Our eyes lock while I take him from my mouth, and I wonder what it is that we’ve gotten ourselves into.
Have we found the best fuck buddies on the planet or is this turning into something meaningful right before our eyes? More importantly, will either of us be prepared for it if it’s the latter?
Chapter Twenty-Two
In a world where everyone wears a mask, it’s a privilege to see a soul
~ Unknown
Reggie
Like a flash before our eyes, a week has passed. We’ve spent every day walking around and going to various areas by the beach, filling our days with drinking lemonade, getting some sun, and watching re-runs of How I Met Your Mother.
I’ve been keeping in contact with Logan, Christian, and Jordan and have heard the same thing from all of them. They haven’t spotted Vinny or the Falcone men. At this point, we don’t know if it was Vinny who actually showed up or if the Falcones sent an errand boy to scare the daylights out of Madigan. At this rate, we can’t pick. None of us know enough about that crime family to know what they would or wouldn’t do.
My cell phone starts vibrating from my bedside table and I pick it up the second I see it’s Logan. “Hey.”
“Hey. How are you both doing?”
“We’re alright,” I mutter, looking over to Madigan who’s passed out in bed, naked with nothing but the sheets covering her. Her fiery red locks span out over the pillow and midway down her back, making me want to crawl back into bed with her.
“Good. I’m thinking you two can come back to Atlanta now. We have no reason to believe that the Falcones are here.”
“I had a feeling you’d want us to come back soon. We still don’t have any idea what’s going on with them, do we?”
“No.” I hear the frustration in his tone. “I wish we did, but we don’t. We’ve hit a dead end. Personally, I think they had a goon come down to try and scare her. I doubt they knew we’d make her toss those damn earrings he gave her. If she hadn’t, they would’ve led them straight to her.”
“Yeah. I’m glad I figured it out when I did. I still feel bad that I didn’t find them before then. I feel really shitty about that,” I confess.
“There’s nothing you could’ve done. We failed to scan her for any sort of tracking devices, so that’s on me.”
A few moments of silence pass us by before I speak. “So, when do you want us to leave?”
“I’d say today at some point. We’re supposed to get some nasty thunderstorms later, so try to get here before they roll in from the east.”
“Alright. Sounds good to me.”
“Oh, and Reggie. We moved Brooklyn’s launch to tomorrow because we’ve been having quite a bit of rain come through. Tomorrow is the first day it hasn’t rained in a week.”
“I’ll naturally assume that you want Madigan there?”
“Yes, we still have to control the media and it would be best if we do that in a managed environment. The only media outlets coming into her event are ones that I’ve personally authorized.”
“Sounds good. Please, just tell me that you aren’t allowing Summer in.”
Logan chuckles, “No, she’s blacklisted for the chaos she’s causing our family right now. Christian is getting torn up in the media, many of his so-called fans believing that Selena is some sort of high-class escort who must suck dick really well to get herself a massive rock landed on that finger. Others are pissed that he’s marrying a Latina woman, and they can go choke on a rock for all I care. Love is love. It doesn’t matter if she were white, black, purple, or an alien for all I care.”
“In this day and age, people want to comment on things they shouldn’t. They feel that their personal opinions matter when the reality is that they don’t. It’s bullshit if you ask me.”
“You’re not wrong there, Reg. Getting off the hate topic, how are things? Like, are you two getting along?” I see how he emphasizes certain words, acting like a kid in high school.
“Yeah, we are,” I reply, thinking of how we’ve grown a bit closer over the last week.
A decision was made before we left to explore this shit, to use each other’s bodies to our own sexual benefits, but damn if that plan isn’t being shot straight to hell. That first night we were romping in the sack like two people who have been lusting after each other for years when we’re anything but that. I’m not the kind of man who believes in instant-love. I think it’s bullshit. What I do believe in is instant-lust.
Part of me thinks the second I saw her, we were lusting at one another. Subconsciously, of course. But now, well, things are different. That spicy attitude of hers made me want to rock her into a different world, but the genuine nature of the woman I’m learning more about every day is . . . making me fall.
She’s not one of those girls who claim to be perfect. Instead, she accepts every flaw that’s part of her and is unapologetic about it. That’s what makes me look at her the way I am right now— like she’s unique, ‘cause quite frankly, she is. Madigan is one in a million. She comes with a fuckton of baggage, but I guess I’ve signed up for it. Needless to say, I wouldn’t change it for the world.
“I like her,” I blurt out, shedding more of my feelings than I originally intended.
“What do you mean?” her brother questions.
“If all of this shit settles down, I might just want this chick to be my girl,” I confess, watching as she turns toward me. My heart beats heavily in my chest while I wait to see if she’s awake or not. Madigan stretches and yanks the covers closer to her, which is a signature move this early in the morning.
“No shit. You’re serious?”
“Yeah. I am.”
“It’s about time you settled down a bit with someone. I didn’t expect it to be her, but if it is, know I’m happy for you. Know that I’ll be happy for you both, but, I’ll break your legs if you hurt her.”
“I’ll be the last person who hurts her,” I seethe out, showing how defensive I’ve grown over this girl.
“I’m glad to hear that. So, I’ll see you both tomorrow night?”
“Yep, you will. Where am I taking her?” There’s no way we’ll be going back to the same house. The location has been compromised and is nothing but a massive security risk.
“You’ll take her to your place,” Logan states and I think he’s kidding at first, but with the silence, I realize that he isn’t.
“You’re not joking. Are you?” I ask for confirmation.
“Nope, not one bit. If anyone’s figured out she’s a Steele by now, they’ll have goons posted at every property surrounding Atlanta with our names on it. No one will think to go to your house.” Logan laughs at the end, getting a kick out of this.
“Did you even get another house set up for her or no?”
“Nope. I figured you two wouldn’t mind spending more alone time together,” he chuckles in response, making me want to throttle him.
“I said I liked her, I didn’t say I wanted to move in with her,” I whisper yell to him.
I wait for a response and yank the phone away from my face, realizing that he’s already hung up the phone.
Well, shit. It looks like Madigan is heading to chateau Reggie, which looks like a hurricane rolled through it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“You don’t always need a logical reason for doing everything in your life. Do it because you want to; because it’s fun; because it makes you happy.”
~ Unknown
Madigan
“Where are we?” I ask, sliding up in the passenger seat of the car, looking around to see a wooded driveway in some sort of small neighborhood.
“We’re driving up to my house,” Reggie states plain as day as if it isn’t any big deal.
I scoot up to where I’m sitting as I normally would instead of being slouched down in a comfortable position. “What? Why? Shouldn’t we be going to one of my brothers?”
He chuckles as we both head into his garage and the door shuts behind us
. “No, I was specifically told to bring you here. Logan believes that the Falcones might have men posted on them. If that is the case, which it very well could be, it’s better to be prepared. No one wants to put you in a compromising position.”
I understand completely when it comes to what Reggie and even Logan are thinking. It’s logical and the best move to make, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still baffled by all of this. We came back here because Logan didn’t have any reason to believe that anyone was here. Now, I’m being sent to Reggie’s as a precaution in case they’re somehow slipping past my brothers?
“What’s on your mind?” he asks, placing his hand over mine, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“When will all of this be over?” I question, but it comes out more like a plea. I’m ready for all of this to end, to put my past behind me and focus on my future. After all, there’s so much to look forward to. I’m in a new place where I’ve never been able to explore. I’m with my family and have so much to discover about all of them. I have a baby on the way, which terrifies the living hell out of me.
I don’t know if it’s being a mother that’s so scary or if it’s the baby’s father. Since the moment I found out, I’ve been cutting back on the coffee, taking prenatal vitamins, and doing everything I know to do. Now that I’m thinking about it, I ran because I needed to get away from Vinny. My reasoning was because of the child growing in my belly, but I never thought about what I’d do after that. About how he might come for me if he were to find out about it. If anything, the Falcones are fearless when it comes to their family. I doubt they’d be any different when it came to the ones that aren’t born yet.
“I’m not sure. I hope it’s soon,” Reggie comments and I nod as I half-listen.
“We need to tell them,” I say aloud, knowing that I can’t keep any more secrets from my family. This will just be another bomb that drops when we could’ve already been preparing for whatever hell is coming our way.
“About you being pregnant?” He’s quick to figure out where my thoughts are.
“Yeah. I don’t think Vinny knows anything, but if he does, they’ll put all their resources behind finding me.”
“When do you want to tell them?” Reggie asks, unlocking the car so we can both get out. I put my hand on the door, unbuckle myself, and get out of the vehicle, looking over to him as I shut the door.
“Tomorrow, I guess. That’s when we’ll see them next, right?”
He nods.
“Okay, so I tell them tomorrow,” I state, internally trying to give myself the courage to stick to this decision.
“I’m proud of you. You can finally stop carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.” I never really viewed it like that, but he’s not wrong. I’ve been carrying an extra burden for far too long. It’s ironic, how I’ve been carrying this weight alone but have chosen to not fight this battle by myself, instead, I involved my family.
“Thanks. Want to show me around this joint?” I ask, needing to focus on something other than my dramatic life.
“Sure. Follow me.”
Part of me wants to respond with a smartass comment but I bite my tongue, sticking close by him as we go up a small set of stairs and through a door that leads into the kitchen. “Honey, I’m home!”
Immediately, my heart drops to my stomach. Who in the world could he be talking to? I swear he told me he was single. A million thoughts run through my mind, but more than anything, I want to wrap my hand around his neck and choke him out.
I hear a trampling thunder come darting toward us. It doesn’t sound like feet hitting the floor, but paws. And very big ones at that. I stick behind Reggie, seeing a giant bully looking dog happily wagging its tail as it comes toward us.
“What is that?” I ask, taking a step back.
“This is Honey. She’s my four-year-old English Mastiff. A real sweetie, isn’t she?”
“Uh . . .” I grow quiet, not sure how to comment. I’ve never been a dog person. As a matter of fact, I’m absolutely petrified of them. When I was a kid, my mom enrolled me in a Girl Scouts type of thing. We went to a local State Park to earn a badge and a Boxer attacked me. It grabbed my leg and started shaking me. All I remember whenever going around dogs is the feeling of teeth entering my flesh and being thrown around.
“What’s the matter?” Reggie can sense my discomfort and turns around to look at me.
“You mean all that digging you did and you didn’t find out that I’m terrified of dogs? I was attacked by one when I was a kid,” I spit out, keeping my eyes trained on the giant furball of a beast.
Reggie laughs, “There’s nothing scary about Honey. She’s a big softie.”
“A big softie that could rip someone to shreds,” I mutter under my breath, looking at the brindle coated dog.
“She’s been through extensive training. Honestly, she’s a lazy girl who wants to be a lapdog but God forbid someone comes barreling in through the front door. She’ll fuck up whoever decides to fuck with any of us.”
“Us?” I question, seeing a man come into the entryway that leads into the dining room. He stands against the frame.
“You must be Madigan. Reggie said he’d be bringing you around,” the mystery man comments.
“This is Cal. He’s one of the men that work with my company. Cal works from home, handling all of the technical aspects of the job. He’s also my roommate and takes care of Honey when I’m called away.”
“Yeah, the big slobbery beast has become one of my greatest friends,” he says sarcastically.
“Honey, lay down,” Reggie says, and the dog follows his command without question. Reggie glances at me, “Now you try.”
“Uh . . . Honey . . .” I mutter, the dog keeping her eyes trained on me, waiting for me to give her an order, “Sit?” No part of what I say sounds confident. If anything, I’m even more terrified. Although, she comes up into a sitting position and looks right at me, waiting for another order.
“She will do whatever you say. Honey respects her place here and knows the hierarchy.” Reggie rubs my shoulder, trying to ease me into the thought of living with a dog.
“Alrighty,” I mumble.
“Carlos brought some clothes and stuff by earlier. For a minute, I thought you switched teams,” Cal cackles out to Reggie.
“Oh, fuck off.”
“I’ll get back to work. It was nice to meet you, Madigan. If you need anything, feel free to let me know.” Cal disappears off past the dining room and I’m left alone with Honey and Reggie. Part of me feels a bit odd being here, but maybe I can get over my immense fear of dogs. Honey doesn’t seem as crazy as that Boxer did, so that’s a plus.
Chapter Twenty-Four
And the chaos within me found balance.
~ Unknown
Reggie
Over the last day, it’s been a struggle. Even though Madigan has tried to cover up that silly fear she has, I can see how real it is to her. She’s been avoiding Honey at all costs, not even wanting to be in the same room as her. It’s been proving difficult since the dog has her own bed in my room and wants to stick by my side as much as she can while I’m home. I can’t blame my gentle giant either, because we never know when I’ll be home or when I’ll be pulling week-long shifts for the Steeles. Depending on the threat, I could even be there for longer than that.
“Are you finally ready to go or what?” I grumble outside of the bathroom, waiting on Madigan. She’s been in there for almost an hour after taking some sort of dress and a pair of heels with her.
“One sec!”
If she tells me that one more time, I’m going to break this fucking door down. “You said that five minutes ago. I swear Madigan, I will break this door down if you aren’t out in three . . . two —”
The door flies open and I come face to face with a woman, well, more like a goddess. She’s wearing a tight, cheetah print dress that comes down to the bottom of her knees. While it’s classy, it’s also sexy as hell. Her hair comes dow
n in full, bouncy curls, making me imagine what it would be like to wrap my hand up in that tangled mess as I ram my cock in her. If that’s not enough, she has a bright red lipstick on, which is just going to cause everyone at the party to look in her direction.
“You don’t look too bad yourself.” She giggles, eyeing me up and down.
“I’m wearing what I do every day,” I quietly argue with her.
“It looks rather nice on you.”
“Why, Miss. Archer-Steele, are you trying to hit on me?”
“I’m not trying, Reggie. I am.” She laughs, walking outside into the hallway. I grab her forearm, causing her to look at me with a shocked expression as I pull her toward me and line my lips against her ear.
“I’m going to fight my instincts throughout the night. Every part of me wants to rip all of that paper off my fuckin’ present and devour you like the snack you are. But when we get home, sweetheart, you’ll be begging me for it.”
“Oh, you think highly of yourself, do you?” she whispers in a heated tone, telling me I’ve gotten my point across. No matter our playful banter or how tough she tries to act, I’ve gotten her riled up, that’s for damn sure.
“We’re going to have to get going and fight Atlanta traffic in the meantime,” I inform her, interlacing her hand with mine.
We go through the dining room and pass Cal, who gives me a look that tells me he’s jealous as fuck. Bet he’s wishing he didn’t mind gunfire for a date like this. Madigan and I get in the car and we dart off to Brooklyn’s skincare launch.
Stolen Hearts: A Dark Billionaire Collection Page 37