Page 64 of Heist in Paradise

I fought another smile. God, I was broken.

“I wasn’t going to jump,” I said, even though my voice was shaky like a lie. “I was just…thinking.”

“About Jax?”

“Yes. And no.”

Madoc nodded like that made perfect sense. He leaned on the door, watching me curiously. I could probably live a thousand years and never understand what went on in that twisted brain.

Especially when he suddenly tossed my backpack at my feet. I could tell from its bulky shape that my binder was inside. I glared at it distrustfully. “There better not be a live snake in there.”

His mouth twitched. “Open it and find out.”

Against my better judgment, I knelt down and rifled through it. Everything was accounted for, minus my knife and chocolate. My binder was secured. My phone was in the hidden pocket. My suspicions rose.

“Did you go through my phone?”

“Yes,” he said, shamelessly.

Brilliant. I scowled and refused to check it in front of him. Whatever messages he’d seen would’ve been cryptic. Peacher had drilled into my head the importance of discretion in his line of work.

“Thanks,” I said sarcastically.

“Don’t thank me.”

“Whatever.” I almost said ‘sorry’ before my brain caught up and reminded me that Madoc was still Madoc, the knife-wielding, throat-squeezing, murderous psychopath.

He also saw you cum.

Thank you, brain. Warmth spread like a rash over my body, pooling at my cheeks, stinging my neck. I hugged my backpack to my front tightly like body armor. With Jax, I needed to shield my heart. With Madoc, I needed to shield my secrets.

“What do you want?” I asked him.

Madoc pursed his mouth in thought. It was a pretty mouth. An unhelpful observation, but true nonetheless.

“How does he taste?”

My heart stopped. “W-What?”

“You heard me.” His eyes glimmered with wicked amusement.

Suddenly jumping from the balcony seemed like the greatest idea I’d ever had. Anything to spare me from this.

I floundered, then stuttered out: “You can’t ask me that.”

“Why not?”

“Because!” My cheeks burned, even as I met his eye daringly. “It makes you sound jealous.”

His lips pursed, as if to say maybe.

Oh my god.

He couldn’t be…could he?

Abruptly, my brain was filled with visions of them…together. Madoc pressed against the railing, Jax kissing him like his life depended on it. The battle for dominance, the clashing teeth and violence. Madoc with his hand wrapped around Jax’s throat. Jax fisting Madoc’s inky dark hair, forcing his eyes up, daring him to—

“Something on your mind?” Madoc asked, still watching me intently.