Searching my memory I shake my head. “Don’t think so.”
Turning it over he smiles, “Remind me to someday.”
CHAPTER 28
N ICHOLAS
“Denise!” I slow to a jog. “Hey, Denise!”
She’s in workout clothes, too, walking on the trail above where I was running the track at Piedmont Park. Bucky’s on a leash. They stop as she glances around for who called her name.
“Down here!”
Her head turns toward me, eyes lighting up with recognition. Instantly they harden, and she continues on her path, calling down, “Can’t talk, busy day.”
Blinking against bright sunlight I frown, “Fuck it,” and break into a sprint up the old stone steps. “Denise! Hold up a second!”
She looks over her shoulder and Bucky’s ears perk up. I overhear her quietly tell him, “It’s okay, boy. It’s just Nicholas.”
“Hey, how’s it goin?”
Her smile is guarded as she covers her eyes from the beating sun with one hand. “Good, you?”
Squatting to pet Bucky I ask, “Hey Bucky boy, remember me?” He licks my hand and puts his heavy paw up on my arm. “That’s right. It’s just this guy. You’re a good protector, aren’t you?” Rising up I ask, “How’s Maddie been?” Her eyebrows cock. I lose the smile. “How is she?”
She changes the leash over to her other hand. “Are you just making conversation or do you really want to know?”
“I really want to know. I called her but she never returned my call.”
Frowning, she asks, “You did?”
“Yeah, yesterday and the day before.”
Right after I left my parents’ house, I phoned her up. Waited twenty-two hours and tried again. Planned to do it once more today. Tomorrow, too. Nice and steady until she finally picked up and heard me out. My head was in the game now—but coming off as a crazy stalker with a ton of messages all at once, isn’t my idea of sexy.
Frowning, Denise mutters, “That’s news to me.”
“She didn’t tell you?” I drag a hand through my hair. “That’s not a good sign. Well, shit, I waited too long?” Flicking a glance to the sun, I mumble as a nail twists in my chest. “Fuck, great.”
As Bucky becomes interested in sniffing a passing poodle, Denise’s eyes narrow on me. “It’s not because she doesn’t like you.”
My eyebrows lift. “What? You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
A smile twitches, but won’t take hold until I have more information. “Why then? She busy with work?”
“That’s not it,” Denise sighs. “She’s not doing good, Nicholas.”
“What’s wrong?” My eyes flit to the dog. “Wait…why are you walking him?” Over edges in my throat I rasp, “Don’t tell me she’s—”
“No, she’s alive, intact. It’s not that.” Denise bites her lip. “I don’t know if she’d want me telling you about this.”
“What’s going on!”
“Why should I be telling you about her private life?”
“Because I care about her and if there’s something I can do to help, I will.”
Suspicious, Denise clocks me as she tugs Bucky back to heel. “That girl is more my sister than my own sister is to me! So I must guard her secrets with my soul, you got me, Nicholas? I am not fucking around here. I see you’re upset, all shocked and entitled at the same time. But what did you do—feel my girl up and take her out to dinner once? I’m sorry but that’s not a strong enough reason to get information from me. I’m gonna go now. Bye bye.” She lightly snaps the leash, “C’mon Bucky,” and starts walking away.
“Hey!” I catch up to her, and she speeds up. “Listen, stop. From your perspective, I know what this looks like. But you don’t know what the last month has been like for me.”
She chuckles, “Oh, I can guess!”
I run in front of her to make her hear me. “I haven’t touched anyone since I took Maddie out. Hell, ever since I met her I haven’t kissed one other girl.”
“You’re shitting me.”
“I went to Billy’s parties hoping to see her, that’s all.” I hold up my hands. “Never touched anyone.”
“Why didn’t you just pick up a damn phone? Been a month since that stupid date you had—and there you were pining after her and not dialing? What’s wrong with you?!”
“I should have. I know. You’re right. Then the days kept passing and I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing. I messed up. But I’m ready now, that’s why I’ve been calling.”
“Mmhmm.”
“Mmhmm all you want, but that’s what happened.”
Denise eyes me for a few beats. “You needed to figure out your shit, that’s what you’re telling me?”
Pointing at the track, I ask, “You know why I’m out here running today? Because I can’t stop thinking about her. I’ve been here six days out of seven for a month. But it hasn’t worked. And so I called. And called. And was going to call again.” Stepping closer, I say, “So this is the deal. Either you tell me what’s wrong with Maddie, or I’m gonna go to her place and ask her, myself. Either way, I’ll find out.”
Appreciation ignites Denise’s sharp eyes. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”
“So, you’ll tell me?”
Her face becomes somber as she blinks and clamps her mouth a second. “She was assaulted by the man she worked for.”
It’s like someone punched me in the back. The kind of hit you don’t see coming so it takes a second to register you’re in pain. “What?!” I growl, hands becoming fists. “Did he…”
“No!” Denise hurriedly says, shaking her head, voice lowering. “Maddie screamed and the kids started shouting through the door. He didn’t get as far as he wanted to. But if she hadn’t screamed…”
Violence shoots into my chest as I snarl, “When?”
“About two weeks ago. She’s really messed up, Nicholas. He spread it around that she came onto him, and now she can’t find work. All the wealthy women in their community—which is vast—don’t want Maddie around. They think she’ll go after their husbands! It’s her word against his, that snake.”
“I’m gonna kill him. Who is he?”
She stares at me. “Look, you’re not
