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Chapter One
The two men who’d ambushed us outside Madden’s home were now escorting us inside, making sure to stay as close to us as possible.
The air was thick with menace, and I knew something terrible was just moments away from happening.
As soon as we stepped inside the two-story foyer, Madden moved his body between me and the tall man, physically pushing us apart. The man glared at Madden but Madden didn’t back down this time.
“Go upstairs to the bedroom,” Madden half-whispered to me.
I looked at the grand staircase twisting upwards to a second floor. It was open all along one side, but I had no idea where to go. “I don’t know where it is.” My voice came out low and a little hoarse.
The air in the room vibrated with hostility and my heart pounded in my chest because I had no idea what was going on. One thing was for sure though, these men were dangerous.
“She stays,” the tall man said.
“She has nothing to do with this,” Madden growled.
“You know,” the tall man said, lifting one eyebrow at Madden, “it’s a shame that a billionaire such as yourself couldn’t even bother with a simple ring for his beloved fiancé. You’ve been given so much, so don’t you think she deserves a symbol of your commitment? To show you believe in your promises?”
Madden’s jaw hardened. I looked from him to the tall man who had purposefully emphasized those words. What did he mean? Had there been some kind of agreement between them? I couldn’t imagine someone like Madden needing anything from men like these.
“You’re not getting a cent more out of me,” Madden said in a low voice. I’d never seen him so cold, so completely emotionless. He stared at the tall man, but neither backed down. Then the man started to laugh and the sound of it sent chills down my spine. If I had any doubt before, I now knew that this man was evil.
“It’s time for a little reminder of who you really are, Alex,” the taller man said. “And since you refused to listen to us the first time we sent our request, we thought a little incentive might help you.”
Before his words even stopped echoing in the marbled foyer, the tall man grabbed my arm and yanked me toward him.
Madden shouted and lunged at the man, throwing a devastating punch that hit the taller man on his chin. The tall man fell down in an unconscious heap as I stumbled backwards and knocked into a table, sending a vase crashing to the floor in pieces.
The tall man was lying on the floor now, body twitching, jaw hanging open and blood pouring from his bloody lips. His eyes were rolled back in his head.
Madden had done that to the man with one punch.
One punch.
“Are you okay?” Madden rasped at me.
I nodded because my lips suddenly would not move. That’s when I saw the shorter man moving from the corner of my vision.
“Behind you,” I cried out.
He spun around just as the short man pulled his arm back and then darted forward in an attacking motion, and there was a flash of silver in the smaller man’s hand that caught the light from a chandelier above.
Madden grunted and stumbled back a few steps. He was right next to me now. When he looked up, I saw pain in his eyes and then...I looked down.
A knife handle protruded from his side and blood already seeped through his jacket, dripping onto the white marble floor.
All sensation drained from my body. I was numb.
“Oh god.” I lifted my hand but didn't know what to do.
“It’ll be okay,” he said, his voice filled with pain.
Madden wrapped his fingers around the hilt and yanked. I screamed. He swayed on his feet but then seemed to regain himself, dropping the bloody blade to the floor with a clatter.
The short man was watching him with black, cold eyes, like a snake waiting to see if it’s prey was ready to die or not.
Madden suddenly reached out and grabbed the shorter man by the lapels of his coat, pulled his arm back and drove his fist into the man’s face, sending him to the floor. Madden turned toward me. His chest rose and fell with each harsh breath.
“Get out of here,” he said, his breath wheezing. “I’ll handle them.”
The smaller man was trying to get up. His cheek was swollen and his eye was closing already.
I shrieked and pointed when I saw him getting to his feet, terrified of what he might do next.
Madden jumped on top of him and began raising his fist and bringing it down, again and again, crashing into the smaller man’s face.
I screamed again, covering my face to hide the sound and vision of the violence I was seeing.
Finally, it was over.
Madden had collapsed atop the small man and they were both motionless.
There was a pool of blood beneath them, sinking into the edges of the Oriental rug. I moved slowly toward where Madden lay, unconscious now.
