hartsheart_GEN

by Michelle Hoppe

  Maddie’s eyes rolled back until she plunged into darkness. I don’t have Cage and Adam’s night vision. While my abilities give me the gift of sight, it doesn’t extend to actual eyesight. The note had said to come on my own. It was a matter of life or death. Marlena and Darren’s shouts cut through the stillness of the evening when I pass by their trailer. Warmth creeps into my cheeks in a slow flush. They aren’t fighting…

  “Girl,” Maddie heard as she felt someone shaking her by the shoulders. “Are you okay?”

  Dazedly, she found her voice. “Marlena and Darren are at it again.”

  “What?” Cage asked sharply. “They’re at what again? And how in the world do you know Marlena and Darren?”

  Maddie blinked. “Who?”

  “You just said their names.”

  “No, I didn’t.” Maddie had a vague recollection—a form of deja vu. “Maybe. I don’t know.” She’d had waking dreams before, but nothing so immediate as this one. Not since Madame Divine. Her feet and legs felt boneless, and she gazed at the two men holding her—Cage’s almost orange-brown eyes, the color of a setting sun…Adam’s midnight blue eyes with a stripe of gold around the outer edge. Even though she was still a virgin, she remembered what it was like in her dream when Adam had entered her body, when Cage had latched on to her nipple. Her body seemed to shiver from the inside out.

  Then everything went black.

  *

  Adam Michaels stared at the young woman who—other than the occasional movement—slept soundly in Alana Gupta’s bunk. Alana, whose stage name was Isis, rarely slept in her trailer, so she grudgingly agreed to let them keep the young woman there. The strange young lady hadn’t had any I.D. on her, so he didn’t know who she was, how old she was, or where she was from. She could have been a runaway, or a curious teenager, but Adam doubted it. He gauged her to be around twenty, maybe twenty-one. Too many years with the carnival, carding kids who tried to get into the after-show, and he’d gotten pretty good at guessing ages.

  She’d had light blue eyes, the color of a clear sky—he’d felt almost mesmerized by them when she’d met his gaze. Now, as she slept, her light brown hair was dark around her forehead where perspiration saturated the color. Her cherub lips puckered and her small upturned nose wrinkled occasionally drawing a smile from Adam. He tried, without much success, to avoid staring at her luscious curves. Her rounded hips and full breasts could give any of the dancers in the carnival’s burlesque show a run for their money. She’d only been passed out for a couple of hours, but Adam worried she wouldn’t wake up.

  He’d wanted to take her to the hospital. Cage wanted to dump her at the nearest gas station and let someone else deal with her, but Carl didn’t want the trouble that would come with explaining to the local authorities what they were doing with an unconscious girl. Cage used that as another reason they should dump her somewhere. His brother could be merciless at times. They’d compromised by taking the young woman to Alana. She was a trained nurse, and she also practiced holistic remedies—a real asset for the company.

  She knew our names. He and Cage didn’t mix with the townies, so how it was possible? Had she overheard someone use their names? She’d acted surprised. The woman stirred Adam in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. He thought she did the same for Cage, which was the exact reason his world-weary brother wanted to ditch her as quickly as possible. Cage had suffered a lot of pain in his short life. More than anyone should bear.

  When they lost Clary, it took months for Adam to recover—he feared Cage never would. Clary had been the glue holding Cage together. He needed Adam and Clary to anchor him, to keep his rage at bay. Without Clary, Adam constantly worried that Cage might hurt one of town folk who frequented their show. Cage wouldn’t go to prison—he would kill himself, or find a way to get the cops to kill him, before going into another cage. When he was an infant, Cage had been sold into slavery to the Armando Bros. Circus. He’d spent fifteen years either on stage in or a small six-foot by three-foot enclosure. The older of the Armando brothers, Joe, named him Cage, since that’s where he spent ninety-eight percent of his time.

  When Adam rescued him ten years ago, and it was a rescue, he gave his fellow lion shifter a chance to give himself a new name, but Cage had insisted he didn’t want to be called anything else. He wore his name like a badge of courage. Even though Cage was seven years his junior, his experiences had aged him. He’d never gotten to experience the joy of childhood. Loving Clary was the closest Cage had ever been to happy. As he stared at the young woman, he wondered…

  Chapter 2

  Maddie awoke in a cold sweat. Where was she? The motel? Her unfocused brain couldn’t think straight. She squinted at the wooden paneling on the wall, pulling up the blankets until they covered her ears. The bed—lumpy, but soft and warm—smelled like her parents’ Labrador retriever, not foul, but distinctively dog. She rolled to her back, taking in the colorful swathes of fabric dangling from the low ceiling. A clinking noise startled her and drew her attention.

  A woman in a gold and blue silk robe arranged bottles on a shelf. She had sleek raven hair so long the ends reached her cinched waist. “You are in my quarters, child,” she said without looking at Maddie. Her voice held a foreign accent, but Maddie couldn’t derive the woman’s country of origin.

  Slowly, the woman turned to face Maddie. Her skin, along with her beauty, was porcelain and flawless, while her eyes, darkened around the lids with a charcoal liner, were the color of fresh grass. Maddie had never seen anyone with that eye color before—so unnaturally green. When the woman moved closer, she dragged her gaze over Maddie from head to toe. “Can you speak?”

  Her dry mouth made it hard to force the word, “Yes.”

  The door opened. Adam walked in carrying a tray of flat bread, orange slices, and cheese in one hand and a carafe of juice in the other. He wore a black, sleeveless body suit that showed over every muscular bulge. Maddie swallowed hard. Every bulge. His gaze held a genuine warmth when he looked at Maddie. “Just checking in on our guest, Isis.”

  Maddie curled her knees to her chest. She’d never had a “day walking” incident before and it scared her. Had she done something while she’d been out? Did Adam think she was a lunatic now? Did Cage? Why wouldn’t they? God, she hoped she didn’t do anything embarrassing. “Uh, hi,” she muttered, glancing away when Adam’s gaze caught her eyes.

  “She is fine, as you can see.” Isis took off her robe. Under she wore nothing but a crystal bikini that barely held her perky, full breasts in place, and certainly didn’t do much to cover her bottom. “I’m late. Can you get the latch?”

  Maddie noticed then that the back of Isis’s gown had two straps dangling.

  Adam hooked them, then gave the exotic beauty a dismissive nod. Once Isis left, he turned his attention back to Maddie.

  A knife of jealousy slashed through Maddie as the dark-haired beauty departed. She’d never had boys after her, but not because she was homely. However, next to Isis, she paled in comparison. “She…I…What…” Being in the same room with Adam addled Maddie’s brain. It was as if she’d forgotten how to complete sentences. Finally she settled on, “She’s very pretty.”

  “Yes, she is,” Adam said. Maddie heart sunk as his voice dropped an octave, breathy and sexy. “Just like the serpent in the Garden of Eden, Isis is designed to tempt.”

  Heat crept into her cheeks again. “What?”

  His cheeks dimpled when he smiled. “That’s how she’s introduced. Isis is a snake dancer.”

  “She dances with snakes?” Maddie couldn’t keep the incredulity out of her voice.

  “Among other things.”

  Maddie wasn’t certain she wanted to know what other things. “Isis is the headliner in our after-show. It’s adults only and costs extra. She’s very good at what she does.”

  Maddie didn’t want to talk about Isis anymore—didn’t want to draw attention to a woman who didn’t need any help in that area. She changed the subje
ct. “Have I been out all day?”

  “Almost two days,” Adam said. “Like Sleeping Beauty. We were all drawing straws to see who would wake you up with true love’s kiss.”

  Maddie snorted a laugh. “You’re a funny man, Adam.”

  He narrowed his gaze. “You seem to know my name. I think it’s only fair that I know yours.”

  “Madeline.” Suddenly, under his watchful gaze, she felt nervously shy. “Maddie.”

  He smirked then rubbed his chin in a thoughtful manner. “Madeline.”

  Self-consciously, she brushed her fingers through her sleep ratted hair, working hard to smooth the edges. Adam probably thought she was nuts. Mad Maddie. Anyone around her long enough would think it. “I might look crazy, but I’m not.”

  “I believe you.” His direct gaze unnerved Maddie and made her lower parts draw tight with desire. He raised one brow, his expression appraising.

  A light thump against the backside of the trailer drew his attention away. He turned to look out a small rectangular window. God, his physique from the side view was just as good as the front and back, and the tights he wore left very little—or big, as was the case—to the imagination.

  An abrupt knock on the trailer’s door startled Maddie. A brusque voice said, “Adam.” Her heart beat wildly. The voice belonged to Cage. “Need some help wrangling the lot lice?”

  Maddie scratched at her head. She’d never heard of lot lice, but they sounded awful. “Is it contagious?”

  “Lot lice isn’t a condition. The boys need help clearing off the town folk from the midway. The after-show is wrapping up, and we can’t shut it all down until we get all the rubes out of here.”

  “Am I a…rube?”

  “I’m not sure what you are.” He winked. “I’ll let you know when I make up my mind.”

  “Until then, can I come with you? I’d like to stretch my legs.”

  Adam shook his head. “Maybe you should take it easy tonight. Rest. You can see everything tomorrow.”

  “What about Isis? Won’t she want her bed back?”

  “Oh, she never sleeps in here.”

  Maddie felt another stabbing pang of jealousy. She averted her eyes, so Adam couldn’t read her expression.

  “She’s Carl’s woman.”

  “Carl?” Maddie shook her head, unable to hide her disbelief. “The little man?”

  “He prefers dwarf, but yes.”

  Maddie saw the look of disappointment on Adam’s face and inwardly flinched. She’d been called strange or weird by people who thought of her as different, and she didn’t want Adam to think she was that kind of person. “I’m sorry.” She pulled the blankets around her shoulders as she sat up. “I didn’t mean anything by that, except she’s just so beautiful. She could have any man she wants.”

  “Yes,” Adam agreed. “And she wants Carl.”

  “We’re used to being judged by outsiders.” He set the tray and juice on the stand next to the small bed. “Eat something. You need to keep up your strength. Then try to get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning for breakfast.”

  After Adam left, Maddie groaned. She wanted to smack herself. Her reaction to Adam’s revelation about Isis and Carl shamed her. She didn’t want anyone to think she was a bigot. And she really didn’t want Adam to think of her as an outsider.

  Maddie took an orange slice from the tray and nibbled the pulp. Why had she dreamed of Cage and Adam? What did it mean that she’d ended up at their carnival? Love has made them mine. She had so many questions and very few answers. Tomorrow she would ask. Tonight, she would sleep.

  *

  Cage had been outside Alana’s trailer when Adam had been in with the girl. Madeline…Maddie, she’d said. His chest rumbled with a low, quiet growl. Why did Adam insist on keeping her? She’d be nothing but trouble if they didn’t get rid of her soon. Besides, she set his teeth on edge.

  Something about the newcomer disturbed Cage and pushed his control to the brink. He’d been the one to catch her when she passed out, and having her in his arms had felt…strange. When Adam flirted with her in the trailer, Cage felt a twinge of regret along with a spark of anger.

  Clary had only been gone six months. Too soon for Cage to think about courting another woman, even if she stirred him. He’d slapped the backside of the trailer before he’d gone around the front, knowing Adam would pay heed.

  “She needs to go,” Cage said quietly when Adam opened the door.

  “Brother,” Adam replied as he jumped down the steps. His disapproving glare brought heat to Cage’s cheeks.

  Hadn’t the others said the same thing about Cage when Adam first rescued him? He’d been wild—out of control. His first taste of freedom had unleashed his savagery. If it hadn’t been for Adam…

  As they walked in silence through the midway, a woman stepped out from the shadows behind one of the game stands. Alice Deckard, the carnival’s contortionist, waved at both men. Cage bit off his disgust. He liked her less than he liked the stranger. Alice had been Adam’s lover, before he’d freed Cage. She’d thought of Cage as a sub-species, not worth her time. It had caused a serious rift between Adam and herself, and she blamed Cage for their break-up nine years ago.

  Why didn’t she just move on?

  “Alice,” Adam said, his voice warm and welcoming. He kissed her cheek when she neared. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a severe braid giving her green eyes a slight slant. Dark eye-liner emphasized the angle and made her look exotic.

  She smiled, keeping her voice light and friendly. “Carl says the back lot is clear. Darren’s finishing up through the tents, and the parking lot is empty. I think we’re good.”

  Cage fought the impulse to scoff. Adam had taken Alice in after she’d been shot in her mountain lion form. She’d been hunting deer in the Missouri Ozarks and ended up being the hunted. She’d managed to escape the woods before transforming back to her human self and collapsing in a ditch near 65 Highway. By sheer luck, Adam had spotted her. He, with the help of Alana, saved Alice.

  She’d seduced Adam, but their relationship couldn’t withstand her possessive nature. Adam would never be hers alone. He belonged to all under his protection. Under our protection, Cage mentally amended.

  He couldn’t forgive her for how she’d acted when Adam first brought him to the carnival. Cage’s first year of freedom had been a constant fight against his own angry savagery—something Alice tried to exploit to her advantage. Her actions changed nearly cost him everything. Cage promised to keep her lies a secret if she promised to let Adam go. In nine years, she’d never gone back on her word, so neither had Cage. But she’d put a barrier between him and his adopted brother that not even time had been able to fix.

  Clary had fixed it, he reminded himself, albeit temporarily. Bitterness and regret crept into his thoughts. Her death, another tragedy had erected the barrier once again. He missed Clary. Missed how she made him feel. Missed how her love had brought him and Adam closer. Missed how a simple touch from her could calm his restless spirit.

  Madeline. A stab of guilt brought a scowl to his face. He didn’t even know this Madeline, yet how she made him feel was a betrayal to Clary’s memory.

  “Brother,” he said to Adam after they’d finished shutting down and made it back to their trailer. “About this girl.” He forced the words from his lips. “Now that she’s awake, I think we should send her on her way in the morning.” Cage’s gut clenched as he once again asked Adam to get rid of the girl. He ached for her in an unnatural way. He hated the idea that his beast side, once again, was trying to take control.

  “Let’s not speak of it now.” Adam put his hand on Cage’s shoulder to reassure him. “Tomorrow we’ll talk more.”

  They both undressed and crawled into bed. Cage curled up, putting his back to Adam’s side. Adam stroked his arm and back. Cage sighed, the tension and anxiety melting at Adam’s touch. To a human, they might have looked like homosexual lovers, but their connection as lions, the pair-b
ond that had formed between them, went beyond sexual. It was a bond stronger than blood, stronger than love.

  Adam’s low purr and his comforting touch eased Cage’s troubled thoughts. Within minutes, he fell fast asleep.

  Chapter 3

  The next morning, Maddie dressed in a yellow shift dress Isis had laid out for her and left the safety of the trailer that had been her haven for two days. Her bladder screamed to be emptied, even as her stomach rumbled to get filled. She hoped to hell there was a toilet at this place. No way did she want to pee in the woods.

  Carl was the first person she saw. “Excuse me.”

  He glared up at Maddie, baring his teeth. “What do you want?”

  God. Someone woke up grumpy. “Is there a bathroom?”

  He pointed toward to a Job-Johnny she hadn’t seen before.

  “Thanks.” Luckily the unit was free, and she stepped inside. At least the portable toilet was clean, even if it didn’t smell like roses.

  When she exited, Maddie tripped over a buried root…and into Cage’s arms.

  “We have to stop meeting like this,” she said, feeling breathless at his touch. Her nipples hardened as his dark amber gaze found its way to her breasts.

  He licked his lips, and she fought back moan. God, he was so gorgeous. She wanted him to rub his beard against her entire body, leaving no inch untouched. Would his face be as rough as it looked, or as soft as she remembered from the dream? He was so tall she had to stretch when she reached up and stroked his cheek.

  Soft.

  Her lower body tightened with need as she thought about the dream, and how she felt when he’d sucked her nipples while he’d worked two fingers inside her body. He rubbed the corner of his mouth against her palm, his eyes closing as she caressed his face. His strong hand slid up her thigh, and she gave into her desire, melting against him.

  Suddenly his whole body stiffened. His eyes widened, and a low growl emanated as he let her go with a slight push. “Don’t touch me, woman.”