The Price of Winning: London Calling Book Four (21 page)

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

A detached part of Sebastian’s brain made a mental note to have a discussion with Madeleine about her unfortunate habit of apologizing all the time. Another wanted to bundle her up and carry her away from Petrov’s foul presence.

What the hell was she doing here?

He unlocked his knees, taking two rapid steps forward. Petrov stood within inches of Madeleine now, his face stretched in a sneer.

“Get away from her, Petrov.” The other man smirked. “Time’s up.”

Petrov reached down to circle Madeleine’s wrist with his long, spidery fingers. She jumped back in surprise, but not before he squeezed hard enough to make her flinch.
 

“It’s nice to know Mr. Payne has someone special in his life.”
 

Petrov’s voice oozed with menace. But he made the mistake of shifting his focus to Sebastian.
 

Madeleine jerked her arm, freeing her wrist and flipping her hand to grip Petrov’s. His gaze snapped to hers dumbly. He winced as she tightened her fingers, piercing his skin with her nails. Instinctively, he snatched his hand back. Long bloody gouges were the results of his effort.

He gaped at Madeleine. Sebastian reached her side.

Her eyes were deadly, fixed on Petrov. She reminded Sebastian of a sleek jaguar, poised to leap on its prey.

“Whoever you are, don’t touch me. Now, get out.”

Her words echoed Sebastian’s earlier ones. It worked because Petrov immediately left the room, his hand bloody and dripping.
 

Madeleine slammed the door after him.

***

She whirled on Bas.
 

Madeleine opened her mouth, but he cautioned her by pressing one index finger to his lips. He shook his head.
 

“Not here,” he murmured. Taking her hand in his, he opened the door, poking his head out. Apparently satisfied with what he saw, he pulled her after him down the corridor to his office.

Seeing her inside, he locked the door then walked over to the drinks cabinet. He filled two crystal tumblers with ice and soda water then finished by squeezing lime wedges over top. To his credit, he wordlessly walked to two armchairs that sat near the windows.
 

She might have strangled him if he’d sat behind his desk.

He moved the chairs so they were angled sharply toward one another, and then he gestured for her to join him.

Madeleine crossed the room and sat, partly because she wasn’t sure her legs would support her much longer. “Who was that?” Before anything else, she needed to understand what just happened and with whom. When she’d burst into the boardroom, she thought the air positively sizzled with the threat of violence.
 

She rubbed her arms then leaned forward to accept her drink from Sebastian.

“
That
was Dimitri Petrov,” Sebastian said. His jaw clenched. “Someone you should never have met.” He took a long swallow of water. “Why are you back? I asked you to visit Angeline.”

“Right.” Madeleine set her glass down with a click. “So you did. What you failed to mention was why you wanted me gone.”

“What do you mean?” He ran a finger under his collar. “I told you I had a three-day event. A poker tournament.”

Madeleine’s head about shot off. She could have throttled him. “Sebastian. I know that. What you didn’t tell me was that you’d invited a group of Russian thugs!”

He paused. “Technically, they’re not thugs.”

She flattened her lips, gritting her teeth. “They are criminals, though, aren’t they?” She curled her toes inside her ballet flats. “The worst kind?” Her voice was unnaturally high, her body temperature skyrocketing.

She took a deep breath.

“You sent me to Jersey on the pretext of needing time for work. Fortunately, Angeline clued me in to what you were up to.” She didn’t know why, but she didn’t mention Natalie and Dominic, or the new plan. “Why on God’s green earth didn’t you tell me what you had going here?” She threw her hands up.

Sebastian seemed to be fighting his own battle for control. “Madeleine, if I apologize profusely will you please take yourself away from here?” He looked around them as if expecting to see someone else in the room.

“NO.” She stopped herself, aware losing her temper would solve nothing. “Do you know that’s the single most condescending thing you’ve ever said to me? Why would you think I’d leave after witnessing firsthand the type of people you’re entertaining?”

Sebastian slammed his own drink down and sprung to his feet. “Because you’re in danger,” he shouted. “And because I asked you to!”

Temper be damned. “Well, that’s rich, Sebastian. Am I supposed to just follow your orders then? Meekly obey?”

“Goddammit, you’re supposed to trust me.” He practically seethed with frustration. “My job is to protect you. And now, because of your stubborn refusal to do as I asked, you’re in jeopardy.”
 

“Your
job
?” She stood to face him. “You look at me like some sort of task to check off? A responsibility?”

“No,” he turned, raking his hands through his hair. He spun back to face her. “Yes! Yes, I do. And what’s wrong with that?” He chopped the air between them. “
I love you
. I want to take care of you, make sure nothing bad happens to you.”

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from yelling at him. His words tapped into the crux of the real problem. “There is nothing wrong with the fact that you want the best for me.” She deliberately changed his words. “But the best thing for me is being with you. At your side, no matter what. That’s what love is, Bas. It’s not conditional, dependent on a fair weather forecast.”
 

He scrubbed his hand over his face. “Madeleine, I love you. And because of that, you can’t be here. Not just for your own protection, but mine as well. If you’re nearby, I’ll be distracted. Worried.”

It so closely echoed what Natalie had said about taking herself off in order to help Dominic that Madeleine nearly relented.
 

But this was about her and Sebastian.
 

She knew if she let this go she’d never recover the ground she lost by doing so. She planted her feet, propping her hands on her hips. “There is a larger issue here, Bas.” She sat back down, determined to get through to him. She wouldn’t if she let her emotions get the best of her. “You don’t see me as an equal. You coddle me as if I don’t understand how cruel and ruthless and vicious life can be. And that’s not fair.”

He was over her in an instant, bracing his hands on the armrests of her chair. Madeleine had to force herself not to cower, and then was alternately shocked and disappointed in herself for thinking for an instant, even subconsciously, that Sebastian would ever hurt her.

Luckily he didn’t notice the split second when she shrunk back into her chair. “Madeleine, I do not have time for this.” His fingers were white-knuckled on the chair. He gave it one small shake. “You will leave. If I have to call for security to pack you up and take you home, so be it. But you
will
leave.”

She gasped. She’d never seen this side of Sebastian before. Suddenly, she was reminded of the man she’d first met, the dark brooding stranger on Jersey all those months ago.

He’d frightened her then. And he was scaring her now.

But she’d be damned if she let him know it. Instead, she told herself he was acting out of character. Mustering a sense of calm, she placed her hands over his. “I would do just about anything for you, but I won’t leave. Not when I’ve seen firsthand the kind of people around here.” She heard him grunt in frustration. “Besides, I don’t think I’m being immodest by saying I think I’d give your security man a run for his money.”

She smiled, trying to tease him out of this awful mood. Surely, handling someone as nasty as Petrov would be better with her at his side. Not worse. After all they’d been through together, they were a team.

He straightened, his posture stiff. “Madeleine, I’ve rounded up all the help I need.” He sighed, his face pinched. “Maybe this will convince you.” He strode over to his desk, bending to unlock the cabinet containing a personal safe she knew was stored within. He reached inside, and she heard a small ping followed by the sound of the door swinging open.
 

He rose. In his hand was an oiled black handgun, complete with burled rosewood handle. He unclipped the box magazine containing the ammunition, laying it on his desk.
 

Madeleine slumped against the back of her chair, lightheaded. She heard a roaring sound, and the room tunneled to black.
 

Distantly, she felt large hands pitch her forward to press her forehead down to her knees.
 

“Breathe, baby.”
 

Sebastian’s voice sounded muffled and unsteady. As her vision cleared, she could feel his hands resting against her back, impossibly gentle.

And trembling.

She braced her hands against the seat cushion and raised her head. She shook her head slowly, disbelieving. “This isn’t you, Sebastian.”

He cursed. “I only told you so you’d be reassured.”

She laughed, the sound unnatural.

“Please get rid of that. I’m begging you.” She dashed the back of her hand against her eyes. She hadn’t even realized she was crying. “This isn’t you,” she repeated. “You don’t smoke or drink. You don’t even curse as much as I do. Today I learned you don’t normally gamble.” She was sobbing now, unable to dam the flow of her tears. “When we trained you told me fighting should only be undertaken to prevent violence, not cause it. So how can you even consider, for one moment, pulling that trigger? Taking a life?”

For one minute, he looked as though she’d mortally wounded him. He kneeled at her feet, chafing her cold hands between his. “I don’t plan on using that, Maddy.” His head jerked, motioning to the desk where the gun lay. “Of course not.”

She reached out to place her palm over his cheek. “No, of course you don’t, Bas. But you would. I can see it in you.” Her voice was flat, monotone. Her chest ached, and she felt like she was grieving all over again. “Please, I’m begging you. Walk away from this. Before you do something you’ll regret for the rest of your life.” She could see the refusal hovering on his lips. “Please,” she pleaded, blinded by her own tears.
 

Silence shrieked between them. After an endless hesitation, he tenderly pulled her hand away from his face. “I can’t. I’m more sorry than I can say for that. But I just can’t.”

“Why?” she cried.
 

“Because I made a vow a very long time ago. For Poppy.” He cupped Madeleine’s nape, tipping her head back so she would look at him. “Please don’t ask me to choose between you.”

She moaned, rocking a little on her seat. “I didn’t know her. But surely the little girl you described to me, so bright and full of life, wouldn’t have wanted this for you.” Madeleine’s body felt empty, yet unbearably heavy. She couldn’t see how to break through the walls he’d thrown up between them.
 

She watched the chill settle in Sebastian’s eyes. “You’re right. You didn’t know her.” He went back over to the desk, putting the gun away. “No one can know Poppy because she’s dead. Murdered by the same kind of people as the ones upstairs.”

He was next to her before she could answer, pulling her up by the elbows.
 

“I told you not to make me choose.”
 

Madeleine’s heart cracked then crashed into pieces.

“It’s time for you to go.”

He marched her to the door, pushing her ahead of him to walk out. Even though her shoulders were quaking, she braced her arm on the jamb in one final, desperate attempt to save them. Turning, she met his eyes, hers now dry and stinging.

“The choice was never between me or Poppy.” Her voice broke and chin trembled. But she went on, knowing this might be her last chance. “It was about the future over the past. The light over darkness.”

Some emotion shot through his ink-black eyes. Then he removed her hand from the jamb and closed the door between them.

***

It was after three o’clock in the morning when Sebastian let himself into Payne Manor.
 

A few of the poker games had gone long, one in particular involving Petrov. Ultimately, Sebastian rejected any semblance of civility and trounced the other man, taking a hundred thousand pounds from him in the process.

It still made him smile.

Of course, Petrov had been outraged, barely containing his anger. The other players had scattered, too intimidated to see the man for what he really was.

A petulant bully.
 

Sebastian cracked his knuckles, wishing he could plow them into Petrov’s face.
 

He padded through his house, looking for Madeleine. When there was no sign of her on the main level, he told himself not to panic as it was so late. Nevertheless, he found himself walking faster and faster, practically jogging down the corridor to her quarters.

Her door was open, the rooms empty.

Where would she go? He raked his hands through his hair, pushing it back. He cursed himself for never considering the idea she might leave. Why wouldn’t she? He’d practically thrown her out of his office.
 

He went back downstairs, grabbing a bottle of water. Madeleine didn’t know that many people in London. But she and Martin shared a close friendship. Surely that’s where she’d gone for the night.
 

He checked his watch again, heart racing. It was far too late to call.
 

He breathed deeply, wishing he could turn back the clock or at least slow time. Everything was happening too quickly. Since the arrival of the Russians, he felt his control was slipping away.
 

He opened the back door and stepped outside. The walled garden was alight with fireflies, making it seem like a fairytale. A soft breeze rustled through the trees, filling his nose with the scent of wild roses.
 

His security team had confirmed Madeleine left Club Hobart within minutes of their confrontation. He should have been relieved, but now he had no real idea where she was. He could only hope she’d gone to Martin’s.