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I didn’t know he was having me followed and that I was putting Madden in danger just by being there. The creep he hired to stalk me told Adam I could have been meeting any one of those men in the photos. Kieran, Ryan, or the face he couldn’t see—his own brother.
Adam suspected, but he had no proof. And I paid the price to keep my vow of silence. He beat and tortured me for months, trying to get me to break. But it was a secret I was willing to die for. It wasn’t until the band went public that he knew for certain, and I’ve been paying for it ever since.
So many times, I thought about confessing everything to Madden, but I knew what he would do. In my heart, there was never a question. He would kill Adam. He would destroy him, and in doing so, Madden’s life would be over too. I couldn’t allow that to happen.
I’ve come to accept there’s only one way out of this situation for me. Either I will die by Adam’s hand or he will die by mine. He won’t let me go any other way, and he’s proven that he will take Madden from me if he has the chance. He tried once already with the rifle, and I live in fear every day that he could do it again.
Kieran clears his throat behind me, and I glance over my shoulder, offering him a nervous smile. He thinks I’m scared to face Madden, but that isn’t the case at all. What terrifies me is that I might have already lost him. It might be too late. And if that’s true, they may as well dig both of our graves.
“It will be okay,” Kieran tells me. “We’ll figure something out.”
“I know,” I reply. “We have to.”
I open the door and finally step inside. The curtain by his bed is partially closed, so at first, I can only see his legs. But I can feel him near me, the way I always do. I can feel his heart close by because mine is skipping beats, reminding me that I’m alive. Reminding me that he’s always been mine.
I take solace in that love as I come face-to-face with him. I’m standing at the end of his bed when our eyes clash, and it feels like a lightning strike. He draws in a breath, and so do I. And then he does the thing that only Madden can do. He looks me over, cataloging all my details, concern marring his features. Because while everyone else compliments me on my frail body, applauding me for being so thin, he’s the only one who can see it isn’t right.
I hug my arms into my chest and sway slightly as the rope burns on my wrists snag against my knitted sweater.
“Hello,” I whisper.
“Bianca.” His voice is full of agony. “What are you doing here?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t come?” I stare deep into his eyes, wondering if he can feel this pull between us. Is he still holding on like I am?
“Was it real?” he asks. “The phone?”
“Yes,” I answer bitterly. “Your girlfriend called to give me a show. She wanted to lay claim to you. I guess she doesn’t know that I already did a long time ago.”
His jaw flexes, and he shakes his head but doesn’t respond.
I take the liberty of sitting on the bed, resting my hand next to his leg. Close enough to feel his warmth but far enough to guard my heart.
“Do you love her?” I ask.
His eyes narrow slightly, taking on the hard edge that’s so familiar to me. I know he’s putting up his armor. “Do you love him?”
“No.”
He blinks at me, and for a split second, he looks relieved. But doubt creeps into his features, and then it’s swiftly overtaken by anger.
“Bullshit, Bianca. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be with him.”
“Let go of the notion that you know anything about my relationship with Adam.” I clap back, standing up to glare down at him. “Because you don’t.”
“I know that you chose him,” he replies. “Time and time again. So why the fuck are you here? Is this some sort of guilt thing? Do you think you have something to do with this? Because you don’t. I don’t think about you. And the reason I’m in this position has nothing to do with you.”
“Now, who’s the liar?” I laugh bitterly. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, Madden. The reason you’re even still alive, sitting in this hospital bed, is because of me. Your pathetic excuse for a girlfriend couldn’t even be bothered to call you an ambulance. If I hadn’t contacted Kieran, you wouldn’t even be having this conversation with me right now.”
The blow is delivered without mercy, and admittedly, I want a reaction from him. But I don’t get one. And I can’t tell if it’s because he really just doesn’t care if he lives or dies or if it’s what he expects from her.
