“He was shot last night,” Norm said, calmly. “Probably needs an actual doctor to take a look at him, girls. To be on the safe side.”
Dom was going to protest—Madison gave her caveman a look. She knew how that man’s brain operated. He was going to be all strong and manly around so many pretty ladies.
Especially in front of the love of his life, Queen Bonita.
Madison would watch—see if he blushed again. Maybe take a pic to show Charlotte or Zoey…
“We couldn’t get near the ERs last night. They were being…watched. Barratt’s damned castle was as well,” Dom said.
The Colesons weren’t questioning a man showing up in their home with a bullet hole in time for breakfast even a little. They were just…eating oatmeal and bacon like this was a normal everyday occurrence.
Hope had told her before that her family was a bit out there at times. Madison had fully believed it. She believed it even more lately.
Madison studied him—he did look a little green. Guilt hit. Maybe she shouldn’t have stripped the man naked and seduced him after all. What if she’d actually seriously hurt him or something?
“Well, then, just send Handsome right on over here.” Cashlyn pointed to her chair, after she stood. “We’ll grab the handy-dandy first aid kit, and our little Sam-Sam can tend to him. She does such neat stitches, after all.”
“What in the he—world—happened?” Daniel asked. Madison studied him for a moment. He was looking much better. Still too thin, but back to being too pretty for a woman’s own good. “Price just called in a missing persons for you five hours ago. Your damned truck was found off the road, with blood everywhere. He recognized it as yours—guess there was a bit of an argument about who to call. Price won. He called you in as missing to Darrell. We just heard.”
“I do not even know if your mama knows,” Bonnie said, looking at Madison, before shooing all the kids out of the room with the teenagers that were there. She was rather like a fairy queen. Queen Bonita fit.
“We were ambushed about ten blocks from Madison’s apartment. Two dark trucks, later models. Tinted windows. Not much more I can say. They rammed us a few times. Then started shooting. We took off when they tried to turn around and come back our way.”
“I knew the short cuts and boltholes, so we ran. We grabbed my car and booked it out of Finley Creek fast. He fell asleep. I absconded out of town with him. Out of…state…actually,” Madison said, as Dom settled into the vacated chair. Cashlyn helped him remove his shirt, then let out a quiet whistle. She shot Madison a look of approval and nodded. Madison smirked. The man was perfect under that shirt, after all. Of course, other women would see that. Madison had gotten to touch him all up close and personal. He thought he was going to escape her now…well, that was not going to happen. No matter how hard that man ran. “I tried my best to fix him up. We…uh…borrowed your house in Oklahoma for the night. I just kept driving north, and we ended up there. Somehow.”
“How on earth did you know how to get there?” Bonnie asked. She had a first aid kit in her hands.
“I told her, Mom. I think. It’s not that hard to find, you know. Go north through town, take the first left and keep going around seven miles. But how did you get in? The window?” Hope asked.
Madison just nodded. “Around nine minutes, that time. I was a bit rusty.”
“Wicked. I’m glad you are okay, Mads. We thought you were with him and there was blood and people were starting to panic. But how did you get…Norm?”
“I found them this morning. We just left Madison’s car inside the barn under a tarp. It should be good there until it can be retrieved. Have any breakfast left for us? I am starving,” Norm said. Just like that.
He was now Madison’s new hero. The man was—honestly—a nerdy version of Hot-Dom Caveman. This was the kind of man she suspected Dom would grow up to be. Someday. Maybe a little less math-oriented and a little less polished around the edges—but strong, steady and protective.
She could see it happening.
Some kind of cross between Vince and Norm. She could so see it.
Samia pulled the bandages back. She cleaned the wound and put two dozen stitches in it—as a precaution, she said. She didn’t think it was too serious. She called in a prescription to the hospital ER. Joy was still at the hospital with Heather—she’d pick it up on her way. Joy had to come to the house to get her five kids anyway.
Just like that, the Colesons made it happen.
Madison sat there in a chair at the kitchen table, fresh, homemade donuts in front of her and finally accepted that they were safe for now. Nothing was going to happen to himhere.
She’d called her mom with Cashlyn’s phone—not like that one would be bugged, considering—and told her that she and Dom were both safe, that they had left town last night, and she’d fill her in on what had happened later.
Daniel called the chief. The chief called off the APB.
Just like that.
Dom’s truck was still a crime scene. He’d probably not get it back. He’d have to deal with that later. For now…they had to figure out what to do next.
A baby cried through the monitor. Hope hopped up, probably faster than she should. “I’ll get her, and be right back down. Mads, want to help me?”
Madison just needed to get away from the crowd for a moment. She followed Hope up the stairs and into a room on the third floor.
