Page 61 of Sinful Pleasure

I froze. His gaze pinned me in place.

“Dude, you can’t just walk into my house like that,” the guy stammered, trailing behind Maddox.

It was almost laughable how small the guy looked next to Maddox, like a child scolding a giant. Maddox didn’t do much as glance at him, his attention fixed squarely on me and the girls.

“Let’s go,” he said, his voice cold and commanding. “Now.”

“What?” one of the guys blurted out, clearly confused. “You know this dude?”

Maddox’s head turned sharply, his icy glare slicing through the boy. “Call me ‘dude’ one more time, and I can’t guarantee you’ll leave this house alive.”

The room went dead silent.

Maddox’s words weren’t just a warning—they were a promise. His dark, unyielding stare was enough to drain every ounce of confidence from the boy, who froze in place, visibly unnerved.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Lydia shot to her feet, squaring off against Maddox.

“Angelo called,” he continued, his gaze briefly flicking to me. “He wants Allyn back at her house. Immediately.”

“Who the hell is Angelo?” the boy who’d been ogling me all night asked, his confusion evident as he glanced between us. “What’s going on here?”

Maddox’s cold stare snapped to him, sharp enough to slice through steel.The boy froze, his mouth snapping shut as if Maddox’s glare alone had robbed him of words.

Satisfied, Maddox turned back to Lydia.

“Make sure Tamara gets home safe,” he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.Then, he turned to me. His dark eyes locked onto mine, unrelenting.

“Let’s go, Allyn.”

The weight of everyone’s stares settled on me like a heavy fog. No one said a word, waiting for my next move.

With a heavy sigh, I stood, feeling the heat of humiliation crawl up my neck as I walked toward the door. Everyone’s eyes burned into me.The walk of shame. How I hated it.

Maddox’s footsteps trailed close behind, steady and purposeful.

“You and your brother have something in common,” I muttered as we approached his sleek, unnecessarily expensive car parked out front.

He opened the passenger door for me, his brow lifting in silent inquiry.

“You both like to embarrass me.”

Maddox let out a dry evil laugh, the sound more mocking than amused. “We don’t have to try. You manage that all on your own.”

With that, he shut the door in my face the moment I slid into the seat. I scowled as he climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine, his movements controlled. The car roared to life, and we sped offwithout another word.

I huffed, crossing my arms.

“I need some personal space, you know?”

“You lost the right to personal space the moment you stepped into our family.’’

I rolled my eyes, turning away from him, my frustration boiling over. If I stayed in this car a moment longer, I might scream—or worse, punch that smug, arrogant face of his, consequences be damned.

Instead, I focused on the passing buildings outside the window, my jaw clenched, counting every second until we reached the house.

The drive lasted ten minutes, though it felt like an eternity. The moment Maddox pulled up in front of my porch, I yanked the door open and hurried out, my heels clicking against the pavement as I made a beeline for the front door.

The house was silent, cloaked in darkness. I moved quickly, heading upstairs, hoping Maddox would take the hint and leave me alone.

---