by Celya Bowers
* * *
Aidan breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Madisyn walk into her office building. He didn’t think anyone recognized him, but that wasn’t really his concern. His concern was the safety of the woman who had just left his company.
Madisyn was really getting to him. In a little over a week, she was already closer to him than he would have imagined. He didn’t know what it was about her, but he had to find out. A loud, obnoxious horn from an impatient driver jolted him back to the present. He put the SUV in gear and headed back home.
Just as he entered the freeway, his cell phone rang. He answered it before it rang again. “Hello?”
“Man, what are you doing out so early?” Chase asked. “You know you still have a few weeks left before summer training camp. I thought you’d be getting as much sleep as possible.”
“I took Madisyn to work.”
“Oh. Is there something you want to share?” Chase might be a man, but at times like these, he was such a woman.
“Actually, before you get all excited, she slept in a guest room. Her ex called, so she had her locks changed last night and I didn’t want her to stay alone.”
“And of course she agreed.”
Aidan laughed. “I like your version better. It took a little talking to convince her, but she finally relented.”
“Is the ex stalking her?” Chase went from concerned friend to attorney. “I mean, if he’s a physical threat we could file a restraining order against him.”
“The vibe I’m getting from her is that he’s a threat. I don’t really know to what extent yet. I’ll ask her when I pick her up from work today. But I do want you to file an order. Why don’t you come to the house this evening and interview her?”
“Aidan, this woman might not want you taking over her life. Sisters don’t take kindly to a man thinking he’s running things. Especially sisters who have been handling their own business just fine without a professional athlete thinking he has to come and save the day. And besides, you need to be focused on the Alliance. Have you given any thought yet to what kind of grand opening celebration you want?”
Aidan hated to admit it, but he’d momentarily lost his focus and had totally forgotten about his charity. “No, man, this thing with Madisyn and her ex has got me nuts right now. So can you come by tonight?”
“Like I’d tell my only client no,” Chase teased. “I’ll bring the necessary paperwork, too. I think I need to meet this woman anyway, if she’s got you by the short hairs already.”
“She doesn’t. We’re just friends right now. And I don’t want you trying to mess up my game.”
“So I guess that means I can’t be charming, huh?”
Aidan laughed. “Not if you want her father to help you with your golf game.”
“That’s the help? Some old guy you’re trying to get brownie points with because of his daughter?”
Aidan chuckled at Chase’s worried voice. “Calm down, counselor. I haven’t asked Ben yet, so that’s our little secret.”
“Oh, please tell me you haven’t already met the folks. They’re going to take your player’s card for this. Not that it got much use anyway.”
“Actually, I attended church with her last Sunday.”
Chase cleared his throat. “Could you repeat that, please?”
Now it was Aidan’s turn to laugh. “Yeah, man, you heard me right. I went to church with Madisyn and had Sunday dinner with her family.”
Chase was silent for at least a minute. “I’m so glad I’m sitting down or right now I’d be in a wreck somewhere. Aidan, you barely know this girl, and already you’re attending church with her. Wait ’til Kameron hears this. He’s not going to let you hang out with him and the boys anymore.”
Aidan thought that sounded great. He hated the club scene anyway. Nothing could compare to being alone with Madisyn. “Now that’s something I can handle. See you tonight.”
* * *
Keisha’s jaw dropped as she watched Madisyn slide out of a SUV. That Cadillac Escalade Hybrid was a top-of-the-line model, with fancy rims. The ride had been tricked out to the highest degree. Who did Maddie know with a ride like that?
Her brothers were too sensible to own an SUV like that. It could be only Aidan. Could Darnell have been right? When he’d called her the previous night, she’d just assumed he’d been smoking weed again and was hallucinating when he said Aidan was at Madisyn’s last night. But why would Aidan have spent so much time with Madisyn?
She’d called Madisyn earlier this morning and got her answering machine. Darnell was staked out in front of Madisyn’s house and said Madisyn wasn’t there. It was time for Keisha to get some solid answers. She hurried through the maze of people until she got to the coffee shop. That was usually Madisyn’s first stop, and there she was. Madisyn was collecting her predictable order of hazelnut coffee.
“Girl, who was in the tricked-out Escalade? Did one of your brothers get a new car? Where’s your car?”
Madisyn took a sip of coffee, stalling for time. “Keisha, I just got here. Can I have a minute to catch my breath?”
Keisha stood and waited impatiently. “Well, come on, girl. Spill it. Was it that fine Aidan Coles? Are you guys hitting it? I told you Darnell wasn’t worth your time. Don’t let him talk you into taking him back. He’s just trying to get a promo at his job.”
“How do you know he’s trying to worm his way back? And how do you know the reason for his crawling?” Madisyn walked toward the bank of elevators.
Keisha was right behind her, not wanting Madisyn to get away. “You’re trying to avoid the main question. Was that Aidan?”
“Yes,” Madisyn said as they entered the elevator. “He was kind enough to give me a lift this morning.”
“I just bet,” Keisha said. “You know, I hear his condo is the bomb.”
“Oh, really?” Madisyn asked.
Keisha wondered at her friend’s answer. “Where did he take you last night?”
“How do you know I was with him last night?” Madisyn stared at Keisha.
Now she’d gone and done it. Darnell had reported he’d followed Madisyn and Aidan to a swanky part of town. After her best research all she’d found out was that Aidan owned a condo. But apparently he took Madisyn to another place. Was that his real home? And why take someone who looked like Madisyn?
CHAPTER 13
That evening Aidan picked Madisyn up from work as promised, driving up just as she exited the building. She didn’t even have time to wave bye to Keisha. But that didn’t stop her friend from calling her by way of cell phone.
Aidan chuckled as he maneuvered through the traffic to get on the freeway. “I bet you a hundred kisses that’s your friend. I saw her staring when you got in.”
“Most likely,” Madisyn said. She was sure Keisha just wanted to confirm it was Aidan. She opened her phone as it rang again. Might as well get this mess over with. “Hey, girl.”
“Don’t you ‘hey girl’ me. I want to know if that’s the fine Aidan Coles in that ride.”
Madisyn pondered how to answer her friend. There was no use trying to fabricate a story because Keisha would hound her until she knew all details. “Yes, it is.”
“Is that a perk for doing volunteer work?” She laughed. “I might need to join you this Friday if I can get curb service from a professional athlete.”
“You should volunteer because you want to help, not to find a man.” Madisyn darted a glance in Aidan’s direction and saw he was grinning. He was enjoying this.
“Says you,” Keisha said. “But I’m not the one riding in an Escalade. I’ll come by later for all the dirt.”
“There’s no dirt.”
“What about poor Darnell?” Keisha asked. “You’re just leaving him out in the cold. He’s trying to make amends for what he did. You know you’re going to take him back, why make him suffer?”
Aidan reached for her cell phone before Madisyn could answer. She handed it to him and watched in amazement
. “Keisha, this is Aidan. Your conversation is upsetting Madisyn, so good bye.” He closed the phone and handed it back to Madisyn. “Sorry.”
Madisyn shook her head. “I’m the one who should apologize. I shouldn’t have taken the call in the first place with you in the car. That was very rude of me. I’m used to being alone in the car, and Keisha can be demanding when she wants to know something.”
“Why don’t we just forget it? I don’t want to spend time talking about someone who isn’t you.”
Madisyn smiled. “Did you hire a date doctor or something?”
“Why?”
“You always seem to say the things I need to hear the most,” Madisyn reasoned. “I appreciate it.”
“Well, I don’t have a date doctor feeding me lines. I guess you can thank my mom for drilling good manners into my head. If it makes you feel better, that’s all the thanks I need.”
Madisyn sighed. “See what I mean? You get ten more points for being sensitive.”
“You may not think I’m so sensitive when I tell you my plans for the evening,” Aidan said quietly. “My college friend Chase is coming over for dinner.”
“So you want me to cook you guys something? I don’t mind. You went beyond the call of a friend last night, so I owe you.”
He shook his head. “No. I’ve got dinner taken care of. I’m picking it up. Chase is also my attorney and I told him about your ex. He’s filing a restraining order for you.”
“Aidan, I can take care of myself. I don’t need you trying to protect me from Darnell.”
He reached his hand across the console and grabbed her hand. “I know you can look after yourself, Madisyn. I never said you couldn’t. I’m just trying to help. Chase handles all things related to the law for me. I just don’t want anything to happen to you. If I have the resources to help you, I will.”
“I appreciate the thought, Aidan, and don’t think I’m not grateful, because I am. It means you really care about me. ” Madisyn was actually glad Aidan had thought of calling his lawyer although she didn’t want to admit it. Darnell had been known to throw a fit when things didn’t go his way and could turn violent if the situation called for it. Luckily, in the past his fits hadn’t been directed at her very often.
“I’m not taking over your life, Madisyn. I just want to make sure that you’re safe. And if taking out a restraining order on your ex will make you safe, then I’m all for it.”
* * *
Later that evening, Madisyn met Aidan’s attorney. Chase Hartman didn’t look anything like an attorney. His athletic build, charming smile, and expensive-looking suit shattered the stereotype of attorneys. The attorneys in her building reminded her of the cast of one of the Nerd movies. Not this man.
After dinner, they sat in Aidan’s living room and discussed Madisyn’s options. The more Chase explained what he did for Aidan, the more he did sound like an attorney. He opened his briefcase and took out a stack of papers that would choke a horse. Madisyn felt both dismayed and fearful.
Aidan sensed her fear. “Don’t worry. Chase is one of those better safe-than-sorry kinds of attorneys. We probably won’t use 90 percent of the forms.”
Chase looked up from those papers and laughed. “Yeah, Aidan knows me pretty well. I do like to have all my bases covered.” He cleared his throat. “Madisyn, I don’t know you as well as Aidan, so I’m going to have to ask you some questions about Darnell to better gauge the situation.”
Spoken like a true attorney, Madisyn mused. She looked at Aidan and he was smiling at her. “Of course, ask me anything. I have nothing to hide.”
Chase nodded as he reached for his yellow legal pad, a tiny tape recorder, and a pen. He scribbled about half a page before he asked the first question. “What were Darnell’s exact words when he called yesterday?”
She took a deep breath. “It wasn’t so much his words, but his tone. I was involved with Darnell for over two years and this wasn’t the first time we’d broken up.”
Chase wrote some more. “Explain. Was it normal that he’d just think you’d take him back?” Chase looked in Aidan’s direction.
She was about to venture into tricky waters. “Well, yes and no. Yes, he probably did think I’d take him back. I had in the past. But no, I wasn’t taking him back this time. I’d made a decision that I deserved someone who actually wanted to be with me. Darnell wants me to take him back and thinks he can pressure me into it.”
“You think he would hurt you?”
“If it came down to it, yes, he would. If it was between me and what he wanted, he would definitely hurt me. And because his promotion is contingent on whether I attend the annual party with him, I’d say he’s more than a threat. His boss really likes the effect I’ve had on Darnell’s life,” she explained.
“So he has a big stake in whether you take him back. This isn’t good. What does he do for a living?”
“He’s an investment banker at Harland, Collins and Roarke. He’s up for a senior banker position.”
Chase shook his head. “I’m so not liking this. Harland, Collins and Roarke is one of the top ten investment firms in Dallas. Senior investment banker is a coveted position. The next step would be partner. Madisyn, you could be in real danger if he doesn’t get what he wants.”
“Yes, I know.”
Chase set the legal pad down on the table. “Madisyn, you’ve never refused to take him back before. I’m afraid phone calls and office visits are just the beginning. You’ll probably need to change your phone number, plus you should be very aware of your surroundings.”
“Chase, I appreciate your concern, but I can’t let Darnell dictate what I do. I’ll be careful, but I won’t carry a gun. If I change my phone number, my family will be instantly alarmed. The last thing I need is the O’Riley boys playing security guard twenty-four hours a day.”
Chase laughed. “Sounds like that’s exactly what you need. Then Aidan and I wouldn’t be so worried about you.”
Madisyn glanced in Aidan’s direction. The look in those brown eyes told her that he, too, was very worried about her. “I admit I need help, but I don’t want to alert my family unless necessary.”
Chase slipped back into attorney mode. “Okay, there has to be a happy medium we can all reach without you feeling like a victim and Aidan worrying about your every move. First thing is that we need to file this order. Now it’s not going to stop him from calling so I suggest using caller ID.”
“Oh, I have it,” Madisyn said. “I admit I usually just pick up the phone without looking, but I will start looking before I answer.”
“Any strange phone numbers, please write them down,” Chase said. “We can trace those. I have a friend in the FBI,” he explained.
“How about a bug on her phone?” Aidan asked. “That way we’d have a copy of the conversation.”
It sounded useful, but Madisyn didn’t like the idea. “I’d feel like I’m in some police state, or worse yet, that I’m living at home with my parents.”
Aidan sat closer to her. “You know, Madisyn, you could always stay at my place until this blows over.”
“Oh no, Aidan. My dad would kill us both. I promise to be careful.”
He smiled at her. “I knew you were going to say that, but I wanted you to know you had that option.”
“Thank you, Aidan, but I will not let Darnell think he’s getting over on me.” Madisyn didn’t think staying at Aidan’s was much of an option since the change in their relationship. She had barely made it through the previous night without giving in to temptation and walking down the hall to Aidan’s room. Thank goodness her sensible side had kicked in and saved her from doing something she’d regret later.
Aidan didn’t want to let go of the discussion but the stern look on her beautiful face told him that he should. She was trying to maintain her independence and he had to let her. Or at least let her think so.
Chase looked up from his papers and glanced at both Aidan and Madisyn. He cleared his throat and
began his attorney speak. “Okay guys, here’s the game plan. I’m going to file this restraining order tomorrow on Madisyn’s behalf. After all the paperwork is done, Darnell will be served with the papers. Now this will probably spark some kind of retaliation.”
Madisyn didn’t have to guess what Chase wasn’t saying. “So I need to watch my back. Actually, tomorrow night I’ll have the perfect bodyguard.”
The men looked at her in confusion. Aidan couldn’t figure out what was going on in her stubborn brain. Maybe she was going to spend time at her parents? “What do you mean, Madisyn?”
She grinned. “Don’t tell me you forgot our dinner date tomorrow night? Remember, my niece is spending the night and you said you’d bring dinner,” she reminded him.
With everything that had happened to Madisyn in the last twenty-four hours, Aidan couldn’t remember anything. “Sorry, baby, I forgot.”
Chase cleared his throat again at Aidan’s slip of the tongue. Or was it? Maybe he wanted Chase to know how much Madisyn meant to him.
“So, are you still coming tomorrow night?” Madisyn looked at him with those big green eyes, daring him to say no.
“Of course. I’ll bring dinner, just like I promised. I’ll come over as soon as you’re home from work.” He kissed Madisyn on the cheek.
“See, I have the best bodyguard money can buy.” She kissed him gently on the lips. “And worth every penny.”
Aidan pulled Madisyn into his arms and kissed her fully. He didn’t care what Chase thought. He just wanted to keep his woman safe.
CHAPTER 14
Wednesday morning, Madisyn thought she was going to lose her ever-loving mind. Besides Aidan playing babysitter to her last night, he’d blabbed to her family and now her brothers had gotten into the act.
She was still simmering with anger when her brother arrived at her house to drive her to work that morning. As good-natured as Michael was, Madisyn was giving him the blues.
“Look, Maddie,” Michael said when the silence in the car became unbearable. “I know you’re mad Aidan spilled the beans, but Darnell could hurt you and I’m not about to let that happen.”