Chapter 6
Chapter Six
M adison hadn’t stopped shaking since they’d left her recording studio. Alex didn’t think she was even aware of it.
It was giving him indigestion. Or at least that was what he chose to label the painful burning sensation in his chest.
Alex wasn’t exactly sure why he’d brought her back to his home. He could tell himself it was because she might be in danger from the brother of the man at the office, but it wasn’t true.
He just wasn’t ready for her to leave.
Standing outside the room for a long moment, he tipped his head back against the wall as he regulated his breathing.
The image of that bastard lunging at her with a knife… The terror on her face when she used her body to protect the boy.
His next actions had been pure instinct.
He hadn’t stepped in front of the knife to protect her, Alex assured himself. It was only because it gave him a better shot. Alex pushed off the wall and rolled his shoulders before striding toward the kitchen.
I don’t need to explain my actions to anyone. Including myself.
While he waited for the kettle to boil, his mind sifted through the afternoon and the possible repercussions. Alex was confident that he would be left out of it. Declan would make sure that his brother and Cami understood the importance.
His lips quirked as he remembered how the tiny brunette had taken charge of the situation despite being injured. He could see why she and Madison were friends.
Alex was usually an excellent judge of character and could size up most people in a matter of seconds. It was a vital survival skill in the world he’d been born into. And no one could mistake the steel that ran through Madison and Cami.
He didn’t doubt that others had underestimated them in the past because of their appearance. Cami for her stature and Madison because… As much as it irritated her, she possessed the kind of angelic beauty that made people stop and stare. Giant navy eyes, full lips, and the almost platinum blonde hair framing her heart-shaped face hid what he knew was a sharp mind.
“Once you have—” His words cut off abruptly as he took in the scene from the doorway.
The fire crackled quietly, and the room had grown dim with the storm outside and the approaching evening. But there was enough light to make out the two sleeping figures on his sofa.
The boy, Jax, he mentally corrected himself, was on his back, his arms and legs spread like a starfish. In contrast, Madison was curled up in a tight ball, one arm extended over her head so that her fingertips rested against the edge of the pillows she’d placed around the child.
Something twisted in his chest. Even in her sleep, she was checking on him.
Alex winced when the teacups rattled as he set the tray on the tufted-leather ottoman. Opening a small cabinet against the wall, he pulled out a throw blanket and laid it over Madison.
He stepped back and gazed down at both of them before a tendril of warmth curled inside him. Alex liked seeing her in his home, and he suddenly had the unbearable desire to keep her. He wanted to do as his ancestors would have done and lock the doors to keep her here for himself.
As quickly as the unwelcome thought popped into his head, his brows dove in a deep frown.
What the fuck? You want to keep her?
He shook himself, but his heart was still beating a little too hard, and his skin felt itchy. With the heat of the fire warming his back, conflicting emotions battled inside him.
Alex rarely allowed people into his home. It was his sanctuary, the one place he could relax. He had the odd meeting here with members of the bratva in relation to finances, but it was infrequent. Other than his mother’s extremely rare appearances, the only other family member, besides Liev, to cross his threshold was Mikhail, and he could count those visits on one hand.
Never a woman. Much less a woman and a child.
But this ... Madison and Jax relaxed in his home… The fact that she’d fallen asleep was evidence of a level of trust he didn’t deserve.
She shouldn’t trust him, and part of him was irrationally angry with her that she had let herself be vulnerable…. But deeper, in a place where he hadn’t detected life in years, he wanted to protect that trust. Be worthy of it.
Alex sat on the opposite side of the sofa, watching them sleep. His lips quirked, thinking how Declan would love the opportunity to tell him how creepy he was being—even for Alex.
Jax made a noise in his sleep and Madison’s fingertips twitched, but they both remained asleep.
He didn’t know them.
They weren’t blood.
Alex steepled his fingers.
Except, he’d killed for them. He didn’t regret it.
Satisfaction coursed through him as his thoughts took a turn.
Now there was a life debt.
Tradition stated she owed him.
And he knew how she could repay it.
He smirked to himself.
Who knew I was such a traditional guy?
Jax was the first to wake, pushing himself into a sitting position, his eyes slitted, still half asleep.
Alex watched the baby carefully.
Baby? Is that the right word? It doesn’t seem like it talks. That makes it a baby, right? Toddler?
“Hello.” He kept his voice soft.
Jax’s head swung to look at him, and his blue eyes became enormous. They were identical to Madison’s, and he suddenly had a vision of what their children might look like. His dark hair, her breathtaking eyes…
What in the actual fuck was wrong with him?
This morning you couldn’t conceive of getting married, and now you’re picturing children?
Plus, you have to convince her first.
Jax whimpered, staring at Alex as if he couldn’t decide if this new person was interesting or terrifying.
Right back at you, kid, Alex thought, watching Jax.
“Ma.” Jax rocked a bit. Then he made the noise again. Alex didn’t know what it meant, but it was clearly a demand of some sort, and he was getting angry at Alex’s ignorance.
Alex pointed at Madison. “Madison.”
The baby frowned at him, and his face scrunched before he noticed her.
“Ma ma.” A tiny sob escaped his mouth, and he dove toward Madison, who thankfully had already woken, and could dodge the small skull aimed at her head.
“Hey, buddy.” Madison’s voice was thick with sleep.
It shouldn’t be sexy, he thought but all of the blood rushing straight to his dick clearly didn’t agree.
He saw the exact moment Madison registered where she was. Shooting into a sitting position, she pushed her disheveled hair back from her face with one hand, while steadying the baby crawling into her lap with the other.
“I fell asleep.” She was looking everywhere but at him. “I’m so sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about.”
Her face suddenly wrinkled, and a beautiful rose color washed over her cheeks.
“You’re ripe, buddy.” She stood, putting Jax on her hip. “Do you have a bathroom I could use?”
Alex gave her directions to one of the guest suites on the ground floor. When she returned, Jax had clearly lost his good mood.
“I need to get home. He’s hungry.”
“I’ll have something brought in.”
Madison was shaking her head before he’d finished talking. “No, thank you. I really should get home. I’ve inconvenienced you enough.”
She blanched when Alex chuckled. “ Inconvenienced? ”
To his surprise and delight, Madison met his gaze straight on. Looked like she’d just needed a nap to get her spark back.
“You know what I mean. What happened earlier…” Her expression faltered, before her chest rose with an inhale and she squared her shoulders to face him.
Damn, she was impressive.
She might dislike the angelic comparison, but he could see her clearly as a warrior angel: blonde hair flowing around her, a sword in hand, and her face wreathed in the same fierce expression she was currently giving him.
“I appreciate everything you did today. I can never repay you for what?—”
“Saving your lives, you mean? Or protecting you from being questioned by the police?”
He saw the muscle flex in her jaw, and he had the sudden urge to smile.
“Both.”
“I’ll think of something. However, in the meantime, you can pay me back by saving my hearing,” he said. “I’m guessing by the increase in volume, Jax needs food immediately.”
Using a firm hand on the small of her back, Alex turned them both and forced her to keep stride with him. “I’m sure we can find something in the kitchen to ward off a full-blown tantrum until the food gets here.”
“Wait!” Madison stumbled as she dug in her heels to slow their progress.
He kept the pressure gentle, but there was no way for her to pull away without making it obvious.
“We might have to get creative,” Alex muttered, opening panels in the wall that hid the refrigerator. He looked at her over his shoulder. “I don’t suppose he likes champagne?”
“Alex—”
He arched a brow at her clipped tone. “Damn. Saving a life… well, two lives… doesn’t get you as far as it used to.”
Madison winced. “Alex, I’m not sure exactly what is going on here.” Her nostrils flared, and a flicker of what looked like disappointment flashed in her eyes.
Disappointment? With herself? With him?
“Or what you think I owe you…”
Understanding dawned on him, and his grip tightened on the handle before loosening again. Forcing his muscles to stay relaxed, he kept his voice neutral.
“I expect nothing from you. I want you and Jax to stay for dinner tonight. I live alone, and it’s been an interesting day.”
He should feel ashamed for playing on her guilt, but it wasn’t a total lie. Killing that man earlier would have been entirely unremarkable—except for the image seared into his brain of a knife intended for her.
If you go through with what you’re thinking, it probably won’t be the last time she’s in danger.
Alex pushed the thought away.
He could keep them safe.
He would keep them safe.
Alex realized Madison was studying him closely, searching for any sign of insincerity. Something in his expression must have reassured her because her shoulders sank, and she let out a shaky laugh as she walked toward him.
“Okay. We’ll stay for dinner. Here.” Alex instinctively took the child shoved at him. “Champagne isn’t going to cut it. What kind of cheese is this?” She turned the wedge over, reading the label. “This will work. I don’t suppose you have any bread?”
“I actually do.”
Jax squirmed in his arms as Alex pivoted and pointed to a bowl with a chunk of a baguette left from the loaf that had come with the food he’d ordered the night before.
“If you’ll keep an eye on him for five minutes, I can make him dinner, but…” She smiled at him. “I’m going to need more than a grilled cheese.”
“Right.” Alex blinked, briefly stunned at her change in attitude. “Do I just?” He bent toward the floor, unsure of the proper procedure for putting a baby on the floor.
A peal of laughter escaped her, and the brightness of it hit him full in the chest, cracking the walls around his heart.
“Just hold his hands until he gets his feet under him. Don’t look so scared.” She snickered. “Make sure he doesn’t run off down the hall or hurt himself.”
“I’m not scared of him,” Alex muttered, carefully setting the boy on his feet. Relief and a good dose of fear flowed through him when Jax immediately let go of his hands and took a few staggering steps forward.
Jesus. It’s upright.
Somehow, the tiny person had seemed less threatening when it was being held by someone.
“You should see the look on your face!” Madison clutched her side and bent forward, laughing.
He arched a brow at her, but she just chuckled. “Why do I bet there are people that would pay for a photo of you looking that nervous,” she joked, before pulling a knife from the block on the marble counter.
“How many personalities are you hiding in there, Angel?”
She winked. “More than you can handle, Charming.”
Alex pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. It was kind of impressive how quickly she adjusted to the circumstances. She’d picked a direction and was determined to make the best of it.
“Plates?”
Alex inclined his head toward a cabinet behind her, afraid to take his eyes off the toddler who, after several steps, had dropped and was now pulling open the lower cabinet doors.
“Is this…”
She looked up at his tone and then leaned around the island to peek. Jax tipped his head up and smiled at her, and her face lit with an answering grin.
“Feeling better, buddy? He’s fine as long as you don’t mind. Just don’t let him pull anything down on himself.”
Alex’s eyebrows pinched, but Madison went back to slicing the cheese and layering it on the bread without a care in the world.
Is that something I should be worried about?
He eyed the child suspiciously.
Putting the plate in the oven to melt, Madison looked at him expectantly.
“Dinner?”
“Right.” He felt oddly off kilter. “I could have Italian delivered.”
Madison beamed. “Sounds perfect.”