Page 177 of Cold As Ice

“Austin!” Madison screamed right as I stood while Imogen clutched my shoulders, to find the end of a blade pointed right at us.

“Who the fuck are you?” Warren snarled.

I gently cradled the back of Imogen’s neck, pressing her close to me, hoping like hell I could keep her out of harm’s way.

My heart pounded in my chest as I stared down her father, the man who had broken Madison. “You don’t want to do this,” I said, keeping my eye on the knife.

“Don’t tell me what the fuck I want to do. Are you fucking her, is that it? Did she spread her legs for you like a good little whore.”

Imogen sobbed against my shoulder, and I held her tighter, whispering soothing noises in her ear.

“Warren, please,” Mrs. Reynolds sniffled. “She’s just a child.”

“My child. SHE’S MY FUCKING CHILD.” He kept the blade pointed at me, but his eyes were burning hatred at Madison’s parents. “And you and your husband took her away from me. You made sure she’d grow up never knowing me. Her own flesh and blood.”

“We can talk about this. No one has to get hurt, son—”

“Don’t call me that. Don’t ever fucking call me that. You took everything from me.”

I inched backward. Slowly. Carefully. All while my heart threatened to beat right out of my chest.

This was bad—really fucking bad.

One wrong move and someone could get hurt.

I needed to get Imogen away from him.

Where were the police?

Where the fuck was back up?

“Warren.” Madison stepped forward and my heart jumped into my throat. She caught my eye and gave me a coded look.

“Warren, look at me. Talk to me.”

He glanced back at me, his hand trembling. His eyes were blown, a sure sign he was under the influence of something.

“Seriously, Madi, you fucking this guy?”

“He’s not important, baby. This is about you and me. Look at me.”

He started to turn, giving her his full attention, and I used Madison’s distraction to my advantage, backing up further.

I caught Madison’s eye, hating the fear there. The sheer determination. She wasn’t thinking about herself. She was only thinking about the terrified little girl in my arms.

Go, she seemed to say.Get her out of here.

I bolted for the door and spilled into the hall. “Inside,” I yelled at the police officers moving down the hall. “He has a knife.”

The officers poured into the room, and I heard one yell, “Freeze,” as all hell broke loose.

“Shh, princess, I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” I held Imogen tighter, trying to protect her from whatever was going down in the apartment.

“Austins, wheres Mommy? I wants Mommy.” She started to wail, her body trembling in my arms as I held on and prayed to God that Madison was okay.

Seconds turned into minutes and minutes seemed like hours. But finally, the door opened again, and the officers came out shoving a cuffed Warren between them.

He met my stare and I conveyed everything I wanted to say to his face but never would while I held his little girl in my arms.

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