me, his body suddenly tense and his voice strained. Even last night in a fight that could have ended with someone dead, he’d never looked like this.
One of the men laughed. “Oh come on now, we don’t get to meet your new fiancé? Hello love, let me get a good look at you.” I peeked around Madden and saw a short man in a black suit staring at me. There was a scar running along one side of his face and he had on a hat that was pulled halfway down over his eyes. The air around him vibrated with danger.
The other man stood silent. He was taller, thinner than his pudgy companion, but I got the immediate impression that he was the one to be afraid of. His dark hair was combed neatly back and he had on sunglasses so I couldn't see his eyes, but I had the skin crawling feeling that he was looking at me too.
Madden had to know them. Everything about how he behaved told me that he knew them very well, somehow.
“Hello,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant.
Madden shot me a glare then swung back around. His body was stiff and I saw his hands clenching at his side. “What are you doing here?”
“How’s that any kind of welcome. We thought we ought to drop by and see an old friend, after all it’s not everyday that you get engaged,” the short man said. He was grinning like there was some kind of inside joke going on and I shifted uncomfortably.
“We should celebrate,” the other one said.
“Get off my property,” Madden growled. He took a step forward and the tall man held up his hand.
“Your property, Alex?” he said.
Madden froze.
My gaze shot to him.
Alex? Had I heard that right?
Except I knew that I had heard the man right. And he wasn’t denying it.
“Madden?” I asked through a slowly constricting throat.
The short man threw back his head and laughed. “Oh Alex, you haven’t told your beautiful fiancé about all this yet? You know, any good relationship shouldn’t start out based on lies.”
