Page 155 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

Maddie sat beside Cole trying not to fidget, trying to be calm. She felt him glancing sideways at her as he drove and she deliberately didn’t look, didn’t make eye contact. The two weeks were up, she’d taken the time, just as Cole and Brandon had made her. She’d taken the space to get strong, to get control again, to be her again.

She was back, she was ready, and she was itching to prove it too.

They parked up and she took a deep breath which Cole heard despite her best efforts to keep quiet.

“If you need more time….” He began and she cut across him.

“It’s fine. I’m ready.” She said.

He heard the determination in her voice and nodded. “Come on then, those cupcakes won’t wait forever.”

She smirked knowing exactly why he’d chosen that as their safe word, and got out of his car, walking confidently into the building. Cole followed her and together they got in the lift and walked back into BlackWater.

Maddie felt eyes on her, glances, was it because she was with Cole she wondered or was it because everyone somehow knew she’d been taken hostage? She wasn’t sure which was worse but she tried not to focus on it, she was back, she was strong, and she was ready to focus on finding out who had taken her and what the hell was going on.

They walked into Brandon’s Team area and Cole directed her straight to the Briefing Room before turning and leaving her to go find Brandon.

Becky practically jumped on Maddie as she walked through the door and she laughed hugging her back.

“You’re off your crutches.” Maddie said.

“Yeah the cast came off two days ago.”

“How’re the ribs?” Maddie asked.

“Meh they’ll heal. Apparently they take longer than a humorous.” Becky shrugged.

Maddie laughed.

“How’re you feeling?” Becky asked her.

“I’m good.”

“You look good. Cole’s been taking caring of you huh?” Becky teased.

“I am not replying to that.” Maddie said back laughing.

Becky gave her a smirk that said she didn’t need too as they both sat down.

“Maddie! How’re you feeling?” Douglas asked with his arms laden with cake boxes.

“I’m good thanks. Are those what I think they are?”

“Courtesy of my wife.” He said grinning as he laid them all out on the tables and opened them.

“They look amazing.” Becky replied. “Why do they say ‘congratulations’ though?”

“I could hardly tell her that my colleague had been kidnapped considering she thinks I work in sales.” Douglas said and both Maddie and Becky laughed.

“What does she think they’re for?”

“She thinks you got a promotion to Senior Sales.”

“Thanks Doug.” Maddie said grinning.

Brandon and Cole walked in like a tag team and they both eyed the cakes almost immediately.

“If it’s okay with you Maddie, I thought it best to go over what happened while they had you, any clues, anything they said, their questioning.” Brandon said.

Maddie nodded. Cole had already pre-warned her what they were going to ask and that they wouldn’t go into details about the torture or any of the rest of it.

“We know they asked about the codes but did they ask about anything else?”

“Nothing. They didn’t seem to understand that BlackWater isn’t Black Tech.” Maddie replied.

“How did they not get it?” Becky muttered.

“Not that many do. They seem to think because we are all subsidiaries of Black Industries that we all meld together.” Brandon replied and Cole shook his head.

“It’s amateur though. The KGB understand it, the Chinese understand it too.” Cole added. “It’s a good indicator of who we’re dealing with. Despite what they’ve achieved this isn’t a sophisticated group. They’re a bunch of chancers despite their success so far.”

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