Chapter Three
Maddy
“I can’t believe you hired a hitman, daddy,” I complain for the tenth time. “What if he kills us as soon as he walks in the door?”
“That’s not how it works, Cookie,” he tells me calmly. “I searched for days before finding the right person. This man has morals. He only goes after the truly guilty people.”
“But the person sending these letters is saying that I’m the one who is guilty,” I remind him. “There’s no proof that I didn’t do what they’re accusing me of.”
“Someone is framing you, Cookie,” daddy tells me. “This man will help us find out who.”
The gate alarm rings indicating someone has just arrived.
“He’s here,” mom says. “Is everything ready?”
“All of the original letters are on the table and waiting,” I tell her as I take my seat at the dining room table and wait.
“This way, Mr. King,” I hear daddy say. “Can I get you anything to drink before we get settled?”
“No, thank you, Mr. Burton,” a deep voice smoothly replies. “And, please, just call me King.”
My eyes are glued to the corner of the wall where I know my dad and this King person will be turning around in just a few more seconds.
As he rounds the corner, my breath catches. There's an undeniable magnetism about him that pulls me in, making it hard to look away. His military haircut speaks of discipline, a controlled strength that only adds to the allure.
The short beard, meticulously shaped with sharp edges, frames his face in a way that accentuates the definition of his jaw. It's a jawline that could cut through the toughest barriers, leaving me utterly captivated. His towering height commands attention, and the well-defined muscles hint at a strength that both intrigues and entices.
His brown eyes, deep and mysterious, hold secrets that beckon me to unravel while his dark chocolate skin exudes a warmth that draws me closer. In this moment, as he moves gracefully, he embodies a perfect blend of strength, masculinity, and a magnetic allure that leaves me spellbound.
In other words, holy freaking cow, he’s sexy.
My face heats as my growling stomach alerts everyone to the fact that I haven’t eaten today. It’s also a stark reminder as to why no matter how sexy I think he is, I need to remember that I’m not his type. I’m short and fat. That’s not me downing myself. It’s the cold hard truth.
Where he’s a ten, I’m a three on my best days.
Oh, and he’s a freaking hitman.
“Mr. King, this is my daughter, Madeline.”
Standing, I make sure my shirt is covering the bulge that is my stomach before stepping around the table and reaching out my hand. I don’t know why I think pulling my shirt down further will help conceal it any, but a girl can dream.
“Hello,” I say shyly.
“Miss,” King greets as his large hand envelops mine. When he doesn’t move, I awkwardly move my arm up and down. Cringing, I let go and return to my seat.
My stomach chooses to growl its anger once more.
“For crying out loud,” I whisper harshly. “Just eat the freaking fat stores, man. I’ll give you something fresh later.”
Sighing, I straighten my shoulders and look up. Mom, dad, and King are all standing there with laughter in their eyes.
“Did you just tell your stomach to eat itself?” King asks.
“No,” I lie. “I was giving myself a pep talk. You know, for moral support.”
“I see,” he says, taking a seat across from me. “Well, shall we get started?”
Instantly, any calmness I felt is thrown out the window.
“Where should I start?” I ask, looking down at the pile of letters.
“From the very beginning,” he tells me. “Leave nothing out.”
“Okay,” I inhale deeply, hold it for a second, and exhale. “About a year ago I received a letter in the mail.”
It takes two hours to get through the entire year. I tell him about the letters in the mail, the ones that came to the school I work at. I explain how I went to the police and what they said. I tell him every detail that I can remember. All the way down to the panic attacks when I’m alone.
“Then this one arrived just a few days ago,” I say, handing him the latest threat.
I wait as he reads the note and examines the images.
“Do you have any enemies, Ms. Burton?”
“No,” I answer. “Well, I made one of my students stand against the wall during recess one time because he pushed someone down. He threatened to stab me in the eye with a crayon.”
One of King’s eyebrows raises in question.
“He has trouble with his anger,” I explain. “He’s only eight. But he’s definitely enemy number one.”
I smile hoping that King understands that I’m joking. The poor boy was simply distraught that he wasn’t allowed to play with his friends. He quickly forgot all about how angry he was the next day. However, I’ve yet to see him push another student.
“What about that one person who was angry at the school board for giving you the position over her?” mom asks.
“She wasn’t angry for very long,” I tell her. “She was accepted at the private Christian Academy a few weeks later. Her pay is more than double what I make.”
“What about ex partners, Ms. Burton?” King asks.
“Maddy,” I smile. “Or Madeline if you prefer. But, no, I’ve never had time to date. I spent my years in college studying and now I spend my time teaching special needs children.”
“What about men you may have turned down?” King asks. “Some men might feel the need to get revenge against the person to make themselves feel better.”
“Have you seen me, King?” I ask, eyes wide. “I am a large woman who carries her weight throughout her whole body. Nothing about me is small. No man will ever be interested in me. Hell, I’m still a virgin. Whatever reason I’m being targeted, it’s not because I’ve broken any hearts.”
Silence. No one says a word.
It takes me a second to realize what I’ve just said. Did I really just announce to King, and my freaking parents, that I’m a virgin?
Kill me now.
“Okay, so, let’s pretend that I didn’t just say all of that.”
“You’re wrong about one thing, Madeline,” King says, smirking.
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“You’re incredibly short,” he says. “So, you do have something that’s small.”
Okay, so that shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did. I know I’m short. That’s not the issue. It’s the other thing he said. I know I’m fat, dude. You don’t have to throw my words back at me.
“Anyway,” I say, ignoring the stupid tears burning behind my eyes. I refuse to let them shine. “So, no. I can’t think of a single person who would want to hurt me. I’m an introvert. I don’t really like going out and doing things with people. Too many people would exhaust me.”
“Well, I have some bad news then,” he tells me. “I don’t normally do bodyguard jobs. I also don’t involve my family in this part of my life. However, both of those are happening this time.”
“Does that mean you’ll take the job?” daddy asks.
“I wouldn’t have arrived here had I not already come to that decision,” he tells dad. “However, with the knowledge that the ones after you know where you currently are, you will need to be moved.”
“Moved? I don’t have any other place to go other than my apartment.”
“Which will not do,” he says. “Mr. and Mrs. Burton, I have a safe house that I would like the two of you to travel to until things are resolved. Madeline’s life isn’t the only one being threatened now.”
“What about my daughter?” Daddy asks. “Isn’t she coming with us?”
“No,” King answers. “She will be coming with me. I’m going to eventually need her help if I’m to catch these people. Don’t worry, she will be safe with me and my family. I will have her contact you once a week.”
And so, we spend the next hour packing and preparing ourselves. King gives my parents the information about where they’re going but won’t let me know. He says it’s for their own safety. So, as I watch my parents leave, I cry not knowing if, or when, I’ll see them again.
“Just so you know,” I tell a silent King. “I’m a crier. I cry a lot. Over the stupidest things.”
“Tears don’t bother me, Madeline,” he says tossing my things into the back of his car. “Get in.”
Well, alrighty then. I’m over here trying not to shatter into a million pieces as I watch my only family drive away and he just tells me to get in ?
Jerk.
Deciding I didn’t want to be close to him, I opted to sit in the backseat.
Not that he cares. He simply gets behind the wheel and pulls out of the driveway.
***King***
Fuck my life. Fuck my life very much.
Rules. I have rules for myself that I must follow no matter what.
Never accept a job when the target’s guilt isn’t fully known. And never get romantically or sexually involved with clients. During or after the job.
Madeline is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Like she said herself, there isn’t a single thing about her body that’s small. She may not like that about herself but I happen to think big women are, by far, sexier than their counterparts.
I would have to use a lot of my muscles to toss her sexy ass over my shoulders and that thought alone makes my dick hard.
I’m a big fucking man. I have to be cautious about who I fuck and how much control I allow myself to lose. My dick is a solid twelve and a half inches long. Over half the size most women can comfortably fit. I need me a big ass woman that can handle what I have to offer.
Not that their pussies are bigger, just that they have more meat to cushion my thrusts.
Images of Madeline’s ass rippling as I pound into her pussy flash in my head.
This woman will be the hardest temptation I’ve ever faced. She’s a temptation I won’t allow myself to reach for.
So, I say again, fuck my life.