Corruption - Leigh Lennon Page 0,69
“So, you’re telling me you were a rebel at an early age.”
Our waiter has been absent for a while, but it gives me time to talk about stuff with my man where I’m not devalued for my opinion. I’m Maddox’s partner, and it’s all I’ve wanted—to be shown my thoughts, ideas, and dreams matter.
“I love this, between us, talking about books, or what survivor we’re rooting for or hate,” he begins, bringing my fingers to his mouth when he kisses them. “I never knew what I was missing until I met you. And all the hurt that I went through, that closed off my heart until you could thaw it, has been worth it.”
He lets go of my fingers when he pulls something from his suit pocket. He doesn’t show it to me, but he lowers to one knee, opening up a platinum banded amethyst jewel set in the most beautiful ring.
“I know this is quick, but you are the one for me. I want everyone else to know it, too. So, Jewel Atkins, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
The ring is beautiful, but his words touch my heart as I push away my tears. If I’m getting engaged, I can’t have mascara running everywhere.
“Yes, Maddox Sobota, I’ll marry you. It’s all I’ve wanted since I first saw your gorgeous face.” He reaches for my hand and slides my engagement ring onto my finger.
The rest of the night as I drink another glass of wine, I flaunt my ring all around. I don’t care if it’s only Maddox and me at the table. I can’t help but look at it every couple of seconds. Not for its mere beauty, which it possesses, but because it represents our bond, our connection, and our future.
Maddox had stopped drinking before dinner, and when he grabs my hand, he leads me out of the restaurant and we see his car at the curb without any other valets. “That’s odd,” he says, his keys in the ignition of his Range Rover. He barely drives it and usually leaves it at the club, but he drove it tonight since my dress is a little tight to be in a lower car.
Without another thought, we climb into the SUV. The second he slides the vehicle into drive, my hand reaches for his thigh as I always do. I roll my head back, thinking about how my life has changed in only a couple of months.
My mind is clear and my thoughts are pure until I hear a clicking sound behind me, and a shadow appears over the console from the back seat.
A cold piece of metal taps against my temple. “Hello, beautiful.” This familiar voice sends shivers down my spine. “I would keep driving unless you want your fiancée to get a shiny bullet in her head to go with the shiny new engagement ring.” My whole body stills, and it’s as if I’m watching this, as though all of this is an out-of-body experience, and I see every expression on my face. It’s tight, my entire body for that matter. My shoulders tighten, and I look for anything and everything that would help me defuse this situation. My heart sinks, the panic button Luke had given me several weeks ago is in my other purse.
I can’t see Maddox’s face. The gun, still at my temple doesn’t allow me this. However, in my peripheral, his hands tighten around the steering wheel. “You motherfucker.” Maddox’s words are loud. I’m not given time to react before the barrel of the gun leaves my head for a brief second only to return to slam into my face.
“You have anything else to add? Because it’s not my intention to hurt my beautiful girl just minutes before I claim her as mine.” I think I stop breathing. This man is just crazy enough for him to do this to me, to force himself onto me all while making Maddox watch.
The gun is no longer making me look straight ahead, and I can peek over toward my man; the pitch of Maddox’s voice changing as his pleas are heartfelt. “Don’t hurt her, Danner. Please don’t hurt her.”
Drake’s breath is on the back of my neck, and the same shiver as before reverberates through my body, shouting at me. It’s a fight or flight sort of reaction. Taking my head, I whip it around to where his face his, crashing my skull into his nose. I hurt, but it can’t