MADELYN I have not the slightest idea where I am. I couldn't figure it out. It's like I'm in the middle of nowhere. No Jason or my kids, or Grandma Lorelei. There were no trees or houses around, not a single soul either. I was on the floor. How I got here remained a mystery to me. What happened? Soon images from the graveyard flashed through my head. The old lady, Hattie. Where's she? Where's Nicholas? Or the three brawny men? I got up and dusted my behind. This wasn't the graveyard, nor was it home. A quick glance around and I came to the conclusion that I was either dead or dreaming. “ Jason?? Jason, can you hear me?” No one heard me. No one replied. “ Grandma? Liam??” Was I dead? But the last bullet wasn't from Nicholas's men. I called for help, but it wasn't forthcoming. Rather than waiting for Jason, I think I should walk around and see if I can't find anyone nearby. Three minutes of walking, and I just happened to be back at the same spot I had been. “ That's strange

MADELYN “ Welcome back, wife.” It's been what, a day or two of not hearing him call me that? They all stood by; my kids, grandma and Jason. All eight of them are the only people I can trust, the only people I could call family. I can't even trust Cara or Craig no more, not like I even did in the first place. My throat was painfully sore, more like dry. I needed water, but first I looked down and heaved a sigh of relief. My heart was intact. It had all been a dream. “ Water,” I managed to say. He let go of my hand, and grabbed a glass by the bedside table. They had been waiting for me to wake up and ask for it. Jason helped me up, and watched me down the liquid in one go. Two glasses of water was unable to quench my inextinguishable thirst. Another glass of water, and I shut my eyes. “ I'm sorry I didn't take the guards with me, yesterday,” I began and noticed how their eyes bore into me. “ What?” “ It's been a week, Madelyn. It wasn't

MADELYN The gruesome sight before my very eyes made me want to puke. My husband's eyes settled on me, while Nicholas just did what he knew how best to do— smirk. “ Oh hello Madelyn, I see you have awaken. You know your husband and I were just talking about you. So tell me, did it take a kiss from your prince charming to wake you up from your deep slumber?” I ignored the jerk, my eyes wandered around the room, and terror gripped me. All types of weapons, some I have never seen, were hung on the wall. Blood, no doubts that of Nicholas's made the once white rug one of many colors. “ It's not what you think, Madelyn. I.. I can explain, just allow me..” He stalked up to me and grabbed my waist. I swallowed the gasp and forced myself to be still as I stared at his chest. “ How long?” I asked, he leaned down until his mouth was less than an inch from my throat. “ How long, Jason?” " How long what?" His hot lips were barely an inch away from mine. “ How long has our guest been here?” t

My eyes met this sea rover-blue eyes. Deepset and darted constantly. Eyes so bright and spellbinding as lode stars, I found myself drowning in it. Now, when my mother set me up with a guy I barely knew, I had expected him to be some ugly dude with a face only his mother could love. I didn't expect him to turn out this smoking hot!! If I hadn't known my mother to have a soft spot for business men and CEOs, I'd have sworn on my father's grave that Theodore was a model. “ Natasha? Hello?” he snapped those majestic, long fingers in my face and I jerked up. How long have I been staring? Long enough to notice every little detail of him. The rich black hair which he groomed so carefully, his crescent-of- moon eyebrows were thin and narrow, down to the aquiline nose which complemented his prominent cheekbones carved down towards a flinty jaw. His silky, luscious lips might as well taste as scrumptious as they looked. His solid shoulders spoke of strength. I h

JASON Madelyn insisted I wait downstairs while she got ready. An evening date where we got the chance to dress normal and act normal. I didn't have to be in a suit and tie, and we didn't have to be cautious of how we acted. It was just us. In a lovely Korean restaurant, enjoying the evening's warmth. “ I'm ready.” she announced as she descended the stairs with a large smile on her face. “ Oh my..”My gaze swept her body, noticing how the dress accentuated her curves, and watching her thighs and those long legs through the slit in the gown. “ I look gorgeous, right?” she teased as she did a spin for me. “ Gorgeous ain't even the right word to describe this, my lady. Shall we?” Arm in arm, I led her out. The kids were upstairs with their grandma, probably reading stories or stuffing their mouths with candies. She loved to spoil them. The small but cozy restaurant was one of the best in the city. The tables were arranged sl