Page 48 of A Promise For Tomorrow

From the moment I met her, she never fully smiled. Doubt and anxiety always plagued her. Seeing her smile while with me had given me hope I could keep it there. Seeing her with Diego—I can’t compete with how radiant that smile has grown or the confidence she imbues being in his presence.

At the mention of her husband, he materializes, shirtless and quietly standing at the threshold of the door. The man is only donning a pair of boxer briefs. His clothes must have been discarded and burned back at the shed. Like a peacock showing off his feathers, he puffs his chest, proudly sporting his tattooed chest. A thick coat of blood covers his face, making him look fresh off the scene of a goddamn horror film. His brokenknuckles are saturated as well, all the way down to his nail beds. The majority caked onto his forearms and neck.

Relief courses through me knowing Madison is still asleep. My arms tighten around her protectively. She shouldn’t see this. It’s gruesome as fuck. Even I found it hard to stomach Diego’s torture. The fact that she lasted as long as she did is impressive. But that was child's play compared to what Diego had planned next.

He was only getting started…

“Well isn’t thiscozy,” Diego snorts before passing us and heading into the en suite. He barely spares a minute to glance at Madison curled up on my chest.Talk about dissociation.

The soothing sound of the shower turning on drowns out the array of emotions slicing through me. I attempt to leave, giving them the privacy they need and the space to get myself cleaned up. Maddy clings to me like a goddamn koala bear. She’s still asleep, so I cradle her closer until her knuckles relax and my sweatshirt goes slack.

Our flame may have burned out, but there’s no doubt our souls don’t yearn for the comfort of each other.

Unfortunately, that’s not enough.

And we both know it.

Mahogany water circlesthe drain before slowly transitioning to pink. Pumping a healthy portion of shampoo into my hand, I begin to scrub the fuck out of my scalp. This is the part of the night I yearn for. As savage and grueling as my job can be, and as thrilling as it feels in the moment, reality sets back in and all I want is this fucking blood and viscera off me. Where some men of the underworld wear it like a badge of honor or a goddamn trophy, I see it as another reminder of a life I can never escape.

Even if I wanted to, it runs deep in my veins, this need to end those who have wronged me or my family. To draw out their agony as they have to countless others.

And it just so happens that I’m the best in the game at it…

They don’t call meThe Bone Breakerfor nothing. I’ve earned that title. It’s one I’m willing to maintain—be it everything goes right with my resurrection. Everyone I’ve ever tortured and killed, deserved to die.

Mateo was no different. For his wrongdoings and plot against not only my life but my wife’s as well. Beyond that, he was just as corrupt and evil as his bastard father and my piece of shit uncle. Men like that will never make it far. Power drives them toextremes and at some point that need for power makes them sloppy. Tonight proved just how sloppy MJ had become. I mean,really? Entering a heavily armed club? One man. No back up. What did he expect? It’s a miracle he even made it far enough to get Madison alone.

I scrub at my skin with body wash, letting the loofah scratch my skin raw, before I step under the spray. My fingers sift through my hair as pink suds drift down my body and are discarded down the drain. Eventually, the water runs clear and so does my mind.

Thoughts of my wife soothe me as I inhale a deep breath. Safe and finally asleep in Liam’s arms. It doesn’t appear the two of them had done anything sexual—considering Madison is clothed and Liam still has dried blood caked onto his skin.

Even if they had, I’m not bothered.

Liam is able to offer Madison solace during tense situations like tonight. He provides her with a type of comfort I may not always be able to.

Coddling isn’t in my name.

That doesn’t mean I don’t want to offer her it when I can. I’ve grown softer with Madison. She has access to the side of me no one other than my baby sister will ever have. A gentleness only they hold the biometric key to. In myhumbleopinion, not always coddling Madison has made her grow stronger. And it’s a fucking beautiful sight to bear witness to.

My cock grows hard just thinking about how she stood up to Mateo tonight. And that’s not the only thing swelling. Immense pride blooms in my chest knowing she took that asshole down all by herself.

Anxiety riddled me when I couldn’t get in touch with my little butterfly. The phone just rang and rang and kept going to voicemail. I planned on coming home regardless. I missed my woman. Whether she admitted it or not, she missed me too. Butit was that nagging feeling something was off that had me boarding our jet with haste.

When Liam called me, explaining what happened, and asked for my help, a sense of reassurance slithered its way in, buffing out the sharp edges of my anxiety. Madison risked her life to come back on that yacht to help me. She stayed with me on the island even when Liam was there to save her. My incredible woman braves any challenge. That fucking fortitude of hers inspires me every time I see her in action. The second the words left Liam’s mouth, I knew she was safe. That she handled it.

Fuck. What I wouldn’t give to have seen her take him down.

On the other hand, I don’t holdthatmuch restraint.Onlywhen it comes to her. The second Mateo’s fingers so much as touched her perfect skin, I would have beat him until he was unrecognizable.No onetouches what is mine and gets away with it—as clearly proven tonight.

Mateo paid for his sins in more than blood.

I could have drawn it out a lot longer. The mental fuckery was way more thrilling than breaking as many of his bones as I could before ending his pathetic life. The intense desire to get back and hold Madison in my arms is what ended my interrogation prematurely.

Seeing her handle my form of torture was sweet relief. She could have fled. Part of me, the fucked up part that knows she’s too good for me, wanted her to. Shock hit me when she stood her ground—even when I amped it up. I drew a line when Mateo voiced what he wanted to do to my sweet little butterfly. The red-hot anger that coursed through me warned me to get her out of there.

I wasn’t holding back.

I wasn’t dragging it out.

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