“Nothing.” She looked back over her shoulder. She had left Dante’s door open. She turned back around.
“You were in there for a long time with the door locked. I tried it. I guess you guys didn’t hear while you were doing nothing.” He spit the last word out.
Madison didn’t think she owed him an explanation. She and Dante hadn’t said anything outright, but she didn’t think they were telling people what their side deal was. Maybe she should have specified that. Well, it was too late now. Somehow Enzo had found out. She hoped he didn’t tell anyone else. She didn’t want rumors to spread again.
Madison just stood there. Enzo approached her and backed her into the wall. “You know…Nope. Never mind.” And he walked away.
Madison didn’t want to get between the cousins, so she didn’t bother to let Dante know that Enzo knew. Enzo would get over it.
****
Dante got up to shut the door Madison had left open. He had several phone calls he needed to make, that he didn’t want overheard. But he stopped at Enzo’s voice. He stayed behind the door to listen in. He’d have to speak to Enzo. He didn’t like his tone, and he definitely didn’t like what came next.
It wasn’t any of Enzo’s business what Madison and he were doing in there. He would have stayed where he was if he hadn’t seen Enzo back her into the wall. Dante came around the door so Enzo could see him, but Madison couldn’t.
That stopped Enzo in his tracks.
Dante sat back down at his desk. He didn’t know what to expect when Madison came in to talk to him. He worried she was going to tell him she had him out of her system. He was so relieved when he found out it was only her period. That wasn’t a big deal.
He knew he should have left her alone, But he couldn’t. They had a routine when she would come up to the office to get her money. Some days he was better at keeping his hands to himself than others, and today wasn’t one of those days.
But she had seemed so down, he had wanted to do something to cheer her up and he didn’t have a lot of time to do it in, so he went with what he knew would work. But after that exchange he’d have to talk Enzo later.
He didn’t know what he was going to tell Madison before he noticed him in the doorway. But he wouldn’t let Enzo ruin what he had going on with her. It wasn’t like it would last forever. But he didn’t want it over before he was ready.
Dante did his usual nightly routine at the club. Well, the new one that he had since Madison and him had struck their deal. He didn’t miss any of her sets. He would get a drink from her before he went up for the night.
Once Ed told him what her mom had done and the financial pressure she was under while she tried to prepare her design for fashion week he had added a grand extra to her cut. He didn’t know if she would take it from him, even as a loan, so he gave her a gift every night she worked.
The only problem was he wanted more from Madison. But her mentions of not wanting to be on the wrong side of the law gave him pause. Would she care if he was getting clean or think once dirty, always dirty? His stomach churned that he might not have her for long.
Dante was still at his desk when Enzo came back in.
“Is there a problem?” Dante stood up.
Enzo moved into Dante’s personal space. “You were going to leave Madison alone.”
“Why?” Dante moved forward.
“That’s what we agreed.” Enzo jabbed Dante in the chest with his finger.
Dante didn’t bother to smack his hand away but just pushed forward into Enzo’s face. “No, that’s what you suggested. I didn’t agree to anything. I said it’s between Madison and me.”
“What is going on between the two of you?” Enzo raised his voice.
Dante kept his voice even, but his tone hardened. “I don’t know why it matters to you. I still don’t think it’s any of your business.”
“What business?” Lucca came into the room.
“Whoa. What’s going on here?” Gabe looked between Dante and Enzo.
Dante was still in Enzo’s face. He wasn’t above a fight, but he didn’t need to fight over Madison, because she had made her choice and she was his and nothing would stop him from seeing her.
“Nothing. I’m just finishing up and then I’m going down.”
“You going to her again? You have to be there for all her sets?”
“Who?” Both Lucca and Gabe spoke.
