Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
C ami rested her head against the back of the recliner with a sigh. “I’m starting to think I should just sleep here. It’s the only place I’m even remotely comfortable.”
“You did kind of pop overnight.” Madison eyed her best friend’s noticeable baby bump. “I can’t decide if it’s cause you’re so short, or if it’s because you are growing your giant husband’s twins.”
“You’re hilarious.”
Gerry stuck his head in. His usually cheerful face was unusually tight. “Ladies… There’s a call for you. Julia Danner from the production company. She doesn’t sound happy.”
Cami sat up straight, immediately catching the shift in the room’s energy. Madison reached for the speakerphone button as the line connected.
“Julia, hey, it’s Madison and Camellia,” Madison said cautiously. “How are you?”
There was a short pause. “Have you seen the articles?” Julia asked in a clipped voice.
Madison’s pulse quickened. “What articles?”
Julia sighed audibly. “Check your email. I sent you a couple of links.”
Grabbing her phone, Madison quickly clicked into her email app and the link Julia had sent. Her heart sank as the headline appeared .
“Blind Item: Blonde Bombshell True Crime Host Hiding Secret Mob Husband and Stolen Baby”
Cami leaned over, reading with her. “Are you freaking kidding me?”
Madison clicked on the second link, which had a headline similar to the first, different only in that it named them outright. She took a breath and read the opening line aloud, her voice shaking.
“ True crime podcast host Madison Amherst is no stranger to scandalous secrets, but has she been hiding her own? Sources say her new husband, Alex Kovalyov, has deep ties to the Russian mob, and using his corrupt influence has strong armed her sister’s husband into giving her his child.”
Madison’s stomach twisted. “These are outright lies. It’s a smear campaign because I’m in the middle of a custody suit. Alex’s businesses are legitimate. There’s nothing criminal about him.”
Or none that she was ever going to admit to.
“I’m sure they are.” Julia’s carefully neutral voice filled the room. “But the optics are bad. Really bad. We’re already seeing reactions on social media.”
Madison was less concerned about social media than what it meant for Jax.
“Technically, this could be considered a violation of your contract. However, we’re willing to hold off on termination—for now. We’ll release the next episode and gauge the response. If the backlash isn’t overwhelming, we’ll move forward. But if it blows up…”
Her words trailed off, leaving the unspoken threat hanging in the air.
“You’ll drop us,” Madison finished for her.
“We have to protect our brand,” Julia said. “I’m sure you understand.”
“This is ridiculous,” Cami snapped. “Alex has never been arrested or convicted of a crime. This is libel.”
Gratitude welled inside her for her best friend. Cami had her reservations about Alex, and this would affect her dreams too, but she was putting on a united front. Reaching out, she squeezed Cami’s hand and mouthed “Thank you.”
“The facts don’t matter,” Julia continued. “The article doesn’t claim he’s been to jail. It’s the implication that he’s never been caught that matters.”
“You know my husband is a lawyer right,” Cami snapped, her color rising.
“We’re well aware. Hopefully, this will die on the vine, and we can all move forward. But for now… Take some time off.”
The call ended with a click, and Cami folded her arms tightly over her belly. “They can’t do that, can they? Terminate our contract because of some bullshit article?”
“They can,” Madison said flatly, rubbing her temple. “It’s written in the contract, ‘personal controversies damaging to the brand.’”
“This is unbelievable.”
“This is my fault.”
“Do you really think anyone is going to care? Other than maybe our more conservative fans?” Cami asked dubiously. “We aren’t that famous, and no one knows who Alex is.”
The words were barely out of her friend’s mouth when a horrifying realization hit Madison.
There was one person who would very much care.
Mikhail.
“Cami, I need to go.”
“Of course. Are you okay? You look really pale all of the a sudden. Don’t worry about this. James will straighten it out.”
Madison barely registered Cami’s reassurance as she grabbed her purse from her office. She planted her hands on the reception desk. “Gerry, find out who the ‘source’ was in that article. Call everyone you know, every media contact we have.”
He nodded, reaching for his phone. “On it.”
Madison knew the source had to be someone connected to Armstrong. But Mikhail wouldn’t believe it without proof. She hoped it would be enough for him to decide that Felix and the Senator were no longer worth protecting.
Madison
Call me.
It’s Urgent.
Why isn’t he answering his phone?
Alex always picked up when she called. Her heart hammered as her anxiety spiked.
You are making too much of this. No one has probably even seen the articles yet. Besides, how upset could Alex’s brother be? It’s not like there haven’t been rumors before…
‘Bloom only knows about me because of his brother.’ Alex’s words about James came back to her.
“Move!” Madison moaned, banging on her steering wheel as she accelerated through the yellow light, following far too close to the bumper of the car in front of her.
Alex had said he was working from home today. Jax was at baby gymnastics with Angela, so they should be able to talk uninterrupted.
Everything’s going to be fine. Just breathe.
Two unfamiliar black SUVs sat parked at odd angles in the driveway, and Madison’s pulse kicked up a notch.
She walked slowly up the stone steps, her fingers tightening around her bag. Closing the door quietly behind her, she stood still for a moment to listen. Voices drifted faintly down the corridor.
“My wife is none of your fucking business.” Alex’s voice was icy cold.
Madison stopped just outside his office, breath catching in her throat.
Another gruff voice that she assumed was Mikhail’s came next. It was calm but laced with menace. “Everything in this family is my business.”
“She is my family.” Alex’s tone matched his brother’s, and a shiver ran down her spine.
Madison took another step forward, her pulse thudding almost painfully. Through the partially open door she could see two men, the backs of their necks covered in tattoos near the door, obscuring her view of the room beyond. One man shifted, taking a step toward Alex.
Her body humming with adrenaline, Madison reached into her purse, her fingers closing around her gun. She wasn’t sure what she thought she could do to help, but she wasn’t going to just stand there if one of them attacked Alex.
A low chuckle echoed through the room. “Ah, here she is now. Though I hope that’s not a gun I see.”
Madison’s cheeks heated as she caught the flat stare in the mirror watching her reflection.
The door swung open fully, exposing Madison, and she dropped the weapon she had half pulled from her purse.
“Come here.” Alex appeared calm, but she caught the blazing emotion in his eyes and immediately went to his side, her chin in the air and her eyes on her husband. She wasn’t going to give the three men glaring at her the satisfaction of looking afraid.
But she was.
She was terrified.
With a hand on her waist, Alex positioned her behind him, effectively making his body a solid barrier between her and the others.
His hand found hers, and he squeezed it tight. Too tight. She recognized his silent warning and squeezed back that she understood, before he dropped her hand.
“Your little angel’s wings aren’t pure white, are they?” Mikhail's smile was wintry as he studied her. “I like her already.”
Madison kept her expression neutral, refusing to look away, hoping that no one noticed she was trembling.
Mikhail’s smile widened as he stepped closer, and Alex’s body coiled tight. He shifted, blocking her from view.
“Relax, bratan ,” Mikhail said with a twisted grin. “I just wanted to greet my new sister properly.”
Madison couldn’t see Alex’s face, but after several tense moments, he stepped to the side. She barely suppressed a shiver when Mikhail placed his hands on either side of her face and kissed each of her cheeks slowly.
“Welcome to the family, little one.”
Her pulse was jack rabbiting in her chest, but she forced herself to stand still. When Mikhail finally pulled back and she could breathe again, her instincts screamed that the danger was far from over.
Mikhail’s attention was back on Alex. “I’ll get to the bottom of these articles.” Then his mouth lifted in a small smile, and he turned his gaze to her once more. “I’m looking forward to meeting Alex’s new son, but for now… Perhaps we could all keep a low profile, eh?”
The door had barely closed behind Mikhail when Alex spun toward her, his dark eyes sparking with anger.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” he raged, fists clenched at his sides, jaw tight.
Madison flinched but quickly squared her shoulders. “I wasn’t thinking. I wasn’t going to allow someone to hurt you in our home without doing something to help.”
Alex’s nostrils flared as he took a step closer, his eyes locking on hers. “Don’t ever— ever —put yourself in danger for me.”
“I wasn’t?—”
“You were!” Alex barked, his body visibly vibrating with tension. He ran a hand roughly through his hair, his breath coming fast. “If anything had happened to you…” He stopped himself, the muscles in his jaw fluttering.
Madison folded her arms over her chest. “I couldn’t stand there and do nothing.”
“Yes, you could!” he shouted. “Or you could have called for Liev. Anyone but yourself!” Alex paced a few steps away before turning back to her. His eyes burned with an intensity that made it hard for her to breathe, and heat began pooling between her legs.
Yeah, I should probably talk to a professional about this. There is something wrong with me.
Ordering her hormones to control themselves, Madison watched him carefully. His muscles were taut, and while watching the way his knuckles flexed repeatedly over and over at his side, it hit her.
Alex wasn’t just angry.
He was rattled.
She’d never seen that before.
“That article had to come from Armstrong,” she said to change the subject and give him a minute to get himself back under control.
Alex’s jaw clenched a few times, then he nodded.
The tension stretched between them, and after a long moment, Madison dropped on the couch. Her fingertips pressed to her temples, and she groaned.
“I’m sorry, Alex. None of this would have happened if not for me. I’ve ruined?—”
“You haven’t ruined anything. Mikhail wasn’t just here about the articles. Apparently, Felix was mugged last night leaving his AA meeting. He spent most of the night at the hospital.”
Madison’s mouth fell open. “Mikhail thinks that you—” Her jaw snapped shut at the look he gave her. “Oh.” She took a slow inhale. “Did he say?—”
“Unfortunately, Felix didn’t see his attackers—at least three, according to him. And for some reason, all the security cameras in the area were down.” Alex smirked. “My brother was concerned that there may have been some overlap.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That I had nothing to do with it. Poor Felix should really be more aware of his surroundings. Not that I’m victim blaming, of course.” Alex gave her a devious smile.
She swallowed past the thickness in her throat. He might act like this was a joke, but she knew how serious it was if Mikhail had come to their home.
“You don’t want me to put myself in danger for you, and I don’t want you to go against your family for me.” Her lip wobbled.
Mikhail might have let it go this time, but if Alex wasn’t careful, brother or not, she doubted he would get a free pass the next time. Mikhail was the pakhan , and from what Alex had told her, he couldn’t afford to let anyone—even his own brother—defy his orders.
“He put his hands on you, Angel. Trust me, he got off easy compared to what I wanted to do to him. What I’m still planning on doing to him.” He muttered the last bit under his breath, but she heard him.
“You can’t go against your family.”
Alex drew her to her feet, cupping her face in his hands.
“You and Jax are my family.”
The words hung in the air, and for a second, all the unspoken things lingered between them, until Alex’s hands slid from her face to her waist. Pulling her hard into his chest, Alex’s mouth crashed down onto hers.
Madison gasped, the heat of his lips stealing her breath, as his fingers bit into her hips. Pushing up on her toes, she met his urgency, her hands ripping his shirt from his waistband. She had the sudden desperate need to feel his skin.
The muscles on his abs rippled as she clawed at the hot skin, making her even more frantic. “Alex.” She gasped when his hands shifted from her hips to cup her ass and he lifted her. Madison’s legs wrapped around his waist, and Alex used his grip to grind her against him.
“I need—” Her words broke off in another gasp as one of his hands slipped between her legs and stroked her over the lace of her panties. “Oh my god.”
She broke the kiss, her forehead falling to his shoulder, and her thighs clamped harder around his waist. “Why is this?—”
Madison barely registered when Alex pivoted and lowered himself onto the sofa so that her knees pressed into the cushions on either side of his hips. He rolled her against him with a low growl.
“It’s the adrenaline.” His hands were already gripping the hem of her dress, pushing it up, his fingers skimming the bare skin of her thighs.
“You should wear dresses all the time,” he muttered, shoving her skirt up to her waist and dragging her forward over his erection.
The pounding of her pulse was so loud his voice sounded muffled, and her body shook with the need to get closer to him. Alex hooked his fingers in the lace, ripping the thin material when it caught on her legs.
“Fucking the adrenaline away is incredibly effective,” he said, his lips claiming hers again, just as he ripped the fabric the rest of the way.
“I thought you said fucking was for anger management?” Madison panted, then cried out when his fingers found her.
Alex huffed a dark laugh against her throat, his tongue flicking over her pulse. “That, too.”
She reached between them, tearing at his belt and zipper as Alex’s teeth scraped against the shell of her ear.
“Never do that to me again, Angel.”
Madison didn’t have time to respond before he lifted her and slammed her down onto him in one fluid motion. Her breath caught, nails digging into his forearms, as he filled her completely.
“Almost had a heart attack when I saw you,” Alex muttered. “Never again. Understood?” he repeated, his grip tightening on her when she didn’t answer.
She barely managed a nod, the pleasure already taking over, making her mind foggy.
“Good.” Alex dragged his lips down the column of her throat as he shoved her cardigan off her shoulders. His hands found the scooped neckline of her dress, and when it wouldn’t budge he yanked hard, stitches popping.
Madison gasped as the air hit her skin before his lips closed over one tight peak. His tongue flicked against it, then he bit down—just hard enough to send a sharp zing of pleasure straight to her core. The wet heat of his mouth turned her into a trembling mess, even as he thrust up harder into her.
His breath was hot against her damp skin when he murmured, “Come for me, Angel.”
Fireworks exploded behind her eyelids, and Alex’s arms banded around her tightly, pulling her against his chest as his body flexed beneath her. His guttural groan sent a final pulse of pleasure through her.
She lay limp against him for a moment, his hand lazily skating up and down her spine. Moving her hair over her shoulder, he leaned down to place a tender kiss on her collar bone.
“Earlier,” Alex rasped. “When I saw you in the doorway, I thought… Okay, this is it.”
Madison tried to lift her head to look at him, but Alex kept his hand firm against her hair holding her head down.
“This is where it ends.” His voice was quiet, and she had to strain to make out the words over her heartbeat. “Because if any of them had pulled a gun after seeing yours, I would have shot them without hesitation.”
The stroking had resumed, but Madison stayed perfectly still, her heart ready to burst. She felt lips against the top of her hair. “I need you to understand… It’s not just words when I say I’ll keep you safe.”
His voice was so low she could feel it vibrate through her breasts. “If I’m with you, the only way anyone could ever hurt you is if I’m already dead.” His lips brushed against her hair again. “And that has nothing to do with any deal we made.”