Page 13 of Diamond in the Rough

Maddox’s smile faded, and his lips bobbed open and closed. It was rare Jake ever rendered him speechless, and he reared up on his tiptoes and kissed his unsure lips. He kissed until Maddox’s shock passed and he took over, dominating and sure, their natural dynamic restored.

Chapter 3

As soon as Maddox stepped inside his apartment, he shuddered. At face value, the place looked immaculate, just how he’d left it, but he knew the police had been here. The coasters were too far apart for his liking, the frames on the walls were slightly wonky, and when he glared at the cupboards in the kitchen, he swore he could see fingerprints. He could feel the phantom presence of others, searching every corner of his apartment.

Maddox ran his hand under the surfaces and investigated all his possessions in case they’d been tampered with. It took two sweeps of the rooms before he felt comfortable they weren’t watching or listening.

He hurried across to the safe’s hiding place, removed the two panels, then sighed. They’d gone through his apartment but hadn’t found it, and it was all thanks to Carl. Carl and his strange mind had devised a hiding place.

Maddox sunk into the sofa and cradled a bottle of whiskey in his lap. It only took one glass, then his eyes slid shut.

****

Maddox jerked awake at the sound of an alarm. He whirled around and flashed an accusing look at each corner of his apartment before realising the noise was coming from him. He pulled the unfamiliar phone from his pocket and shook his head.

“Tom? This better be good news.”

“Boss, we’ve got her name.”

Maddox’s eyes fluttered shut, and he licked his lips. “Tell me?”

“Antonia Snow.”

“Antonia,” Maddox murmured back.

“She was seen at Lewis’s place, and one of his neighbours took an unhealthy liking to her.”

“Unhealthy?”

“He offered her a ride home, tried to kiss her, but she slapped him one—”

“You’ve got her address?”

“I think so.”

Maddox bobbed his head. “Right, give me forty-five minutes to get ready, then pick me up.”

“Got it, Boss.”

He disconnected the call and tossed the phone aside, then checked the clock. He’d drifted off at ten and woken up at lunchtime the next morning. Even though his neck ached and his mouth was dry from it hanging open, he’d slept better than at the police station.

Maddox groaned as he stood up, then walked stiffly towards the bedroom. When he caught movement in the mirror, he froze and took in the old man before him. The grey hairs in his beard grew faster than the brown, and the darkness beneath his eyes aged him by decades. He looked more like a man who was serving a life sentence than one who’d gotten away with it.

Maddox flared his nostrils, then marched away.

The shower water burned hot on his skin, searing away the dirt and grime of the cell he’d been trapped in. He lathered himself with body wash until the citrus smell infused his skin. He trimmed down the beard, shaved the curling hairs of his sideburns, and raked his hair back over his head.

He threw the clothes he’d been wearing into the bin and ran his hand along his wardrobe of pristine suits. Not a stain, or an odour, or a frayed edge, his suits were him on a hanger.

****

Tom tapped his finger on the steering wheel as he waited. He flashed a look at Maddox, did a double take, then grinned.

“What’s that look for?” Maddox asked after he climbed in.

“Nothing.”

“Tom…”

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