Page 29 of Hard Game

I can’t be sure, but the jawline looks familiar. He has a hood over his head, but his dark curls escape and hide his eyes well. I know it’s Maddox, and I’m moving toward him before he can escape. Except he doesn’t make a move; he simply waits for me, a smile playing on the corners of his mouth as I approach.

“Hot-headed, your partner.” Maddox nods towards Elijah, who’s arguing with one of the officers.

Ellie hovers nearby, and I wonder what she’s thinking. Elijah will eat her for breakfast.

I turn my attention back to Maddox and cross my arms over my chest, pinning him with what I hope is a menacing glare. “This is an active crime scene, Mr Moreno.”

“I like it when you use your detective voice with me, Lauren,” he says, leaning against my car and giving me a slow once-over. “And I miss the towel.”

Heat prickles at my saturated skin, and I ignore the twinge between my legs. Now is not the time. “As I said, Mr Moreno, this is an active crime scene. So what are you doing here?”

Maddox fixes me with his hazel eyes and presses his lips together.

It’s most distracting, even now.

“I want to help you.” He nods behind me, and I follow his gaze to see Elijah arguing with Ellie. The body is covered over now and being lifted onto a gurney, and a hollow feeling spreads through me.

“She didn’t deserve to die.” Maddox clenches his jaw and finally meets my gaze head-on. “I think you’re right; it’s the Lockwood ring. I can help you shut them down.”

I scoff and stare at him. “How, exactly, are you going to do that? Do you have information for me?”

Maddox shrugs his shoulders slightly, and I wait, watching the rain plaster his hair to his head, the way the raindrops spill into his unflinching eyes. Nothing bothers this man. Nothing fazes him.

Why?

“I do have information for you. I’ll be at yours tonight at nine.” With that, he moves closer, tucking a strand of soaked hair behind my ear. “You can wear the towel again and pretend it was an accident.”

My cheeks heat up. “It was! I was about to have a bath!”

He chuckles and walks backward, his eyes on me the entire time. Only then do I remember that Taron is coming over, and I jog to catch up with him.

“Chasing me now, are you?” Maddox pauses at the street corner, the rain flittering between us as I wave my hand.

“No, I have plans tonight.”

Maddox stares at me. “All night?”

Something about his gaze makes me uncomfortable. I try not to squirm and instead make a face. “Hopefully not.”

“Cancel your plans,” Maddox tells me, his gaze hardening. “It can’t be more important than this.”

“Fuck,” I hiss out as Maddox grins.

“See you at nine.”

It’s five minutes to seven, and I’ve been home for ten minutes. I didn’t have time to cancel my plans with Taron, and I wouldn’t know how to get hold of Maddox if I wanted to. I vow to change that tonight. I’m tired of being in the dark when it comes to him and whatever he knows. I drop my keys onto the side and pause, only to hear that all too familiar knock at the door.

“Great,” I mutter, forcing a smile as I check the spy hole.

It’s Taron, and he’s holding a grocery bag and flowers.

He better be kidding.

I swing the door open and give him the warmest frosty smile I have, then stare down at the flowers in his hand pointedly.

“Are those for me?”

Taron glances down and then thrusts them into my arms. “Yeah.”

---