AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He felt her dejected sigh like a physical pain. “I know you’re doing everything you can. You dropped your life. I screwed up your work, your holiday—”
“You didn’t. And I don’t care about fucking fireworks. I care about what’s upsetting you. Tell me.”
She bit her lip. “I’m scared that someone found me at Nash’s so quickly. I have no idea how…”
He didn’t believe that’s what had her near tears, but he’d play along since that had been bugging him, too. “If I had to guess? Once the senator realized you’d skipped town and headed to Lafayette, they probably started watching my communications. Nash was the first person I came in contact with after you arrived in town. His apartment is crawling with video surveillance because most of the tenants are college kids. I thought we’d disguised you, but not well enough to evade their facial recognition.”
Matt had underestimated Todd’s reach and ruthlessness. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.
“That’s terrifying.” She poured the eggs into the sizzling pan and grabbed a spatula.
“I know. But be honest. You’re not weepy because your in-laws are dangerous. You knew that,” he pointed out as he dropped bread in the toaster for her. “It’s something I’ve said or done.”
Madison didn’t say anything for a long minute, merely scrambled the eggs until they were fluffy, added salt and pepper, then divided them onto two plates, along with the bacon before handing him his food. “And if you don’t know what, then it doesn’t matter. Let’s just focus on getting through this train wreck alive, okay?”
No, it wasn’t okay, but it was more important for her to eat now than for them to argue.
In the next instant, her toast popped up, breaking the silence. Matt turned and plucked up the slice, then slid it onto her plate. “Sit down. I’ll get you some butter.”
She grabbed a fork and set her plate on the eat-in bar. “I can get it.”
Of course, but that wasn’t the point. He stepped in front of her, blocking her path, and stared straight down at her. “I said I’ll get it.”
Madison backed up at the low rumble of his voice. Was he scaring her…or getting through to her?
“Fine.” She rounded the bar and slid onto her stool, waiting patiently.
He brought the butter and a knife, then slid onto the next seat. “Here you go.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled as she spread it on her toast, not meeting his stare.
They ate in silence, Matt reflecting on Madison’s sudden acquiescence. Granted, she’d given in about butter, not anything actually important, but his impromptu experiment suggested he should be more assertive until they had cleared the air and she believed he’d take care of her.
It was up to him not to fail.
Once they finished their food, she slipped away for a quick shower. Jack’s keyring was burning a hole in Matt’s pocket. He was dying to know what the Cajun had locked behind that door, but he’d wait until he could investigate without Madison stumbling in. No need to scare her in case the contents were heavy on the whips and chains.
Did she know she was submissive? That was an interesting question…
As the shower ran, Matt cleaned up the kitchen. Once he’d finished, the bathroom was open, and a perfumed cloud of citrusy steam tumbled into the hall. The closed door told him she’d shut herself in the bedroom.
The two of them couldn’t go on without some honesty. On a lot of levels, she didn’t trust him. He’d try to fix that once he had a shower. It was crucial in case Todd’s goons caught up to her again. The difference between Madison’s life and death might be listening to him if he told her to run.
When he emerged in a towel and feeling clean, the door to the bedroom was open. The bed was empty. Since the cabin was small, he didn’t have to look hard to find where she’d gone. She lay on the sofa, curled up with a tiny square pillow and her bare feet poking out from under a lightweight blanket as sunlight splashed across her face.
She looked so peaceful, and he hated to disrupt her, but she needed a good sleep. He couldn’t let her suffer without it because she was avoiding him for reasons he only half understood.
After tossing on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt he found inside the duffel Morgan Cole had packed, Matt scooped Madison up in his arms. She barely roused as he carried her to the bed and set her across the pristine duvet, covered her with the blanket from the sofa, drew the drapes, then shut the door. Since he could sleep anywhere, he’d respect her space until they’d hashed things out.
He awoke on the couch a few hours later. The cabin was quiet. A quick glance proved Madison was still sprawled across the bed, curling her pillow against her chest like she was looking for comfort even in her sleep. Since the bedroom seemed stuffier with the afternoon sun slanting in, he turned on the overhead ceiling fan, then shut the door behind him.
Grabbing Jack’s keys, he let himself into the room at the end of the hall. The door creaked open to reveal a space with one small window, completely covered by a blackout shade. Shadows outlined the silhouettes of things he didn’t understand, like a giant wooden X that stood nearly floor-to-ceiling and a two-sided bench in the middle.
He groped along the wall and found a pair of switches. The overhead light flashed on, saturating the space in a sultry red. A hazy white glow seeped from the corners, emanating from behind crown molding that framed the perimeter—and helped illuminate everything else.
Holy shit.
A black leather stool in one corner. A hanging swing in another. Implements—cuffs, blindfolds, paddles, clamps, crops, and other stuff he couldn’t name—lined the entire left half of the room, dangling from hooks. Mirrors covered the right half of the room and the low ceiling. Beside the giant X, the back wall housed what looked like a pair of cabinet doors. Behind him, the cabin’s security hub.
