Chapter 41
Chapter Forty-One
T here had been a moment when Madison stood in his office doorway, eyes wide with fear, that Alex thought he would have to kill his brother. It had been a moment of such clarity he’d known in an instant, that if Mikhail or one of his guards pointed a gun at her, he would have killed Mikhail first and then died trying to get her to safety.
And by the look in his brother’s eyes, Mikhail had known it, too.
Maybe that had assuaged whatever doubts Mikhail still held about their marriage and the validity of it. That kiss and words of welcome… Madison may not have understood the weight of Mikhail’s actions, but every other member in the bratva would, when they heard about it.
After he’d ruined Madison’s dress, she had swiftly changed into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt while he called Liev. Her hair was still a mess, and her lips were swollen.
She looked gorgeous.
With a quick knock, Liev stepped inside, his gaze flicking between Alex and Madison, picking up on in the tension immediately.
“You rang?” Liev leaned casually against the doorframe. His tone was light, but his eyes were sharp.
Alex didn’t waste time. “We have a problem,” he said, his voice clipped. “I need proof Armstrong is behind the articles that came out today. Find out who they got their information from. There were too many details for it to be an outsider.”
Liev’s smile faded. “Got it.”
“Start with the bloggers.” Alex crossed his arms, his mind racing. His voice dropped, colder now. “And while you’re at it, dig up everything you can on Opal Amherst’s death—autopsy reports, witness statements, police files. I want to know what she was doing in the weeks before she died. See if there’s any connection to Armstrong or Felix. Places they could have met, run into each other… anything.”
Liev’s eyes darted to Madison.
“I think my sister may have been trying to blackmail either the Senator or Felix, and that’s what got her killed.”
His eyes widened. “You don’t think it was an overdose?”
Madison shifted, her fingers twisting together. “Opal had been in a good mood before she died. She talked about giving Jax a better life. She was happy. It didn’t make sense she would relapse.” Her shoulders rose in a sad shrug. “But I honestly don’t know.”
“If she was blackmailing him, I want proof. I want to know what she had on him and how far it went,” Alex added.
Liev nodded. “I’ll start with the official records and see what I can track down.”
Madison took a breath. “I’ll check her personal things again. There might be a few boxes left at my parents’ house. I’ll go there tomorrow. They’ve been asking to see Jax, so I’ll let them watch him while I go to the storage unit.”
Alex frowned. “Not alone.”
“I’ll be fine. My parents will have Jax, and I’ll go directly to the storage unit and back. It shouldn’t take more than an hour. I’ve been through the stuff there before, but I didn’t go through the pockets. I might have missed something.”
“Ask Angela to go with you. She can stay with Jax at your parents while you’re gone.”
“My parents aren’t the greatest, but Jax will be safe with them. They wouldn’t do anything to hurt him.” Her smile was wry when she added. “They can’t really emotionally manipulate him in an hour, and that’s their weapon of choice.”