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My face contorts, and while I want to disagree, I decide to negotiate. “Yes, he did make a comment about me living here, but I assured him I’d make it to all your baby appointments. Also, you said a week would be enough time, and it’s been seven days. I’m supposed to leave tomorrow. I need to get back to work.”
Placing her hand on her growing belly, she speaks, “And things changed.”
“I’m leaving tomorrow,” I snap, standing.
“No!” She’s growing more upset. “You can’t.”
“I can, and I will,” I say as I walk toward my room, undoing my tie.
She says my name, stopping me in my tracks. “Liam. Let’s play let’s make a deal, shall we?”
The coldness in her voice sends a chill up my spine, but she has my attention and knows it. I go back to her, cross my arms, and wait. Of course she smiles like the devil she is.
“Why don’t you sit?”
I don’t.
“You stay as long as I need, and I’ll show you proof your precious little home-wrecker is safe.” She cocks an eyebrow and smirks because she knows she has me by the balls.
Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I nod, wanting to put a time limit on how long I’ll be here but understanding this opportunity to see Maddie may come only once. “I want proof before I agree to anything.”
Leaning over, she swipes her iPad off the glass coffee table and unlocks it. “So, that’s a yes if she’s okay?”
“Yes.” Among everything, I need the peace of mind, for it to be driven home that she’s being taken care of. While Victoria has given me her word, there is zero trust between us.
Grinning, she swipes through pages, logs into an app, and pats the seat next to her. My heart races knowing I’m about to see Maddie and see what condition she’s actually in. After everything that happened with Sophie last year, I’m not sure I’ll be able to handle it if Maddie’s in any distress.
I move next to Victoria, and she refreshes the app so I know it’s in real time.
“There she is…” she gloats, knowing she owns my ass even more now.
Maddie. Fuck, she’s beautiful. I miss her so goddamn much. She’s sitting at a breakfast bar, talking to a guy who’s standing in front of her, but I can only see his back. Heat rushes through my body when she smiles at him. Quickly, I study the white walls but can’t see much of anything, considering it’s dark outside. My mind begins to reel as I replay all the places Johnny said the family owned.
“See? She’s being well taken care of, living it up in a luxury cabin, so you have absolutely nothing to worry about.” Victoria’s pleased with herself as she watches me. “Until you stop playing by my rules, of course,” she adds arrogantly.
Cabin. Confirmed. Maddie’s in Montana. But where? I’m not sure I’ll have another opportunity to get Johnny alone for the address without him wanting to schedule a private jet to take us there. It’d be disastrous, and Victoria would never fall for it, not in a million years. Now I’m wondering if he knows what Victoria has done and is aware she’s using their property to hold someone hostage. Or is she doing this all behind his back?
I can’t stop staring at the screen, and I’m somewhat annoyed there’s no sound, but I’m sure she has it muted to keep my mind spinning. The guy stands up and walks to the fridge, and when I see his face, my heart stops. What the actual fuck is he doing there with Maddie?
I try to keep my composure so she doesn’t notice my reaction, but inside, I’m confused as hell.
Tyler, one of my closest friends, is laughing and talking with the one girl I want more than anything to be with right now. How the hell did this happen?
“They seem to be getting along perfectly fine, don’t they?” Victoria asks, digging the knife in a little deeper, noticing my expression when I saw Tyler. She probably thinks I’m jealous and is hoping for it. Put Maddie in a position to flirt with another guy and watch me squirm, knowing I can’t do shit about it. But what she doesn’t know is that Tyler is on my side. We’re as thick as thieves, which will most definitely hamper her plan, whatever it is.
Maddie watches him, smiling, and I try to act unfazed. Tyler hands her a bottle of water, and Maddie says something to him. Some smart-ass remark, I’m sure. Another guy comes into the picture, and he looks like a total asshole with hard lines and a scowl on his face. He says something to the two of them, and Tyler nods, but Maddie shakes her head. The guy continues for a few more seconds before storming away.
