Diamonds, page 19
And it won’t.
I’ll die for this woman if I have to.
I just wish I could do it more than once.
30
ALISSA
I awake to the pitter-patter of raindrops. I instinctively wrap my arms around my chest against the chill of the weather.
And I realize I’m naked.
I blink a few times.
My heart starts thrumming.
Where am I?
This isn’t my bed. This isn’t my apartment.
It’s…
The memories of last night come crashing down on me.
We went to Aces. Played Blackjack. Got Rouge’s attention.
The King and Queen of Diamonds.
And then… the alleyway. Bill. The real King of Diamonds.
We came to Maddox’s ex’s house.
We… Maddox…
Maddox.
We made love.
The most exquisite night of sex I’ve ever experienced.
It wasn’t hard. It wasn’t fast.
It was comfort. Like a bowl of chicken soup.
Maddox makes me feel safe. Protected. Loved.
My heartbeat slows down, and I get to my feet.
He isn’t in here. He must be up and about. Maybe making a pot of coffee.
I can’t very well go down the stairs completely nude. His ex—Laurie, her name is—probably wouldn’t be too thrilled about that.
All I have are the clothes I came here in. I’d almost rather go down naked than in my pink evening gown.
But then—aha! A robe hanging on the back of the door to the guest room.
It wasn’t there last night. Maddox must have fetched it for me.
I put it on. It’s soft and fluffy. Like hugging a cloud to me.
Speaking of—I look out the window. It’s completely overcast and raining. Not a glint of sunlight in sight.
Typical Chicago.
We had a few days of sunshine last week, but those were a fluke. Most of the Februarys I’ve spent here have been this kind of weather. I’m used to it, being from the UK.
At least it’s not snow.
I open the door and head downstairs. Maddox’s booming voice catches my ear, and I follow it into the kitchen.
He’s sitting down—also in a robe—next to Laurie. She’s dressed for the day. They both have large ceramic mugs of steaming coffee, and Maddox is scratching the ear of a large goldendoodle with his free hand.
A pang of jealousy spears my heart.
But I’m being ridiculous. Maddox spent the night with me, made love to me.
He smiles when he sees me. “Alissa. Good morning.”
“Morning, sweetheart.” I give him a kiss on the cheek and then look over to Laurie. “Thank you again so much for helping us out last night.”
Laurie nods. “Of course. Always happy to help an old friend. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”
“No need to go to the trouble. I can help myself.”
“By all means. Milk is in the fridge if you need any, and there’s sugar on the table.”
“I take mine black.” I eye the cupboards. “Where do you keep your mugs?”
Laurie points. “Cupboard right over the coffeemaker.”
“Of course. How efficient.”
My words are colder than I intend. I paste a smile on. Laurie has done us a great favor. I just need a cup of coffee and I’ll be able to get my head around this silly bout of jealousy.
I grab a mug—this one has a photo of the same goldendoodle Maddox is petting—and pour myself a cup of coffee. I sit down at the table across from Laurie.
Laurie sips her coffee. “Maddox was catching me up on everything you two have been through the past few days.”
I widen my eyes. “Did he?”
Maddox shifts his gaze to me quickly. “Yes. About the stalker. That asshole ex-employee of my father’s who’s made our last couple days a living hell.”
“It certainly sounds troublesome,” Laurie says. “Makes me grateful that Jonathan and I live such a quiet life in the suburbs.” She takes another sip of coffee. “But let’s lighten the topic. How long have you two been together?”
My heart skips a beat.
If we tell her the truth, she’ll laugh. I don’t know how long she and Maddox dated, but it was long enough for his mother to know her name. Certainly longer than Maddox and I have known each other.
“We’ve been together…long enough,” Maddox says. “How about you and Jonathan?”
She smiles. “Five years married last month. We dated for two years before that. And”—she pats her belly—“we’re expecting a little boy in five months or so.”
Maddox drops his jaw. “You’re kidding.”
“Not even a bit.” She reaches down to the goldendoodle, gives it a pet. “Jabba here is looking forward to being a big brother.”
Maddox snorts. “Still can’t believe you named this adorable mutt after a Star Wars character.”
They both chuckle lightly.
I take a long sip of coffee, swallow it, and then take a deep breath.
This woman is married, settled down, expecting a baby.
She is in no way a threat to my relationship with Maddox.
Even if she were, that should be the furthest thing from my mind given the circumstances.
Maddox finishes his cup of coffee. “Thanks so much again, Laurie. You really helped us out of a bind there.”
Laurie sets down her mug. “Not a problem. Do you need to use the shower or anything before you go?”
“I actually took one when I first woke up,” he replies. “Thanks for leaving those towels outside the bathroom.”
“You're welcome. Do you need some clothes for the road?”
“No. I don’t want to impose any more than I already have.”
“Nonsense.” She gets to her feet and leaves the kitchen. She returns with two T-shirts with faded patterns and two pairs of gray sweatpants. “These are some old clothes of mine and Jonathan’s.” She looks to me. “Alissa, I’m about the same size as you, so this should fit you perfectly.”
I take the clothes. “Brilliant. Thank you so much, Laurie. This is really generous.”
“They’re old clothes. Hardly an inconvenience.” She turns to Maddox. “Jonathan isn’t quite as broad as you, so your clothes might be a little tight. But they’ll get you home. You two were dressed to the nines last night. You’ll hardly want to put all those fancy clothes back on.”
“Thank you. I’ll have these cleaned and sent back up to you once we’re home.”
“Save yourself the trouble. Hold onto them or just toss them. Better yet, donate them to Goodwill. That’s where they were probably headed anyway.”
“Will do.” Maddox turns to me. “Alissa, do you want to take a shower before we head out? We’ll check out both of our places. If they aren’t ransacked, we’re probably safe to sleep in our own homes tonight. If they are”—his face darkens—“we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
I finish off my coffee. “I can wait until we get back to take a shower.”
“Sounds good.” Maddox crosses back to the table and gives Laurie a hug. “Thank you again so much, Laurie. I really appreciate it.”
“Anytime. What are old friends for?”
“I’m happy to return the favor if you ever find yourself in need of a place to stay Uptown.”
She nods. “I’ll put on a coat and take you out to your car. I’m supposed to take a little stroll every day, for the baby.” She leans down, scratches the goldendoodle’s ears. “Jabba, go on a walk?”
The dog jumps up on her.
“Whoa. Careful of the baby.” She rubs her belly. “Beware the Jabba walk, my son.”
I narrow my eyes. “What?”
She looks up at me and cracks up. “Sorry! You must think I’ve lost my mind. Just a little joke I have. Pregnancy brain and everything.”
Maddox grins. “Of course. Congrats on the life you’ve built, Laurie.”
Laurie gives him another hug. “Same to you, Maddox.”
Maddox and I head upstairs, collect our things, and scoot out the door. Laurie walks us as far as Maddox’s car—he parked a few doors down just in case we were followed—and we make our way back to my apartment.
Once we’re there, Maddox opens the car door for me and walks me up.
My breath catches as we approach my door. What is waiting for us behind my door? Best-case scenario, it’s been ransacked. All of my personal possessions thrown about, broken, maybe even stolen.
Worst-case scenario… Someone’s waiting for us.
“Give me your key, Alissa,” Maddox says.
I reach into my purse, fish it out, and hand it to him with trembling fingers.
“If anything goes wrong, it’s the same rules as last night. Run. Get the hell out of here. Get somewhere safe. In public. Then call the cops.”
I draw in an uneasy breath. “All right.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
If that’s what he wants, I’ll do it. But I don’t know if I’ll have the nerve to leave his side if something goes awry.
He places the key in my lock, and I hear the deadbolt disengage with a thunk.
He slowly pries the door open. It creaks loudly, echoing all the way down the wooden stairs leading to my door.
Maddox steps inside, looks around.
“Okay, Alissa. Come inside. But keep the door open.”
I do so. I look around. I let out a sigh of relief. Everything is still neat and tidy. Nothing out of place. No one’s been here.
Or if they were…they’ve covered their tracks well.
31
MADDOX
Alissa’s living room is clear.
I check her bedroom next. Not a throw pillow out of place. I make sure to check under her bed, in her walk-in closet.
Then her bathroom. I peek behind the shower curtain.
She’s all clear.
I turn to her. “I think you’re okay to stay here.”
She widens her eyes. “But… What if someone was here? What if they just covered their tracks?”
I frown. “I suppose that’s possible. But it seems unlikely. If anything, I would think Rouge and her minions would want to intimidate you. Leaving your place in perfect shape wouldn’t exactly be accomplishing that.”
She gulps. “I suppose not.”
“But if you’d like, you can come with me to my place. We’ll check it out. And then we’ll come back here, and I’ll stand guard while you shower, get dressed.” I cup her cheek. “I’ll stay with you until you feel safe again, Alissa. I promise you that.”
She smiles. “I’d like that.”
“Okay. Let’s head over now.”
We leave Alissa’s apartment, making sure all the locks are engaged. She doesn’t have a security system, which I’ll be rectifying as soon as I can. We make the short drive to my place.
I park in my reserved spot behind the shop and turn to Alissa. “Heads up. It’s probably a little messy. And that’s if it hasn’t been searched.”
“I don’t mind a little mess.” She smiles, but her eyes are distant.
Once again I tell her to run as fast as she can away from here if something bad happens, and once again she agrees. But when I open the door to my place and walk in…
Again. Nothing. Everything is how I left it when I departed for the club last night. Not a cufflink out of place.
Just to be sure, I check every potential hiding spot while Alissa sits on my couch, tapping her fingers against the armrest.
And we’re clear.
No one came here last night.
But like I told Alissa, I’ll stay with her all day if she needs. I’ll keep the shop closed another day, spend the day with her. Make love to her. Cook her dinner. Whatever she wants.
I plunk down on the couch next to her. “I think we’re all set here.”
She nuzzles her head into my shoulder. “Thank God.” She sits up, looks into my eyes. “Do you think we’re okay?”
I draw in a long breath, rub at my left temple. “I don’t know if I’d say we’re okay. But we’re safe for now. We might want to keep a low profile for a while. Maybe take a trip. Wait for all the Bill stuff to blow over before we investigate in the club again.”
She widens her eyes. “A trip would be lovely! Maybe we could visit my father in the UK. It’s been years since I’ve been back home.”
I wrap my arm around her shoulder. “That would be great. I haven’t let myself take a vacation for a long time. I’ve been married to the shop for so long. I’m not sure I know how to relax and unwind.”
She traces a line over my chest. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
“If I think hard enough.” I get to my feet. “Should we get back to your place? Get you cleaned up? And then”—I lift my eyebrows—“dirty again?”
She smiles. “I’d be amenable to that.”
I lock the door to my place—I’m just realizing this is the first time I’ve brought Alissa to my actual apartment; I’ll make sure to give her a proper tour next time—and we get back in the Rolls. I’m about to put the key in the ignition when a crack of thunder shakes the entire car, rattling me and Alissa both.
“Shit. That was loud.” I look out the window. “The storm seems to be getting closer.”
Alissa nods, her eyes wide.
The rain is coming down more heavily now. My car window is dotted with raindrops. Some of them are stagnant, and some are running down, collecting smaller drops as gravity pulls them to earth. Some of them curve as they make their way down, and some go straight.
And some…
Wait a minute.
I hate campaigning season.
It seems to get longer every time Dad does it.
Mom and I, his smiling, picture-perfect family, have to attend every event with him.
He’s going for his third term as mayor of Chicago. He’s going to win—the polls aren’t even close. I don’t even understand why we have to go to so many events.
And the weather is terrible today. It’s a big storm.
I’ve got homework I could be doing. I’ve just started high school, which Dad loves to remind me is the first year that grades actually matter. Colleges will be looking over my transcripts.
Like it freaking matters. My name alone will get me into Yale, no question. I’m a legacy, and Dad will pull whatever strings he must to get me on the top of the admissions list. Study political science, just like he did. Go into politics, just like he did.
Just like my grandfather did. And my uncles and aunts. Nearly every Hathaway has served in an elected office since time began.
Everyone except for my great-uncle. Stephen Hathaway, who ran a haberdashery in Uptown.
Uncle Stephen was the black sheep of the family. He was gay during a time when he couldn’t be open about it. Certainly not when your family was rubbing elbows with the Washington elites. He died when I was six years old, but I remember him being a lot of fun at family functions. He was never allowed to bring his partner, so he ended up spending most of his time playing board games with the kids. He loved Clue especially, and he would always make a big spectacle of it whenever he was making an accusation.
He would grab a blanket and pretend it was a Victorian cloak, flourishing it back and forth as he declared, “It was Colonel Mustard…in the ballroom…with…the candlestick!”
Then he’d pretend to throw a tantrum in the corner when it was revealed that his accusation was completely incorrect. Pounding fists on the floor and everything.
Dad would see it and roll his eyes, but my cousins and I loved it.
Until Uncle Stephen got sick. AIDS. Within a year he was gone. It was a blessing, to be honest. He really wasted away the last few months of his life.
Dad kept it all hushed up. After all, he had his eyes on the mayorship. The old mayor’s popularity had taken a dive, and it was time to pounce. He actually announced his candidacy the day after Uncle Stephen’s funeral. To take advantage of the sympathy vote.
What a crock of shit.
Then the worst possible thing happened. He won the damned election.
Then he won a second term.
Now Mom and I have to spend every weekend waving American flags with smiles pasted on our faces, rain or shine.
Today, it’s rain.
“Do we have to go to this, Dad?” I ask. “I’m going to get my nice suit all wet.”
Dad is next to me—we’re being driven by his chauffeur—and he rolls his eyes. “So you’ll get it cleaned, Maddox. Christ.”
“This is a wool suit. If it gets wet, it can lose its shape.”
“Then we’ll buy you another suit.” He glares at me. “This is important.”
“Whatever.” I stare out the window.
We’re in Dad’s Rolls-Royce Phantom V. He’s kept it in great shape, and it’s got lots of room in the back for me, Mom, and Dad to sit while the driver carts us around.
Mom volunteered to sit in the middle since my legs have grown like crazy over the last year. She hasn’t contributed to my argument with Dad. I think it’s because she agrees with me, but is afraid to defy her husband who provides her cushy lifestyle.
So I got the window. The raindrops are forming little trails down the side. I like watching them grow bigger as they join with other raindrops. Watch them race down the side of the window. Try to guess which one will win. They look like small tears, like the Rolls-Royce itself is crying, joining me in feeling—
“And for God’s sake, stop staring at the raindrops,” Dad snaps. “I bought you a cell phone, didn’t I? Why can’t you play Tetris, text your friends, like a normal kid?”
God, he was an ass.
What the hell was wrong with me watching the raindrops? Most parents would be thrilled to not have their kid staring at a screen.
But as I watch the raindrops fall down my window, I notice something odd.
Most of them are going down in a straight line, like you’d expect. Occasionally some of them curve a little, but that’s not out of the ordinary.
