Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
T he scent of garlic and basil filled the kitchen as Alex carried the bag of takeout to the table. While Madison tore the grilled cheese into pieces, setting them on a paper towel, he grabbed the plates and utensils, returning for the two glasses of wine he’d poured while they waited. Dishing a variety of pastas and salad from the cartons, he set a plate in front of her before making his own.
Madison attempted to eat with one hand while keeping her other wrapped around Jax’s small body. He squirmed in her arms, feeding himself the small bits of sandwich.
Laughing softly, she pushed her wineglass to the center of the table when he reached for it. “You’ve still got a couple of decades to wait, Jaxy.”
Across the table, Alex leaned back in his chair, watching them with a strange glint in his eyes. He suddenly stood. “Let me take him so you can eat.”
“I’m used to it. It just takes longer. He’s not going to cooperate, and you’re going to end up with greasy fingerprints on your fancy suit.”
Alex reached for him, ignoring her warning. Jax settled happily onto Alex’s lap, rocking on his legs while picking up the scattered bits of grilled cheese in front of him.
“I think he’s done,” she said a few minutes later, and gestured toward the chair Alex had laid across the doorway to block Jax’s escape route. “You can put him down—He’s fairly well contained for a few minutes. If you ever give up the mob business, you should go into childcare. This has been nothing short of a miracle.”
His face hardened, the softness she’d just witnessed completely erased.
“You know nothing about my business.”
“That’s true,” she admitted slowly. “But I know what people say your business is.”
“People? You mean James Bloom,” Alex drawled. “That family is the definition of the adage ‘those in glass houses…’”
“Really?” Madison cocked her head. “James seems like a pretty straight arrow.”
Alex grunted. “Declan always said so, but I saw a different side of him this afternoon. He’s more like his older brother than he’d like to admit.”
Madison took another sip of her wine. “Did you look into me? After we met at Kip’s opening?”
His gaze burned steadily into hers, sending shivers through all of her nerve endings, and she noticed that he didn’t bother to deny it.
“That’s okay. I looked into you, too,” she continued with an arch smile. “Alexei Kovalyov, suspected son of Anatoly Kovalyov… and possibly brother to the purported pakhan of one of the largest bratvas in the US, based out of Atlanta.”
Alex’s lips thinned, but Madison was undeterred.
“Don’t get huffy. You know exactly what the internet says about you. Though I have to admit, there wasn’t as much as I was expecting, given what James said.” She smirked. “Then again, I imagine you have the resources to keep your reputation fairly clean. I don’t blame you. If I had the ability, I’d do the same thing.”
“How gratifying for me,” he drawled with narrowed eyes. “Am I the subject of your next podcast?”
She widened her eyes in mock surprise as a warm sensation spread through her chest, making her feel comfortable enough to tease him. “Are you saying there’s a cold case you’re responsible for?”
“If I told you, your season would be very short. Where’s the fun in that?”
“Good point.”
“I’m just a businessman, Madison.”
She made a face and gave him an exaggerated wink, which drew a laugh from him. The sound made her heart stutter—a wholly unexpected sensation. The sound was rough, as if he hadn’t laughed in a long time, and she knew she shouldn’t care that she was the one to bring the smile to his face…. But she did. She wanted to hear it again.
It’s official. I’ve lost my mind.
“My family has a bit of a checkered past, but my business is completely legal,” Alex said.
His admission surprised her a little. Everything she’d found on the internet only hinted at his relationship with the Kovalyov Bratva. There was nothing concrete, but Alex seemed readily willing to admit it to her.
“Your brother?—”
“Is not me. We live different lives.”
“But he’s your brother.”
“You don’t have family members who differ from you?”
Madison’s walls shot back up, and she straightened, pressing her back into the chair. She could see it in his eyes. He knew about Opal.
The sound of her phone broke the crackling tension.
“It’s Cami,” she said, snatching her phone off the table. “Hey!” Alex caught her eye and then put a finger over his lips.
She remembered his warning about talking over the phone and gave him a tiny nod. Madison wouldn’t say anything to compromise them.
“How are you?” Madison asked breathlessly.
“Where are you now?”
“I’m still at my friend’s house.”
There was a beat of silence on the other end. “Still? I thought James texted to let you know everything was safe at your house.”
“He did.” She didn’t know why, but Cami’s tone made her defensive.
“Do you need him to come get you? He might be hard to pry away, but I can ask Declan if you’re worried.”
Irritation flared. “No. We’re almost finished with dinner, and then Alex will drive me back.”
“Are you sure?” Cami was using her what-the-hell-are-you-doing voice.
“Yep. What about you? Is there anything I can do for you?”
“No.”
“What the hell happened?” Madison burst out.
“I’ll tell you the whole story tomorrow, but essentially we had the wrong brother as the killer. Luckily, I had my computer recording so, while he was bragging about the murder, I got it on tape.”
“But why?—”
“I promise to give you all the gory details later but I’m beat. I gave my statement to the police, and went to the emergency room to get my arm stitched up. Now, I just want to head home and sleep for a few days.”
“I understand. Is James with you?”
“Yeah.” There was a beat of silence. “Mads.” Cami hesitated again. “Be careful, okay?”
“I love you, Cam. Call me tomorrow when you’re ready to talk.”
Madison set her phone carefully back on the table. “It sounds like everything worked out the way you said. I guess Jax and I should probably head home.”
Alex pushed his plate away. “If that’s what you want.”
Her brow creased at the odd response.
It was almost as if… No, she was reading too much into it.
And that hollow feeling in her stomach wasn’t disappointment, either. To cover her sudden uncertainty, she rose and carried their dishes to the counter.
“Leave them. Angela, my housekeeper, will get them in the morning.”
His voice was closer than she expected, and when she spun around, her breasts brushed against his hard chest. Heat bloomed through her, spreading like wildfire through her veins. The silvery blue of his eyes had turned smoky, sending a shiver down her spine.
Alex’s hand lifted, lightly brushing the bare skin of her neck, then trailed down to trace over her exposed collarbone. Her pulse skittered out of control. His gaze flicked to her mouth, and her body swayed closer.
“Ma ma!” Jax’s sudden shout yanked her back to reality.
Was I actually going to kiss him? Jax is on the floor only a few feet away.
Stepping away from Alex, she scooped Jax up, cradling him to her chest. His familiar weight settled her nerves that had suddenly leaped into overdrive.
This was what was important, she reminded herself. Jax—taking care of him—not the unbelievably attractive man in front of her who she wanted to climb like a tree.
“Can you take us back to my car, or should I call for an Uber?”
Alex’s intense gaze bore into her for several beats, and she saw a muscle flex in his jaw. “I’ll take you.”