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Frydek thought over his next move then.“I have some important information Ms.Framingham needs in the interest of her safety.I think it best if you wake her.”
I was just about to deny him a second time when Maddy came down the stairs.My gaze slid up to hers, feeling the heat of her presence like a punch to the gut.She was wearing an oversized T-shirt and yoga pants that made her look so fucking young and vulnerable I nearly ached to protect her.
Everything we’d just done together in her bedroom whipped through my mind’s eye then.My dick jumped with excitement at the electrifying memories.Tamping down my lust, I quelled the desire to drag her back to her room, strip her naked, and spank her ass red for defying my order to “stay put”.The thought of spanking her ass only got me harder though, which wasn’t really helpful at the moment.Christ!This woman was going to be the death of me.
“It’s okay, German,” Maddy said, hugging her arms tightly around her middle.“You can let the detective in.I want to talk to him.”
Reluctantly, I stepped aside to let Frydek enter.I may have given him only enough room so he had to uncomfortably slink through the entranceway.Aware of my little power move, Frydek pressed onward, his gaze not passing over a single detail in the nearly dark space.
“It’s late, Detective,” Maddy began, dark circles already shadowing her fatigued eyes.“Is there something you need to tell me that can’t wait until morning?”
My question exactly.It was past eleven.What did the man hope to gain by coming to Coldwell Manor so late?Did he truly have vital information to share?Or, more likely, did he know Maddy’s father was out of town and he was trying to catch her alone in a vulnerable moment?
But there was one thing the Detective hadn’t counted on.Maddy wasn’t alone.Iwas here.And I wasn’t about to let this man, or any other, take advantage of my girl.
Shit.My girl?What the fuck was I even saying?Despite what had happened upstairs, Maddy wasn’t mine.I was sure it had only been the adrenaline talking when she’d said she needed me.Perhaps what she needed was to feel safe and cared for after experiencing what that dickwad Richie Rich had pulled.Whatever it was though, I couldn’t deny it meant something to me.That Maddy meant something to me.More than she should.
“Let’s you and I go talk in your father’s study,” Frydek suggested, intentionally trying to separate Maddy from my presence.
Maddy answered before I could.“No.German is a trusted friend.Anything you have to tell me, Detective, you can say in front of him.”
Frydek glanced wearily in my direction and I coldly stared him down in return.“We think we might know one of the men involved in Christine Beupray’s attack,” Frydek finally stated.“We were hoping perhaps you could confirm the man’s identity.”
Maddy’s body stiffened.“If I can help in any way to put those monsters behind bars, I will,” she passionately declared.
I was proud of her spunk, but inwardly cursed.The best thing Maddy could do in this circumstance was deny any knowledge of whatever Frydek was about to show her.That way, me and my Club could quietly deal with the situation however we saw fit.And our justice system, unlike the State’s lengthy, drawn-out one, was swift and absolute.
Taking out his phone, the Detective handed it over to Maddy.Positioning myself strategically behind her, I waited for the beautiful woman to look in my direction.Unfortunately, Maddy’s china-blue gaze was transfixed on the screen as she scanned the image there.
“Yes, I know this man.His name is Ken Mitchem.He worked for my dad for years, but he’s no longer with the company,” she explained, handing back the cell.
“What do you know about Mr.Mitchem’s employment with your father?”Frydek asked, taking a step back so I wasn’t out of his range of vision.Shit, the man wasn’t a complete idiot.That was unfortunate.
Maddy shrugged.“I don’t know much.Just that he was my father’s oldest employee but he left the company last year when they disagreed on some project they were working on together.”
This was why we tried never to share information with the Old Ladies within the Club.They might think they were being helpful, but all they were doing was arming the cops in whatever bullshit charge they were about to level.For all we knew, Frydek was trying to go after Maddy’s father for something, and I didn’t want his daughter to be the one handing them the smoking gun to incarcerate his ass.How would Maddy feel then?She’d never forgive herself.Well, I wasn’t about to let her fall into a trap like that.
“What’s this about, Detective?”I cut in, trying to waylay the conversation before any more damning information could be shared.
Frydek looked peeved at my intervention.“Ms.Framingham, I’d really like to speak to you alone.”
“I’m sure you would,” I interjected.“But we’ve already established that’s not going to happen.”
Frydek took a step in my direction.“And who are you to determine anything for Ms.Framingham, Mr.German?”
So it was like I thought.Frydek had clearly done some research on me.“It’s not Mr.German, it’s just German,” I corrected him.“And I’m her friend suggesting that before Maddy says anything further, she first consults her family’s lawyer.”
Realizing he’d been overzealous, Frydek took a step back.“That won’t be necessary.I came here tonight as a courtesy to the Framingham family.It’s my goal to keep Maddelyn safe.To do that, I wanted her to know about this new potential threat the department uncovered, as soon as possible.”
“But you haven’t explained what that threat is yet, Detective,” Maddy pointed out then.
Frydek bobbed his chin.“I’ve just come from a crime scene in which we discovered Mr.Mitchem’s body.”
I sure didn’t see that one coming.Maddy gasped and I crossed the room to comfort her.Looping my arm around her shoulders, she leaned into me and I into her.
Frydek watched this interplay between us as I silently berated myself for making such a novice mistake.The last thing I wanted to do was give the Detective any insight into my relationship with Maddy when I was just supposed to be a family “friend”.But it was too late now.Frydek had witnessed our intimate exchange and he’d have no doubt in his mind there was more to our relationship than meets the eye.
“What happened to him?”Maddy inquired after she’d pulled her frayed emotions together.
