Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
M adison parked her car in the large, circular driveway in front of the Armstrong mansion. Tension had her muscles coiled tight.
The last six weeks had been chaotic, to say the least. The new production company had presented them with a case they wanted Cami and her to cover, and they wanted it done fast. Madison had worked a lot of late hours doing research after Jax fell asleep, but it had been worth it. Two episodes had aired, and it was already picking up buzz online.
The large, etched glass door swung open, and Felix lounged against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. She wanted to punch his smug face.
Where is Jax?
Taking a deep breath and promising herself not to lose her temper, she exited the car and climbed the steps to the front porch.
“Madison,” Felix said, his voice laced with an exaggerated warmth that instantly set her on edge. “Nice to see you.”
“Is Jax ready?” She looked over his shoulder into the large foyer. “Where is he?”
Felix shifted, blocking her view inside with a smirk. “Why so quick to rush off? He’s inside playing. He loves being here with me. Figured you and I could… chat for a minute.”
“I have nothing to say to you.” Madison kept her voice steady, unwilling to show even a hint of the unease curling in her stomach.
Where is Jax?
Felix chuckled, an unpleasant sound that made her skin prickle. “Come on, Madison. No need to be so rude. We should work together. You should be smarter than your sister.”
Her back teeth clamped down, and she willed herself not to react. She had no idea what his reference to Opal meant. Knowing Felix, he was probably recording her, hoping she’d flip out on him, and he could use it against her in court.
“Please go get Jax.”
Felix’s expression hardened, and he stepped closer, his presence instantly crowding her. “You think you’re gonna keep my kid?” He gave her a once over, his lip curling. “I bet you thought the judge would take one look at you and give you whatever you wanted. Isn’t that how you’ve always gotten everything? Batted your eyelashes and pretended like butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth, while the whole time you’ve always been nothing more than a cock tease.”
Madison held his gaze, refusing to step back or let him see her revulsion.
“Opal told me all about how vain you are. How you used your looks to get ahead. How you were the golden child, and that’s why your parents were so hard on her.”
Madison swallowed hard, but something of the pain must have shown on her face because he smiled. “She only came to you for money. She didn’t even like you. If you hadn’t been so wrapped up in your own selfish world, you could have helped her. She wouldn’t have killed herself?—”
“My sister did not kill herself.” Her voice whipped out.
He rolled his eyes. “Overdose. Whatever.”
“ You are responsible,” Madison hissed at him, her control slipping away at his callous words. “You are the one who got her hooked on drugs and then made her do god knows what so you wouldn’t hurt her.”
Felix leaned further so that his face was only inches from hers as he dropped his voice to a low hiss. “Your sister wasn’t a saint. She was a greedy bitch just like you, trying to get one over on my father-in-law and me. If you aren’t careful, you’ll end up just like her.”
Madison tasted blood as she bit down on her tongue. Her hands clenched tightly at her sides.
If you hit him, you will be the one to lose—Jax will be the one to lose .
Her blood boiled, and Madison thought her ribs might crack from the pounding of her heart. Thankfully, a baby laugh caught her attention, and she saw Mary approaching with Jax on her hip.
The sight sucked some of the anger out, and Felix immediately adopted a friendly expression.
“Sorry that took so long,” Mary said with an apologetic smile. “Little man had a blowout.”
Madison forced herself to smile, her arms immediately reaching for her son.
“No problem,” she murmured, keeping her eyes off Felix as she pulled her purse higher on her shoulder and reached for the diaper bag Mary held.
Mary’s eyes widened. “Wow. That’s a beautiful purse.”
“Thank you. It was my sister’s.” Madison glared at Felix.
“Really? What a small world. It looks just like my cousin’s work. Doesn’t it, babe?” She looked up at Felix with an odd expression.
“I don’t know,” he mumbled, his cheeks flushing a little.
“I’m surprised, though. Jamie’s pieces are usually…” Mary’s eyes flicked from the purse to Madison, her expression harder than before. “ Expensive . I wonder where she and Opal could have crossed paths.”
Madison’s cheeks ached with the effort it took to hold her smile. Bitch . “I found it in her things.”
“Did you hold on to a lot of her things?”
Opal was not a subject Madison ever wanted to discuss with these people, and while Mary didn’t strike her as the sharpest tack in the box, there didn’t seem to be any malice in her.
“Yes, for Jax.”
Mary smiled sweetly while Felix glowered.
“See you next time, Madison.” He snarled and then slammed the door. Jax flinched at the sudden noise but was quickly distracted when she blew a raspberry into his neck.
Jax’s laughter erupted, high and sweet, the sound instantly melting some of the tension coiled inside her. Madison tightened her arms around him, holding his little body against hers as his tiny fingers clutched at her sweater. Madison pressed soft kisses against his cheek, inhaling the warm, familiar scent of baby shampoo and graham crackers.
“I missed you so much, buddy. Did you miss me?” He bounced happily in her arms.
Jax’s pediatrician had said that he would most likely need to work with a speech therapist at some point. His verbal skills were delayed, possibly because of his mother’s drug use early in her pregnancy, but Madison knew Jax understood a lot more of what was happening around him than the doctor believed.
Jax babbled in response, his chubby hands patting at her cheeks before gripping the loose strands of her hair. Madison winced as his little fingers tangled, but she didn’t free herself. Instead, she kissed the top of his head as she walked to her car.
But as she strapped him in his seat and slid behind the wheel, her agitation returned. Something about that entire exchange with Felix and Mary was nagging at her. She was missing something, and Madison had a feeling it was important.
Those few minutes had let her know, whatever mask he wore for his new wife and family, Felix hadn’t changed.