Page 68 of Madness

“Yes, sir.” Henry nodded before opening the door for us and walking out ahead. He checked the surroundings as if he expected someone to jump out and attack at any moment.

“Was that really necessary?” I asked Maddox as he walked me to the car.

“Yes.” He growled. I shook my head; there was no arguing with him.

Maddox spun me and pressed my body against the car door. I bit my lip and glanced at Henry, who had discreetly turned his back before looking to Maddox again. “I wish you would stay here, my little dove. You’re safer. And I like knowing I’d be coming back to you.”

My heart melted as I brought my hands around his neck. “I’m perfectly safe at my place. And you’re picking me up tonight.”

“Exactly, so why leave at all?” He bent forward and ran his nose along the column of my neck as if he was inhaling my scent.

“Jeez, you seem pretty clingy for a big bad Mafia guy.”

I moaned as he bit my neck. The sting worse because of the lingering bruises from last night. “Not clingy. Possessive.”

I laughed and shrugged. “Potato. Poatato.”

His hand replaced his lips around my throat. He tilted my head back and squeezed briefly. “Behave, or I’ll punish you tonight.”

I tried to hide the way my body shivered, and my panties dampened. But Maddox smiled as if he knew. He kissed me possessively before pulling us back and opening my door.

“I’ll see you tonight.” He said as he closed the door behind me. I was too dazed from his kiss to form words.

One man should not be allowed to have the ability to fry brain cells with his lips. It was a power I knew he could abuse. I smiled as I rested back in my seat. I couldn’t remember if I’d ever been this happy.

Even before my mom had died, we struggled. I loved her, and I knew she did the best she could. But if life had ever been easy, I didn’t remember. For the first time, it was. I felt like things might actually work out. Like things might change for me. I wouldn’t have to struggle anymore. To fight every day for a life, I barely wanted.

The gates opened immediately for the car. I was still getting used to seeing armed guards all the time. There were moments where I could forget who he was. Forget I shouldn’t be happy with a man like him. Then there were times like these where it was shoved into my face. Maddox was a bad guy. A villain. A demon.

But… he made me happy.

I decided to distract myself by getting to know Henry.

“How old are you?” I asked.

He glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “Twenty, Miss Kincaid.”

“Whoa, the Miss is not necessary.” I laughed. Already he was treating me differently than Tristan or Sebastian. Maybe it was because he didn’t know how I’d come to be here. I wasn’t a waitress turned whore to him. I was just his boss’ girlfriend. Or maybe he was just a nice guy.

He smiled at me but didn’t say anything. He had a kind, genuine smile. He seemed too young, too naïve, for this life. But I supposed I wasn’t qualified to judge that. I probably didn’t look like what most people pictured when they thought of a Mafia boss’ girlfriend. I was petite and curvy. I didn’t like to dress up or put on a lot of make-up. I was plain, which was fine with me. And apparently fine with Maddox.

“How did you start working for Maddox?”

“I…” He paused like he was trying to find the right words. “I stumbled upon him while he was working one night. I was living on the streets and looking for a warm place to sleep. He could’ve killed me, but instead, he offered me a job.”

My head leaned back in shock. That seemed so…nice. It was weird not considering the man I was sleeping with nice, but he wasn’t. I wondered what had made him decide to take a chance on Henry. I’d have to ask him about that later. Because I could hear the undertone in what Henry was saying. He’d caught Maddox doing something illegal. Something that would get him in trouble if Henry talked.

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

For some reason, I felt like talking. I shifted in my seat, cracking my neck. I wasn’t sure what was wrong. It seemed like any typical day, but the farther we drove away from Maddox, the more restless I felt. It was an itchy sensation under my skin. I didn’t know why, but it made me want to claw at my chest until it went away.

“Uh… no.”

“How about a boyfriend?”

“What?” He forced a chuckle, but I could see the bead of sweat that had formed on his forehead. The slight pink twinge in his cheeks.

It probably wasn’t good to be a gay guy in the Mafia. I bet there was a bunch of sexist bullshit where they didn’t like it. Some macho man club ridiculousness. I already liked Henry, and I wasn’t going to be the one to out him.

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