Dom nodded. "As far as I can tell—definitely was in there, this time. Irritated she couldn’t get out there and look for Grundenman herself. Andshebrought it up, not me. Talked about Grundenman’s child. She knew what was going on, Mig. I’m sure of it. Woman's stubborn. Did you expect anything else? She's determined to get these assholes, too. Last thing she said to me before I left was… well, she extracted a promise. I'm going to see that through. I gave her my word."
"Heather is one of the best I've ever seen. She's loyal. Honest. There's a core strength that runs through that woman. They hurt her. And it was on purpose. I don't think it was just Wilson. I think there's others involved. Far deeper. And I bet the trail starts right there in Wichita Falls.”
“If it does, I’m going to prove it. Those bastards…aren’t hurting the ones we care about ever again.”
52
Madison recognizedthe big truck in the driveway at Coleson Castle and groaned.
“Problem?” the woman next to her asked. Somehow, K.J. had ended up recruited to be her taxi for this. Dom’s doing. He’d sent the most junior detective.
Madison wasn’t being stupid. If there was a threat against her, she was going to do whatever she could to be safe. So she’d accepted the ride.
“Dom is here. I’m avoiding him, as much as I can.” When he wasn’t sleeping on her couch, anyway. Last night she’d convinced herself that she’d been dreaming, that he really wasn’t there. Only to find him on her couch again. He’d looked so perfect. Her fingers had started tingling again.
“I can drive away. Head to the hills. But if a scorching hot guy like Dominic Acardi was looking in my direction—I don’t know that I would be running. At least, notaway,anyway.”
“It is very, very complicated.”
“No kidding. I bet it is.” K.J. looked behind her and tensed. Then relaxed. “That’s Heather’s sister, right?”
Madison looked at the little economy car that had just pulled in and parked. “Bonnie and Cashlyn. Heather’s sister and niece.”
K.J. killed the engine. Madison opened the door. “Thanks for the ride.”
“I’ll just walk you in and give you over to Acardi. I don’t want him growling at me or anything.”
“Gee, thanks. Girls are supposed to stick together, you know.” Might as well get this over with, and deal with him. He would find her eventually—probably right there in her living room and everything. At least this way…she’d get him to buy her dinner somewhere first. The man owed her that much. Maybe a trip to the Barratt Hotel dining room would be in order…?
Madison stepped out of her car, just as a teenage girl walked up the sidewalk and stopped. Then the girl just hurried away.
Bonnie met her at the edge of her car. “Madison, hello. Please, come in. Your friend, too.”
“Bonnie Coleson, Cashlyn, this is Detective K.J. Miller. She works with us at the TSP. She got stuck driving me around today because of a bum arm.”
“I believe we’ve met before,” Bonnie said. “Please, come inside. It looks like it is going to storm. No one should be out in it now.”
Madison agreed with that. She followed Bonnie inside, as Cashlyn made small talk with K.J. Then there he was. Her caveman of Major Crimes, sitting at Heather’s table with Hope and Daniel and Miguel like he owned the place.
Bonnie smiled at Dom and said hello, and called him by name and told him what a pleasure it was to see him again.
Apparently that was all it took.
Dominic Vincent Acardi—big tough caveman that he was—turned bright red and actually stuttered. Simply because a beautiful woman had smiled at him.
Madison just…snickered. The man was pitiful. And she was one hundred percent certain—Dom had acrush.His cheeks were red right there. And he lookednervous. In an instant. He turned to her and scowled as Bonnie stepped out of the kitchen and into a nearby family room to say hello to her grandchildren who had realized she was home. Dom stood and came toward Madison, as Hope followed her mother to ask her questions about Heather—and Miguel followed Hope like a magnet. K.J. was busy talking to Daniel about what she had learned on whatever she was working on today.
It was almost like she and Dom were alone now. For just one brief moment. Which…good thing they weren’t really alone—the fingers were really tingly now. He looked good in his dark green TSP T-shirt. Real good.
“Careful, she’s going to see you looking at her.” This was hilarious. And she was going to enjoy this. Who would have thought the biggest caveman in the TSP would have a crush on an older woman that left him blushing? “She might find out youlikeher.”
He just scowled, but…it made him seem human for once. And that it was Hope’s oldest sister was just icing on the cake.
“For what it’s worth, I like the future Mrs. Dom Acardi very much. She’s very nice. You’ll probably be very happy together.”
He growled. He was very…um…sexy…when he growled like that. But she was never going to say that out loud. It would give him ideas. “There won’t be anothermissusfor me. You can count on that. Unlessyouare offering.”
“I—” Well, that sobered everything right up, didn’t it? Okay, maybe she should take a detour here. Escape out the window. “Dom…I was just teasing.”
