I returned them to my folder. “Nice to see you again, Maddox. Anything I can help you with?” Letting on about my discomfort was weak. If I wanted to be respected, I needed to seem fearless. If Hades was ever concerned about a situation, he hid it deep down inside, maintaining his rigid poker face. I did the same.
That was when Maddox gave me that eerie stare, that coldness that went all the way down to my bones. It was an unblinking stare, but it lacked hostility. He almost seemed mesmerized by my face, as if he were searching for my soul and all of my secrets.
I looked past his shoulder and saw Hades round the corner at the end of the hallway. He spoke to one of the girls in HR, but in seconds, he would realize I had been cornered by this creepy guy and handle it.
He would come to my rescue any minute…thankfully.
Maddox was unaffected by the lingering silence. He continued to stare at me, so confident in the situation that it made him seem more sinister by the second. “Two things.” His deep voice was low, but the delicate volume didn’t make him more welcoming. “I’d like to host an exclusive dinner at your hotel.”
“Of course. I can arrange that.” Maybe he wasn’t that creepy at all. Maybe his external package didn’t match the innocent person underneath. “How many guests?”
He ignored the question. “And secondly, what’s a woman like you doing with a man like him?”
It wasn’t a threat, but I certainly took it that way. All the air left my lungs, and my body tensed, like I had been cornered by Lance once more, prepared to fight for my life. Maddox didn’t say it in a flirtatious way, like a man trying to get me into bed even though I was a married woman. This seemed personal…even though he didn’t know me.
My eyes glanced past his shoulder once more.
Hades finished his conversation and turned toward us. He was dressed in one of his luxurious suits, looking like a powerhouse who could kill any man with just a look. He oozed threat. I’d never been so relieved to see him, so relieved that this man was my husband.
His eyes met mine, immediately affectionate. Then he glanced at the man beside me, and that warm look instantly faded away, becoming an iceberg in the arctic. He even stopped in his tracks, staring at the man’s backside like he knew exactly who it was. Less than two seconds passed before he moved forward again, this time ignoring me altogether because I wasn’t important in the situation.
All he cared about was Maddox.
He moved toward us swiftly, and like a protective bear, he positioned himself in front of me, his large size obscuring me from view. He was the same height as Maddox, so the two men locked eyes, staring each other down with silent threat.
Once Hades was in front of me, I felt safe. I released the breath I’d been holding in my lungs as the relief washed over my body. Now that he was here, nothing would happen to me. Maddox would be disposed of, and he would be too terrified to ever return. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, clutching the folders to my chest.
The men continued to let the silence stretch, as if whoever spoke first lost all their power.
I stepped sideways slightly, so I could see the two men face off.
Hades finally spoke. “Leave.”
Maddox’s eyes shifted back and forth a little.
“I said, leave.” Hades took a step forward, but Maddox didn’t take a step back. “Don’t come back.”
Maddox showed a slight grin. “That’s pretty hard to do…considering how beautiful your wife is.”
Hades moved in closer. “You think I won’t kill you right on the spot?” Hades discreetly pulled a blade from the inside of his jacket, pointing it right at Maddox’s chest.
Maddox didn’t glance at the weapon. “No.”
Hades cocked his head slightly.
“Because if you do, you’ll never see Damien again.” A slow grin stretched across his lips, eventually taking up the entire bottom half of his face. Every tooth was on display, a grin so eerie he looked like a maniacal clown. His eyes widened, his blue eyes twice the size they’d been before.
Hades was silent, probably unable to process the terrible words he’d just heard.
Maddox gave me a final look and a subtle nod before he turned around and walked down the hallway. His hands slid into his pockets, and he walked with a powerful gait. Underneath those clothes was a fit man with endless tricks up his sleeve.
Hades didn’t turn around until Maddox was gone from the hallway.
“Why aren’t you going after him?” I blurted once we were alone. “He has Damien.”
He slipped the blade back into his suit as he turned around to look at me. His face was pale, ghostly white like his strained knuckles. “Because I have to protect you first.”