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The second the doors open to his penthouse, he’s grabbing me around the waist, tossing me up over his shoulder as I scream in defiance.
“Put me down!” I demand, pounding my hands against his back as he makes his way through the living room to a set of stairs. He takes them two at a time, like having my dead weight over his shoulder is nothing for him.
“Evening, sir.” I look up to see a large bald-headed man with tattoos covering his neck standing behind us. He’s tall, probably well over three hundred pounds, with a double holster hanging from his shoulders.
“I said put me down!” I shout again and this time he obliges, tossing me straight down onto his bed in one motion. The air huffs out of my lungs audibly as I scurry to get off the bed and regain my footing just as Mads adjusts his tux and walks out of the bedroom.
Before I can get through the doorway after him, two large doors are slammed in my face, just as I hear him tell Baldy, “Whatever you do, don’t let her out of here.”
“What the hell!” I yank on the door handles as hard as I can, but they don’t budge. The doors are massive. I pound on them with both fists, fiery pain shooting up my arms, but I’m too angry to let it stop me.
“Mads!” I shout, waiting to hear him, to hear anything, but it’s deathly silent. “Mads, please!” I say again, this time my throat so thick with emotion I can’t fight the tears that begin to fall. Panic grips my chest as I scramble around the room, looking for anything to pick the lock even though I know it’s impossible.
I scream louder, pounding, kicking, crying, but it’s no use. Finally, I slide down onto the floor, resting my head on my knees as I sob.
4
MADS
“Everything okay, boss?”
“Does it look like it’s okay?” I give Tony, my personal security guard, a look and he raises his hands.
“What do you need done, besides guarding the girl?”
I scan my thumb over my safe, grabbing my gun and sliding it into my holster. “Don’t let anyone in the building. I don’t care who it is. And call Mitch. Have him and Damon get over here for backup.”
“Done.” Tony’s phone is already in his hand, making the call before I finish the sentence.
“I might be awhile. Don’t worry if you don’t hear from me. If for some reason Dane shows up here, whatever you do, do not let him take her.”
By the time I’m pulling into the gated driveway of the Ashford residence, my adrenaline has settled into a burning anger. I flip my headlights off, typing in the code to the gate that slowly slides open. I keep my eyes out for Dane’s signature Rolls Royce, praying I made it back here before him. When I don’t spot it, I pull my car back behind the garage and out of view.
I know this place is crawling with security cameras and a state-of-the-art alarm system that I insisted he have installed. I’ve already been spotted by probably a dozen cameras, but that’s the least of my concerns right now. I reach for the handle on the back door of the attached garage, producing the key I’ve had since Dane insisted I keep a copy years ago, and unlock it. Next, I disarm the alarm with the code Dane also insisted I have.
After locking the door and rearming the alarm, I make my way cautiously through the house. My eyes scan the photos that line the walls, stopping on their wedding photo. Emery’s face is so full of pure joy. She was beyond happy that day. My eyes close. I can still remember the scent of her overly sweet perfume when she drunkenly wrapped her arms around my neck.
“Dance with me!” She laughed as she attempted to spin around in my arms.
That was the beginning of it all for me. That was the first time I felt guilt for what I’d done… what we’d done. She was so young and innocent; she didn’t deserve to meet Dane. She doesn’t deserve to die.
I move on past the photos, walking quietly up the stairs to their bedroom. I pause, my hand on the door as I slowly push it open. I haven’t stepped foot in here since I came to the showing with Dane years ago.
“Look at this,” he said, his arms open wide as he walked around the bedroom with a huge grin on his face. “If this doesn’t say I’ve fucking made it, I don’t know what does. You know the owner of the Cubs lives just a few houses down.”
At the time, I thought he was trying. I thought he’d truly fallen in love with her and this was his attempt to make a life for them, to have kids and make it all legitimate. But it was just a long con, a plan to make it all look real so that when he killed her, nobody would ever suspect him.
I don’t have the luxury of time in this situation. I scan the room, coming up with a plan. After doing a quick check around the room for weapons, I take a seat in one of the oversized chairs in the corner of the room and I wait.
The sound of footsteps registers in the distance. I double-check that my phone is recording and slip it just inside my jacket so that the sound won’t be too distorted. As the footsteps draw closer, it’s accompanied by whistling.
Dane walks through the bedroom door, removing his tuxedo jacket as he hums to himself. The clouds cast shadows over the moon, making the bedroom dark enough that he most likely doesn’t even see me. But I know he knows I’m here.
“I knew your dick would get in the way of any rational thinking.” He smiles, turning around to look right at me, laughing maniacally. “You didn’t actually think I was going to be surprised to see you in my house tonight, did you?”
“I wasn’t too sure.” I smile back at him, my fingers resting on my knees.
“Now I knew”—he slowly removes his bow tie as he talks—“that you wouldn’t be able to resist playing the savior and running off to go tell Emery my plan.” He folds the bow tie neatly, laying it on the bed right next to his suit coat. “And here I thought you were supposed to be my best friend.Tsk-tsk.” He shakes his head.
