Page 126 of Smoke Screen
She gripped the wheel, squeezing until her knuckles turned white. Good Girl Maddy was becoming an ace at starting trouble.
Somehow, she didn’t mind. If this was what standing up for herself brought, so be it. At least she wouldn’t be stifled by the constant need to please everyone.
Phin stopped at the door, placing his hands on it as if that would keep her from driving off.
“Maddy,whatare you doing?”
She grinned up at him. “You know what I’m doing.”
“It looks like you’re following me. After I asked you to stay here. Where it’ssafe.”
“You didn’t ask, you told. Whatever. It’s beside the point. I’m not staying here alone while y’all figure this out. If I can’t go with you, I’ll go to the Thompson Center. This ismylife and someone is setting me up. If it’s Louis’s son—and that would be an epic tragedy—I want to look him in the eye and get answers.”
He drew a hard breath, sucking the hot summer air through his nose. Yes, she was aggravating him. Couldn’t be helped. Not with so much at stake.
He slammed his eyes closed for a second, exhaled, and opened his eyes again, focusing on her for what felt like ten years.
“Please,” he said, “don’t do this. I’m trying to keep you safe.”
And, oh, the way he said it. All desperate and caring and … protective. That wispy flutter tickled her.The swish.Total killer when she’d been searching for it for so long.
But she couldn’t just sit here and be a victim. Not anymore. She set her hands over his. “Please understand. If someone were wrecking your life, wouldn’t you want to be involved?”
“Maddy—”
She tore her gaze from his, stared out her windshield at the rear bumper of the SUV. “We’re not doing this,” she said, sitting taller. “Either I’m going withyouor I’m going to the Thompson Center. You choose.”
Finally, she looked back at him, found his crystal blue eyes turning a stormy gray. Irritated with her. Too bad.
A week ago, she’d have folded under the pressure. Given in just to keep the peace.
Yay, me.
He continued staring at her for a good ten seconds that might as well have been a year. “I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
“Believe it.”
“And there’s nothing I can say to you, including reminding you a man died yesterday, to convince you to stay here?”
That reminder she didn’t need. Then again, Phin-the-schmoozer knew how to push just the right buttons. She couldn’t let him do it. No, sir. “One way or the other, I’m leaving here.”
He shook his head, let out a stream of creative swear words that singed her ears. “You’re killing me, Maddy.”
She wouldn’t apologize. Not for taking control of her life. “I know. It’s unfortunate. But I’m sure you understand, at least on some level, what it feels like to not be in control of your own life.”
His eyes softened, that stormy gray fading.
Bull’s-eye.
He pointed to the side of the driveway. “Park your car there for now.”
“You’re letting me come with you?”
“That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
She nodded. “That’s what I want.”
“Will you at least not sit in the meeting with me? Or will you argue about that, too?”
