Page 26 of Forbidden Bond

“Yes,” the beauty said and offered a hand. “Madison Byrne.”

Yeah, she’d known that, just hadn’t wanted to get too hung up on it.

“Happy to meet you too.”

Though happy was the wrong word for the unexpected encounter.

Madison slid a possessive hand up Play’s thick upper arm. “I’m sorry for your loss, Miss McLeod.”

“My loss?” she asked, unsure if her heart stopped or leaped out of her chest. “My loss?”

“Yes,” Madison said, drawing her eyes away from her fawning. “Didn’t you lose your grandfather recently?”

Oh, relief came out in a sharp exhale. “Yes, my…” She almost smiled. “I lost my grandfather.”

Minor heart attack averted, her eyes cut to Play’s. They’d never met. Didn’t know each other. Though not introducing himself sort of implied to Madison they had. Family secrets stayed close. She couldn’t blurt out her questions or beg for answers while the Byrne woman stood there bearing witness.

“Play, do you… have a minute?”

“Don’t need one.” He swept Madison’s hair from her shoulder. “You know what to do, Bluebell.”

Knew what to do? Not descriptive, but as much as she’d get.

“I’ll…” She gestured toward the curtain. “Leave you alone.”

She hurried through the heavy drape and up the stairs into an empty apartment. No one. Maybe the bedroom? No, that was empty too. No people and so many questions.

The closet was still full of their things. Hers and Conn’s. Catching a sleeve, she pressed it to her nose, inhaling his sent. A sharp pain between her eyes preceded tingling grief. Everything would be okay. If she could be with him, lie with him…

She didn’t know Play. Would he understand her desperation? Would he come up to see her? Not if they wanted to keep their poker face in place. Everything normal. Everything was just the way it should be.

She searched. Everywhere she could think that might hold a hint as to what happened. She came up with nothing. Not a damn stitch out of place.

No, she wouldn’t be dissuaded.

The night wasn’t over yet.

Grabbing Conn’s suit jacket, she tossed it around her shoulders and slid her arms into the sleeves. Her evolving plan needed one tool she could get there for sure. Running down the stairs, she pushed through the curtain and headed for the desk, ignoring that Madison was now the one seated on it with Play between her thighs, dress pulled high.

“Condoms are in the third drawer,” she said, scooping up the cigar box, then swinging around for the door. “Play safe!”

“Like I never heard that before,” his charmed voice followed her as the door closed and she was descending again.

The last thing they needed was a McDade-Byrne baby, though God knew what plan had been conjured up since she left.

Strat waited for her at the bottom of the stairs. “Anything?”

She shook her head and linked their hands again. “Play’s up there, with Madison Byrne.”

“Yeah.” They went back out into the night. “Dasha and Darla are downstairs.” She caught a quick glance. “They don’t know anything. Only about a dozen guys down there, none of them know a thing.”

“Something’s going on,” she said.

Strat opened the car door for her and went around to get in himself. That was when she opened the box and took out the heavy weapon.

“Wow, okay. What do we need that for?”

“Plan D,” she said, carefully tucking the box under her seat before checking the chamber.

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