Boss Me (Private Listing #3)

Blake’s right. The building is immense, and it would be easy to disappear and not reemerge until the morning when everyone is at work. Or wait until we’re all asleep and then come out.

“Fuck. We’re going to a hotel tonight.” I’m not stepping a foot in that building until we have every inch inspected. I won’t risk Madison that way.

Blake nods. “I’ll let the officers know.”

It’s after one in the morning by the time we enter the penthouse suite at the hotel. It has four bedrooms, which is perfect for appearances but overkill for us. I don’t think any of us want to let Madison out of our sight. Blake, Coop, Madison, and I walk into the living area, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Anyone want a drink?” Without waiting for a response, Blake moves behind the bar and sets four glasses out. He pulls a bottle of bourbon from the shelf and puts a finger’s worth of liquor into each glass. Coop grabs two and hands one to Madison.

“Thank you.” Her voice is quiet.

Blake hands me the other and lifts his into the air. “To a good night’s sleep.”

Like any of us are going to sleep after that. My mind keeps spinning around the facts. The fire alarms went off. We evacuated. The building had to reset, leaving it open. If Madison really saw someone going down the alley, they could be in there right now doing whatever they want.

Blake downs the drink like a shot while the rest of us take a sip. He sets his glass down and rakes a hand through his hair. “We need to figure this shit out. I need to sleep in my own fucking apartment, not a hotel room.”

Madison drops the blanket on the couch and walks into Blake’s arms. She wraps her arms around his waist and rests her head on his chest. For a second, he seems surprised by the affection. His hand drops to her back and the other strokes over her hair as his shoulders loosen.

There’s a softness in his eyes as he looks at her. “We should go to sleep.”

“We need to wait for Noah.” Madison’s voice is muffled in Blake’s shirt.

Noah went to the drugstore to grab supplies for Madison and the rest of us since we didn’t go back into the building. She offered to go with him, but he reminded her she was only wearing sleep shorts and sent her with us. Protecting her is a priority.

“Of course.” Coop collapses on the couch and pats his leg. “Come entertain your future husband, sweetheart.”

She rolls her eyes and a wave of affection flows through me. Could I imagine a future with Madison in it? Of course. Could I imagine a future with her without the others? No. What we have works because it’s all of us.

But that doesn’t work for the real world. For our business associates who would rather go with a subpar company than work with men with our unsavory reputation.

She takes Blake’s hand and pulls him over to the couch before sitting down on Coop’s lap. Blake settles beside Coop and they all look at me expectantly.

Fuck it. I refill Blake’s glass and add more to mine before walking over to join them. I hand Blake his glass, and he gives me a nod.

“We need a list of suspects, princess.” I lift her feet to my lap and take off her shoes.

“Like who I think might be the stalker?” Madison asks as she rests her head on Coop’s and Blake’s shoulders. She gives a small yawn. “Or everyone I’ve ever come into contact with?”

“Problem is, it could be someone she doesn’t even know.” Blake strokes his hand down Madison’s hair and takes a drink of his bourbon. “Any list may not be complete.”

“Don’t stalkers try to insert themselves into your life?” Coop threads his fingers with Madison’s, toying with the ring on her finger. It’s a stake of his claim on her. It shouldn’t mean anything, but it makes my gut tighten every time I see it on her finger. It’s a reminder that we don’t have a future with Madison. That all we have is right now.

The door makes a noise as someone inserts their keycard. We all straighten and wait. Noah steps into the room and sets the bag on the table.

“Why are you guys still up?” Noah strides across the room to Madison.

“We were waiting for you.” She holds her barely touched bourbon out to him, and he takes it and downs the remains.

Setting the glass on the coffee table, he bends and lifts Madison into his arms bridal-style. She wraps her arms around his neck and gives him this soft, longing look. He lifts an eyebrow at me. “Which way, boss?”

Her gaze falls on me, and it makes my heart throb. Standing, I nod toward the primary bedroom. Noah heads that direction. Coop and Blake follow us. We have four bedrooms, but we’ll make it work with the one bed.

Madison

Sunlight hits my eyelids from the crack in the curtain, and I wearily open my eyes. I’m alone in the bed that was crowded last night with all of us. The scent of coffee lingers in the air. I stretch across the bed and exhale.

I’ve gotten used to waking mid-orgasm or in someone’s arms. It’s weird being alone.