Page 7 of Betrayed in the Dark
Let’s just say that right after that phone call, I didn’t hesitate to pack a bag and hop on the first flight from England to New York.
Back to a place that always felt like my second home.
The Alarie Estate.
“I’m assigning Asher to her,” Leo answers, placing his empty glass on the counter beside him. “He’s ready for the new assignment and has proven himself worthy of this position through his years of loyal service. Besides, it’s not like he hasn’t already been keeping an eye on Scarlett for me while she was living off the estate, even if she didn’t know it.”
I nod. Asher’s a good guy and highly qualified to keep Scarlett safe. I can’t argue with that, and I don’t see any problems with the reassignment except for one thing…
“What does Madeleine have to say about this?” I saw her just a little while ago on the beach with the others, and she didn’t seem upset. Maybe she’s okay with—
“We haven’t told her yet.”
Dread coils in my stomach. Heavy and impenetrable.
I bring my drink to my lips, downing the rest of it. The slight burn from the liquid slithers down my throat, temporarily distracting me from the uneasiness that begins to simmer within me.
“She’s waiting for us in the office,” Leo tells me. “Vin will be the one to inform her.” He squeezes the back of his neck. “I’m not exactly sure how she’ll take the news, but you did take a bullet for her, so that’s got to count for something, right?”
“Right,” I solemnly answer, remembering that day like it was yesterday and not almost a month ago.
The Alarie Estate was overtaken by men who coveted two things: power and revenge.
And they were dumb enough to think they would achieve it.
But the scariest moment of that night wasn’t when the explosions went off or when the power went out.
It was when we circled the cottage, where we knew Scarlett was being held captive, and I looked through the window, finding Madeleine unconscious. I didn’t know if she was alive or dead. I didn’t know up from down. Left from right. Or even how to fucking breathe.
But the second I saw the perpetrator raise his gun and aim directly at Madeleine, I acted on pure instinct. Everything around me blurred as I jumped through the window, shards of glass flying all around me. My body flew before hers, the bullet piercing me in the shoulder.
Me and not her.
That’s all that mattered to me.
That she lived even if that meant I died.
Fortunately, I didn’t.
But the impact of the bullet, plus the loss of blood, had me going in and out of consciousness.
When Madeleine came to, learning what I did for her, she gripped my shirt as she sat in the ambulance beside me, quietly pleading, “Please don’t do this to me! Don’t you dare leave me, Eli Lyon! I can’t live in this world without you!”
Maybe she thought I was dying.
She certainly didn’t know I could hear her every word.
However, when I came back to the Alarie Estate, she returned to being her distant self, keeping as far from me as she possibly could. Acting as if the two of us were merely strangers.
When that’s far from the truth.
“Why now?” I ask.
“Things are tense,” Leo replies. “Vin’s concerned others in our world view us as weak after what happened, and in case anyone gets brazen enough to pull anything, we want to ensure that every security precaution is taken both on and off the estate. Madeleine should have always had a bodyguard, and she did when she was younger. But we’ve been lenient with her over the years. Too lenient. And it’s time to step up safety protocols. It would destroy this family if anything ever happened to her. So, as furious as she is going to be, it will be worth it knowing she’ll be in good hands.”
Furious is probably an understatement of how Madeleine will be, but I don’t dare mention that to him.
Footsteps approach, and Leo and I both turn to see his brothers Vincenzo, Alessandro, and Mauro entering the space. Three intimidating motherfuckers who’ve always treated me as one of their own.
