Page 48 of A Dangerous Proposal

It’s not a big deal.

Cami

What are you doing today?

Madison

It’s New Year’s, so I thought it would be a good time to organize. I need to go through my storage unit. I have too much stuff.

Not to mention, she needed a physical activity to get her mind off of the sexy Russian.

When Madison bought her home, her parents had decided it was finally time for her to get the last of her things out of their house. After Opal died, Madison realized they planned on sending most of what they still had of her sister’s things to a landfill, so, Madison had taken Opal’s boxes, too.

Her townhouse was small, nowhere near big enough to fit everything. So, she’d rented a storage unit with the idea thatsomeday—when life wasn’t so chaotic—she would go through it all and purge.

But someday had never come.

Between Jax and the podcast, spare time had become a distant memory.

Today, though, was perfect.

Madison’s car was the only one at the storage facility, and she was grateful to park her car directly in front of her unit. Heaving the metal door upwards, she waved a hand in front of her face as dust motes rose from the boxes stacked inside, labeled—Clothes,Books, College, Grad School, Misc.—years of her life packed away in cardboard.

With a sigh, she grabbed the nearest box and got to work, slicing through the packing tape.

A pile of folded jeans, a few sweaters, and stacks of old T-shirts greeted her. She tossed most of them into the donation pile without a second thought.

One by one, Madison worked through the boxes, sorting shoes, handbags, and books into keep, trash, and donate piles.

After several trips to the dumpster and her car, her throat was scratchy, and she was exhausted. Hands on her hips, she stared at the boxes she’d been avoiding. Steeling herself, Madison shifted the plastic tub labeled “Newborn Clothes” to the side and pulled two large containers toward her.

She’d hated clearing Opal’s things from the room she’d shared with Jax, but he was growing and needed more space. The lid came off easily, and the moment she looked inside, her stomach twisted.

The fabrics were unmistakably Opal’s—loose, flowy dresses in soft earth tones, embroidered peasant tops, oversized knit sweaters, and long skirts with tasseled ties. Boho and free-spirited, just like her sister had been. Until Felix.

Madison hesitated before picking up a dress, her fingers brushing the muslin. It was soft, weightless, and when she lifted it to her face, she inhaled deeply.

Jasmine.

Her throat tightened.

Could she really still smell her? Or was her mind filling in the blanks, clinging to whatever pieces of Opal remained?

Did it even matter? Sometimes it felt like she was theonlyone who wanted to remember her baby sister.

Their parents erased Opal from their lives once they realized they couldn’t hide her growing problems. The second shebecame more of an embarrassment than a daughter, their focus was on shielding their reputations.

Madison knew they tried in the beginning. When Opal first began behaving erratically, they took her to a therapist. It had worked for a bit until the pull Felix had over her became more powerful than anything else.

Swallowing hard, she reached deeper into the box and pulled out a few more pieces of clothing, revealing a white leather purse wrapped up in a tangle of scarves. It was a beautiful piece decorated with a row of delicate embroidered flowers along the front flap.

She didn’t remember Opal ever carrying it. Madison put it over in the donation pile. It wasn’t her style, and she didn’t need it.

Exhausted and more than a little grimy, Madison loaded the boxes into her car. With a sudden change of mind, she snatched up the purse, tossing it on the front seat of her car, and then deposited two more donation boxes in her trunk. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out, frowning at the notification.

Security Alert: Back Window Alarm Triggered.

Her stomach dropped.

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