Page 37 of Angel's Share

She crunched on a cracker. “Perfect,” she replied, her pride welling up. After watching him paint a few lines, she had to ask. “So, what happened at the mall?”

“Oh, my God. I didn’t lie and I didn’t run away,” AJ said harshly, pouring his frustration straight into the next paint stroke.

“I believe you. I never thought you were lying,” Madison reassured him, her voice soft and settled. “But I need to understand why someone is after you. Why you ran.” She thought for a moment. “Do you think it’s connected to Alex?”

AJ’s eyes stayed on his task, his brows furrowed in deep thought. With the weight of the world on his shoulders, he released a long, heaving sigh. “I overheard things, snippets of conversations. My mom... she always whispered his name when she spoke of him.Alexandre,” he said, the enunciation flamboyant and French. “Like it was dangerous for me to know too much.”

“Dangerous?”

Madison pulled back for a beat. The past year with Alex was wonderful. And dangerous. His mother wasn’t wrong. Was that why she kept AJ away? For his own protection?

Her hands rubbed her belly, considering the babies to come. “AJ, I need you to trust me. Whatever we do, we’ll face it together—head-on. And don’t get me wrong. Being in the Alex Drake inner circle has its risks. But we’ll do everything we can to always keep you safe. Like any parent would.”

AJ nodded, his eyes catching hers. “I trust you, Madison.”

Madison’s heart squeezed. It was the first time she wasn’tMrs. Drake. “No matter what happens, Alex and I will always protect you. Promise.”

Smiling, he dipped the roller in paint, the broad strokes transforming the room from a subdued off-white to the happiest shade of yellow. “This looks like frosting,” AJ mused aloud.

“It’s calledButtercream Dream.” She patted her tummy. “I think they were in the mood for dessert when we picked it out.”

“Good thing you weren’t in the mood forescargot.”

Madison made a face. “Snails? Never.”

AJ dipped the roller in the pan, and moved from one wall to the next. “They’re not bad, actually. Snails, that is. It’s all about the crusty bread and theailandbeurre.”

“The what?”

His smile widened. “Sorry. The garlic and butter.”

“Garlic and butter on anything sounds divine.”

AJ held up the roller. “Except buttercream.”

“Did someone say buttercream?” Alex entered the room, giving his wife a gentle peck on the lips, before rolling up his sleeves.

He reached for the edging brush, ready to continue with the detailed trim.

Quietly, Madison observed the two of them, marveling at how effortlessly they fell in sync, their resemblance striking.

AJ’s phone vibrated and lit up, snagging Madison’s attention. The word was in French, and her two years of high school French boiled down to a few choice words.

My name is Madison.

Je m’appelle Madison.

And, where is the bathroom?

Où est la salle de bain?

Madison’s breath hitched as she easily recognized the word on the screen, her heart pinching as she read it.

It was short. It was formal. And it would change everything.

Maman.

Translation:Mom. And beside it, a name:

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