by Celya Bowers
Madisyn threw her napkin on the table, stood and stomped toward him. She reached for his hand, forcing the fork to fall on the table. “Come on, we’re calling your dad right now.”
Aidan laughed as Madisyn pulled him down the hall to the home office and thrust the cordless phone into his hand. She looked so serious that he knew he had few options at the moment. He punched out the number to his parents’ home.
He took a seat, knowing this was going to a long phone call. He hadn’t expected Madisyn to sit in his lap, but he wasn’t going to tell her not to. It felt too good. The phone rang twice before Lester answered the phone, which meant his mom probably was out.
“Hello, Aidan. Your mom is across the street. Want me to tell her to call you back?”
That had been their typical phone conversation for the last ten years. Neither had had much to say to the other, so the fewer words that passed between them the better. Except for now. “Actually, Lester, I wanted to talk to you. I thought Mom might have mentioned it.”
“No. What’s on your mind, son?”
Son, Aidan thought. “It’s about this thing we got going on. I know my dad is a piece of work, but Lester, he’s not my father, you are. You helped me pick a college, pick a sports agent, and taught me to how to invest my money. I’m sorry I was holding onto the dream of the perfect father. I had one all along and was too stupid to realize it.”
“I’ve waited a long time to hear you say those words, Aidan. You know I loved all three of you boys like you were my own. I gave you all my name. Twenty-five years is a long time, and it’s going to take me a while to digest this.”
Aidan didn’t expect a gushing thank you for his apology, but he had expected Lester to be a little more forgiving. Still, he had to keep going. “I understand, Lester. I also would like you and Mom to come visit for a week when the center opens. We can talk more indepth then.”
Lester couldn’t hide his surprise. “That would be fine. I’ve always wanted to visit Dallas, but with things between us like they were, I didn’t see the point.”
“The point is that you have a son here, and you’re welcome here anytime. I’ll let you guys know when I get the plane tickets. I’m going to show you guys the best time you’ve had in a long time.”
Madisyn shifted in his lap and faced him. She had tears in her eyes. She kissed him gently on the forehead and whispered in his ear, “I’m very proud of you.” She rose and left the room, closing the door on her way out, letting him continue the conversation in private.
Once she was gone, Aidan continued his conversation with his dad. “I want you and Mom to meet Madisyn and her family. They’re very nice people. I’ve been attending church with her.”
“You’re going to church now?”
Aidan laughed. “Yeah, I know. I’m as good as hooked. And you’re right. Madisyn’s having some issues with her ex, but hopefully all that will be over and she’ll be able to go out with us.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it. Goodbye, Aidan.”
“Bye, Lester.”
* * *
Madisyn paced the living room waiting for Aidan to finish the call with his stepfather. She’d almost lost it listening to the one-sided conversation. She didn’t want to start blubbering while Aidan was on the phone. Finally, she heard the door opening and Aidan taking a deep breath.
She immediately relaxed when he called her name. “I’m in the living room.” She took a seat on the couch and tried to look relaxed.
He walked into the living room. Tears still streaked his cheek. Smiling, he took a seat next to her and pulled her into his lap. He kissed her with the intensity of a burning inferno. It was so intense, all Madisyn could do was hold on for the ride.
When they came up for air, Aidan looked deep into her eyes. “Thank you, Madisyn. I don’t know if I could have made that call if you weren’t here. I’m so glad you were.”
She caressed his face, swiping at the moisture on his cheeks. “We’re a team, Aidan. I know you guys didn’t get everything resolved in just one phone call, but it was a start.”
“It was a very good start. I can’t believe I was being such an idiot all those years. I’m probably going to go bankrupt trying to make this right.”
She sat up and faced him. “Aidan, love is free. If it’s real love, you don’t have spend a nickel on trinkets. You can’t take any of that with you when you die.”
“So if I didn’t spend another penny on you, you would still love me?”
“I would love you more. Sometimes money makes bigger fools out of us. The love I’m looking for has nothing do with your income, but with your spirit.”
He kissed her again. “I love you, Madisyn.”
“Right back at you.” She leaned to kiss him, but his cell phone rang, shattering their intimate moment. Silently, she slid off his lap and sat next to him.
He looked down at the phone. “It’s Chase. I’d better take this.” He opened the phone and said, “Hey, Chase.”
Madisyn noticed Aidan’s easygoing temperament suddenly took a nosedive. He sat up, and then suddenly rose and began pacing the room.
“Chase, that’s a stupid plan and I’ll not let Madisyn get harmed in the process.” He ended the call and threw the cell phone against the wall. It shattered into tiny pieces.
Madisyn gasped at his actions. In the short time she’d known him, she’d never seen him this angry. “Aidan, what is it?”
He shot her an angry look. “Nothing. Chase just had a nutty idea and I’m not having it.”
She appreciated his concern, but Madisyn was getting a little tired of everyone making decisions for her. “Is it about me?”
He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, then back at her. “Yes, but it’s a crazy scheme and I won’t let you do it. It’s too dangerous.”
Madisyn walked to him. “Shouldn’t this be my decision? Don’t get me wrong, Aidan, I appreciate everything you’ve done, but if we can get this over with faster if I do whatever Chase wants me to do, what’s wrong with that?”
“What’s wrong is that there is the possibility that you could get hurt. After finding you, I’m not going to lose you.” He pulled her into his embrace and kissed her.
Madisyn’s brain was stuck in neutral. Aidan’s kiss short-circuited her brainwaves, along with the rest of her body. When they came up from air, Madisyn wanted to know about the scheme. She led Aidan to the couch and they sat down. “Okay, what’s the scheme?”
He looked at her with those beautiful brown eyes. “He wants me to take you out somewhere very public. He feels that if we can draw Darnell out of hiding, we can make our move and get him into custody.”
She didn’t like being the target, but the plan did have some merit. She was ready to get her life back. “You know actually Keisha asked me to go out with her and the girls Saturday. Some new club is having a grand opening. My girlfriend Chayla and her husband are going.”
“Is it Club Sizzle?”
“Wow! How do you know that? Oh, yeah, Keisha did say it was owned by a Dallas Cowboy. She thinks the club is going to be overrun with celebrities at the grand opening.”
“I know that because one of my teammates, Kameron Drews, is the owner. He asked me to come to the opening, but I told him no. I could call and tell him that I need a VIP table.”
“Could you? That would be great. And I’ll make sure to tell Keisha. I think she’s up to something.”
“You think she’s playing you against Darnell?”
Madisyn exhaled. She thought Keisha was doing more than that. “I don’t have anything concrete, but if I tell her I’m going, I’ll bet you a thousand bucks Darnell will know.”
“How long have you guys been friends?” Aidan rubbed her hand.
“Since junior high school,” Madisyn said. “But I think it’s time I cut her loose.”
CHAPTER 27
The next morning Madisyn watched as Keisha performed her daily parade march across the floor. Usually it took Keisha a
good hour before she could settle down to work. She was dressed in a short, light-blue suit and matching three-inch stilettos. As she approached Madisyn’s work area, she glanced around, making sure Madisyn’s boss was nowhere in sight.
Once she was satisfied, she sat on the edge of Madisyn’s desk. “Hey, how about lunch today? Surely the master is going to let you have lunch today?”
“I can’t today,” Madisyn lied. “I need to make some calls for Alliance to prepare for the grand opening. But I do have good news.”
Keisha eyes lit up. “What? Don’t tell me you’re finally taking Darnell back? It certainly took you long enough. Not that I’m surprised.”
“No, I’m not taking Darnell back. I’m going to go to that club this Saturday. Are you still going?”
“That’s great, Maddie. We’re going to have so much fun. Even with Chayla bringing old dull Jared. I’m going to call today to see if I can reserve a table.”
“No, you don’t have to do that. A friend of mine is going to reserve a VIP table. So that’s covered.”
Keisha slid off the desk, planted her hands on her small hips. “So it is true.”
“What?” Madisyn tried to play it cool, but it was useless if the smirk on Keisha’s perfectly made-up face was any indication.
“Maddie, we all know how getting a VIP table goes. It costs a mint to reserve a table, unless you’re high profile. Now I know you couldn’t get a table on your own, but your charity man could. So that leads me to believe that you’re seeing Aidan Coles on a more personal level. You could have told me that you’re dating him. I would have kept it to myself. He’s really holding onto that good boy image, isn’t he?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, come on, Maddie. You know he’s one of the few players that’s not surrounded by scandal. He has to be seen with a certain kind of woman. Someone like you with a squeaky clean image, just like his. So is he paying you to be his shield? He’s just like Darnell, using you for your rep and having a freak somewhere else.”
Madisyn looked at Keisha with new eyes. Yes, she knew this friendship had run its course. Funny how a few weeks before she didn’t know how to end her relationship with Keisha. But now it would be no problem. A real friend would have been happy for her, but not Keisha. “He merely said I could bring some friends if I wanted. If you don’t want to sit at the table, no one is forcing you.”
“Are you nuts? Of course I want to sit there. I’ll check out Aidan for myself and you’ll see how fast he’s going to jump ship. He’ll never care for you, Maddie. Remember how Darnell never wanted to do anything with your family? That’s why he never went to church with you. Aidan never will, either.”
Madisyn held back a retort that would refute all of Keisha’s words. Madisyn hadn’t shared the news of Aidan attending church with her friend, and now she was glad she hadn’t. “Well, you can check him out and give me a full report.”
Keisha laughed. “And you know I’m going to check him good, don’t you? I’ll find out just how good a cowboy he really is.”
* * *
The minute Keisha sat down at her desk, she instantly reached for her phone. She dialed the number and waited for him to pick up. It looked like their plan could work with just a few changes. She was just about to give up when he finally answered the phone.
“What?” Darnell grumbled. “I’m really busy right now.”
Keisha didn’t like the sound of that. “What’s more important than me? You’re the one who needs this plan to work, not me. My life will go on just fine either way.”
“Not if I tell Maddie that you’ve been feeding me information about her whereabouts. Why did you call? Are you taking her to lunch today?”
“No, she’s doing some kind of work for the charity on her lunch break.”
Darnell grunted. “So how’s this good news? I still don’t have Maddie in my possession. I’m still in a mess.”
“I can’t tell you over the phone,” Keisha whispered. “But it’s worth you bringing your tired behind to the pub across the street so I can tell you.” She hated she’d ever got involved with this idiot. On paper Darnell looked like a great catch. He had the right car, the right salary, and lived in the perfect upscale condo, but, in reality, he was a loser.
“All right, I’ll be there about eleven. Don’t come in there late, either. You know how you’re always trying to make an entrance.”
“You just be there, boy.” She hung up the phone. She had to figure a way out of this mess without Maddie knowing that she had sold her out.
* * *
Chase sat behind his desk with his eyes closed. So many things needed to go right this week. One thing out of place and it would have a domino effect on his one and only client.
If they couldn’t trick Darnell into action against Madisyn and then catch him before he harmed her, then the Alliance wouldn’t get to open on time. If the center wasn’t open, then Aidan’s mind wouldn’t be on training camp next month. Rumors about Aidan’s probable retirement were surfacing and Chase had to deal with those. The Cowboys wanted another couple of years out of Aidan. Dangling another thirty million dollars in front of him wasn’t helping, either. Aidan was ready to settle down, not play another season.
He heard his door open and close. His secretary normally knocked, so he knew it wasn’t her. “Get up, man. Is this what I’m paying you for?”
Chase opened his eyes and laughed. “Yeah, boss, you caught me. I was trying to think of a master plan.”
Aidan smiled back at him. “Any luck?” He took a seat in one of the leather chairs.
Chase sat up. “Actually, no. I can’t think of a plan to catch Darnell without using Madisyn as bait. That’s the only thing that will bring him out in the open.”
He had expected Aidan to blow his top again as he had the first time Chase had brought up the plan. Instead, Aidan sat there calm, cool and collected. He looked like a man in love.
“Actually, Madisyn is on board with the idea. Her friends want to go to Club Sizzle and since Kameron is begging me to go, I can get a VIP table.”
Chase chuckled. “Yeah, rumor is that the wife is hopping mad about him buying into that club without her permission.”
“Yeah, I think she’s still at her mom’s in Oklahoma. It’s going to cost Kam some money to get her back this time. She didn’t sign a prenup and he doesn’t want a divorce.”
Chase shook his head. “What a mess. I’m just glad he’s not my client. So you guys are going to come out of the closet, so to speak?”
“Yeah, I think it should be very interesting. I’ll finally get to meet her other friends. If my instincts are correct, I think Keisha is our leak. Madisyn is going to tell her today, so Darnell should have the information really soon.”
“Well, that solves that part of the problem. He’s not using his cell phone anymore, either. He probably got a pre-paid one so we can’t monitor his calls. He’s gone underground. He hasn’t been at his house for the last few days, so I know he’s planning something big. He took out a large amount of cash and has ceased using his credit cards. But Cadence is still on the case.”
“When am I going to meet this mystery woman?”
Chase smiled, remembering his last encounter with Cadence Callahan. He hoped to have another one soon, but with this case, that would have to wait. “She’s already seen you,” he drawled.
“Of course.”
Chase took out pad and pen, ready to take notes. “Now about Saturday. Check in before you get to the club. That way I can make sure everything will be in place.”
Aidan nodded. “Why don’t you just come to the club and you can check it out for yourself. That way when you spot your ghost, you can whisk her off for a night of sex.”
Chase laughed. He might have wished for that scenario, but in reality, Cadence’s mind was going to be on the job. She would never compromise the assignment. “I’ll go, but just to make sure we catch Darnell and put his ass under the jail fo
r what he’s done to Madisyn.”
“Deal.”
* * *
At first Aidan had been totally against Madisyn’s willingness to endanger herself, but, as he listened to teammate Kameron Drews, he began to think it just might work.
“Sure, Aidan, I’ll set everything up for the table. You don’t mind taking a few publicity shots, do you?”
Aidan knew these pictures would probably also give Kam an alibi of sorts. Kam’s wife didn’t trust him, and rightly so. He was already paying for three kids outside his marriage.
“That’s cool, Kam, but I need you to do a favor for me,” Aidan said.
“You? I thought you were kidding. You never need favors. What is it? I owe you big anyway for covering my ass over the years.”
Yes, he did, but Aidan dismissed that from his mind. That was another time and another place. That was before Madisyn O’Riley entered his world. “Forget about it. The favor I need is right up your street. I need you to play up to a woman.”
“What?”
Aidan knew he had to give Kam something. “I’m trying to get some information out of a female. You’re a football player and she loves athletes. We could both get what we want.”
“Aidan, what’s gotten into you, man?”
“Nothing. I need some information, and some women love your lifestyle. Her name is Keisha Allen. I just need you to spend a little time with her.”
“Is this your lady, and you’re trying to throw her off on me?”
“No, she’s not my lady. You’ll meet Madisyn Saturday night, along with her other friends.”
Kam couldn’t hide his shock. “You’re bringing her to the club? Man, you never take your woman where you hang out. Oh man, you are so messing up my game. I’d hoped you’d be alone so my friend could hang out with you in front of the cameras.”
“Sorry, man. My days of covering for you are over,” Aidan said proudly.
“So the rumors are true,” Kam said. “You’re actually retiring. Man, you still have a few more years left. You’re in great shape.”
“Yeah, and I plan to stay that way,” Aidan commented. “That’s why this is my last season. It’s not like I’d ever spend all the money anyway. I play football because I love the game, not for the money. Don’t get me wrong, the money helped me do a lot of things I only dreamed of, like the Alliance. I’d never have been able to offer that service for free. But someone told me money can make you act a fool, and I’m tired of watching people do exactly that.”
