Tease Me (Private Listing #4)

“Get takeout,” I order Seth, something I never do. But he grabs his phone and gets to work.

Running a hand over the back of my neck and gritting my teeth, I head to that fucking door in our way. Noah walks with me. We’re together in this. I don’t know what the others did to fuck this up, but we’re going to figure it out and make it right.

Knocking lightly on the door, I take a breath. “Madison, could you join us, please?”

The lock disengages, and the tension eases from my shoulders. She opens the door and lifts her red-rimmed eyes to us. They fucking made her cry. I open my arms and she steps into them, giving me all her weight and resting her head over my beating heart.

Noah rubs her back. “We all need to talk through this. But if you need a break at any point, you let us know.”

She nods her head against my chest but doesn’t release her hold on me.

Noah’s gaze lifts to mine and I can feel his fury inside me. Whatever the others did won’t be solved over dinner, but we’ll do what we can to mend whatever they broke. We have to.

This relationship isn’t just between Madison, Noah, and me. It’s all of us.

I smooth my hand over her bound hair. “Seth ordered us dinner and we’re all going to sit and talk. Is that okay, sweetheart?”

Her arms tighten around me before she lifts her blue eyes to mine. “Yes.”

I cup her jaw and see in her eyes her love for me and the hurt the others caused reflected there. If we were younger, I would have decked both guys as soon as I made it to the apartment. They both would’ve been nursing bruises, and deserved them.

But I’m old enough to have self-control. I’m not guaranteeing no one will get punched, but at least I didn’t react without talking about it first.

Seth and Blake move to the table as Noah and I lead Madison over. She sits between us and away from the others. Noah goes into the kitchen and gets everyone drinks before sitting beside Madison and taking her hand.

“Who’s going to start?” I glare at Seth and Blake.

Blake starts, “Robert?—‍”

“Madison’s old neighbor?” Noah asks.

“Yes. Robert tried to get in through the back door to Madison’s apartment while she was putting away groceries.” Blake leans back and runs his hand through his hair. “When security brought him inside, Robert insisted he’d only speak to Madison and no one else.”

“Okay, so what happened?” I ask. So far nothing is really bad except this guy trying to get into Madison’s apartment, but that doesn’t seem like something to get torn up over. More like call the police on his ass and let them sort it out.

“We put Robert in the conference room on the sixth floor and brought Madison into my office to tell her.” Seth takes a drink of his water. “We told her he wanted to speak to her alone and we wouldn’t be able to hear her.”

“You fucking tested her?” Noah surges to his feet. “What the fuck were you thinking? That she wanted Robert to come upstairs? That she was involved with him?”

Madison’s hand trembles in mine, and I weave my fingers through hers.

“No, I didn’t want to think that. But she could have been hiding something from us. I wanted to be sure.” Blake doesn’t take his gaze off Noah, like he’s afraid to look at Madison.

“I didn’t think we needed to.” Seth puts his elbows on the table. His gaze never leaves Madison. His blue eyes reflect his misery. “I trust her, but after Patrick said?—‍”

“Wait.” I straighten in my chair. “Patrick? Our lawyer? What does he have to do with this?”

Madison leans against me as Noah takes his seat again.

Blake blows out a breath. “He reminded us that both Andrea and Rachel had guys up to the apartment.”

“And you automatically thought Madison was doing the same?” I laugh. “You do know she’s not Andrea and Rachel, right? She’s not Elizabitch or Leighton either.”

“Patrick didn’t stop there. He said they worried Madison had guys over when she watched the kids.” Seth shakes his head like he knows what he’s saying is bullshit.

Which it is. Complete and utter bullshit.

“And you lost your damn mind?” I ask.