Page 63 of A Dangerous Proposal

Madison zipped up Jax’s hoodie and turned for the door. Her phone buzzed with the alarm company’s tone.

What the hell? Again?

Security Alert. Front Door open.

Madison cursed under her breath as her phone rang. After several false alarms, the security system company had gone over her house, and found a few loose sensors, but nothing obviously tampered with.

The owner, a friend of James Bloom, had come out to oversee the work, and even he seemed confused by the misfires. He had ordered all new hardware for her system, but it hadn’t arrived yet.

“Ms. Amherst, this is Elite Security Systems. We received an alert from our system that your front door sensor registered open for a few moments, but it is now showing it is closed. The system did not trigger the alarm speakers. Because of your recent issues, we didn’t automatically notify the authorities. Would you like us to ask for a roll-out?”

She definitely didn’t need another bill for a false alarm.

The door opened, but the alarm hadn’t gone off? Had she forgotten to set the alarm?

“Thank you. I’ll be home in ten minutes. I’m sure it’s just another mistake.”

Pulling into her driveway, Madison turned the car off and rested her head on the steering wheel.

One peaceful day without something going wrong. Is that too much to ask?

The late afternoon sun cast a warm, golden glow over her small lawn. It was almost spring, but the chill wind picking up reminded her of Atlanta’s unpredictable weather.

“How do you feel about hotdogs for dinner, buddy?” That was about all Madison felt up to today. “Maybe some trees?” she asked. The only vegetable Jax consistently agreed to eat was broccoli—and that was only after he’d dunked it repeatedly in ranch dressing.

“Yes.” Jax nodded enthusiastically, drawing out his latest word. Madison lifted him into her arms, his favorite miniature garbage truck clutched in his hands.

She took a step toward the front door, only to freeze. The door was standing ajar. Scanning the frame, she didn’t see any damage. A feeling of unease ran through her, and she paused just as another wind gust rattled the small tree in her front yard. The door creaked open a little farther.

Did I not pull it all the way shut?

She’d been in a rush, juggling Jax’s diaper bag, her work bag, the endless to-do lists, and notes for witnesses she was supposed to interview that day over the phone. It was definitely possible.

Hesitantly, she pushed the door open a little wider, her grip on Jax tightening. Her heart thudded a quick rhythm in her chest as her gaze traveled over the entryway and into the living room beyond.

The sight made her stomach lurch. Cushions from her couch lay slashed open, their stuffing spilled out. The glass coffee table lay in shards across the floor, and her television screen wasa fractured web of cracks. The intruder had pulled the family photos from the walls and smashed them on the ground.

It felt like more than a robbery—It felt personal.

Jax, sensing her distress, clung to her shirt and whined. Holding him close, Madison stepped back out onto the porch, unable to tear her eyes away from the destruction inside.

Spinning, she ran from the house to the car, slid into the driver’s seat with Jax still in her arms, and locked the door.

Why hadn’t her alarm gone off? The sensor registered the fault only twenty minutes ago.

What if they are still in there? In the house!

Heart pounding a staccato rhythm, Madison quickly backed the car out of the driveway and parked two houses away on the street where she could still see the entrance to her house.

Her breath came in short, shallow gasps as she dialed 911, then froze with her finger over the call button.

The warning her new lawyer had given her rang in her ear. Felix had repeatedly brought up the dangerous nature of her job and had used the attack four months ago on Cami as proof. If she called the police now, there would be an official report. Something Felix would spin to make her look bad.

What should I do?

Tears filled her eyes as Jax, annoyed by being confined, fussed. Allowing him to stand in her lap, she used one hand on his back to support him as he gripped the steering wheel. While Jax pretended to drive, making rumbly sounds with his lips, Madison struggled to get her emotions under control.

She couldn’t go back to the house, but she also couldn’t call the police.

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