Page 12 of A Promise For Tomorrow

She can be clumsy at times.It’s safer that way.

I open my door and step out, jogging my way over to them. The cold air nips at my skin, causing my eyes to water. Diego greets me, pulling me into a handshake and then slapping my back. As my palm claps the arsehole’s back twice, my eyes raise to meet Madison’s.

Damn.

You couldn’t tell before, but her hair isn’t black. It’s the deepest shade of purple—like the iridescence of raven feathers.

Stunning. Any color is gorgeous on her, but this one may just be my favorite.

“I told you my jet is superior,” Diego goads sarcastically, making me cluck my tongue.

He is right—but his ego is inflated enough.No need to add more to the collection.

I take a step forward, about to tell her that I am sorry to hear about her dad, when Diego shoves her overnight bag into my chest.

“Be a good lad and take my wife’s luggage. We are in a hurry,” he says in his best Irish accent. The prick should be fluent in it with the amount of time he spends around us.

My heart skips a beat at the mention of ‘wife’ but I shake it off, taking my frustrations out onThe Bone Breaker.He can certainly take a few jabs.

“Fuck you. Next time you get shot twice and are bleeding out on a yacht that is about to blow up, I won’t be there to help.”

“I don’t plan on having history repeat itself, asshole,” Diego says derisively.

Over this bullshit game already, I turn my back on them and head off to the Cadillac.

I am placing her bag in the back of the trunk when I hear aggravated whispering coming from the back right passenger door. Straining my neck to get a look over the back of the seat, I see Diego has Maddy caged in.

Seems they haven’t gotten off to a great start either.Looks like the two of them are bickering or perhaps having a lovers quarrel.

Who the fuck knows right now?

Diego never clued me in on whether or not he had heard from her all these months. I mean, I suppose I never did either. Not to mention, he’s seen Lainey and me together, which might have ended that mystery for him.I wonder if he told her?Shedidn’t seem to direct her anger at me… more so, she seemed shocked to see me.

Diego picks Madison up and places her stubborn arse in the middle seat, leaning over to buckle her in like a toddler. I stifle a laugh, knowing it’ll only make matters worse. Whatever the hell is going on—should stay between them.

I make my way to the front passenger seat and strap in. Diego has slid in next to her, legs spread open wide, taking up as much of her space as possible. Out of my peripheral, I spot Kieran looking like a puppy waiting to see its owner again after a long holiday. You can practically see his damn tail wagging, tongue flopping out of his goofy mouth.

“Hey there, love. Long time no see.” He releases a hearty chuckle before turning his attention back to navigating us out of the airfield.

“Hey ya big bastard. I see you haven’t changed a bit.” Her sweet voice fills the small space, breathing life back into all of us. It embraces me like a familiar hug and shimmies its way through the cracks in the wards I have up around my heart.

Damn, the power this woman has over us all…and without even trying.

Silence settles in around us, prompting Kieran to turn some music on. The rest of the ride is awkward at best.

It surprisingly doesn’t take us very long to get to the hospital—considering it’s New Year’s Eve and everyone is trying to get to their events.

Madison’s phone vibrates against her clasped thighs and she releases a heavy sigh. We just pulled into the main entrance… and there, smoking a cigarette in the designated smoking section, is her sister Mikayla.

Seeing her smoke has me itching for one now. Lainey has me weaning off them…but today is not a day I can refrain. Certainly not with Madison’s sultry jasmine and amber scent flirting with my senses.I’m on fucking edge, okay?

“Nobody get out of the car,” she demands. “I don’t need my sister asking questions.”

I let out an approving laugh.Been there. Done that.Mikayla doesn’t fuck around. As if Madison’s graduation dinner didn’t prove that enough…The lass caught onto me and Maddy almost immediately. Chewing my ear off until I confessed that her sister and I had a secret relationship.

Christ. Awful memories of that night and regret for not being with Madison when she was taken try to force their way to the forefront of my mind. None of this would have happened had I just been with her and Selena outside. Definitely not with her sister doing those disgusting green tea shots. Old anger towards Diego threatens to resurface, but I take a few calming breaths and put them back where they had been buried.

Can’t change the past now.

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