Page 48 of Unholy Nights

"You're scaring me," she whispers, drawing her knees to her chest, and I see the vulnerability in her eyes. The trust she's placed in me, despite her fears.

I pause in buttoning my wrinkled shirt, tucking in the key to Emerald’s door, to sit on the edge of the bed, reaching for her face. "Don't be scared, little one. I told you I'd never let anything hurt you. That includes your mother and anyone else who might try to come between us."

She searches my face, those clever eyes trying to read the truth in mine. "Promise?"

"I promise." I seal it with a kiss, gentle this time. Reverent. Then I force myself to stand, grabbing my shoes. "Now go back to sleep. You'll need your rest for what's coming."

I finish dressing quickly, my eyes drawn to her as she burrows deeper into sheets that smell like sex and us. The sight of her in that bed, thoroughly fucked and marked by me, nearly breaks my resolve to leave.

But there's work to be done.

I slip into my room unnoticed, stripping off last night's clothes that smell like the musty chapel and Emerald's sweet skin. The shower is quick but necessary. Like fuck am I about to face Madeline looking like I just spent the night balls deep in her daughter. Ten minutes later, I'm in a fresh suit, my hair still damp, heading toward the kitchen.

Coffee first, then Emmitt.

The house feels like a tomb at this hour, that particular kind of quiet you only get before dawn when even the heating system seems to have gone dormant. The staff won't arrive for another hour, which means I have time to—

"You're up early."

Madeline's voice shatters my solitude. She's sitting at the kitchen island, her hair and makeup already perfect despite theungodly hour, a cup of coffee steaming in front of her like she's been waiting. Like she's been plotting.

I don't let my surprise show as I move to the coffee maker. "I have an early meeting."

"Hmm." She takes a delicate sip of her coffee. "Strange. I don't remember seeing it on your calendar."

I pour myself a cup, keeping my movements casual even as tension coils in my muscles. "Since when do you monitor my calendar?"

"Since my daughter started looking at you like you hung the moon." Her voice is sharp enough to draw blood. "I'm not blind, Cohen."

I turn to face her, leaning against the counter while I sip my coffee. "And what exactly do you think you see?"

She sets her cup down with a soft clink. "I see the way you watch her. The way you've positioned yourself between her and anyone who might take her attention away from you." Her lips curve in a cold smile. "I also see that you've been tampering with my plans."

"Your plans?" I raise an eyebrow. "You mean your attempt to pimp out your daughter to the junior Montgomery for a business deal?"

Her smile doesn't waver, but her eyes turn to ice. "Daniel comes from an excellent family. He's exactly the kind of man Emerald needs—young, ambitious, and most importantly, appropriate."

My fingers tighten around the coffee cup until I'm afraid the ceramic might shatter. The word 'appropriate' tastes like poison in the air between us, and for a moment, the urge to show her exactly how inappropriate I can be nearly overwhelms me. But I force my grip to relax, take a slow sip of scalding coffee, and let the pain ground me while the silence stretches betweenus. When I finally speak, I've locked the beast back in its cage. Barely. "That boy isn't coming anywhere near Emerald."

"He'll be here for lunch." Madeline's tone is triumphant. "I've already arranged it."

I set the coffee cup down with precise control, though everything in me wants to hurl it across the room. "Cancel it."

"Or what?" She stands, smoothing her designer skirt. "What exactly do you think you can do about it? You're just the husband I settled for to make my company more appealing to investors. Don't forget your place, Cohen."

A dark laugh escapes me. "My place?" I close the distance between us, and Madeline takes an involuntary step back. "Let me be very clear about something. You have no idea what I'm capable of. The things I've done... the things I'm willing to do..." I let the implications hang in the air between us.

"Are you threatening me?"

"Not yet." I smile, and she pales slightly. "But if that trust fund brat shows up here today, you'll find out exactly what a threat from me looks like."

I turn to leave, but her voice stops me. "I know about Charlotte."

I look back at her, amused. "Do you?"

"I know she disappeared after filing for divorce from her husband. I know you were the last person to see her alive." She lifts her chin. "I wonder what the police would think about that?"

"Go ahead." I spread my arms. "Call them. But before you do, you might want to think very carefully about what kind of attention that would bring to your perfect family. Some secrets are better left buried, wouldn't you agree?"

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