Maddy
The three men surrounding me were my worst nightmare come to realization. He was after me, he’d found me and it was only a matter of time before he himself was standing over me.
“Wow…I figured you’d be a little sharper, being a nurse and all. Don’t you have to be on your toes when people’s lives are under your care?” the lead one spoke again, his tone as derisive as his sneer.
“What is it you came here to do?” I snapped at him, a surprising fierceness rising from my chest.
“To give you a warning and a message. You need to get yourself and your son back to Chicago or there will be consequences. Giovanni misses his family and simply wants to work things out without there having to be a mess involved,” he said. I glanced around wondering how, in one of the busiest cities in the world, no one had come by yet.
Picking up on my distraction, one of the other guys grabbed my upper arm in a vise-like grip and shoved me into the stairwell where there was absolutely no one in sight or hearing.
“I left Giovanni, he’s an abusive asshole and I don’t want him in my life or my son’s life anymore. You can run back to Chicago and tell him that yourself,” I spat. The slap came before I could even flinch away. He hit me so hard across the face that my vision blurred and I stumbled back. Then he was pressing me against the wall, his face directly in mine.
“Forget about all that domestic shit, you can work that out with him. What’s more important is what you know about Giovanni. You know what line of work he’s in and that’s a liability. The only reason we’re sparing you right now is because that idiot is some kind of obsessed with you.” He let me go and my knees buckled a bit but I caught my footing. “Either way it’s you come back to Chicago, or Giovanni loses his patience and comes here. We’ve been watching you for weeks and know all your routines. I bet Giovanni would just love to see you all lovey dovey with that billionaire you’re messing around with. No doubt for his money anyway.”
“I’m not…” he hit me again, smacking me in the face before fisting my hair in his hands with painful tightness.
“If you know what’s good for you and whoever else you love you’ll take this chance bitch. You have two weeks to get back to Chicago, or else Giovanni’s coming here for you,” he hissed then threw me to the ground. They all left me there, quickly filing back out into the street. I slowly got up, my eyes blurring with tears just as I started to hyperventilate. I needed to at least get to my car before passing out. I barely made it to the second flight of stairs before I ended up crouching down, overcome with terror, panic, and anxiety. What was I going to do? What the hell could I do?
* * *
Joshua
“Josh do you love mommy?” Gio’s question caught me way off guard, to say the least. We were playing Headbandz, the kid version, and I was pretty sure my card was a pickle, then Gio went and did a one-eighty train of thought shift on me.
“Um…I do love your mom, very much, and I love you too,” I told him. Gio smiled happily and fiddled with the card in his hand.
“Can you marry mommy? So we can be a family?” he asked without looking up at me. His hair was flopping down into his face, hiding his expression. Kid needed a serious haircut.
“I want to marry your mom, and we most likely will. When it happens, it happens. Just know that we’re already a family. Because we love each other,” I told him and squeezed his shoulder in comfort.
“Okay…” he said softly and finally looked up at me, his eyes a little clouded with some emotion I couldn’t figure out. Maybe he was trying to make sense of stuff, I had no idea.
“Still got something on your mind?” I asked him and he nodded.
“Mommy and I ran away from daddy because he didn’t love us. He was a bad guy…like in Batman. But if you marry mommy then he can’t come to take us.” he said, making my heart pound a little bit. I hated that Gio was talking about stuff like that. He should be a happy kid, having no knowledge that bad guys in cartoons actually exist. What the hell was his father all about anyway? What did he do to them that would have Maddy not see me for a week and have Gio wiser beyond his years?
“Hey let’s not talk about your dad anymore. I know it upsets you. He’s gone now, in the past okay?” Gio nodded and took a deep breath. “So…am I a pickle?” I asked, pointing to the card strapped to my head with a goofy smile. Gio giggled and he nodded.
“You’re good at this game…” he commented while looking through the cards I’d guessed right. I checked my watch and realized only then how late it was. Maddy should have at least called by now, it was pushing nine thirty.
“Hey give me a sec, I’m going to go see if your mom’s off of work yet,” I got up from the floor and went to grab my phone in the kitchen. Maddy had been working late for the past few days and I’d been mostly watching after Gio for her since he really didn’t like spending too much time at their aunt’s house in Queens. Maybe she’d been tired and just gone straight to Aida’s without thinking?
I dialed Maddy’s number, but she didn’t answer. After calling her a couple more times without her answering I called Aida.
“Hello, Josh?” she answered, bemused. Usually after I picked Gio up from her house Maddy came to get him from my place or they slept over. Plus, I never really called Aunt Aida just to talk.
“Hey Aida, I was wondering if you’ve heard from Maddy at all tonight?” I asked her curiously, trying not to let her hear my concern.
“Well after she told me that you were coming to get Gio again tonight I haven’t heard from her, why?” she asked, almost suspicious.
“She must be stuck in traffic then, I was just trying to reach her is all, but she’s not answering the phone,” I tried to downplay as much as I could, but there was no getting anything over on Aunt Aida.
“Either her phone died or she could be at her apartment. Maybe you should drive by there to check on her,” Aida said, almost ordering me to do so instead of suggesting.
“I will, I’ll let you know when I find her,” I said.
“Please do Joshua, drop Gio here if you need to,” she answered and I ended the call. Taking a deep breath, I glanced at Gio on the floor in the living room.
“Hey man, you’re not gonna like this but…I’ve got to take you back to Aunt Aida’s,” I said while grabbing my car keys from the counter.
“Aw, why? Can I sleep over here? Is mommy working all night?” he pouted while reluctantly cleaning up the board game. Gio was one of the most well behaved near six-year olds I’d ever met. Some would probably throw a fit at not getting their way.
“Nah, your mom says to take you back to Aunt Aida’s,” I lied, not wanting to scare him, especially after our conversation a second ago.
“Are you fighting again?” he asked, seeming annoyed and I smirked.
“We’re not fighting don’t worry. It’s just that what mom says goes, so we have to do what we have to do,” I said. He sighed, but went ahead and put his shoes on. A few minutes later I was practically speeding to Queens, but getting there from the Upper West side was a mission. After a quick drop off and a pointed look from Aunt Aida to find Maddy I sped to the Bronx.
I was able to slide into the building without having to buzz up and hurried up to her apartment. After knocking on her door several times it finally unlocked and I practically pushed my way in to get to her.
“Shit…Maddy! What happened to you?” shock froze my blood as I shut the door behind me and took her battered face carefully in my hands. Her eyes were red rimmed and she had a bruised eye as well as a cut on her lip. Anger and adrenaline quickly diffused the shock in my veins and I was ready to take down whoever did this to her. “Who did this?” I asked, holding back my anger for her sake.
“It was…” she glanced behind me, suddenly realizing that I didn’t have Gio with me. “Gio, where’s Gio?” she asked, her voice jumping an octave with panic.
“Hey, hey, take a breath, he’s with your Aunt Aida,” I said while pulling her into my arms. As soon as her head fell against my chest she started sobbing.
***
My chest felt tight with anxiety, I didn’t know what was wrong and I wanted to fight whatever it was.
“He’s…he’s c—coming…” she sobbed against my chest and said something more, but it was muffled.
“Baby take deep breaths, tell me who’s coming. Who did this to you?” I asked her. I scooped her into my arms and walked over to the couch. She held onto me tightly and cried until her sobs no longer wracked her body. I rubbed her back and tilted her chin so she could look up at me. I studied her face and kissed her lips gently.
“Giovanni…he wants me and Gio, he wants us to go back to Chicago or he’ll come here and take us,” she said softly, her voice still thick with tears.
“He sent someone here to do this to you?” I asked, rage creeping into my voice and making me see red.
“He’s a part of the mafia and they said that I was a liability…that I’m being given a chance…” she trailed off, her voice trembling as more tears fell to her cheeks.
“Mafia? Your ex is part of the mafia?” I asked and she hiccupped and wiped her eyes.
“I didn’t know, when we met he was a normal guy. He was nice, fun, he wasn’t that dark and twisted thing he turned into,” she said, shame heavy in her tone.
“We’ll talk about this more later, first thing’s first. You’re not going anywhere, and he’s not going to get to you or Gio. No one will lay another finger on you.” Maddy’s eyes widened, but she didn’t protest. I was taking control of the situation and making sure she and Gio were absolutely safe.
“Let’s pack a few bags for you and Gio, you’re coming home with me and eventually moving out of here. If he sent people after you, he definitely knows where you live.”
“They know about you too…” she said slowly. “They know we’re seeing each other…I didn’t want you getting involved with Giovanni’s craziness,” she added.
“Did you know he’d come around or something?” I asked her.
“I’ve been getting those calls from an unknown number, but I never answered. I tried not to believe it was him, I should’ve listened to my gut…” she looked down, remorse all over her face.
“You should have told me about him sooner Maddy,” I said, accidentally snapping at her from all my frustration and anger. “I can keep you safe, hadn’t it ever crossed your mind that I have the resources to make sure that maniac won’t touch you or Gio again?” She glanced down, her shoulders slumping and I realized I needed to shut up. I didn’t want her feeling defeated, no doubt Giovanni had made her feel that way time and time again. Especially after sending whatever thugs after her.
“I’m sorry Maddy, I’m just angry that he sent people after you,” I said in a softer tone. She glanced up at me and took a deep breath, her hand went to her side and a small wince crossed her features. “What hurts?”
“I fell, it’s nothing…” she said and turned around. “I’ll get some bags to start packing,” she said quickly. I took several deep breaths and tried to calm down a bit before following her back to her bedroom. I wondered if she even realized she gave an excuse when she didn’t need to. I knew exactly what happened yet she was ready to cover it up, as if it were a routine or something. Shaking my head, my fists balled up at my sides, Giovanni had turned her into some sort of battered woman in Chicago. Now that he was haunting her she was terrified and no doubt lost in whatever hell he put her through leading to her move.
I went to help her get some stuff packed, all the essentials for her and Gio, then we loaded everything into the SUV and drove back to Aunt Aida’s. I pulled up to her townhouse and told Maddy to stay in the car, I didn’t want Aida, nor Gio seeing her face and freaking out.
“Josh…did you find Maddy?” Aida was in her pajamas when she answered the door. She was a short woman, who didn’t look a day over thirty strangely enough even though she was twice that age. Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a bun and she was sporting her huge reading glasses that always made her eyes look extra green, they were the same shade as Maddy and Gio’s.
“She’s in the car if you want to go talk to her, where’s Gio?” I asked and she picked up on my tone immediately. Instead of asking me what was going on, she went right to the car to talk to Maddy. I hurried inside to get Gio, he was asleep in Aida’s reading parlor. His world was about to spin right back into the fear he and his mom had tried to escape from. All because of Giovanni. I picked him up from the couch and grabbed his book bag before heading back to the car.
Aunt Aida was standing on the curb, her arms around herself as it was nippy out. She was looking at Maddy with concern, pity, and anger in her eyes.
“Take care of them Joshua. Take care of our family,” she said in a soft voice after I put Gio in the car.
“I will Aunt Aida…by any chance, would you mind if say, someone watched out for you, for your safety?”
“As long as they aren’t my shadow, now go. She needs to be reassured that everything will be alright,” she said with a slight waver to her voice.
“Everything will be alright,” I promised.
***
“Josh, you’re doing way too much, this is…unnecessary,” Maddy said. She was tired. I could hear it in her voice and see it all over her face and in the way she set her shoulders.
“Maddy, you don’t have to stay awake to watch everything. You’re exhausted,” I told her, taking her into my arms. She rested her head on my chest and sighed.
“I…I just want you to come to bed with me,” she said softly.
“I will, I’ll be there in five minutes, promise,” I told her and kissed her softly on the lips.
“Mr. Aberdeen, we have everything set up, we just need to brief you on a few things,” Jackson, our new head of security, stepped just inside the dining room discreetly.
“Sure, I’ll be right there,” I said and Maddy sighed.
“Gio’s going to wake up tomorrow and wonder what the hell is going on,” she murmured. Maddy pulled away from me then and left to head upstairs. I wanted to be there for her, assure her that things were going to be fine. But I had to make sure we were safe first. I walked swiftly to the downstairs library, which had been set up as a veritable security headquarters for the apartment.
After we’d gotten back from Aunt Aida’s, my assistant had managed to get in contact with the best security firm in the city. They worked fast and picked up our case instantly. Of course they came with a reasonable price, but that was hardly an issue. All within a couple hours they came to the penthouse, we had a contract signed and they sent someone to watch over Aunt Aida from a distance. After that, they got to work making the place impenetrable, if any suspicious activity went on around the building, they’d know it from a mile away.
It was going to mean a lot of changes, having drivers for both Maddy and I and Gio if needed. Then the guards, one for each of us as escorts, on top of that the team had a private investigator who would try to track Giovanni down and watch his movements. The hope was that we’d eventually get evidence of his illegal activity and have him put away.
“So here we have these monitors to display footage from all critical entry points to the penthouse. This monitor shows the access the building manager gave us to the building’s security cameras. You can use these yourself. It’s pretty user friendly to switch between camera views and to zoom in and out. But we’ll always have either Perry or Thomas in here monitoring these…” Jackson continued filling me in on who we’d be seeing from their team most often and I was given everyone’s phone numbers as well as their schedules for rotation. Even security teams had to sleep.
“Thanks Jackson, you don’t know what this means for us,” I said after he briefed me on everything. I offered him my hand to shake and he gave me a respectful nod.
“We will keep you and your family safe Mr. Aberdeen, have no doubt about that,” he assured me. After bidding the four men present goodnight I went upstairs to Maddy. Curled up in the center of the bed she looked so small.
“Josh…?” she lifted her head to look at me, even her voice was small. I dimmed the lights in the room as I made my way to bed, undressing on the way until I was in nothing but boxers.
“Everything is set up, Jackson and his team are going to keep us all safe. Giovanni’s not getting to you or Gio, or even Aunt Aida,” I tried to assure her as I pulled her against my chest.
“I don’t know what to say Josh…I’m stuck between thank you and I’m sorry,” she said on a sigh.
“You have nothing to be sorry about. This isn’t your fault. It’s not in any way your fault. Giovanni is the bad guy, he’s the madman who is set on hurting you. But I won’t let that happen. He won’t touch you.” Maddy snuggled closer to me and let out a tremendous sigh.
“I…thank you Josh. I don’t know where we’d be without you,” she said against my chest. “I love you.”
“I love you too Maddy,” I kissed the top of her head, feeling content and steadfast in the fact that Giovanni would soon be handled. By any means necessary, he’d go down.
* * *
“So…we’re living with Josh forever?” Gio was still slightly confused about the situation. I wasn’t too sure if he was even paying that much attention, all he heard from Maddy was that they were living with me.
“I’m not sure Gio, after Giovanni Senior is…dealt with, we’ll see where we’re at,” Maddy glanced at me briefly before looking back at Gio.
“So you’re not getting married?” he asked, missing the elephant in the room, yet again. “Is it daddy’s fault?” Maddy sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. It wasn’t as if Gio wasn’t concerned or ignorant as to what his father was. When he saw Maddy early in the morning he cried because she was hurt and knew immediately that his father was to blame. Now he was solely concerned about Maddy and my relationship.
“Gio, Josh and I aren’t splitting up. I just need you to know that the future isn’t always set in stone. Even though we love each other very much,” she said. Gio took a bite of his toaster strudel and studied his mom closely before changing gears.
“So Josh has secret agents working for him? To get daddy?”
I chuckled and nodded my head.
“Yeah, they’re something like secret agents. But they’re on the job so you can’t really tell everyone about them,” I cautioned and Gio nodded, a serious expression on his face.
“I’m going to have to go to his school, talk to his teacher…” Maddy mumbled. Sooner or later she’d have to switch him to a school in Manhattan. Regardless of what Maddy said, after Giovanni was handled they’d be staying with me…forever, as Gio put it.
“I don’t want to go to school today Mommy, I want to stay with you,” Gio said, suddenly a little panicky. “Daddy never hurt you when I was there, he won’t hurt you again if I stay with you,” he protested, I could hear the fear he had for his mom in his voice. And fuck if that didn’t punch me in the gut. Giovanni was flat out wrong, to hurt his own kid like that, the woman whom he supposedly loved. It was unfathomable to me why people did stuff like that to those they were supposed to care for the most.
“It’s okay Gio, he’s not going to hurt me again. Remember Josh is keeping us safe?” she walked around the breakfast bar and he climbed right into her arms, burying his face in her hair. “Alright, no school today, but we’ll talk about going tomorrow,” she conceded. Maddy took him into the living room and I felt like punching something again. Jackson emerged from the hallway at the back of the kitchen then and I walked over to him.
“We’ve got something to show you.”
***
“So my guys have followed these two since late last night. They were seen circling around Maddy’s old block, they stopped by Aida’s and now they’re circling around the building here. We got decent pictures of them, but I’m pretty sure these are two of the three that assaulted Maddy,” I stared at the pictures he brought up. It was of two big looking guys that looked as if they were related. They had clear blue eyes and cold expressions.
“Can you print those out? I’ll show them to Maddy,” I said. A second later Jackson handed me the printouts.
“If the ID’s are positive then we can try to trap them and turn them in for harassment and assault,” he said.
“That sounds good to me, thanks Jackson,” I folded the papers in half and went to find Maddy. She was still in the living room with Gio.
“Hey can I talk to you for a sec?” Maddy nodded and told Gio she’d be right back. He was finishing his breakfast and simultaneously setting up a game of Connect Four.
“What’s up?” she asked me and I showed her the printouts. When she realized what she was looking at, I could see her hands trembling a bit. “They…they were the ones who cornered me,” she said in a low tone. “But there was a third one…”
“Don’t worry Jackson and his guys are working on finding that guy as well. But we can handle these two right now; start taking Giovanni down a notch,” Maddy nodded, handing me back the pictures.
“Do what you think is best,” she said. I tilted her chin up and kissed her softly on the lips.
“We’ll get this handled soon, you don’t have to worry,” I promised and she chuckled.
“I’m a mom…all I do is worry.”
“Well worry less about this at least,” I told her and she gave an unconvincing nod. “I’ve got to get some work done today, but I should only be in the office for a few hours…” I began to tell her.
“Wait, you’re leaving?” she asked me, sounding almost as worried as Gio had when she mentioned him going to school.
“No, I’ll be upstairs in my office,” I said with a chuckle and rubbed her arms reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I’m the boss I can work from just about anywhere.”
“Oh…okay then,” she said with a sigh and sheepish smile. I kissed her again before I went to give Jackson the affirmative on the pictures then headed to my office. I had to handle a few accounts we were acquiring and get back on a few partnership inquiries. My business was seriously taking off and managing it was getting more and more tedious. I’d seriously have to put a board together to share the work load.
I hadn’t realized how long I’d been in the office until Maddy poked her head inside.
“Hungry? You’ve been in here more than a few hours,” she said and walked over with a bag of Mile High Burgers.
“Oh, you’re amazing,” I said and opened my arms so she could sit in my lap.
“Gio and I went out for the first time with the driver and all. It wasn’t that bad. They drove us to the burger place and Jackson walked with us inside, but stayed towards the back, he melded in like a ghost,” she said, making me laugh.
“Good, I wouldn’t want you feeling uncomfortable with the security detail…” she fed me a French fry and I bit her finger purposefully as I took it. I grinned at her playfully and chewed right in her ear, making her giggle. “So where’s Gio?”
“Oh my goodness, he had a burger twice his size. He’s sleeping it off,” she said with a melancholy smile. “He’s really…I can’t tell how he’s handling everything. I can tell he’s scared and worried. But he also thinks that you’ll somehow take care of everything,” she said.
“And why can’t I? I see Gio as my son and if he looks up to me as a father then I’m supposed to be Superman. Taking care of who I love and beating the bad guys that threaten us…as well as get married to you.”
“You’re too good to be true Joshua…” she said with a small smile. I kissed her hard then rested my forehead against hers.
“There are good guys out there Maddy, you can trust that I am one,” I said. She took a deep breath before she nodded and kissed me again. I put the takeout bag on the desk and pushed my fingers into her hair, deepening the kiss. She pressed her chest against mine and my cock stiffened in my pants. Maddy’s hand slid to rub the bulge in my jeans. Soon I’d be pretty freaking uncomfortable.
I picked her up and walked around to the side of my desk where I sat her down on the edge and she wrapped her legs around me. Her core pressed right against my erection and I ground my hips against her. A soft moan left her lips and she broke the kiss to impatiently unbuckle my pants. I made quick work of lifting her to get her own jeans off and was surprised to find her without any panties.
“I could have sworn you put panties on this morning…” I smiled at her. She smirked and gave a small shrug.
“So maybe I came in here with another purpose than just bringing you lunch?”
I kissed her hard on the lips and she reached down to stroke my cock which was throbbing with the need to get inside of her. Hell my whole body was wired tight and she was the only one who could release my tension. I reached down to rub her clit, but she stopped me.
“No, don’t worry about it. Just go, I want you…” she breathed, impatience in her voice. One of the things I loved about Maddy was that she was always right there with me when it came to sex. I lifted her hips a fraction and she guided me inside. Taking every inch before I lost myself with her and drove us both towards a dizzying orgasm.
***
“I needed that…” she panted, hardly holding herself up on the desk. I loved seeing her all drunk and sated because of me. Honestly it made me feel like the man.
“So did I…I think I’m going to love working in here from now on. Can you stay home from work every day?” I teased. I kissed her temple while she chuckled.
“I wish I could…do you know if Jackson had those guys taken in yet?” she asked me, the mood suddenly shifting. I helped her off of the desk and fixed my pants.
“He’ll let me know as soon as he does. All he’s told me is that he has his guys on it.” I watched as she bent down to grab her jeans and took a step towards the bathroom.
“Who they really need to catch is the third one, he seemed to be the other two’s boss or something,” she said before continuing to the bathroom to freshen up. Just as I was about to pick up my phone to call Jackson, there was a knock on the door. I almost smirked, two minutes earlier and whoever that was at the door would have heard quite an earful.
I strode to the door and found Perry standing there with a polite expression on his face. Even though Perry was Jackson’s main tech guy, he was just as built as all the other guys he worked with. They were all either ex-military or ex-cops of varying degrees. They still sported short haircuts and had that intent focus of anyone with law enforcement or military training.
“What’s up Perry?”
“Sorry to bother you Mr. Aberdeen, but Jackson just called, he said that they managed to corner the two men who work for Giovanni. Jackson and our P.I. are questioning them before turning them over to the police. But Jackson wanted to see if you’d like to be present for any of the…off the record questioning?” I hid my surprise that Perry would come to ask me that. But the initial shock was trumped by responsibility to get to the bottom of this problem and handle it thoroughly.
“Yes I’d like to be there,” I said and glanced back at the bathroom door, Maddy was still in there.
“Sure, I’ll let Jackson know, the car should be ready in two minutes,” Perry left just as Maddy came out of the bathroom.
“What’s going on?” she asked. I walked over to the desk to grab my cell.
“They got the brothers, I want to be there for questioning before they turn them in to the police. You’ll have to file charges pretty soon…” she nodded and took a deep breath.
“Should I come with you then?”
“I’ll give you a call, you can meet us at the police station,” I said and she nodded again. Her eyes were wide and I could tell she was trying not to get overwhelmed. “Hey…we got this, remember?” I kissed her softly before I left to head to the car downstairs. Michael, my new driver, was waiting outside with the security firm’s standard black Mercedes S600. All the drivers drove one as it kept clients safer than any regular car picked up at a dealership.
“Good afternoon Mr. Aberdeen,” Michael greeted me with a handshake before he held the door open for me to get in.
“So where we headed?” I asked him once he was in the driver’s seat and pulling away from the building.
“Maddy’s old place. Jackson, Thomas, and Mo have them holed up there,” he said almost conversationally.
“Do you think they’ll give up the third one that cornered Maddy?” I asked him.
“No, the mafia type tends to be really close knit, they’re supposed to be family and all. It would take a lot to get them to talk. Plus, if you ask me, harassment and battery charges aren’t enough to hold these guys for very long.”
I thought about that while he drove the rest of the way to the Bronx. When we got there Jackson and Thomas had the two brothers sitting down in the kitchen. No one was tied up or anything. It seemed like they were cooperating.
“Hey Josh…these guys are chump change. They don’t know much and say the third one who hurt Maddy went back to Chicago,” Jackson filled me in as I stared the two down. They almost had relaxed postures as they sat at the table.
“Had they broken in here or something?” I asked and Mo nodded.
“Climbed the fire escape, forced entry there…the cops should be close now,” he added.
“You can turn us in, whatever. But you’ll only make things worse for yourself and for Giovanni’s kid and fiancée,” one of them spoke up in a gruff voice while the other simply chuckled.
“Anyhow we’ll be out in two months’ tops, we didn’t touch your precious Maddy and our lawyers are adept enough to prove our innocence,” he sneered. I balled my fists at my sides, but held myself back from decking the idiot.
“You can send your P.I. this way and that, but you’ll never find anything, and Giovanni will get what he wants in the end, he always does. He’s the boss’s son after all…” the idiot’s brother elbowed him in the side and he shut his flapping lips.
“If Giovanni gets what he wants, then why doesn’t he have Maddy?” I taunted, but the guy was wiser and kept his mouth shut, not taking the bait. A firm knock on the door and a characteristic, ‘Brooklyn Police,’ had Jackson opening the door. Two cops walked in and glanced around the room, taking in the situation.
“We got a call for breaking and entering?” The officer whose badge read, ‘Donovan’ spoke up, while his partner continued scanning the room, his badge read, ‘Shields.’ It was a long rest of the day getting the two idiot brothers booked and explaining everything that went on since Maddy was attacked. Jackson and I had moved from the apartment to the police station where Maddy met us and went through the proper steps to file charges against the brothers and start building a case against Giovanni.
“Well ma’am, Mr. Aberdeen, all I can tell you is that for now, the most we can do is call over to Chicago PD and make them aware of this Giovanni. You’ve done the right thing in the past by calling in the domestic violence incidents while you were still with him. As long as you continue to report any further developments it will make a stronger case against him so we can throw the book at him. But as for the mafia involvement that’s going to be harder to prove and I’d suggest you stay out of it Mr. Aberdeen. The best course of action is to be careful, stay vigilant, and call anything in. Here’s my card…” Officer Donovan gave both Maddy and I his card, he’d given Jackson one as well. After a few more assurances that they’ll do what they can for us, I led Maddy out of the police station.
“It sucks when you have a criminal reaching across several different jurisdictions…it makes him harder to squash,” I said, frustration was like a rock in my gut.
“Yeah…he’s crafty like that,” she sighed. We got into the car for Michael to drive us back to the penthouse.
“So what are we doing for Gio’s birthday? It’s next Friday right?” I asked.
“Yeah, I asked him what he wanted to do, but he’s…I don’t know, he’s depressed and it’s scaring me. I mean he’s only just turning six, he shouldn’t be dealing with all of this,” she said, her voice wavering.
“Maybe we can take him to talk to someone,” I offered.
“I don’t know…” she hesitated. Hell I didn’t like the fact that taking Gio to see a therapist was a conversation we were having, but what was going on was a lot for a kid to witness. My dad was my absolute hero when I was that young, I couldn’t even begin to fathom what it would be like to have a reality where he’s a villain.
When we got back to the penthouse Aunt Aida was actually playing the Wii with Gio. They were playing Mario Kart of all games. I had to hold in my laugh. Aida wasn’t a frumpy old woman by any means, she was attractive for her age, her laugh lines made her loveable, but she had a sharp mind and wit and often held herself in a well-read fashion. So to see her being a kid was pretty surprising.
“Oh, you’re back…” she spared us a short glance and Gio barely looked at us.
“Hi Mommy, hi Josh,” he said and got back to the game. I spotted Jackson step into the living room and he gestured for Maddy and I to follow him.
“What’s up?” Maddy asked him. I wondered what he could possibly have for us since he got to the house only seconds before we did.
“Perry received a…call.”
***
“A call? What kind of call?” Maddy asked, we were only in the kitchen so had to keep our voices low.
“We believe either Giovanni himself or the third man he sent to ambush you called the house. Of course Perry intercepted the call and recorded everything,” Jackson gestured for us to follow him back to the library. “Play the recording,” he told Perry who hit a button on his computer.
“It’s a shame I missed them, but I guess I can leave a message…” the recording played a deep and distorted voice, the kind you hear in thriller movies. The kind fucking serial killers used. “Tell Maddy that we’re coming to pick her and Gio up. He shouldn’t spend a birthday without his father. You can do whatever makes you sleep well at night, have a couple of my guys arrested. But the end result is inevitable.” With that the recording ended.
“They hung up directly after that,” Perry said.
“How’d they get this number?” I asked, looking to Jackson who sighed.
“Anyone can hire a private investigator and unfortunately phone numbers are practically public record.” I cursed under my breath and slid an arm around Maddy’s waist. She was rigid and glancing at her face I saw her expression was carefully blank.
“We can send this over to the police, though I doubt they’ll tell us anything different from what they did tonight,” Jackson said.
“Jackson…I don’t know if I should even ask this of you, but do you think you can send a couple guys to Chicago to try and dig something up on Giovanni, anything that can help speed things along and land him in jail for life?” I put it all out there, knowing my request was a hefty one even for a security firm as large and versatile as Jackson’s.
“Actually I was going to suggest we do something like that, Mo and another P.I. of ours that’s interested in the case wouldn’t mind heading to Chicago at all,” he said, surprising me.
“Alright then, I’m glad we’re on the same page,” I said and he gave a small shrug.
“I think that by now plenty of us are invested in keeping your family safe and taking care of the Giovanni problem, you can count on us,” he said.
“Thanks Jackson, that means a lot,” I said sincerely.
“How much will it cost to send the P.I.’s over there?” Maddy asked.
“That’s on us, there won’t be any change in fee,” Jackson said, glancing briefly from Maddy to me. After a few more reassurances that his guys are on it, Maddy and I left him and Perry to it.
“I can’t believe he just…called here while Gio was in the house,” Maddy said, “without us,” she added. “And don’t tell me not to worry, everything will be okay, because…this is just getting tougher and tougher to navigate.” She threw her hands up in frustration and walked away. I watched her head to the bar in the dining room. Then she walked to the living room balcony with a glass of something brown.
“Ha! I beat you Aunt Aida!” Gio shouted while Aida chuckled.
“I guess I’m not as good at this game as I thought,” she said. I walked over to the couch, deciding to give Maddy the space she needed.
“You just have to keep practicing,” he said kindly and Aida pulled him close to give him a smacking kiss on the cheek.
“Hey Gio, what do you think about going for a haircut with me tomorrow? After school?” I asked him and he thought about it, clearly reticent about the package deal of going to school.
“Okay…” he ended up giving in with a sigh.
“So what are we doing for dinner around here?” she asked me as she got up. Her eyes were on the balcony though, watching Maddy stare out at the city.
“We can see what we have to make,” I suggested and stepped into the kitchen with her.
“So what’s going on, fill me in,” she said as soon as we were out of Gio’s earshot.
“Well anything Giovanni sends our way we’re turning over to the police. They booked the two guys who broke into her apartment and harassed her outside her job. Then Giovanni or his thug called the house while we were gone with a message, more like a threat.”
“You know…when Maddy lost her parents she thought moving away from New York was the right thing to do, she wanted to find herself in Chicago and I encouraged her. Then she met that Giovanni and I had a bad feeling about him from the start. There was just something…off about that man. Now…now he’s terrorizing her and Gio,” she said sadly.
“We won’t have this dark cloud over our heads forever Aida, we’re going to stop Giovanni,” I told her confidently, believing in Jackson and his firm’s capabilities.
“And after that? Poor Gio asked me today if he would become a bad guy like his dad…” she said in a low voice, shocking me to silence. I had no words for that, but a lot of hot anger towards Giovanni that was certain. I took a deep breath and ran my hand through my hair.
“I’ll try and talk to him tomorrow…” I said slowly.
“Maybe you and Maddy should think about getting him someone to talk to,” she suggested. If Aunt Aida was saying it, that meant I wasn’t off the mark. Gio would definitely need someone to speak his language and clear things up for him.
“Hey Gio, want to help us figure something out for dinner?” I called him over and Aida pretty much took the lead. I glanced at the balcony, Maddy was still out there.
***
Maddy
I took a deep breath and glanced down instead of out at the breathtaking lights of the city. When a serious wave of dizziness hit me from staring eighty flights down I backed away from the balcony and sat down on one of the balcony chairs. I couldn’t believe this was my life. For one, the fact that my son and I were living in a penthouse with my billionaire boyfriend was enough to handle. But then add on the fact that my ex was actively trying to kidnap Gio and I and Josh hired an entire team to protect us and it was enough to make a person start drinking.
“Hey…” I didn’t hear Josh step out onto the balcony, so started a bit at the sound of his voice. “You’ve been out here a while, aren’t you cold?” he asked, coming to sit down with me.
“No, the…brown stuff is keeping me warm,” I glanced at him with a smirk and he chuckled, very deliberately taking my glass away. “Why don’t you have anything in their proper bottles?” I asked him curiously.
“So I was trying to be fancy with the bar, put everything in decanters and whatnot, sue me,” he said with humor in his voice. “How you holdin’ up?” he asked me curiously.
“I don’t know honestly…sometimes I feel like we’re going to be okay. There’s no way Giovanni could possibly get to us, and other times…” I shook my head and let out a heavy sigh. “He just scares me; I know how single minded he can be. If he believes he’s going to take us, then…”
“No, he won’t take you because I’m in the way,” he said, trying to be comforting. Josh was a great guy, anything and everything I could have dreamed of and more. But he didn’t know Giovanni. Not like I did, not like Gio did.
“Don’t underestimate him…” was all I said, whispering.
“Come in and help us make dinner. Aunt Aida found stuff to make homemade pizza…like from scratch. Gio’s having a blast with helping her make the dough,” he said, chuckling.
“I’ll come in in a second,” I said.
“Maddy…” Josh took my hands in his, forcing me to fully face him. “We need you to be strong, for Gio…” he pushed the hair out of my face and cupped my chin in his hand.
“I am…trying, but it’s hard when I’m constantly trying to push past all of those memories and…” my throat closed as tears threatened to fall. “I’m sorry I’m putting you through all of this,” I said softly.
“No, you aren’t putting me through anything. We went over this, it’s all on Giovanni for not knowing how to let you go,” Josh ran his fingers through my hair and he kissed me on the neck before pulling me up. “Come on, let’s make pizza.” I took a deep breath and stood with him to go to the kitchen. Gio’s eyes were on me as soon as I stepped in from the balcony.
“Mommy look!” he held up his doughy fingers and pointed to the ball of dough he was helping Aunt Aida knead.
“Looks like you’re a dough master,” I said, making him laugh.
“Like the little man on the Toaster Strudel box!”
I laughed at that, it was a whole discussion when I explained to him who the Pillsbury Dough Boy was. Gio was chattering non-stop all through dinner and while he was making it with Aunt Aida. He knew I was having a tough time and refused to even sit in his own chair, opting for my lap at the dinner table.
“Mommy if I go to school tomorrow will you be okay?” Gio asked me in all seriousness as I tucked him in for bed. Right after dinner Aunt Aida headed home and I made sure Gio got ready for bed.
“Of course I’ll be okay, I’m going to work tomorrow too, so we’re getting back to normal,” I said and brushed his hair from his face.
“I don’t want daddy to bother us anymore…” he pouted and I kissed him on the forehead.
“He won’t be bothering us for much longer. Don’t you worry,” I said with conviction for his sake. Though my chest felt oddly hollow, I didn’t truly believe my own words.
“I love you Mommy,” he said and wrapped his arms around my neck. I gave him a hug and another kiss before leaving his bedroom, turning on his night light on my way out. I was heading into the bathroom for a quick shower and instead found Josh running a bath in the claw foot tub.
“What’s this?” I asked and he gave me a boyish grin.
“I’m drawing you a bath,” he said simply and then turned off the water before coming over to me and pulling me close. He gave me a soft peck on the lips before he slowly pulled my shirt off over my head. My bra followed the shirt, hitting the ground and he wouldn’t even let me step out of my jeans on my own. Once I was naked I slowly slid into the perfectly warm and fragrant water.
“This bath is…perfect,” I said, feeling the bath salts effervesce at the bottom of the tub.
“Don’t laugh at me, but I usually draw baths for myself,” he chuckled. He sat down next to my head and rested his arms on the edge of the tub, staring at me attentively.
“So I think you and Aida are right…Gio’s going to have to talk to someone after all of this is over,” I sighed.
“We’ll find someone good, he’ll be alright,” Josh said, always ready with a reassurance.
“Are you going to join me…or just watch my boobs float in the water?” I teased, making him laugh.
“I kind of like the idea of observing the buoyancy of your boobs,” he chuckled, but stood up and undressed. I watched with interest as he took off his button up and slacks. I never would have pegged Josh to be the work casual kind of guy, especially as he always seemed to sport tank tops and shorts when he was a kid. Even in the winter he’d be wearing nothing but a tank top or t-shirt under his coats.
Why are you smiling?” he asked as he slowly lowered into the tub across from me. His legs settling on either side of mine.
“I’m just remembering how you used to hate wearing clothes. My dad would chase you away whenever you came over in the summer wearing nothing but swimming trunks. Neither of us even had pools.” I chuckled.
“Yeah I was a weird kid, why’d you like hanging out with me?” he asked and I cracked up.
“I got used to you, you’d always hang around me and I’d always see you sitting on my front stoop, then we became friends,” I chuckled.
“Yeah…I loved you at first sight,” he admitted and I scooted around to relax against his chest. After our bath, Joshua dried me and himself off before carrying me to the bed. His lips found the sensitive skin of my throat and he trailed kisses and nibbles down to my nipples. Sending electric sensations dancing through my veins. I captured my lip in between my teeth as I watched him make his way down to my inner thighs. He kissed each one before licking along the lips of my sex.
Already my hips moved restlessly, he held them down while he licked against my clit relentlessly. My back arched as I fisted my hands in the sheets. He slid two fingers into me and thrust them right against my g-spot. I cried out, my body trembling with my oncoming orgasm as he didn’t let up. I cried out again as the orgasm crashed over me, sending my mind elsewhere while pleasure coursed through me.
Before I even came to he was sliding into me. His lips on my neck as he moved his hips against mine with an urgency that had me unable to catch my breath. Josh came suddenly and his hard thrusts sent me over the edge into another dizzying orgasm.
“I’m not letting him near you,” Josh whispered when we’d both come down from climax. He pulled me tight against him and sealed his mouth over mine. Kissing me deeply, letting his tongue caress mine. Soon enough he was moving inside of me again. He swept me away in pleasure yet again…I don’t think we got much sleep that night.
***
Josh
Maddy left for work in a considerably better mood compared to the funk she was in the night before. Gio noticed she was feeling better as well, and was more willing to go to school. I was on the way up to my office at the Rorke Tower, I had a big meeting with my partners, we were going to create the much needed board. As I hurried back to my office I noticed a crisp white notecard sitting on my desk. I picked it up and read it over twice, my blood running hot with instant anger. In almost calligraphy-like script it read, ‘I have everything on you, yet you’ve got nothing on me,’ accompanied by a smiley face. I called Jackson up to the office and he strode in two minutes later.
“Found this shit on my desk,” I said, handing him the card.
“Whoever it was that dropped this off is probably long gone, but I’ll get someone to check out the perimeter and help me sweep the office,” he said.
“How are your guys doing in Chicago?” I asked him before he could leave.
“They’re hard on the leads we do have, I hope to hear something promising from them come tonight or tomorrow morning,” he said. I took a deep breath and simply nodded. Jackson left and I tried to center myself before heading into the meetings that would take up most of the day. But that note pissed me off and there was no coming back from my slightly murderous mood.
I had Jackson get updates on Maddy and Gio who were fine. There was no suspicious activity around Gio’s school or Maddy’s job. That gave me only a little peace of mind, mostly I was distracted with the drive to pluck Giovanni out of whatever smug hole he was in. Three o’clock couldn’t have come fast enough. I had my driver take me to pick Gio up for our appointment at the barber. The little guy put a smile on my face when I saw him jogging out of the school building with a huge smile.
“Josh guess what! I got an A on my spelling test,” he practically shouted the news at me as he leapt right into my arms.
“What! That’s incredible man, high five,” I held up my hand and he gave me a high five.
“Can we show mommy before our haircut?” he asked me as I took him back to the car with me.
“How about we save it as a surprise for her when she gets home?”
“Okay, so what kinda haircut you gonna get?” he asked, chopping up his normally good grammar for a six-year-old. If Maddy were present she’d correct him right away.
“Something to keep the same style, what about you?” I asked and he thought about it for almost as long as it took for us to get to the barber on Fifth Avenue.
“I want one like you have,” he said as we were escorted from the car and into the building where my barber, Brody, was waiting at his station with an empty chair.
“Hey Brody, this is Gio,” I introduced them and Brody took to Gio with charm. Gio decided he wanted to keep his hair just a little longer than mine and Brody gave him a suave little undercut.
“You look good man,” I told him as we left the barbers, he grinned and gave Jackson a high five before sliding into the backseat ahead of me.
“Josh…is it okay if I call you dad?” he asked me once we were strapped in and on the way to the penthouse. Gio had a tendency to spring huge questions on me like that so I was halfway prepared for it.
“Of course it’s okay man, nothing would make me happier,” I smiled at him and he gave me an almost stern look.
“Marrying mommy?” he asked and I had to laugh.
“You’re right, I stand corrected, marrying your mom would make me the happiest guy in America. But being your dad too…the happiest guy in the world,” I said and he gave me a quirky smile before he turned his head to look out at the passing city. When we got home Maddy was shocked to see how grown up and handsome Gio looked with his new cut. Then we had ice cream before dinner at the news of his acing his spelling test. Just before Maddy and I headed to bed Jackson pulled me aside, I was wondering briefly if the guy ever slept…or changed out of his work suit. Even Perry wore semi casual clothing while on the job.
“Mo called in with an update, they say they have a great lead on Giovanni and his daily routine. It seems like he meets up quite often at a mutual friend’s house, they think it’s the home of the third man who assaulted Maddy.”
“How do they know that?” I asked him.
“They’ve been able to listen in on the phone calls of a person of interest they’ve been trailing. I can have a picture of both in no time in case you want to see if Maddy can ID either of them,” he offered and I nodded. “Either way we wouldn’t think of moving in on that house as you can imagine it’s heavily protected when they gather. But we do have Giovanni’s home address and he lives alone, far away from the others in the organization he’s involved with actually. But he’s only there late at night to early in the morning of course. The bulk of his day is spent in the city.”
“So wait…you got him,” I said, the news sinking in as a plan formed in my mind.
“We can’t exactly do anything about it, he isn’t here actively harassing Maddy…you heard the cops, as long as he’s in Chicago there’s nothing they can do. The restraining order she filed only goes so far.”
“Yeah I know that much…”
“I can already see what you’re thinking and Josh…I have to heavily advise against it,” Jackson said, his tone serious.
“How can I just sit here and do nothing when we know where he is? Anyways I’m not going to do anything rash, I just want to talk to him. You said he lives alone and far away from his guys…Mo and your other P.I. are already there, what could happen?”
“I don’t want to insult you Josh, but you’ve got to be kidding me. The absolute worst can happen. You’re talking about going into his territory,” Jackson was firm in his position, but I wasn’t having it. I wanted to be face to face with that monster and I didn’t care about the risk. If he killed me then he’d have a huge mess on his hands and would risk more than killing me was worth, and he wouldn’t accomplish his true goal either.
***
“Don’t assume all criminals associated with the mafia are smart criminals, or mentally sound ones Josh. Take my word for it, don’t risk your life in going to Chicago,” Jackson urged me.
“I wouldn’t be risking my life, how much would it cost to have one or two of your men travel with me?” Jackson stayed quiet, so I kept on. “I wouldn’t go to his house, I’d send him a fucking message and meet up somewhere neutral. Even you have to admit that a guy like Giovanni wouldn’t pass up a challenge to meet up and talk. He’d want to monologue.” All that pent up anger I’d been trying to hold back for Maddy and Gio’s sake was spilling out. I was pissed and so looking forward to getting face to face with the very terror that was haunting my family. If we couldn’t turn him over to the cops yet, I’d make sure I tried every way to get him to leave us alone. So yeah, I wanted to threaten the asshole personally.
“Josh, I really think you should be careful with this one,” Jackson said, still trying to change my mind.
“Have a letter sent to his house that I want to meet up in Chicago, have Mo scout out some place safe and semi-public. I want to fly in the day after tomorrow, if you can spare another guy for me that would be great,” I said, fully aware of how prick-like I was sounding. Jackson simply sighed and said reluctantly that he’d get it set up. I went upstairs to check on Gio, who was sound asleep in his room, and then I climbed into bed with Maddy.
“Where were you?” she asked me; she was distracted by an old Friend’s rerun on TV.
“Talking to Jackson, he says he has two pictures he wants you to see if you can identify. But we can do that in the morning,” I had her full attention at the mention of Jackson.
“So his guys in Chicago are on to Giovanni?” she asked me.
“Yeah they are, but it’ll take some time before they can get anything incriminating enough to have him locked up for good.”
She nodded thoughtfully before sighing and scooting closer to me, her arm snaking around my waist.
“I think they just might catch him, Jackson’s guys are good,” she said, optimism in her voice. I was glad she was feeling better about the whole situation. Hopefully after my talk face to face with Giovanni I could tell her not to worry about him at all.
My thoughts were distracted when I felt Maddy’s hand sliding beneath the waistband of my pajama pants. My cock hardened even before she took it in her hand and began to stroke me. I turned my head and met her lips with mine. My hands slid under the old t-shirt of mine she was wearing to grip her hips. Her skin was warm, almost feverish, and she was breathing hard already.
“Maddy…you okay?” I asked her hoarsely. She knew just how tight to hold me and how fast to pump her fist. My threshold for reason was quickly evaporating.
“I’m fine…I want you,” she murmured against my lips before she kissed my neck and pressed her chest against mine, climbing on top of me. I could feel her puckered nipples through her shirt. I sat up just so that I could pull them in between my teeth, one at a time. She moaned, her hand sliding out of my pants so that she could rub her already hot core against my erection. I lifted her a fraction so that I could get rid of my pants. She didn’t wait for anymore preamble, she guided me into her as I lowered her back down, our groans of pleasure intermingling. She was so slick and tight around me I just wanted to get lost in her over and over again.
Instead of opting for our usual fervent pace I watched her while she rode me. Her green gaze never left mine and I loved seeing how her pupils dilated and her breathing changed every time she sank down onto me.
“God you’re beautiful…” I whispered and leaned forward to kiss her. She kissed me back as if there’d be no tomorrow and whispered against my lips how much she loved me. My chest had never felt more full; I’d never felt more complete than I do now. It wasn’t long before she was caught up in an orgasm that had me following her over the edge.
* * *
Everything was set for me to head to Chicago, Jackson was staying back of course to make sure Maddy and Gio were safe, but he sent me with one of his best, Marcus. Marcus was a big guy, ex-Navy SEAL and he exuded an odd sort of danger, but I grew immune to it as he was on my side. I did have a qualm or two about leaving. Maddy didn’t know what I was doing and I left her with a fever and oncoming flu which Aunt Aida was trying to combat with all sorts of soups.
“Before we get on this plane…I’d like to remind you that this is a huge risk you’re taking,” Marcus brought me out of my thoughts and I glanced over at the private jet I’d rented for the trip. It’d make for getting back and forth much quicker than flying commercially.
“I know. Trust me, Jackson’s given me enough of an earful about my choices. But this is something I have to do. How’d you react if some asshole was threatening your family?”
“I’d threaten him right back, but in a much smarter way than this,” he sighed and we continued onto the plane. The flight didn’t take that long, a little under two hours and we were landing in Chicago. The meet up was supposed to happen at midday in Lincoln Park. Mo and his partner were waiting for us with an SUV on the tarmac.
“Mr. Aberdeen…” Mo greeted me with a handshake and introduced his partner, Jason.
“So are we good to go on the meet up?”
“We are, we sent the message to Giovanni and watched him leave his house to head to Lincoln Park. We should head over now,” he advised and we all piled into the SUV.
“We’re meeting him at a simple park bench, it’s a public place so not much can go on from either you or Giovanni other than talking. We’ll be hovering around, making it seem like you came alone. The second things look shifty, we’re getting you out of there,” Marcus gave the rundown, clearly taking point of the situation.
“That’s fine, I can just talk…” I murmured, fighting the urge to crack my knuckles. The ride was quiet, and tense. Jason actually secured a wire on the inside of my shirt before we pulled up to the park. They told me where to go and I took a deep breath before walking towards a café in the park.
***
Giovanni
I waited for the prick at the pier behind the old Café Brauer. He thought he was so smart, have some guys following my people around and send me a message? As if I didn’t have eyes on his every fucking move, as if I didn’t see it coming. Maddison could have done a lot better. Joshua Aberdeen was nowhere near ready to go toe to toe with me. Especially with a newly hired security team who could give two fucks about being thorough. They were only out for his money.
Glancing around at the nearby trees I saw my guys waiting, he’d only brought three with him and figured the public exposure of Lincoln Park would keep him safe. My phone alerted me to a text and I glanced down, it was from Marco; got all three. I almost smiled, this was too easy.
“Giovanni.” The barked command had me glancing up to see dear Joshua practically marching towards me.
“That’s me,” I smiled charmingly and held out my hand for him to shake. Unfortunately, he didn’t, he simply stopped three steps away from me and did an awkward little glower. He was sharply dressed, in a suit probably under the guise of being at work. His hair was even perfectly coiffed and he exuded an air of being perfectly held together, having everything set in his perfect little life. He thought he could have my Maddison and my son as his trophy family. I’d teach him soon enough. “So are we just going to stare at each other, or are you going to speak at some point? I mean…you came all this way after all,” I slid my hands into my pockets and rocked back on my heels. I almost smirked when I saw him ball up his fists.
“I came to tell you to leave Maddy and Gio alone. They left you because you’re a sadistic asshole who only wants to control them. Maddy doesn’t love you and neither does Gio. They’ve moved on and you need to as well,” he said practically through gritted teeth.
“Do you think…that you know ‘Maddy’? Do you think you even know Gio? A son is only his father, but younger. And Maddison…? I’m sure she loved being roughed up by my guys, who are all free by the way. You don’t know Maddison like I do, how many years has it been since you were childhood friends?” Joshua took one slow step towards me and my smile grew.
“She’s changed since she was your ‘Maddy.’ The Maddison I know loves to be controlled, she needs a strong hand. I’m sure she thought you could have provided that seeing as you’re supposed to be a big CEO, a billionaire, king of his empire. But you’re weak. She wants me to find her, it’s a game. To prove myself. I’ve had to before and I enjoy our games,” Joshua recoiled, looking at me as if he thought me to be crazy. If I were him I’d be a bit worried about Maddison after all, she lived under his roof.
“You’re just a…villainous liar! You have no idea who Maddy is, you don’t know the first thing about what she wants or needs!” he spat. I grew tired of our talk and gestured to my men waiting in the wings. Joshua glanced just over my shoulder and reached into his pocket. I stepped forward and head butt him in the nose. He ricocheted back right into the arms of my guys. They did what they were supposed to. Securing his arms and quickly walking off with his feet hovering above the ground. I had to give him props. He didn’t make a scene. Maybe he thought his guys would swoop in for him, maybe he was still in shock from his freshly broken nose.
Either way I casually met the gazes of the few shocked onlookers, smiling even, and followed after my guys. I slid into a waiting Cadillac and my driver knew not to pull off until we watched Joshua get hauled into the SUV across the street. If he wanted to talk, we could talk. But he came to my goddamn turf and we’d talk my way.