“Where did Ramsey go?” Madison asked, probably sounding too desperate.
The cute brunette turned and gave her a sympathetic smile. “You didn’t heed my warning, did you?”
Madison tried counting to ten to hold in her emotions in check. “Is it that obvious?”
“Oh yeah,” Missy said. “The only thing more pathetic was Ramsey’s sad face.” She reached inside the pocket of her apron and pulled out an envelope. “For you, from the man himself.”
Madison eyed it suspiciously. “Did he say anything?”
“Goodbye.”
Dear God, the very thing he broke her heart with the first time they parted ways. “Thanks, Missy.” She accepted the letter and headed back to the dressing room so she could read it in private.
She sat on the loveseat underneath the only window in the room, the summer breeze cooled her hot cheeks as she ripped the envelope open. Handwritten on expensive linen paper, she stared at the words Dear Madison for what seemed forever.
Sweetest Madison,
Two nights with you have changed me forever. Though you’ve denied me the right to pursue you, know you’re always on my mind. I told you before I can’t change the past. And because of that, I refuse to condemn you to a lonely future. I’ll spare you the pain of making a decision. Tonight is the last time I’ll see you.
Always,
Ramsey De Wolfe
P.S. For the sake of your research, the curse only affects first-born sons. But people who refuse to accept the truth have misconstrued reality to fit their own needs. My brothers are also victims, people assume they are affected by the curse too, condemning them to lonely lives.
She read it four more times, savoring every sad, lovely word. How could a man as experienced and educated as Ramsey believe he was immune to love? Even if the ancient curse was true, surely something could break it. Claire told her Jonathan De Wolfe sought forgiveness in the church and received absolution for his sins. Now hundreds of years later, an innocent man was condemned to suffer the same fate as Jonathan’s illegitimate son?
No. Madison couldn’t accept that any more than she could welcome the idea of Ramsey sleeping with other women.
And without her in his life, he most certainly would.
Chapter Eleven
Days after his last visit to Christian’s Brewery, Ramsey found himself at the lake again, investigating another murder. A twenty year old blond from Georgia this time, Grace Meadows. The sight of her lying face down in the dirt enraged him. The horizontal marks around her neck signified the width of the item used to strangle her. It matched the wound patterns of the other victims.
He walked the perimeter of the crime scene, and for the first time found something in the bushes the forensic team had missed.
“Clyde,” he called to the rookie only yards away. “Get someone over here and log this piece of electrical cord. The bastard fucked up.” Hope of catching the animal had dwindled, but now it reemerged. This was the first hard evidence anyone had ever found.
Half an hour later, Dr. Glover tentatively confirmed Ramsey’s suspicion, the victim’s ligature marks were consistent with the electrical cord. She’d conduct more tests during the autopsy at the hospital.
After work, Ramsey met his mother at a café near her house.
“You look tired, Ramsey,” she commented as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.
“I am,” he admitted. “We found another body at the lake today.” He rubbed the back of his neck and picked up the plastic menu waiting for him.
“I’m so sorry.” She squeezed his hand. “Another young girl?”
“Only twenty years old,” he said.
“Dear God.”
“The tabloids have picked up the story.”
“Opposition City used to be such a peaceful place.”
“It still is,” he assured her. “We just need to catch the bastard.”
“You’re a skilled detective,” she praised him. “If anyone can do it, you can.”
He scanned the dinner specials, determined to forget the case for a while. The meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and spinach salad appealed to him most.
“Madison cancelled our lunch date yesterday.”
He looked up from the menu. “Oh?”
“Don’t play innocent. Did you discourage her from socializing with me?”
He met his mother’s insistent stare. From early childhood the woman knew whenever he was lying, so why deny it? “At first.”
“Explain what that means.”
“I told her not to take advantage of you.”
“What?” she raised her voice. “After the wonderful visit we had? When did you become such an insensitive prick?”
“Since the day I was old enough to understand why my father wouldn’t marry you. Now I carry the same burden.”
Claire eyeballed her son. “Ramsey … are you in love with Madison Blake?”
The waitress arrived before he could answer. “What can I get you, Mrs. De Wolfe?”
“A large glass of self-pity with a side of crap.”
Ramsey blew out a frustrated breath. “Give us a couple more minutes to decide what we want.”
“Yes, sir.”
As soon as the server left, Ramsey leaned across the table. “Humiliation tactics won’t work, Mother. I care about her, but it can never go anywhere. She wants more.”
“So the idea of her getting that happy ever after with another man doesn’t upset you?”
He fisted his hands. “Life pisses me off in general—but I keep living it.” As far as he was concerned, the discussion about Madison was over.
After dinner, Ramsey drove to Blues Central for a beer. He sat in a dark corner, listening to the house band play a Leon Bridges tune. What he really wanted to hear was Madison sing that Scorpions song to him again. The way she called him out with her eyes, and commanded the attention of every cell in his body would stay with him forever. That’s the woman he admired. The girl with enough confidence to bring a roomful of men to their knees.
“Ramsey?”
He looked up. Amanda Patrick smiled at him. “Hello, Amanda,” he said.
“Can I buy you a beer?” she asked, looking too eager.
They’d slept together two years ago. “I’m out of commission,” he said. “But thanks for the offer.”
“You?” she laughed. “I bet you’re meeting someone.”
“Actually,” he tried to remain polite. “I just want to be left alone. Okay?”
Nothing personal… There wasn’t room in his life anymore for casual fucks. He didn’t want to cheapen the memory of Madison by returning to his old ways. Call him crazy, but she’d kick started his heart somehow. He’d been walking around like a zombie all his life until he met her. In time, he might learn to care about someone again, but it had taken thirty-one years to find Madison, so he doubted it. Add the conversation with his mother into the mix, and he felt like a piece of shit for all the women he’d slept with.
Amanda smirked and tossed her long brown hair over her right shoulder. “I’ll be sure to let the ladies know.”
“You do that, sweetheart.”
She sauntered away.
Ready to go, he took a last swig of beer and then walked outside. Summer nights in northern Kentucky were warm, but he relished the heat tonight, it made him think of Madison. His Porsche was parked around back. As he reached for the car door, his cell rang. He fished it out of his back pocket and checked caller ID.
Madison? He answered. “Hello?”
“Ramsey?” she sounded stressed.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think…” She took a deep breath. “Someone tried to break into my apartment. I was watching a movie and heard the door knob turning. When I looked through the peep hole, I saw some guy wearing a ski mask.”
“Did you call 911?”
“No.”
“Is he gone?”
“Yes.”
Ramsey practically dove into his ca
r and started it. “Stay on the line, baby. I’m on my way.”
He made it to her complex in under ten minutes, taking two stairs at a time. “Open the door, I’m here.”
He heard the dead bolt click.
She let him in, visibly shaken.
“Are you okay?” He pulled her into his arms.
“Y-yes. I’m sorry I called, I just didn’t think of dialing 911 first.”
“Don’t apologize.” He stroked her hair and rubbed her shoulders. “Do you want to come home with me?”
She pulled away. “Can you spend the night here?”
Her wide eyes and shaking hands melted his heart. “Before we turn in, let me check the complex. Did you notice anything else about him? What color shirt or pants he was wearing?”
“No,” she said. “The peep hole is pretty old, half of it is scratched over.”
“Lock the door behind me, Madison, and don’t open it for anyone but me.”
Outside again, he walked around the property, checking every stairwell. A few guys were hanging out in the parking lot smoking weed, but he didn’t say anything as he passed by. The back lot was his last stop. Well lit, he walked between all the cars. Nothing. It wasn’t unheard of for drunks to break into people’s homes to sleep. But Madison said this guy was wearing a ski mask, and was probably long gone.
He tracked back to the apartment and reminded himself why he was here. Every fiber of his being wanted to hold her close and make sweet love to her. Not like he’d done before, claiming her body as his own. Those feelings were still strong, but she deserved tenderness. Something he’d never explored with anyone.
She opened the door and he found the couch made up for him to sleep on.
“I’m exhausted, Ramsey. Do you mind if I go to bed?”
“Of course not.” He checked his watch—ten thirty. “I need to catch up on some sleep, too. We’ve been busy at work.”
“That’s not a good thing.”
“No, it’s not.”
“I read about the latest murders in the paper. Those poor girls. Are you part of the investigation?”
“Yes.”
“How can you sleep after sending time around that sort of thing all day?”
“Over time, all the violence and blood you see desensitizes you. I focus on the positive, helping kids, keeping families safe. Keeping you safe.”
“Thank you, Ramsey.” She rested her palms on his arms and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Maybe someday we can be friends.”
“Goodnight, Madison.”
He watched her walk down the short hallway and disappear into her bedroom. For the first time in his life, Ramsey wanted someone he could never have.
Chapter Twelve
Nothing had changed the next morning. In fact, by the time she got up, Ramsey was gone, but he left her a note by the coffee maker.
If you need anything, don’t ever hesitate to call, sweet Madison. I’ll always care.
She didn’t know how to feel. On one hand, the man was infuriatingly arrogant and an avowed man-whore. But she sensed who he truly was, recognized his compassion, and surely couldn’t ignore his fierce protectiveness. Living with the knowledge of the curse must have changed the direction of his life, robbed him of his innocence, and molded him into the composed man she knew.
His mother had advised Madison to listen to her heart. She’d been listening since that day. And what she thought she heard was everything Ramsey. She poured herself a cup of coffee and walked into the living room, peeking out the window that overlooked the park behind her complex. No sunshine today, just overcast sky and drizzle. She sighed and padded to the couch and sat down.
Music always made her feel better, and Anzio had told her if she ever wanted to make extra money, to just show up. She planned on going back to work at the museum on Monday. And since today was Thursday, and she didn’t have anything to do, jamming out with the band would be therapeutic. Weekdays were fairly slow at the bar, and mostly regulars shot pool or sang karaoke. Decision made, she finished her java, then headed to the shower.
Her cell rang just as she was about to turn on the water. Good thing she always kept her phone within reach. Ramsey. She answered. “Good morning.”
“Just wanted to check on you.”
“I’m fine. Thank you again. I panicked last night. And I promise to retrain my brain—dial 911 if there’s an emergency.”
“No,” he said. “A squad car would have taken longer. If there’s a next time, you keep telling yourself to call me. Okay?”
“All right.”
“Promise me.”
“Cross my heart.” She tried to make light of the situation.
She heard him take a deep breath.
“Ramsey…” she whispered.
“Don’t make it harder than it already is, sweetheart.”
“I’m beginning to think we made a mistake. Maybe I overacted. I’d rather have some of you, then nothing at all.”
“You deserve better. I want you to have everything, Madison. A successful career, great friends, and someone who can love you with all his heart. I don’t even know if I have one. Something inside my chest beats regularly, but I don’t feel like other men do. I see the world through a dark lens, and I’ll be damned if I let that suck the joy out of your life.”
“Please.”
“Madison,” he said more gruffly. “I meant every word I wrote in that note. No one has ever gotten this close. Remember that.” He disconnected.
Madison slammed her phone down on the counter. Why? She blamed herself mostly. If she had been completely honest with him that first night… Shit. Desperate to forget the pain, she turned on the hot water, stripped off her clothes, and jumped in the shower. An hour later, she returned to the living room and decided to watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. After that Shakespeare in Love, then Rob Roy. By the time that movie ended, she’d be ready to sing her ass off.
Hours later, Madison paid the cab driver and hopped out of the car. Heavy rain pelted her umbrella as she rushed to the entrance of the brewery. The parking lot was packed, so Anzio would be happy to see her. She checked in at the main bar and found out her boss was in his office. His door was open, but she knocked anyway.
He looked up from his paperwork. “Madison? Come in. Everything good?”
She peeled off her raincoat and hung it over the back of one of his guest chairs, then sat down. “Tell me about Ramsey De Wolfe.”
Anzio tapped his pen on the desk. “What do you want to know?”
She folded her hands on her lap, overwhelmed by the sudden need to feel closer to Ramsey. “What was he like in high school?”
“A menace,” Anzio said on a laugh. “A wide receiver on the football team and worshipped by every coach and cheerleader. The boy could run the forty-yard dash in 4.20 seconds on a perfect day. UCLA and Boston College fought hard to get him to sign agreements for scholarships.”
“Oh my God. What happened?”
“The same thing that always happens to De Wolfe males—the obligation to honor family tradition. He was accepted to the police academy six months after graduation and attended night school to earn a bachelor’s degree. Ramsey had NFL written all over him.”
“It explains his superior physique,” Madison said quietly.
“TMI.” Anzio scrunched his face. “By the way, I know what happened between the two of you.”
She looked away for a second, letting it sink in. “I’m not ashamed of my feelings, Anzio. And if you’re going to tell my brother, I’m prepared to deal with his shitty attitude.”
“Is that what you really think I’d do? I promised to look after you, Maddie, but you’re a grown woman with big girl needs. And I’d rather see you hang out with Ramsey, then choose one of the many assholes that frequent my bar.”
“Thank you for that.”
“You’re a smart girl. And I’m lucky to have you.”
She smiled. “Mind if I do a set tonight?”
&
nbsp; “Need the money?”
“No,” she admitted. “A diversion.”
“That bad?”
“I’m in love with him.”
Anzio leaned forward. “Does he know?”
She shook her head, hoping Ramsey would never find out. “Even if he did, it wouldn’t change anything. He doesn’t want to ruin my life.”
“Ramsey is a no bullshit kind of guy. I trust him more than my own brother.”
“You love him, too?”
Anzio crossed his fingers. “Like blood.”
Madison forced herself up. She could sit here all night and listen to stories about Ramsey. But the sooner she adapted to life without him, the better her chances of recovering. “I’m going to the dressing room.”
Missy brought her a beer and bowl of pretzels ten minutes later. Maybe a trip to Lexington would help her feel better. Her brother Michael owned a landscaping company and always needed help. Sometimes a couple days with a lawn mower and rake helped her see the world more clearly. She popped a pretzel in her mouth and washed it down with a sip of Alaskan Amber. She had to find a way to convince Ramsey to let her be a part of his life.
Ramsey had just finished rinsing his dinner plate and putting it in the dishwasher when his cell rang. Clyde from work had promised to call as soon as lab results came in. Please… He hoped the section of electrical cord he found in the bushes amounted to something useful. “Clyde?”
“Two partial fingerprints,” he said excitedly. “It’s a big break, Ramsey. We’re running the prints through the AFIS database now.”
Ramsey let out a slow breath, feeling confident the perp had a record in another city or state. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night, Detective.”
This is the part of the job he hated most—waiting. Sometimes Ramsey wanted to surrender to his baser instincts and eliminate all the rapists, molesters, and murderers from the world. Every cop felt that way. Screw due process. Did the pieces of shit consider their victims’ rights? His phone vibrated again. Maybe another break in the case…
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