I don’t blame him.
He’s saying everything I won’t say to her.
Leo steps in. “Anything else, Maddie?”
“There were a few times I felt watched,” she admits. “But I’m new to New York. I thought I was being paranoid.”
Mason stops dead in his tracks. “Since when do you ignore your gut?”
Silence.
Her eyes slide to me. “Why aren’t you saying anything?” she whispers.
Ethan doesn’t answer, but he texts me immediately to say he'll call me back in one minute.
I look into my lap, shaking my head.
Maddie is anything but naïve. Why would she ignore this?
“I need to take this,” I say tightly when my phone rings, ignoring her pleas as I get up and walk away. “Ethan, we have more information…”
“Fuck. Let me work on this, and your friend, Matteo?”
“He’ll find him.”
“Good. Send me a picture of every letter. Get me access to all her social media. Her PO Box and anything else that belongs to her pseudonym.”
I hang up and go into the kitchen when I hear Mase still ranting and raving.
“She didn’t realize,” Addie says gently.
I duck my head. “I know, but it was still fucking stupid.”
“We all know that,” she says softly. “But it’s done. She can’t undo it.”
I finally look up.
“And what if I wasn’t here the night he knocked?” My voice is rough. “What if he took her? What if?—”
I can’t finish.
I physically can’t without my heart ripping from my chest.
“I’m sorry,” Maddie sobs from behind me.
Fuck.
“I know, Mads.” I hold out my arms, and she throws herself into me. I rub my hand down her back. “It’s okay.”
Benny opens the door and can sense the tension, so he unclips Skye’s leash and quietly exits with a head nod.
Good man.
Skye doesn’t glance at our guests; her only concern is Maddie crying in my arms.
She whimpers, causing Maddie to let go of me to hold on to her baby. But my arms stay where they are.
After a moment, the front door opens again.
