Madison

 

I awoke with a knowing smile on my face. Stretching my body, I felt the ache within me that linked with pleasure. I wished we could have remained in paradise forever, never coming up for air. This was serious. I’d never let someone into my life as I had with Alex. I felt safe in his arms. His tenderness filled me with warmth. And at other times, raw desire.

I went in search of my phone. There was a missed call from Graham. I couldn’t put that off for much longer. But nothing from Alex, not even a goodnight text. That came as a surprise, after the incredible weekend we’d shared, and a small flicker of doubt entered my mind, making me feel uneasy. I pushed it away for now, unable to believe that anything had changed between us.

After several cups of coffee, I gathered courage and dialed Graham’s number.

“Where have you been?” he asked upon answering.

“I explained earlier. A business trip. I’m getting ready for work now. Did you need something?”

“Yes, Madison. We have a wedding to plan, in case you forgot.”

“I thought the distance would do us good,” I said, knowing I was treading on thin ice. I was beginning to care less and less about his threats and temper tantrums.

“Still angry, I see.”

The smirk in his tone was menacing.

“I have every right to be angry, Graham. I’m questioning everything—our future, the threat you’re holding over my head, the way you treat me, how you hurt me. And how can I forget the scene at our engagement party? It’s all beginning to be too much.”

His sly tactics and evil plans were what he relied on to control me, but I was putting a stop to it right now.

“I see,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Let’s call it a change of heart, Graham. You don’t love me. It’s clear you only ever wanted to own me. I never understood that, but please let me go. Let us go.”

Then I heard what only could be described as a diabolical laugh coming loud and clear over the phone.

“And you’re prepared for the consequences, Madison?”

I wasn’t, he had me there. I wasn’t prepared at all. I didn’t want my decisions to hurt anyone else, but I was finished protecting others. Living in fear, it changes a person. Hell, I had run across the country just to escape him, and even that hadn’t been far enough.

“What are you getting at, Graham?”

His arrogant and egotistical threats to manipulate me weren’t working anymore. He was only seeking to hurt me with his harsh words.

Silence.

He waited, enjoying this little game of his. I’d wait it out, too, though, because this was it. I was done. I wanted out. Feeling a surge of strength, I decided this phone call would be the last. He was used to giving orders, and those orders had been followed without question. But not anymore.

“Have you heard from Alex?”

He threw the question out seemingly randomly, but dread flooded me. With his expressionless tone, he had my nerves spinning in turmoil. He knew the way to really hurt me now would be through Alex. And I trusted my gut. When considering whether Graham was capable of hurting someone I cared for, there was no doubt. He was more than capable. He had no heart, no conscience, no decency. He was pure evil.

“What have you done?”

My world was spinning. I felt faint, twisting in my suffering. Fear ripped through my body at record speed.

“You are a spoiled bitch, Madison, and you needed to be taught a lesson.” He paused then, and a laugh escaped. “I could’ve made you into someone important, but no. You chose wrong. A foolish mistake, and now you will pay the price.”

He hung up and I slid to the floor. I needed help. I attempted to force my mind to work in panic mode. I called Alex right away, but it went straight through to voicemail. Next I tried Theo, and he picked up almost immediately.

“Hi there.”

His brotherly greeting was so warm.

“We may have a problem.”

The tears started to flow, but I relayed everything that had just happened between Graham and I. Then I quickly highlighted the Tahoe trip.

“No, I don’t think you’re overreacting. We know what Graham is capable of. I’ll call Steel and get his team on it.”

The efficiency in his voice calmed me.

“Do you want to drive here? Are you able to drive?”

“Yes, I want to be with family.”

I heard the small breath released on his end of the line. We were becoming closer. I felt it, too.

“Be careful. I’ll call you if I hear anything.”

He hung up and I quickly gathered my things.

Over the course of the two-hour drive, I thought I’d go insane. I didn’t understand why no one had called me. I tightened my grip of the wheel as my speed accelerated, trying to make up for lost time.

I couldn’t stop thinking the worst. I shouldn’t have challenged Graham. That had been a mistake. I had practically dared him to do harm, as if the consequences wouldn’t touch me or anyone I cared for.

Oh, how wrong I’d been.

Without a doubt, I knew Graham Carrington was pure evil. Now I was living every minute in fear. I felt so lost, barely able to function, knowing there was nothing I could do to ensure Alex’s safety. Trying to control my breathing, I felt the threat weighing on me, and it infuriated me. If only I had played along as I’d done before.

But after spending so much time with Alex, knowing he could be my life, I just couldn’t pretend any longer. It all felt so empty—the act, the lies, the pretending. It had all caught up with me, and Graham still had the power to hurt me.

I longed for Alex. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but in reality, it had only been a day. I should have been with him, and as I remembered his handsome face, every tender moment we had shared came back to me.

But what I loved the most was his generous heart.

I shuddered at the thought of losing him, and the thought that it was my fault would haunt my every waking moment for eternity.

Finally, I arrived on their doorstep. The door swung open immediately, before I even had the chance to knock. The look of terror on my face must have given away the gnawing fear that had been placed upon my chest. I was pulled into Theo’s embrace. Tears burned as they streaked down my face.

“This is completely my fault.”

His shirt was beginning to dampen.

“Have you heard anything?” he asked.

I shook my head no, my face buried deep within his chest.

“Easy there. I wasn’t implying anything. We haven’t, either, but Steel’s on it.”

“One way or another, we’ll find him.”

Eden’s angelic voice chimed in as she rubbed my back, comforting me. Given the circumstances, I had gone into complete panic mode. I thought I might pass out.

“Here, drink this.”

I was handed a glass of cold water.

“We don’t know anything yet,” Theo offered once again.

“We know Graham has insinuated responsibility, specifically taunting me with the knowledge Alex is missing. I caused this. Can you blame me for considering this to be all my fault?”

I’m startled when Theo’s phone rings, and he answers it immediately.

“I understand.”

Both Eden and I listen intently.

“We’ll be standing by.”

He gently sits by me.

“Nothing yet, exactly.”

His arm was now wrapped around my shoulder, as if ready to catch me when I fell.

“Alex never made it home last night. He was here till after nine, and said he was heading straight home. So we now know that that didn’t happen. Steel is on his way here.”

“It’s Graham.”

I looked away quickly, stunned into silence. Guilt was slicing me open. I didn’t deserve Alex. Not now, not after this. I could have waited until it was safe to break off with Graham, but I had chosen to challenge the monster instead, and I had lost.

“He has his team out now, searching.”

That brought little comfort, because it would probably be too late. I had wanted to believe that I could prevent this outcome, but not now. I had betrayed Graham, and now he was dishing out his punishment.

“Madison, Alex is a fighter. He fought for you. Believe in him, he won’t give up and risk losing you. Trust me, that man is stronger than you think.”

Eden’s hand lay on top of mine. I so wanted to believe what she was saying.

“Come,” she said, standing and leading me to her sunroom. The two-man lounger sat positioned directly in view of her pool and striking landscaping.

“I’ll lie with you, and we’ll wait until Steel arrives.”

I clung to her as my lifeline, but with every passing minute, I could feel myself drifting off.

 

***

 

I stood barefoot at the water’s edge. The waves were licking at my feet. Staring up into the dark sky, I blinked back tears. I was shattered. My dreams had been ripped from me so easily as the ruthless man laughed in the background, relishing in my pain. The evil twinkle in his eyes conveyed how content he was over my misery, and the sorrow he had caused.

“He’s not gone,” I maintained.

“I’m afraid he is,” he answered back.

I was drawn to the depths of the water as I made my way out further with each step. It would take me to him. This was the way back to his love. I felt the waves pull me under as if I was reliving a memory from my childhood, and with a sudden burst, a hand reached down and grabbed me, pulling me up from death.

 

***

 

Suddenly I jolted up, hyperventilating as Eden’s quick reflexes caught me.

“It’s just a dream, Madison. A dream.”

I slowed my breath, feeling her comforting, close presence.

“I lost him,” I said, tears streaking down my cheek.

“No, it was only a dream. A nightmare.”

Then we heard voices coming from the living room, and we both bolted toward what I hoped would be good news.

Steel walked through the door, followed by my father.

My father?

“How? Why?”

He was usually in New York.

“Steel has connections,” my father said simply, wrapping me in his arms, attempting to calm me down.

There was a regretful look of sadness in his eyes. The expression on his face was one of discomfort. What did he know?

“Steel?”

His quiet confidence takes control.

“Let’s all take a seat.”

Theo leads us to the dining room. And there we sat, each of us with our own cross to carry.

My father, the epitome of a military soldier, had always been a soft place to land. Steel’s presence alone demanded respect, but he also possessed a hidden kindness that he rarely showed. Then there were Theo and Eden, holding hands. They were my anchor to sanity.

“I’ve asked the colonel to join me here, for he plays a pivotal part in the inquiry. After a painstakingly meticulous investigation, we believe we now know the truth. I’ve crossed the globe, cross-examining every soldier I could, attempting to confirm this horrendous story that Graham implied had happened. The anger these men displayed when they found out what he was saying was indescribable. In fact, they each had their own tales of inappropriate behavior committed by Graham himself. All of the interrogations corroborated the one before. Each man accused Graham of unthinkable acts, but most had kept his discretions to themselves over the years. That’s how the army protects their own.”

“The government was eager to confirm their innocence, and I had their full corporation. We do know that Graham was taken to a federal holding facility, and there was an investigation, but unfortunately, it’s sealed. Classified, actually. Neither your father nor I could get the clearance to review it. We went all the way up the chain of command, but someone is protecting him. There was absolutely no truth in Graham’s story. It was all lies, except for the fact that he did serve under your father’s command.”

“Honey, I took him under my wing because the other soldiers treated him as an outcast,” my father explained, remorsefully. “But everything he told you was a lie. I thought I saw a good man in him, and with our military skin, I thought that he would make a good husband. A good match for you.”

“In hindsight, I should have known,” I told him. “I should have believed in you, the man who raised me, and taught me about ethics, character, and honesty. I’m sorry I didn’t come to you first, Dad.”

“He was threatening you, honey. I understand why you did what you did. You wanted to protect the people you loved.”

His hand reached for mine in a swift-yet-strong hold.

“So, there is no way to punish him for what he did?” I asked, incredulously.

“Not necessarily. I have plans to prove once and for all that his corruption runs much deeper than what he did to you and your father.”

Steel paused. I felt his rage because it was in me as well.

“You have both been betrayed, each victimized in your own way.”

“Originally, I believed and trusted Graham. I was a fool. I was easily deceived.” My father reluctantly looked my way. “He used me, to control you.”

I grimaced at the hatred I heard in his voice.

There was no sweeping it under the rug now, as Graham had claimed. Everything he had told me was lies. Now we were nothing more than strangers. For some strange reason, it had all been an act, and for whatever reason, I had been the goal.

“Why me?”

“I can’t answer that, Madison. Maybe you fit his overall plan. We may never know why.” Steel was then interrupted by a call. “I have to take this.”

And then he burst out of his chair and was out the door like a panther.

“Maddie, hidden below all your worries right now, please remember that this is good news,” my father said. “The main thing is that you are no longer tied to Graham.”

But I still felt caught up in the chaos. I was broken, brittle, and aching to know Alex’s fate.

Graham would pay somehow, the sly bastard. I had to believe he would eventually get what he deserved.

Steel barged back through the door.

“We have an update, but I have to warn you that we don’t have any details yet.” He glanced at me, and our eyes met briefly. “We’ve located Alex’s car. It went over a cliff, and it’s badly burned. It will take some time for my men to gather the equipment and scale down to investigate the site.”

He’s not dead, he’s not dead. He can’t leave me now.

“Bring him back to me, Steel.”

I was fighting to contain my tears, but all the rage I’d felt earlier returned.

“Make that bastard pay.”