Page 101 of No Headlines Please

I swallowed. "You mean now?"

"Hell, yeah. You and me together, okay?" His gaze grew steely. "Or better yet, you stay here. I'll straighten him out."

In that moment, I could've hugged him. Even my dad had never jumped to his feet on my behalf.

Still, I shook my head. "No, but thanks." But then I paused. "Actually, there's something you could do if you don't mind?"

"And what's that?"

"Do you think you could find out more about him?" I hesitated. "I mean…without anyone knowing?"

40

Favors for a Friend

Maddox

I tossed my cell onto the desk. I'd just gotten off the phone with Cal, and I wasn't happy.

Then again, I'd been unhappy for the past week-and-a-half, ever since Delaney had gone ballistic on me for no good reason.

I still didn't get it.

Normally, I was a decent judge of character. Even with Sloane, I'd known what to expect before agreeing to walk down that aisle.

Except I hadn't walked – or at least, not in the way everyone wanted. Who knows? Maybe the financial stuff was just the excuse I'd needed to tell my family to finally fuck off.

But it wasn't Sloane who had me frowning as I reached once again for my cell and pulled up Ryder's name.

I considered him a friend. He'd asked for a favor.

Find Delaney Sinclair.

I'd done it.

And then, I'd kept it to myself. Even worse, I was still keeping it for reasons I didn't care to analyze.

Outside my office windows, Chicago glittered against the darkness, with headlights and skyscrapers and people with places to be. But up here, it was dead silent.

It should've felt peaceful.

Instead, it just felt empty – but not nearly as empty as the place I called home. I'd been actively avoiding it ever since that blowup with Delaney.

The avoidance was ridiculous.

I'd known her for what? Two days?

More to the point, she had never set foot in the place where I actually lived.

Fuck.

But she might've, if things had turned out differently.

As far as the other penthouse – where we'd spent a deceptively happy afternoon – that place was a hard no-go.

Call me stubborn, but I wouldn't be setting foot in that building again.

I was still staring at my phone, wondering how to tell Ryder what I'd just learned from Cal.