A half an hour later, the jumbo-sized Coke they had shared was making demands on Maddock’s bladder, so he excused himself and headed for the bathroom, stumbling over the purse of the woman next to him and crashing into her on his way out. His cackling laughter could be heard all the way to the bathroom as he made his way out of the theater.
In their rush, Cheydan had forgotten to silence his cell phone, and the loud ring interrupted the movie’s climax. He struggled to free it from his front pocket, and his popcorn went tumbling out of his hands and into the laps of the people in the row below him.
“Sorry! Sorry!” he lamented as he tried to retrieve the popcorn and the phone at the same time, failing at both. Finally, he gave up on the popcorn and concentrated on silencing the cell phone, but the call had gone to voicemail.
The usher approached his aisle with a look of reproach and pointed a finger at him, signaling for him to follow. Cheydan put up his hands in a symbol of apology, but the usher just shined his flashlight in Cheydan’s face and mouthed, “Come here.”
Cheydan sheepishly slunk down the aisle and followed the usher out of the theater.
Maddock was just about to reenter when the door swung open and out walked Cheydan, escorted by an angry usher.
“I got kicked out,” he mumbled and kept walking towards the exit. Maddock turned and caught up with him.
“What happened?” He laughed, an incredulous look on his face.
“Let’s just say I was disturbing others.”
Maddock cackled and followed his brother out to the parking lot.
Cheydan checked his phone as he left the theater and redialed as soon as he realized the missed call was from Lissy.
“Hey Cheydan,” she answered, and a warm feeling tingled through his body at the sound of his name coming from her lips.
“Hey Lissy, how are you? Are you feeling better?” His voice was soft with concern.
“Not really, but I was feeling bummed about ruining the evening. I was really looking forward to it. What are you doing?”
Cheydan chuckled. “Well, my brother and I just got kicked out of the movie for being a disturbance.”
“What?!” Lissy’s giggle tinkled through the phone like tiny bells.
Cheydan told her about the confluence of events that had led to their ejection, and Lissy laughed till tears ran down her cheeks.
“Oh Cheydan, I wish I could’ve been there. It sounds like so much fun. I wonder if my sister and I could ever have the kind of relationship you two have. I hope so.”
“I hope so, too, Lissy. So, what are you doing?”
Lissy sighed. “Nothing. Just lying on the couch, watching TV. I don’t have the energy to do anything else.”
Cheydan pictured her in pajamas, curled up under a blanket, and he wished he could snuggle up next to her. “What are you watching?”
“You’ll laugh.”
“What? No I won’t! Come on, now you have to tell me. My curiosity is piqued.”
“I’m watching a cheesy Hallmark movie,” she mumbled, embarrassed. “It’s about a girl who hires a guy as her kids’ nanny.”
“And then they fall in love, of course. I’ve seen that one.” Cheydan admitted.
“You have!?”
Cheydan shrugged, glad she couldn’t see him blushing. “My mom likes to watch them, so they’re always on. They’re pretty predictable, but kinda sweet.”
“Yeah, that’s what I like about them, though. You always know there’s going to be a happy ending.” Cheydan could hear the sadness in Lissy’s voice, and the unspoken words.
“You’ll have a happy ending someday too, Lissy. I promise,” he said softly. He wanted to promise that he would make sure of it.
“Not everyone does, Cheydan. You can’t know that for sure.”
Cheydan’s heart clenched at the thought of her suffering through anymore trials, and he wished, not for the first time, that his gift was something different, something that could actually help. Patience was good, but how much better would it be if his gift was healing?
The only Celestia he knew with that gift was Dr. Rafael DiAngelo — Doc Rafe. Cheydan wondered briefly if he should introduce them, but a weed of jealousy snaked through his heart at the thought of anyone else fulfilling her needs. He knew a simple touch of healing would never be enough to cure her; she needed a miracle if she was going to be completely healed.
“Lissy, can I bring you anything? Some soup or some medicine, or even a movie? I hate that you’re feeling so sick.”
“No, I’m okay, Cheydan, but thanks for offering. I think I’m just going to go to bed.” She wasn’t ready to let him see her at her worst.
“Goodnight, Lissy. Sweet dreams,” he murmured, wondering if he would ever play a role in them. He knew she’d be the star of his.
Chapter 17
As Maddy drew close to the library, she realized that Maddock would probably try to look for her there. She really didn’t want to talk to him, so she decided to kill a few hours somewhere else instead. There was a McDonald’s nearby, and she thought about going there, but her stomach was already growling, and she didn’t want to deal with the smell of french fries taunting her all evening.
In her rush to leave, she’d left her bag, along with her last few dollars, at the shelter. She’d try to recover it tomorrow when she knew Maddock wouldn’t be there, but for tonight she would just have to go hungry.
There was a bookstore a little farther away, so Maddy figured that would be a wiser choice. She started the long walk, but the stomachache she’d blamed on her emotions earlier was still bothering her, and Maddy felt the sudden urge to use the bathroom. She didn’t think she could wait till she got to the bookstore, so she detoured towards a nearby gas station. The light sprinkles that had been falling suddenly turned into a downpour, and Maddy raced for cover.
Maddy smacked into the gas station door, expecting it to push inward. Stunned when it didn’t, she pushed the sopping wet hair from her face and pulled the door open then scurried to the bathroom, her wet shoes squeaking on the hard flooring.
One look at her stained panties and Maddy sighed in frustration. Could Aunt Flo have picked a worse day to visit? Suddenly, her fluctuating emotions and impulsive responses to them made a little more sense, and she kicked herself for not realizing what was affecting her. Unfortunately, she had nothing with her and no money to buy anything.
Maddy dropped her head to her hands and sobbed. Why did the whole world seem to be against her? Everyone except Maddock, of course. But she was definitely not calling him to ask for tampons. She let herself cry for a moment then wiped her tears with toilet paper before wadding some up to pad her underwear.
When she left the bathroom, she noticed a small section of feminine products on the shelf, and Maddy impulsively grabbed a box of tampons and shoved it into her jacket. Desperate times call for desperate measures, she told herself. Besides, doing the right thing hadn’t done her any good so far. In rebellion, she grabbed a few candy bars and a bag of chips and shoved them in, too.
Maddy was so busy thinking about her misfortune that she didn’t notice the burly store employee blocking the exit. She would’ve crashed into him if he hadn’t stuck out his arms and grabbed her. She glanced up at his scowling face, her eyes traveling over the bulging muscles.
“Not so fast, little girl. I don’t take kindly to thieves.” His voice was gravelly and terrifying, and Maddy’s stomach curdled into a ball of sour milk and rotten eggs.
Maddy whimpered as he led her towards the counter, leaning over it to grab the telephone.
An hour later, Maddy was sitting in the police station, her fingers covered in ink and her jeans stained with blood and wet with the tears she couldn’t stop from falling. They’d given her one telephone call, and it had gone to voicemail.
Maddock noticed a missed call on his phone when he left the theater. The number was unknown, and the caller hadn’t left a voicemail, but Maddock’s first thought was Madison
. Had she tried to call him from a payphone somewhere? What if she needed him? His blood pressure rose, and Maddock dialed the number, just in case.
“Indy Metro Police Department. How can I direct your call?”
Maddock stared at the phone, startled, for a moment. “Uh, someone called my phone from this number? My name is Maddock Engel.”
“Did they say who it was?” The voice sounded bored and a little annoyed.
“No, there was no message, just a missed call.”
“Probably a misdial, then. They’ll call back if they need to talk to you.”
“No! Wait! Maybe it’s about my friend, Madison?”
“Was she brought in tonight?”
“I don’t know.”
“What’s the last name?”
Maddock opened his mouth to answer and then realized he didn’t even know. How had he never bothered to ask her that? “Uh, I’m not sure. But she’s a teenager. Thin, with long, dark hair?”
“I don’t book ‘em, I just have a list of ‘em, and I don’t see anybody named Madison on it.”
“Okay, thanks anyway.” Maddock sighed as he disconnected. Maybe it was just a misdial, but his gut told him otherwise.
He called the shelter to see if Maddy had come back, but Linda had seen no sign of her. He tried Maddy’s phone number again, but got no answer, so he sat in his car, worrying for a few minutes.
There was a police station not far from the shelter, and Maddock knew Madison was limited by her lack of transportation. If she had ended up at a station it was probably that one. And it just so happened that a Celestia Divisa was an officer there. Maddock decided to stop by, in hopes that Officer Mercy Angeletta would be there.
The station was quiet on a weekday evening, and the receptionist at the front desk confirmed that Officer Angeletta was on duty. Maddock leaned in and flashed his dimples at her, and she willingly led him back to her desk.
Mercy was sitting at her desk, staring intently at a computer when Maddock approached. He couldn’t resist sneaking up behind her and wrapping his hands over her eyes. “Guess who?” he said, disguising his voice with a falsetto.
Mercy jumped a foot in the air and yelped before whipping around, pulling her gun from her holster and aiming it right at him. She relaxed only slightly when she recognized him.
“Maddock Engel! Don’t you know better than to frighten an armed woman!” The high-pitched voice coming from her tiny body was less than intimidating.
Maddock guffawed, holding his hand over his mouth to hide his giant smile, but doing nothing to disguise the twinkle in his eyes. “Yeah, but I knew you’d forgive me.”
With minimal makeup and her long, brown hair tied up in a tight bun, she was trying her best to look authoritative as she holstered her gun forcefully and stuck her hands on her hips. “Just because I’m naturally merciful doesn’t mean I won’t kick your butt, you little brat!”
A lock of hair sprang free from her brow line, and she blew it out of her face, trying to maintain her look of severity. When it fell back in front of her face, a giggle cracked her stern expression.
“See? That was fun and exciting, wasn’t it? Bet it was the highlight of your day.”
“What are you doing here, Maddock, besides annoying me, of course?” Her smile made it obvious her anger had dissipated, but she tried to maintain the facade of irritation.
“I’m worried about somebody, and when I missed a call from the station, I wondered if it was about her.”
Mercy cocked an eyebrow at Maddock’s concerned tone.
Mercy sat back down at her computer, her hands hovering over the keyboard. “What’s your friend’s name?”
“Her name is Madison. Sometimes she goes by Maddy. I don’t know her last name, but the operator told me no one by that name had been booked tonight. I was hoping maybe you could be more helpful.”
Mercy cracked a tiny grin. “You know, if you want somebody to help you, it’s usually better if you don’t tick them off first.”
“It was the most fun you had all night and you know it.” Maddock winked.
Mercy rolled her eyes and started typing. “They were right — no one named Madison was brought in tonight, and there were no incidents involving anyone by that name, either.”
“She’s a teenage girl, about 17. Anybody fit that description?”
“There is one person,” Mercy said, running her finger down the monitor. Maddock strained to see the computer screen over her shoulder, and Mercy quickly turned it. “Confidential information, bucko.”
“Sorry.” Maddock stuck out his bottom lip and shrugged.
“Tell you what, let me go talk to this girl and see if she knows you and wants to see you, okay? Wait here, I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She closed out the program on her computer and started to walk away, but thought twice and led Maddock over to a waiting area. He was a little too rascally for his own good.
Maddock sat on the bench and passed the time by watching the police officers bustle around in their native environment, most of them dressed in stiff uniforms of dark navy. The place buzzed with the sounds of radio static, computer keys clacking, phones ringing, and shoes shuffling. It smelled like stale coffee and sweat with an undertone of urine, and Maddock wondered if they knew about Glad Plug-ins.
His stomach rumbled, and he wondered briefly if there was a box of donuts somewhere he could raid. He scrutinized the officers, trying to determine their positions by the uniforms or actions, and it wasn’t long before he saw a familiar face.
“Chief Arella!” he hollered loudly, and a paunchy, balding, middle-aged man turned around with a scowl on his face that softened imperceptibly as he recognized Maddock.
“Don’t tell me you’re in trouble, Maddock.”
“No, sir! Just came here to look for somebody. I’m waiting on Officer Angeletta.”
The chief nodded. As the father of Maddock’s best friend, Zeph, Chief Arella had a soft spot for the Engel twins. He had a reputation of brusqueness to maintain, though, so he just grunted. “Good. Don’t start any. There are enough hooligans in this town already.”
“Hey, I heard you’re gonna be a grandpa! Congratulations.”
Chief Arella gaped at him, and Maddock immediately recoiled in horror. “You didn’t know?”
“No, and you better be talking about Zeph and Eve, not Jake and Risse.”
Maddock sighed in relief and chuckled. “Definitely. No need to worry. Well, you might still need to worry cuz they seem really young to be having a baby, but at least they already did the whole job-marriage-house thing,” Maddock babbled nervously.
“Hmmph.” Chief muttered and plopped down on the bench next to Maddock, his face stern and menacing. “Nice that they told you before me and their mother.”
“I’m sure they’re going to tell you real soon, Chief. I don’t think they meant to tell us — it just sort of came out the other day when we were at the carnival and Eve didn’t want to ride any of the rides.”
“They are coming over for dinner on Sunday.” His face softened slightly.
“Well, try to act surprised, okay? I don’t want them to be mad at me for spilling the beans.”
Just then, Mercy returned and noticed the two talking. “Maddock?” she called, standing a few feet back to give them their privacy.
Chief Arella patted Maddock on the back and rose from the bench, a rare smile on his face. “Thanks for the heads up, Maddock.”
Mercy cocked her head at him and the chief puffed out his chest as he said, “Looks like I’m gonna be a grandpa.”
“Congratulations!” she called out as he walked away, and she looked at Maddock in surprise.
“Open mouth, insert foot — that’s my motto,” he mocked himself.
Mercy chuckled. “Well, I have some news for you. Your friend Maddy is here, and she said she called you earlier, but now she’s hesitant to see you. I told her you were really worried about her and convinced her she should let you help her. You w
ant to go see her?”
“Yes, please.” Concern etched his features. “Was she arrested?”
“Yes, but you can bail her out if you want to. She looks like she could use a hot bath and a soft bed, maybe a few meals.” Maddock nodded, agreeing.
Mercy led him to the officer who took care of bond-posting, and Maddock paid the fee to release her.
“Wait here and I’ll get her.”
“Thanks, Mercy.”
Maddock sat on another bench, jiggling his knees and wiping his face with his hands, wondering how Maddy would act when she saw him and wondering how he felt about all this.
He knew he had strong feelings for Maddy, and he wanted to do everything in his power to help her. She seemed like a good person who just had some bad luck, but what did he really know about her? He wished he understood what was going through her mind when she blew him off. Would she be angry he had come for her?
The heavy, wooden door creaked open, and Maddy stepped out into the waiting area, her head dangling between her shoulders. Her hair was limp and hung in thick ropes around her mascara-smudged face, which was red and swollen from crying. Her clothes were damp and wrinkly. She held her hands awkwardly in front of her as if she was hiding something, and she lifted her head just enough to peek between her lashes.
Maddock rushed to her side and embraced her, pressing her head into his shoulder and rubbing her hair with one hand and her back with the other. She started sobbing, her whole body convulsing as Maddock squeezed her tighter and murmured words of comfort.
“I’m sorry, Maddock!” she cried, her tears drenching his shirt. “I told myself I wasn’t going to take anymore help from you, but I couldn’t even make it an hour on my own without needing someone.”
Maddock cradled her head between his hands and forced her to look at him. “We’re not meant to make it on our own, Madison. We all need each other. I haven’t done anything for you that I didn’t want to do. I care about you, Maddy, and I want to help you. Will you please let me?”
“Why? Why do you care about me?” Her voice was hoarse and desperate.
Date with Destiny Collection: Angel Romance Series: Books 1 - 4 Page 37
