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“He does know that Todd murdered his own cousin, right?”
“Of course. On some level, I’ll bet he’s actually proud of that. Oh, angry that Todd did something that might tarnish the public’s perception of the family and jeopardize his re-election chances, but deep down, he relishes Todd’s ruthlessness. In fact, he feeds it, probably because he sees my husband in himself. His own son is passive. Roger follows orders, and he wouldn’t dare exercise an original thought, if he ever had one. Winston has nothing but contempt for him. But he loves that his ‘killer instinct’ lives on in Todd, so he rewards it.”
“That’s twisted.”
“That’s Winston Pershing.” She shrugged. “So there will be some emotional price tag for me wanting to leave the family, something most people will never see. But Todd will demand I pay in pain and humiliation. If Winston indulges that, God help me.”
Son of a bitch. The weight of Madison’s bleak future looked so heavy on her slender shoulders, he feared it might break her. Yeah, he was supposed to let her soak her sore spots for twenty minutes, but the worry on her face told him that she needed his comfort now.
He needed her, too.
Matt plucked her from the tub, wrapped a towel around her, and plastered her against his body. She threw her arms around his neck, grabbed him desperately, and gave him her tears. It was so bittersweet. He had earned her complete trust, and she was laying her worries at his feet. But there wasn’t a damn thing he could do other than assure her he would be there.
“I’ve got you, honey.” He stroked her back and kissed the top of her head. “I’ve always got you.”
She hiccupped as she stared at him with desolate eyes. “I don’t know what to do.”
“We’ll figure it out one step at a time.”
Madison opened her mouth. The faint whine of boat motors filling the still morning stopped her. Her eyes widened with terror.
Matt cursed. In this deserted corner of the swamp, people didn’t happen by. Other than the dock out front, there wasn’t a great fishing spot. He hadn’t seen an observation point capable of dishing up a pretty view. Anyone who came here did so intentionally, and Jack never showed up without radioing in first. The damn device had been silent for days.
Dread twisting his gut, he set Madison away. “Get some clothes on. Now.”
“Who do you think that is?”
“I don’t know. Go.”
He couldn’t wait to see if she obeyed, just dashed into the bedroom, tossed on pants and boots, grabbed his Glock, checked the chamber, then marched to the front room. He pressed his back to the door and leaned around to lift the drape and peer out the front window. Five guys in two boats, moving too fast for him to get a good look, but they were heading straight for the dock just beyond his line of sight.
Fuck.
“We’ve got company,” he yelled.
“How did anyone find us?” Madison sounded shaken.
Matt wanted to know that, too, but they didn’t have time to figure it out. “Get in the dungeon. I’m going to lock you inside. Don’t make a sound. You can’t let anyone know you’re here. Do you hear me?”
It was his last resort, but he didn’t see many other options to keep her safe.
“Matt—”
“Do it,” he snarled as he marched to the other side of the room and glimpsed out the kitchen window. He might be fucking outnumbered, but if their uninvited guests were looking for a welcoming party, they would be sorely disappointed. He intended to come at them, full force.
“I won’t leave you to face my mess alone.”
Matt whirled on her. For nearly two weeks, she had obeyed him every single goddamn moment. Of all the fucking times for her to rebel… “That’s an order.”
“No. If those are Winston’s or Todd’s thugs, they’ll kill you.”
At least he’d take some of those bastards down with him. “And what will they do to you?”
Madison all but stomped her foot, then disappeared down the hall. Matt cursed, torn between bodily shoving her in the dungeon for her own safety and defending their front door.
A moment later, she saved him from the decision, appearing in the front room again, shotgun in hand. “I found this in the bedroom closet.” She cocked it, then shot him a challenging stare. “I might obey you in bed, but don’t you ever think I would leave you alone to die.”
Goddamn it, he wanted to paddle her ass red at the same time he wanted to tell her how much he loved her. “We’re going to talk about this later.”
