Page 8 of Madison

“I had just been bombarded with six or seven attorneys telling me that I had done one of those DNA tests, and that was how they’d found me. Something about a grandma, I think he said, and a sister.” Storm asked her why they hadn’t contacted her. “That’s what I asked. Something about not disrupting my life. Whatever. Not that it matters now. I missed the deadline for getting it, and now the grubby fuckers are going to get it all. I’m sure they’ll use it to buy a second yacht or something equally outrageous with the money.”

They were both standing in the sunshine, and the glare of the sun hurt her head more. Storm asked her if she needed anything. Did she? Probably. But she told her no and made her way to her house. Detouring a little bit, she made her way to a hotel. She wanted to be pampered. Just as she was checking in, thrilled that someone had picked up her backpack when she’d been hurt, a faerie landed on her hand.

“He cannot see me, mistress.” Nodding, she smiled at the man. It wasn’t his fault that she was in such a shitty mood. “I shall stand at your ear and speak with you. All you need to do is think Marlon Brando, and you’ll be able to speak to me through our link.”

She wondered if he knew who Marlon Brando was. Since he’d said it to her as if his name was all one word, she didn’t think so. But when he fluttered, dropping faerie sparkles all over her scrubs, she had a thought that her head was going to be hurting for a very long time. Then suddenly it wasn’t.

“What did you do?” He told her that he had the magic to heal her when she was hurting. “I don’t wish to hurt your feelings but don’t do that again. I don’t know what you’ll expect from me in return for doing it, but don’t heal me unless you ask first. All right?”

“Yes, mistress. I would like to ask you now, but I fear it’s too late but I have made it so that any place you go that has cameras will not be able to make you out, thus making it harder for you to be found. Not even the queen herself could find you now.” She started to ask him why he’d do that, and it occurred to her that he meant the Walsh family. “I’ve made accommodations for you in your room. There is clothing and food there for you. Should you wish it. Again, I should have asked. I am sorry, Mistress.”

“It’s Layla, not mistress. And yes, you should always ask me before you do anything for me. I’m not mad, I’m not, but by you giving me my clothing and food, the staff here won’t be making anything from my visit. It more than likely isn’t all that much in the grand scheme of things here, but everything you do for me with your magic affects everyone that I come in contact with. Sometimes, even people I don’t know could be affected. Understand?”

“Yes. I believe that Lady Amy said that was the tickle me down theory.” She didn’t correct him. She just couldn’t. From now on, that’s what she was going to call it. The tickle me down theory. “I shall do as you ask, my lady.”

She was too exhausted to correct him again about her name. Getting into the shower, she let the hottest water that she could stand roll over her. When she’d finally had enough, Layla dried off and then wrapped the largest towel she’d ever seen around her body. Looking at the clock, she figured that she had just enough time to actually dry her hair for once.

Picking up her cell phone to make a call to her boss, she hoped that he’d still be in his office. David Sheppard had been her friend and mentor since she’d first graduated from college when she’d been a nurse. Now, she was a doctor with a doctorate in medicine. He answered just as she was ready to give up.

“I noticed that you left the hospital a few hours ago. I thought you’d call me before now, young lady. How are you feeling?” She told him of the headache that she’d had, but it was better now. “Good. That’s wonderful news. When are you expecting to come back to work? I miss your sweet disposition.” She scoffed at him.

“I’m no more sweet than you are when you’re teaching classes. But I was thinking that I could come in tonight and work.” He told her that it was much too soon for what had happened to her. “Yes, but we both know that I’m nearly healed up and now that my headache is gone, I don’t feel any effects at all about what happened.”

David was a lion, so he knew that she wasn’t human. What she was, he didn’t know, but he was still her good friend and kept her secrets as she did his. There were few people in the world that she would trust, but he was her friend. More than likely her only friend.

After getting the okay to work her shift tonight as the attending physician on duty in the emergency room, she laid down on the big bed and willed herself to sleep. As usual for her, she was asleep in a few minutes.

~*~

Madison was so pissed off that he made his way to his home so he’d not piss anyone else off with his anger. How dare she leave the hospital without him allowing her to. Christ, she was going to be a handful, and they’d only known each other for a few days. Well, he thought to himself, she can rot in hell for all he cared right now.

Glaring at the check from the woman that his mother forbad him to tear up, he couldn’t figure out what he was supposed to do now. Wasn’t one of the laws—a more stupid one that he’d heard of—that he was supposed to make sure that she was taken care of?

He knew that when Fowler had met his mate, and he loved Amy, sometimes more than he did his brother, the sap. But Fowler had thought that Amy was going to be spending all his money.

Madison took care of that problem by opening her up a checking account that would give her a limited amount that she could get to. Even her credit cards, to only a select few of the ones that he had, were there for her to use. He wasn’t stupid enough to think that she’d not been craving for some person to come along and be her sugar daddy.

While in his mind, that didn’t make sense to him, he still wanted to watch that she didn’t drain his accounts or charge up a great deal of money that he’d have to pay off. With that thought came the idea that she’d want a house. He’d give her one, just for herself, because there wasn’t any way that he was going to be living with the woman. She was dangerous.

Pulling out his laptop, he found a website for one of the many local real estate businesses in town. There were a few, about five, but his family had been using Hometown Realty for a long time. So that was where he went to see houses.

Madison didn’t have any idea what he should be looking for, but he had an idea if he went too small, she’d be pissed off more. Growling a little to himself, Madison clicked on the tab that had larger homes instead of the small bedrooms that he’d first started out looking at.

His mind kept wandering to her again. Next to his computer, there was the envelope that he’d picked up the first morning that the woman had been in the hospital. He’d gone to the courthouse after talking to his mom to file the paperwork for him to be able to claim that woman as his wife. He was easily able to convince the courts that he could pick up her fortune because of who he was to Layla. Or what he was supposed to be to her. That had been a nightmare for him.

It was as if, after having the information filed, every person in the town knew that he’d gotten married—at least on paper. Christ, he’d ever been so glad to get away from everyone as he’d been then. The problem was, they didn’t just bombard him when he was out. He’d had to turn off his phone so that he’d get some peace. Everyone who knew him, even out-of-state people, was telling him congratulations rather than just to leave him alone.

He found two houses that he liked. Not figuring out what she would like, he clicked on the two biggest homes and told the realtor to get back with him on specs as well as anything else that she could get for him.

Closing down the computer, he decided that he’d done enough for the day and spread out on his couch. Hearing his phone ring on his desk, having forgotten to pick it up again when he’d finished, he closed his eyes to shut out the sounds, very little as it turned out that would make him not be able to sleep. Then, there was the small but persistent nudge to his mind. Mentally rolling his eyes, he asked what they wanted, snarling out the words to whoever dared to pester him.

“You will not speak to me that way. I’m still your mother, and I won’t hesitate a second to tear into your ass as it’s been pointed out to me recently like I should have done to the lot of you as children.” He jerked himself upright on the couch and straightened up his clothing. While he knew that she couldn’t see him—or at least he was reasonably sure she couldn’t, he wanted to look his best when talking to his mom. “When was the last time you saw Layla? I’ve been looking for her for the past hour. You do know that she left the hospital. Don’t you remember me telling you that?”

“I remember. And if she wishes to get herself dead because she’s not healing fast enough, then I don’t know what you want me to do about it. Other than to keep her here tied to the furniture. While that does sound a little tempting, I don’t want her anywhere near me.” She told him to behave. “I’ve done nothing wrong, mother. And if it makes you feel any better about me, I have looked for a house for her. One large enough that it would satisfy her needs to try and drain me dry.” His mom didn’t speak for several seconds, and it had him second-guessing everything that he’d said to her. Again, he didn’t feel as if he’d done anything wrong.

“I see. Why is it that you think she’d want or need your money, Madison James Walsh? It could be that she might have money to live the life that she wants without your interference.” He told her that it would suit him just fine if she didn’t want him to interfere.

“It’s been pointed out to me that I fucked up royally with my kids. I guess I did do a piss poor job of making my sons treat their other halves better, haven’t I?”

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