Page 164 of A Dangerous Proposal

Madison was clutching Jax to her like she wanted to absorb him into her body while Mary hissed and kicked in his hold. “My sister…”

“Liev is going to drive you. I will see you at home later.”

Madison’s blue eyes were stormy, but then Jax whimpered pitifully and buried his face in her neck. Her expression turned to granite. “Take your time.” Then, without another glance at Mary, she turned on her heel and left.

Alex turned to smile down at Mary. “You and I are going to have a little chat.”

Chapter Fifty-Two

The coffee in Madison’s mug had long since gone cold, but she barely noticed as she sat at the kitchen island.

Her mind was spinning, overwhelmed with everything that had happened.

Felix was dead. Mary was almost certainly dead.

And Alex…

Madison thought that maybe she should be horrified by what Alex was capable of. Be unsettled by the ruthless efficiency with which he had handled everything and what he had most likely done after she and Jax had left.

But she wasn’t.

She wasn’t horrified.

And she didn’t have one iota of remorse for what he did to the people who tried to hurt Jax.

There was no mercy in Madison’s heart for them.

Jax was still sleeping upstairs, utterly exhausted from the night before. It had taken hours to settle him—rocking him, whispering to him, brushing soft circles on his back until his tiny body had finally gone limp with sleep.

She hadn’t slept at all.

Madison had sat up in bed, watching him, and waiting for Alex to come home. When the sun finally shown through the window, she took the monitor to the kitchen.

The rumble of an engine in the driveway had her setting down the forgotten mug and hurrying to the foyer. As she reached the front entrance, Liev emerged from the living room.

Alex stepped inside. He’d changed clothes and had clearly had a shower. His dark hair was wet and brushed back from his face, and his eyes were dark when they met hers. She could see caution lingering there as well.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat.

“Is it over?” Her voice came out calmer than she expected.

Alex nodded once. “Yes.”

“Thank you.” She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. “Thank you.”

Alex’s body sagged, the tension melting out of him, and he brushed a kiss against her hair. Madison pulled back but kept her hands on his waist.

Don’t ask. Don’t ask.

But she had to.

“Did she… say anything about my sister?”

Alex exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“She did.”

Madison’s heart pounded, and she forced herself to stay still.

---