Boss Me (Private Listing #3)

I pull a clean tissue from her desk and lift the photos out using it. There must be fifty pictures of her in that dress. Different days, different seasons. All candid. Some from a distance. Some close up. Fuck.

When I touch the dress with the tissue, it doesn’t come away red. It’s dry.

“We threw that dress away yesterday,” Coop says, barely above a whisper. He grabs a tissue and hands it to Madison. She clutches it in her trembling hand as she finally looks over at me.

Her eyes are watery and her skin pale.

Coop looks like he wants to say more, but with Patrick here, we need to stay quiet. Even though he’s our lawyer, he’s an outsider. But he deals with all our legal, including our NDAs and consent contracts.

“What’s happening?” Seth emerges from his office and takes a step toward Madison. Coop shakes his head and darts his gaze to the conference room door. We can’t raise suspicion.

Patrick may know that we had the contracts drawn up, but he doesn’t know if she signed them or what the status of our relationship is.

Seth’s fingers clench like he wants to take Madison into his arms, but we need to maintain the lie that she’s only with Coop. I’m fighting the urge to hold her as well. Taking a deep breath in, Seth stands beside me, searching the contents of the box.

“Patrick is in the conference room.” Coop runs his hand over the nape of Madison’s neck. Her cheek rests against his heart while she watches Seth and me with huge blue eyes.

“I’ll call my friend. This is definitely escalating.”

The note is almost threatening, but with such pleasant tones to it. Barely a threat at all, except for the red, shredded dress. It’s like he cares about her. It’s creepy as fuck, is what it is.

“Who would do this? I can’t think of anyone who would hate me enough.” Madison shivers against Coop.

“Old boyfriend? Someone who thought they deserved your attention and didn’t get it? Maybe Valerie and her boyfriend trying to shake you up?” I don’t even believe that one. It’s too methodical. That doesn’t seem to be Valerie and Jeff’s MO. I sit on the edge of her desk next to the box. “This guy?—‍”

“Or girl,” Seth says. His blue eyes are hard as he shuffles through the photos, careful to use a tissue on the corners.

I nod. “You’re right. This person has been following you for years without making this kind of contact.” I pause. “Or has anything like this happened before?”

“Creepy boxes with a torn dress? Videos of me naked? Weird texts?” Madison trembles and shakes her head. “No, nothing like that.”

I glance toward the conference room. I swear I see a shadow under the door. Jerking my head toward it, I blow out a breath. “Let’s put this away. We’ll see what the police have to say about it.”

Madison moves to help. Coop tips her chin up to make her look him in the eyes.

“Sweetheart, I’m going to grab your tablet and a laptop, and you’re working downstairs for the rest of the afternoon.” Coop meets my eyes. “Can you go down with her?”

I nod with my lips pressed flat. “Of course.”

I still have some phone calls and some work I need to do, but nothing that can’t be done downstairs. “Let me know when Noah gets back and what he’s found out. I may need to have you downstairs when the police come.”

Coop presses a gentle kiss to Madison’s lips and then gently guides her toward me. Her wide blue eyes gaze up at me. I resist the urge to draw her into my arms and hold her until all of this goes away.

Fuck, this girl is under my skin, and I don’t want to get her out from under it.

Coop

Rage shudders through me as Madison walks to the elevator with Blake. Someone is after her. They’ve gotten to her twice. Once while under our care. That’s bullshit.

As they enter the elevator, her eyes meet mine. I give her a reassuring smile. As soon as the doors close, I drop my smile. For her, I could pretend anything, but right now, I want to destroy something. I want to set fire to the box and all its contents.

When Seth puts the items back in the box, something catches my attention.

“Wait.” I step forward and reach for the pictures. Seth catches my hand and holds it. That urge to lash out fills me again. I close my eyes, unwilling to hurt one of my best friends.

“Use a tissue or a glove.” Seth’s words lack inflection. My eyes meet his, and I can see the same carefully banked rage blazing in them.

I’m not alone. My brothers are on the same page. We all want to protect Madison at any cost. He releases my hand. I grab a tissue and pick up her letter opener in my other hand.