“Actually,” he tried to remain polite. “I just want to be left alone. Okay?”
Nothing personal… There wasn’t room in his life anymore for casual fucks. He didn’t want to cheapen the memory of Madison by returning to his old ways. Call him crazy, but she’d kick started his heart somehow. He’d been walking around like a zombie all his life until he met her. In time, he might learn to care about someone again, but it had taken thirty-one years to find Madison, so he doubted it. Add the conversation with his mother into the mix, and he felt like a piece of shit for all the women he’d slept with.
Amanda smirked and tossed her long brown hair over her right shoulder. “I’ll be sure to let the ladies know.”
“You do that, sweetheart.”
She sauntered away.
Ready to go, he took a last swig of beer and then walked outside. Summer nights in northern Kentucky were warm, but he relished the heat tonight, it made him think of Madison. His Porsche was parked around back. As he reached for the car door, his cell rang. He fished it out of his back pocket and checked caller ID.
Madison? He answered. “Hello?”
“Ramsey?” she sounded stressed.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think…” She took a deep breath. “Someone tried to break into my apartment. I was watching a movie and heard the door knob turning. When I looked through the peep hole, I saw some guy wearing a ski mask.”
“Did you call 911?”
“No.”
“Is he gone?”
“Yes.”
Ramsey practically dove into his car and started it. “Stay on the line, baby. I’m on my way.”
He made it to her complex in under ten minutes, taking two stairs at a time. “Open the door, I’m here.”
He heard the dead bolt click.
She let him in, visibly shaken.
“Are you okay?” He pulled her into his arms.
“Y-yes. I’m sorry I called, I just didn’t think of dialing 911 first.”
“Don’t apologize.” He stroked her hair and rubbed her shoulders. “Do you want to come home with me?”
She pulled away. “Can you spend the night here?”
Her wide eyes and shaking hands melted his heart. “Before we turn in, let me check the complex. Did you notice anything else about him? What color shirt or pants he was wearing?”
“No,” she said. “The peep hole is pretty old, half of it is scratched over.”
“Lock the door behind me, Madison, and don’t open it for anyone but me.”
Outside again, he walked around the property, checking every stairwell. A few guys were hanging out in the parking lot smoking weed, but he didn’t say anything as he passed by. The back lot was his last stop. Well lit, he walked between all the cars. Nothing. It wasn’t unheard of for drunks to break into people’s homes to sleep. But Madison said this guy was wearing a ski mask, and was probably long gone.
He tracked back to the apartment and reminded himself why he was here. Every fiber of his being wanted to hold her close and make sweet love to her. Not like he’d done before, claiming her body as his own. Those feelings were still strong, but she deserved tenderness. Something he’d never explored with anyone.
She opened the door and he found the couch made up for him to sleep on.
“I’m exhausted, Ramsey. Do you mind if I go to bed?”
“Of course not.” He checked his watch—ten thirty. “I need to catch up on some sleep, too. We’ve been busy at work.”
“That’s not a good thing.”
“No, it’s not.”
“I read about the latest murders in the paper. Those poor girls. Are you part of the investigation?”
“Yes.”
“How can you sleep after sending time around that sort of thing all day?”
“Over time, all the violence and blood you see desensitizes you. I focus on the positive, helping kids, keeping families safe. Keeping you safe.”
“Thank you, Ramsey.” She rested her palms on his arms and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Maybe someday we can be friends.”
“Goodnight, Madison.”
He watched her walk down the short hallway and disappear into her bedroom. For the first time in his life, Ramsey wanted someone he could never have.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Nothing had changed the next morning. In fact, by the time she got up, Ramsey was gone, but he left her a note by the coffee maker.
If you need anything, don’t ever hesitate to call, sweet Madison. I’ll always care.
She didn’t know how to feel. On one hand, the man was infuriatingly arrogant and an avowed man-whore. But she sensed who he truly was, recognized his compassion, and surely couldn’t ignore his fierce protectiveness. Living with the knowledge of the curse must have changed the direction of his life, robbed him of his innocence, and molded him into the composed man she knew.
His mother had advised Madison to listen to her heart. She’d been listening since that day. And what she thought she heard was everything Ramsey. She poured herself a cup of coffee and walked into the living room, peeking out the window that overlooked the park behind her complex. No sunshine today, just overcast sky and drizzle. She sighed and padded to the couch and sat down.
Music always made her feel better, and Anzio had told her if she ever wanted to make extra money, to just show up. She planned on going back to work at the museum on Monday. And since today was Thursday, and she didn’t have anything to do, jamming out with the band would be therapeutic. Weekdays were fairly slow at the bar, and mostly regulars shot pool or sang karaoke. Decision made, she finished her java, then headed to the shower.
Her cell rang just as she was about to turn on the water. Good thing she always kept her phone within reach. Ramsey. She answered. “Good morning.”
“Just wanted to check on you.”
“I’m fine. Thank you again. I panicked last night. And I promise to retrain my brain—dial 911 if there’s an emergency.”
“No,” he said. “A squad car would have taken longer. If there’s a next time, you keep telling yourself to call me. Okay?”
“All right.”
“Promise me.”
“Cross my heart.” She tried to make light of the situation.
She heard him take a deep breath.
“Ramsey…” she whispered.
“Don’t make it harder than it already is, sweetheart.”
“I’m beginning to think we made a mistake. Maybe I overacted. I’d rather have some of you, then nothing at all.”
“You deserve better. I want you to have everything, Madison. A successful career, great friends, and someone who can love you with all his heart. I don’t even know if I have one. Something inside my chest beats regularly, but I don’t feel like other men do. I see the world through a dark lens, and I’ll be damned if I let that suck the joy out of your life.”
“Please.”
“Madison,” he said more gruffly. “I meant every word I wrote in that note. No one has ever gotten this close. Remember that.” He disconnected.
Madison slammed her phone down on the counter. Why? She blamed herself mostly. If she had been completely honest with him that first night… Shit. Desperate to forget the pain, she turned on the hot water, stripped off her clothes, and jumped in the shower. An hour later, she returned to the living room and decided to watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. After that Shakespeare in Love, then Rob Roy. By the time that movie ended, she’d be ready to sing her ass off.
Hours later, Madison paid the cab driver and hopped out of the car. Heavy rain pelted her umbrella as she rushed to the entrance of the brewery. The parking lot was packed, so Anzio would be happy to see her. She checked in at the main bar and found out her boss was in his office. His door was open, but she knocked anyway.
He looked up from his paperwork. “Madison? Come in. Everything good?”
She peeled off her raincoat and hung it over the back of one of his gues
t chairs, then sat down. “Tell me about Ramsey De Wolfe.”
Anzio tapped his pen on the desk. “What do you want to know?”
She folded her hands on her lap, overwhelmed by the sudden need to feel closer to Ramsey. “What was he like in high school?”
“A menace,” Anzio said on a laugh. “A wide receiver on the football team and worshipped by every coach and cheerleader. The boy could run the forty-yard dash in 4.20 seconds on a perfect day. UCLA and Boston College fought hard to get him to sign agreements for scholarships.”
“Oh my God. What happened?”
“The same thing that always happens to De Wolfe males—the obligation to honor family tradition. He was accepted to the police academy six months after graduation and attended night school to earn a bachelor’s degree. Ramsey had NFL written all over him.”
“It explains his superior physique,” Madison said quietly.
“TMI.” Anzio scrunched his face. “By the way, I know what happened between the two of you.”
She looked away for a second, letting it sink in. “I’m not ashamed of my feelings, Anzio. And if you’re going to tell my brother, I’m prepared to deal with his shitty attitude.”
“Is that what you really think I’d do? I promised to look after you, Maddie, but you’re a grown woman with big girl needs. And I’d rather see you hang out with Ramsey, then choose one of the many assholes that frequent my bar.”
“Thank you for that.”
“You’re a smart girl. And I’m lucky to have you.”
She smiled. “Mind if I do a set tonight?”
“Need the money?”
“No,” she admitted. “A diversion.”
“That bad?”
“I’m in love with him.”
Anzio leaned forward. “Does he know?”
She shook her head, hoping Ramsey would never find out. “Even if he did, it wouldn’t change anything. He doesn’t want to ruin my life.”
“Ramsey is a no bullshit kind of guy. I trust him more than my own brother.”
“You love him, too?”
Anzio crossed his fingers. “Like blood.”
Madison forced herself up. She could sit here all night and listen to stories about Ramsey. But the sooner she adapted to life without him, the better her chances of recovering. “I’m going to the dressing room.”
Missy brought her a beer and bowl of pretzels ten minutes later. Maybe a trip to Lexington would help her feel better. Her brother Michael owned a landscaping company and always needed help. Sometimes a couple days with a lawn mower and rake helped her see the world more clearly. She popped a pretzel in her mouth and washed it down with a sip of Alaskan Amber. She had to find a way to convince Ramsey to let her be a part of his life.
***
Ramsey had just finished rinsing his dinner plate and putting it in the dishwasher when his cell rang. Clyde from work had promised to call as soon as lab results came in. Please… He hoped the section of electrical cord he found in the bushes amounted to something useful. “Clyde?”
“Two partial fingerprints,” he said excitedly. “It’s a big break, Ramsey. We’re running the prints through the AFIS database now.”
Ramsey let out a slow breath, feeling confident the perp had a record in another city or state. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night, Detective.”
This is the part of the job he hated most—waiting. Sometimes Ramsey wanted to surrender to his baser instincts and eliminate all the rapists, molesters, and murderers from the world. Every cop felt that way. Screw due process. Did the pieces of shit consider their victims’ rights? His phone vibrated again. Maybe another break in the case…
“Clyde?”
“No, it’s Anzio.”
Ramsey deflated, greatly disappointed. “What’s up?”
“I don’t know why I dialed your number.”
Anzio had a way of dancing around things. And right now, Ramsey didn’t have the patience to play the guessing game. “Get to the point, brother.”
“Madison is here.”
“Is she all right?”
“Depends who you talk to.”
Ramsey rolled his eyes. “Is she physically safe?”
“Yes. But it’s her heart I’m worried about.”
Goddamnit. Every time he turned around, something or someone reminded him of the woman he couldn’t have. “Why?”
“She loves you.”
He edged around the granite island and pulled out one of the stools to sit down. Those words were foreign to him, especially when they were related to a woman other than his mother. “We’re not in fucking high school, Anzio. Don’t play Cupid. Don’t force the issue. Madison and I reached an understanding already.”
Anzio’s humorless chuckle pissed him off. “She confessed to me a couple hours ago. Now she’s on stage singing love songs. If you’re stupid enough to ignore this, then go fuck yourself.” His friend hung up.
Ramsey stared at his phone. In the fifteen years he’d known Anzio, the man had never raised his voice at him. But that’s not what gave him the biggest jolt of his life. The idea of Madison loving him made him feel helpless. And the fact that she had the courage to admit it, blew his mind. Madison loves me. He let the reality of it sink in.
Nothing could have prepared him for this moment, because it was never supposed to happen. He recalled all the conversations he’d had with Madison, his cavalier attitude, what he’d always told himself, and deeply regretted it. De Wolfe men hunted women. They didn’t second guess their actions. De Wolfe’s don’t fall in love. De Wolfes don’t get married. Could the shit get any deeper? Could he possibly sound more heartless? He raked his fingers through his hair, everything hitting him at once. No wonder women only wanted sex with him.
Yet Madison still loved him.
He shot up from the stool, then raced upstairs to take a shower. He couldn’t ignore his gut feeling; Madison deserved his undivided attention.
***
Finished for the night, Madison waved goodbye to Anzio and walked outside. The rain had let up, so she didn’t mind walking the three blocks to the closest bus stop. Police patrolled the area regularly and customers were usually walking from one bar or restaurant to another, so she felt safe. She passed by a closed French bakery, then a Sushi bar with patrons sitting at high top tables next to the windows. Checking for traffic before she crossed the street, Madison pushed the straps of her backpack higher up on her arm.
Just as her foot hit the sidewalk, someone grabbed her from behind and dragged her into the alley between the buildings to her right. She started to scream, but a gloved hand covered her mouth. Dear God. She kicked her feet violently, punching the assailant’s arms, but nothing helped. His strong arm was clamped around her from behind, effectively controlling her movements.
They stopped at the end of the corridor. He jammed something hard into the side of her neck. “Make a sound and I’ll fucking kill you right here, understand?”
All she wanted to do was scream and fight. But she knew it was a gun aimed at her head.
“Answer me.”
She nodded.
“Good.” He freed her, and Madison swung around.
Fear and anger collided inside her. The asshole was wearing dark clothing and a black ski mask like the guy who tried to break into her house. “What do you want?”
He aimed the firearm at her chest. “Strip.”
Madison’s gaze zigzagged around the sheltered area. A dim light shone from the back entrance to one of the businesses. The occasional raindrop hit her cheeks. This isn’t how she wanted to die. Raped and shot in an ally. No. “Did you try to open my door the other night?” she asked.
He edged closer, the gun still on her. “Take. Your. Fucking. Clothes. Off. Bitch.”
Her legs trembled as she dropped her backpack in the dirt, then started to unbutton her coat.
“Slow,” he said. “I want to enjoy this.”
Bile rose in he
r throat. She undid the second button, then the third…
“Just like that.” He sounded turned on.
Madison opened her jacket and eased her arms out. She laid it on top of her bag and froze.
“Now your blouse and bra. Show me your tits.”
“No.”
“Do it.”
She hugged herself, terrified of what he’d do to her for refusing. But she preferred a bullet over giving this pervert a striptease.
He rushed forward and grabbed her by the throat. He squeezed hard enough to make his point. “If you don’t take that shirt off…”
He never got a chance to finish his sentence. A single shot sounded and Madison screamed, shrinking back into the shadows. Her gaze flicked beyond her attacker, to Ramsey De Wolfe standing nearby with his gun in his hands. How did he know? Where did he come from? Panicked thoughts swirled inside her head, and she felt suddenly hot. Her legs gave out, but she didn’t lose consciousness. She watched Ramsey disarm the gunman and cuff him, hands behind his back. Then he turned her direction, his eyes sharply focused on her.
“Madison!” He rushed over, knelt beside her, and cupped her face between his hands. “Are you hurt?”
“N-no.”
“Thank God, sweet heart,” he said, his voice laced with worry.
“How did you know where to find me?” She couldn’t catch her breath, couldn’t hold on to a rational thought. Her chest tightened. “Ramsey … I can’t…” Everything went dark.
***
“She’s stable now, Detective De Wolfe.”
“Her heart rate?”
“Back to normal.”
“Thank you. Let me walk you out.”
Madison opened her eyes slowly. At first she didn’t recognize her surroundings, but she clearly heard Ramsey’s voice. His unmistakable scent filled her head. She was tucked safely in his bed, a roaring fire the only light in the bedroom. She turned and found an opened bottled water on the nightstand. Praise God he showed up when he did. She took a long drink, unable to remember when she was ever this thirsty before. After she emptied the bottle, she put it back on the nightstand and pulled the covers back.
Never Cry De Wolfe--World of de Wolfe Pack Page 7
