A message waits on my phone.Madison texted me good morning, but her message lacks her usual playfulness.In fact, yesterday’s did, too.
She is probably angry with me for sending guards to her house.I don’t feel guilty about it, however.I can’t feel bad about something I consider necessary for her protection.
However, perhaps I can reassure her in one matter.Ciao bella, good morning.In case you were worried about it, the guards won’t report to me on your actions.They will only report on matters of safety.
I don’t want her to think I’m the type of man who controls his partner’s life.I certainly do not aim to track Madison’s movements or use my men to spy on her in any way.
I only want you to be safe and protected, bella, I add.
I wait for a response, but I don’t even get three little dots telling me she’s working on a message.
Sighing, I leave my office and go down the hall to Seth’s.His door is cracked open, but the force of my knock opens it fully.
He looks up from his screen, clearly annoyed.“Yes?”
“What happened at Thanksgiving?”I ask.“The details, not the overview.I understand that it was a horrible evening for Madison.What I need to know, is why.”
“My parents won’t accept her in our family,” Seth says.
“So?Why should she care about your parents’ opinions?I never had the impression that she would.”
Seth closes his laptop with a loudsnap, but he doesn’t say anything.
“There’s something more than a dinner where your parents snubbed Madison.”I fold my arms across my chest and wait.
Seth leans back.The pale November sunlight washes over his face, and for the first time this morning, I get a good look at him.
He looks destroyed.Dark circles beneath his eyes, a gaunt angle to his cheekbones.
In a dull voice, he says, “My parents and their friends insinuated that Kyle was cheating on Madison before he died.”
“What the fuck?Why would they do such a thing?”Even if he was cheating on Madison, what good would it do to bring it up now, five years after the fact?
“They likely hoped the revelation would drive her away.”
“And afterwards?”I ask.“How did you comfort her?”
“I fucked her in the car.Reminded her that I’m in charge, that she can trust me, that I’m on her side.”
“Yet still…” Holding up my phone, I scroll through the past two days of text messages with Madison.“Brief answers to my texts.She initiates conversation, but it is short and to the point.The situation is far from resolved.”
“I agree.I don’t know what other damage control I can do.”
I think back to the last time she seemed happy and carefree.“We could take her on another vacation.”
Seth gives a pointed look at his computer.“We could.Although who would pick up the slack here at Nove?”
I wave a hand in dismissal.“Who cares?We’d find someone we trust to run things for a week in our absence.Our time is better used to remind Madison that we love her and we’re here for her.”
“True.However, I think we should start smaller.She seems skittish.A grand gesture could scare her away.”
“I fucked up by sending our men to her house, didn’t I?”I rub the back of my neck, trying to ease the tension there.
“I fucked up by subjecting her to my parents and their friends.”Seth holds out his arms in a defeated gesture.“We’re both fuck-ups.”
“Let’s take her to Low Vice.Power, trust, balance—perhaps we can reestablish our dynamic and take her mind off whatever your brother may or may not have done.”
Seth nods.“I’m calling her now.We’ll pick her up tomorrow night.”
