Page 49 of A Dangerous Proposal

Madison slammed her trunk shut and scrambled for her phone as it began ringing.

“Ms. Amherst, we are showing a back window open at your house. What is your password?”

“J-A-X-Y-#-1.”

The woman on the phone didn’t comment on her password being too basic the way the installation tech had.

“Thank you. Are you home?”

“No, I’m on my way there now.” Her hands tightened around her keys.

“I’ve dispatched officers.” Madison heard at the same time another notification buzzed through.

Dispatch Alert: Authorities Notified. Officers In Route.

“Thank you.”

A knot of unease settled in her gut, heavy and unmoving.

By the time she pulled onto her street, red and blue lights flashed in the growing twilight. Two patrol cars sat in front of her house. Madison barely had the car in park before she was out the door.

A uniformed officer approached her. “Ms. Amherst?”

“Yes.” Her gaze darted to the house.

“We got an alert from your security company about a tripped window alarm. We’ve checked the exterior, no signs of forced entry, and the window is closed. Do you want us to clear the inside?”

Madison’s pulse pounded against her skull. She was probably overreacting, but better safe than sorry, right?

“Yes. Please.”

The officer gestured to his partner, and together they moved toward the front door, hands resting on their holsters.

Madison followed, lingering just outside as they stepped inside first.

The air inside felt…wrong.

The officers moved efficiently, checking rooms, closets, anywhere someone could be hiding.

Finally, one of them returned. “Nothing looks disturbed. No signs of a break-in.”

Madison exhaled, some of the tension in her shoulders easing.

“Could’ve been a sensor malfunction,” he continued. “Or an animal outside. You should have the monitoring company comeout and check it. Sometimes it’s something as simple as a loose wire.”

Madison nodded, but the uneasy weight in her chest didn’t lift.

“Call us if you notice anything missing or out of place,” the officer added, handing her a card.

She locked the door behind them and turned back to her empty house. Madison walked into the kitchen where the back window in question was located. Nothing looked out of place. No broken glass. No forced entry.

But she still couldn’t shake the feeling thatsomethingwas off.

Chapter Fifteen

Alex stalked down the hallway, his steps echoing sharply off the marble floors in a way that perfectly matched his mood. His assistant’s call had been brief—Mikhail was waiting for him in his office.

An unannounced visit to the Koval International corporate offices during the day was unheard of for his brother. Definitely not a good omen for whatever he wanted.

---