“He’s under the impression he’s our half-brother, Garrett,” Dalton said, his voice flat and emotionless. “And I don’t think he’s lying. Daddy Andrew wasn’t the most loyal of husbands for a few years there. Mom almost left both of our dads because of him.”
Garrett’s throat suddenly went dry. “You’re not seriously believing his bullshit, are you?”
Dalton sighed and pressed his cheek against Madeline’s vibrant hair. “Yeah, I think I do.”
Garrett rubbed his palm over his face and felt as if the reality he had been living with all of his life was a sham. “What are we going to do? There’s no way I’m going to let him near her. I’ll kill him first.”
“He’s not ever getting within a mile of her.” Dalton’s eyes burned with rage and fierce, primal possession. “He’s not getting a damn cent out of us. He’s getting nothing. The fact that he’s most likely our brother changes nothing.”
“We’re going to have to tell Bea.”
Dalton grunted. “When she finds out exactly what happened, she’s going to want to kill Vincent herself.” He swiped his hand over Madeline’s back in long strokes. “But we’ll save that conversation for tomorrow when she’s not going to be such a mess.”
Garrett rolled his eyes. “You’re right. She can only handle so many crises at one time.” He glanced down at Madeline and spoke to the crown of her head. “We’ll get you back to the family estate and make sure you’re all taken care of.”
Madeline did not respond for a few minutes. But then she pulled her face out of the crook of Dalton’s neck and wiped away the stray tears on her cheeks. “I changed my mind. I want to go to the cotillion.”
“What? No. No way in hell,” Dalton growled. “You were almost killed for fuck’s sake. There is no way I’m letting you out of the house for months.”
“You’re not letting me? Is that it?” Madeline sat up straight in Dalton’s lap and gave him a look saying she was not in the mood for arguing. “I’m a grown woman, Dalton, and I can do whatever I want whenever I want, and I don’t have to answer to you. And don’t you dare try to tell me that you’re going to lock me up to protect me.”
“I’m not going to let you get hurt again, Madeline,” Dalton shot back.
“You can’t do that! You’re not all-powerful, Dalton. At the end of the day, all the money you’re worth can’t stop something like tonight from happening again. Nothing. And I won’t have you trying to micromanage my life because you need to be in control.”
Garrett could hear Dalton grinding his teeth together, so he tried to reason with her before things got out of his domain of control. “Madeline, it’s too soon. There are always going to be more cotillions. We’re going to get you home. There’s no question about it.”
“No. Garrett. I want to go, not cry anymore about the terrible thing that happened. I refuse to let people like Vincent and Darla win because they managed to scare me or intimidate me. I’m done with that. I’ve had enough. I’m not letting that asshole win, Dalton. I refuse to.”
Dalton, still stubborn as ever, dug his heels in. “I’m not going to risk you, Madeline.”
“Risk me? Dalton, the only thing you’re risking is me living in fear or regret for the rest of my life because I didn’t have the strength to take control back from that maniac.” She took Dalton’s face between her hands. “I need this, Dalton. I need you and Garrett to be by my side for this. If we don’t go, then the whole night goes to waste. Think of all the charities that won’t get any help because you won’t be there to raise the extra funds. Please don’t let Vincent win that much. He doesn’t deserve it.”
“Deserve?” Dalton spat. “That man deserves to have every one of his fingers cut off for daring to touch you. I’m going to make good and goddamn sure that fucking bastard is going to rot. No one touches a fucking hair on my wife’s head without suffering the consequences.”
Chapter Fifteen
Madeline’s heart jumped. “Wife?”
For the first time since she’d met him, Dalton struggled for words. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, and she sensed the aggression seep out of him as the hopeful look on his face—on both their faces—rose.
Dalton cleared his throat, and when he spoke, his voice was solid and true. “I didn’t mean for it to come out that way, but we want to ask you to marry us, Madeline.”
She blinked her eyes, waiting for all of this to go away. “B-but I—”
Madeline glanced between the two of them. Surely they were joking. This was just the adrenaline talking. This was all a dream. She was in shock from being almost murdered. Then Garrett gave her a tender smile as he tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. His touch lingered against her skin, bringing her back to the moment, and she found herself wanting more.
“We love you, Madeline Spencer,” Garrett said, emotion making his voice gruff. “I’m sorry it took us so goddamn long to figure it out, but now that we have, we can’t let you go. We want you as our lover, our best friend, our wife. We want you for everything you are and everything you will be. Maybe the mother of our children someday.”
Madeline wanted to give them her declaration of love, too. She wanted to tell them everything she felt about them—how they made her complete, how they made her a stronger woman, and how they helped her realize her dreams, that they made her feel beautiful and smart and sexy and that she would love them with all she was, but the words would not come. She looked at their handsome, hopeful faces, humbled beyond comprehension that these two giant, powerful men who could have their pick of any woman in the world twice over would be waiting for her to say yes or no. Such simple words, really, but in that moment, she felt the weight of them.
“I don’t know how you could think I wouldn’t marry you,” she said, her voice wobbling as she fought her tears. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you. Both of you.”
Dalton and Garrett beamed at her, their smiles genuine and breathtaking in their happiness. Dalton kissed her hard, his lips pressing into hers and stealing her breath. He felt so vital and alive next to her, and she felt his love for her in his kiss, in his touch.
Garrett pulled a small box from his breast pocket and looked at her with his impish grin that was now tinged with a hint of seriousness. When he opened it, Madeline gasped. Nestled in dark velvet was an antique diamond ring.
“Oh, my God. It’s beautiful.”
Garrett leaned into her and kissed her, too, his wildness and passion warming her inside and chasing away what had happened to her. She pulled him closer and reveled in how Garrett made everything so much brighter, how he made her feel so much more vibrant and free.
When he broke the kiss, his gray eyes danced. “It’s been in the family for years. Family jewels, so to speak.”
Suddenly, a thought dawned on her. “When did you get it? I mean, there wasn’t any time—”
Dalton cupped her face. “We planned to ask you tonight at the Cotillion. And then we got the call from Vincent. I heard in his voice that he was going to hurt you so he could hurt us. I can’t tell you how terrifying that moment was to think that we would never get the chance to start our lives together and to realize that neither of us would recover from losing you. Ever. There’s no way.”
“It all just cemented what we already knew. It’s a done deal.” Garrett’s voice cracked with emotion. “We love you more than we ever thought we could love anyone or anything. We weren’t going to let you go before all of this, but now that we know what life would be like without you, we’re never letting you out of our sight again.”
“Well, I’m safe now. And we’re together.”
Dalton shook his head slightly, as if in wonder.
Madeline’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What? What does that mean?”
Dalton looked away. “At first we were just worried that we went about everything wrong, that we pushed too hard.” He looked at her, the intensity and emotion in his jade-like eyes unnerving her. “But I won’t
apologize for it. Even if you had said no, we would’ve kept pursuing you until you said yes. We love you, Madeline. Just forgive us if we can’t let you go.”
In response, she held out her hand between them. “Well, you better claim me, then.”
* * * *
Garrett lifted the ring to her finger almost reverently, all the promises and hopes and love resting on the ring that had bound his ancestors together all these years. The ring slid into place on her finger, looking like it was meant to be there, like it was made for her.
Madeline stared at her finger, her big brown eyes wide and unblinking. Then she looked at them, her smile incandescent and radiant and so damn beautiful he forgot to breathe for a second.
She was theirs. She accepted them. She would be their lover and wife, the mother of their children. She would be their everything. Funny, he never thought he would ever want to be bound to a single woman forever, but with Madeline, he could not wait to get started.
Garrett reached for her and pulled her smaller body to his, his arms enveloping her as his lips descended on hers. He would never get over how soft she was—her skin, her hair, her lips. Her surprise at his sudden onslaught wore off, and she grew pliable in his hands. Needy. Her fingers wound into his shirt and pulled him closer, and he let her burrow her body against his. He loved it when she was this close, when her scent and skin were all he could think about, smell, and touch. He loved being surrounded by her.
He pulled away to catch his breath, and Madeline’s smile was radiant. “You can’t just let me not show this off to everyone. Please. Let’s go to the cotillion. Let’s make sure that this is actually one of the happiest days of our lives. It’ll be for us, to show us and anyone who cares, that we are strong and resilient and…in love.”
“And nothing and no one can change that,” Garrett added.
Dalton heaved a great sigh and looked at Garrett who saw the hesitant resignation in his older brother’s face. Garrett nodded and picked up the radio connected to the pilot and told him to head for the family compound. He would tell Bea to pull herself away from her duties as hostess of the cotillion and meet them there with a new dress, and Garrett suspected she would be desperate to help in any way possible. She would be especially thrilled at the opportunity to help Madeline get all dressed up. Although she might not get passed the ring.
Dalton turned back to Madeline. “Fine. The cotillion it is.”
* * * *
Bea was already waiting at the front door when Dalton carried Madeline over the threshold and swept her up a ridiculously grand staircase and into a room that could only belong to Bea. A huge canopied bed sat in the middle of the room, and clothes lay on every flat surface imaginable in random bursts of silken, lacy color.
Bea immediately rushed to their side. “Are you okay? I’ve been so worried about you, well, all of you, but you especially, Maddie. Do you need anything? Anything at all?”
“I’ll be all right, Bea,” Madeline replied as Dalton carried her farther into the room. “But you can help with something. I’m going to that cotillion. I’m not letting some crazed psycho ruin everything we’ve been planning. I can’t let my kids down either.”
“Bea, did you rustle up some cotillion dresses for her?” Dalton asked once he sat Madeline down on Bea’s bed.
“I didn’t have to. I just called Buford and had him bring over the one dress I knew that Madeline wanted.” She looked at her with that Ellis gleam in her eye, and Madeline’s heart fluttered.
“You mean?” She clasped her hands across her chest in anticipation as Bea walked to a set of double doors and flung them open with a flourish. Madeline’s breath caught at the sight. It was that lovely, sweet lacey gold and ivory gown she tried on in the store that day. The one that was not too big and not too tight but perfect. Perfect for her.
“I’m sorry I forced you to get that dress you’re wearing right now. I mean, it’s dead sexy, and I’m sure my brothers will agree, but if I hadn’t been so pushy I would’ve seen then that this is the dress you really wanted.”
“Oh, Bea, I can’t believe this.” Madeline stood stunned, wanting desperately to run her fingers down the rich fabric, but fearing she was so dirty she’d end up ruining it. Tears burned her eyes as her mind played back the horrific events of that evening. Then two slender hands gripped her by the shoulders, pulled her into a hug, and grounded her back to the present.
“Aww, honey. I can’t imagine how horrible everything was, but I do know what a strong and determined woman you are and how badly you want to make it to the cotillion tonight. Am I right?”
Madeline mustered all her strength and nodded. She wanted to put this event behind her and move on, move forward with her life with the two amazing men who had asked her to marry them that same night. It could’ve been the worse night of her life, but if she wanted, she could turn it into the best. “You’re right, Bea.”
“That’s my girl. All right, I hate to say it, but you’re a fine mess and we’ve got a lot of work to do before you’re cotillion ready. Even with your natural beauty, raccoon eyes aren’t becoming. Let’s get to work, okay?”
Garrett stepped between them. His gray eyes searched hers. “You sure about this babe?”
Madeline traced his chin with her fingers. “Yes. I need to do this. I can’t just cower in fear. It just doesn’t feel right to me.”
“Well, it’s settled.” Bea clapped her hands together and then began pushing Garrett and Dalton out the door. “It’s girl time. You boys need to get back down to the cotillion and fulfill your hosting duties. Don’t worry about this pretty little thing right here. She’s stronger than you think.”
Garrett leaned in and whispered into Madeline’s ear, “I’ll leave it up to you to tell her the good news. I have no desire to be around to hear her squeal when she sees the ring. She’ll make my ears bleed.”
Madeline could feel his lips tilt up the corners against the shell of her ear before he leaned back and pressed his lips against hers. It was meant to be a soft kiss, at least on Garrett’s part from what she could tell, but with his big, warm hands massaging up from her thigh to cupping her ass, she came to the conclusion that she wanted something else entirely. Madeline kissed him back but with more fervor, putting her desperation to feel him inside her into the kiss.
Garrett groaned from deep inside her chest, and his grip on her leg tightened.
“Ahem,” Bea cleared her throat and snatched Garrett’s wandering hand, “excuse me, lover boy, but I’ve got a job to do.”
Madeline blushed and used all her newfound strength to wrench herself away.
“Come on, Bea. Just go outside for a bit,” Garrett playfully whined.
Bea put her hands on her hips and eyed Garrett with a hostile glare. “She’s just been through an extremely terrifying experience, and you’re manhandling her! I can’t believe you.”
“Hey! She was the one who got handsy, not me. I just wanted an innocent, virginal kiss.”
“There’s nothing remotely innocent or virginal about you, brother mine. Now off you and Dalton go. This is ladies’ time now.”
“Madeline?” Dalton said, his voice husky and thick with emotion. “I just wanted to tell you that…I’m proud of you, sweetheart.” He bent and kissed her sweetly on the lips, and she could just barely feel his bottom lip quivering. He then kissed up her jawline and whispered hotly in her ear, “You, Garrett, and I are going to pick up where we left off later.”
Madeline gulped down a breath and saw Dalton’s erotic promises swirling in his jade eyes. “All right.”
“We’ll see you soon.” With that, he and Garrett sauntered out of the room, shutting the door behind them.
“Thank God,” Bea sighed. “Okay. Let’s get you prettied up.”
Bea led her into a spa-like bathroom attached to the bedroom with marble floors and tiles, and Madeline padded after Bea, her bare feet soaking up the coolness of the floor. But when she looked down at her feet, all she could
really see was her ripped, torn, dirty dress and everything that could have happened.
Madeline stopped dead still in the middle of the palatial bathroom. “Would it be okay if I took a quick shower, just to rinse off? I know there’s not a lot of time.”
Bea faced her and gave her a serene look of understanding. “Of course it would be.” Bea grabbed a silk kimono style robe and handed it to her. “This one’s my favorite one to wear when I’ve had a terrible day. You can put this on when you’re done.”
Madeline squeezed Bea’s hand for a moment, and Bea squeezed back.
“Thanks, Bea.” When Madeline turned around, Bea undid her dress and necklace and walked to the bathroom door.
“You take all the time you need, honey, but remember. You’re doing the right thing for you by going to the cotillion. You are a strong woman, and nobody can take that away from you.” Bea quickly turned, but not before Madeline could see her eyes start to glisten, and she closed the door.
Madeline sighed and stepped into Bea’s magnificent shower covered entirely with beautiful gold and pearlescent tiles so that she felt like she was inside some magical seashell. It had jets on the ceiling and on all sides that shot out horizontally. She turned each and every one on full blast and let the hot water and steam infiltrate her every pore. She reached down and picked up a bottle of Bea’s gardenia-scented body wash and soaped herself from head to toe. She shampooed and conditioned and didn’t fight the tears that rolled down her cheeks, letting them get washed away and lost among all the other infinite droplets of water purifying her body. Madeline took a moment to breathe, relax, and completely collect herself before she shut the water off and stepped out. It was as if a reset button had been pushed, and she felt almost new again. No, she was not completely healed, but it was a damn good start.
Madeline dried herself with a plush towel scented with lavender before twisting her hair up with it and then shrugging on Bea’s robe. She heard a soft knock on the door and lifted her head.
“You decent, honey?” Bea asked. “Feel better?”
Mitchell, Ava and Holiday, Sydney - A Bride for Two Tycoons [The Male Order, Texas Collection] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 13