Chapter 12

"Shut up! You kissed Lucas?"Piper smacked Maddie on the arm.

"Shh!" Maddie waved at Piper to be quiet, glancing at the counter in the café where she"d met her girls for breakfast, as they always did on Monday mornings. Vale"s Flowers usually had a late opening or was closed on Mondays, the only day of the week she gave herself a break. "He can hear you!" He"d gone to get coffee, but the café wasn"t very big, or busy.

"Oh my God! Lucas can hear me?" Piper"s eyes widened. "Does he not know you guys kissed each other? Crap. Sorry. I blew that one."

Maddie started laughing. "You"re such a dork." It felt so good to be out with her friends, feeling their warmth, their laughter, and their bond. Last night at her dad"s had been so intense. She"d wound up sleeping in her old room with Violet, while Lucas slept on the couch. Her dad had been so emotional, but he"d refused to talk about Jacob, same as always.

She hadn"t had a chance to talk to Lucas last night, and this morning had been a little awkward. There had been a faint undercurrent from the kisses the night before that neither of them had brought up as he"d taken her home to change and then driven her to breakfast.

It was a lot, and she needed the light of her girls so much.

Violet was under the table at her feet, Piper, Keira, and Tori were all there, and Maddie had her favorite croissant sandwich, coffee, and chocolate muffin in front of her.

Friends, coffee, and food. Exactly what she needed.

Keira waved dismissively at the counter. "Lucas is giving us space. No one takes that long to get coffee."

Maddie glanced over. Lucas was leaning against the counter, his elbow resting on it. He was relaxed, sipping his coffee. He"d ditched his cowboy hat and replaced it with a Boston Red Sox cap, dark sunglasses, and a Red Sox sweatshirt. He was wearing old sneakers, had shaved his traditional stubble, and his jeans were ripped. He looked nothing like a celebrity billionaire, and everything like a local Sox fan out for a coffee.

He looked so approachable, normal, and sexy. Like pure, untamed male without any airs at all. The look suited him, and she loved it.

When he noticed her watching him, he shot her a goofy grin, wiggled his eyebrows, and raised his mug in a silent toast.

She couldn't help but smile. The man was too compelling for anyone"s good, especially hers. And his playfulness felt good after all the intensity of last night and the morning.

"Oh…look at your face," Piper said, clapping her hands. "You like him!"

"I do not." Maddie pulled her gaze away from him. "He"s my bodyguard. That"s all."

"A bodyguard you"re kissing," Piper pointed out.

Maddie rolled her eyes. "I know."

"Well, how was it?" Tori leaned in eagerly. "Are you going to kiss him again?"

"I don"t know." Lucas was watching her so closely it made Maddie wonder if he could read lips. The thought made her laugh for some reason. Lucas eavesdropping on her girl time? She suspected that he wanted nothing to do with it. What man would?

"Do you want to?" Piper asked. "Kiss him again, I mean."

Maddie sighed. "It"s so complicated."

Piper let out a whoop of delight. "That"s a yes. Ladies, we have a yes!"

Maddie grabbed Piper"s arm. "Ssh!" But she couldn't help laughing. "Stop!"

"No way, girl. We need to celebrate this moment for all of us," Tori said, looking delighted. "You give us hope, Maddie. I thought none of us would ever kiss a guy again. If you did it, then maybe we all have a chance to heal enough to want to try again."

Piper held up her hands and leaned back. "No, I"m out. I can"t do that again." She was wearing a navy suit, and she looked gorgeous, stylish, and ready to win over any bride. No one looking at her would ever guess what had happened to her.

Keira shrugged. "Honestly, I"d love to fall in love with the right guy. I believe love can be wonderful, even if none of us have figured it out."

"It"s not love," Maddie said. "I kissed him once." But as she said it, her gaze swiveled to Lucas again. She barely knew him, but she felt safe around him in a way she never had with Adam. He made her want to be more, to try more, to trust more.

"It"s a start," Tori said. "I"m excited for you."

Maddie drew her gaze off him, and back to her friends. "Well, let"s get through this little situation before we worry about me kissing him again."

Piper"s smile faded. "How dangerous is this guy Les?"

"I don"t know."

Tori frowned. "You can"t hide forever. What if he"s always out there in the wind somewhere? Are you going to have Lucas shadowing you 24/7 for the rest of your life?"

Maddie bit her lip. "No, of course not?—"

"Did you tell your dad about why Lucas was really here?" Piper was leaning back in her seat, eying her.

"Not really. He was so upset about Jacob?—"

"Maddie!" Piper smacked her hand on the table, making their coffees slosh. "Your dad had guilt for decades about some boy he never met because he wasn"t able to help. How do you think he"ll feel if you"re in danger and he doesn"t get the chance to protect you? What if something happens to you, and he realizes that you never told him you were in danger because you were trying to protect him?"

Maddie grimaced, but lifted her chin. "Nothing will happen to me?—"

"What if it does? What if someone comes for you? What if this guy comes after your dad? If he finds you, he"ll find your dad, and your dad is the one who snatched you away from him."

Maddie stared at Piper, alarm creeping down her spine. "I never thought of anyone going after my dad. It was always me I was scared for."

Tori pressed her lips together. "I hate to bring negativity into this situation, but I think Piper has a point. Your dad could be in danger, and he needs to be ready."

Maddie looked at her friends, alarm rising. "Les hasn"t found us yet?—"

"Once he finds you, there may be no time to prepare. No warning," Keira said.

Maddie"s dad was her whole world. She"d never thought of him as being in danger. He"d always been indestructible to her, the foundation that she was so scared she would be ripped away from.

It never occurred to her that someone could rip him away from her.

Piper put her hand on Maddie"s. "Sweetie, your dad"s a freaking FBI agent. He doesn't need protecting right now. He needs a heads up."

"Like right now," Tori agreed.

Keira picked up the bill. "We got this. Go get him, Maddie. We love your dad."

"Okay." Maddie shot to her feet, her heart racing. Lucas saw her move, his brows shot up, and then he ditched the coffee and headed straight for her, his hand on his hip, like he was ready to pull his gun. "Lucas?—"

Piper grabbed her arm, pulling her attention back to the table. "Maddie." Her voice was fierce. "You stay safe. Do you understand? We love you, and we need you." Then she threw her arms around Maddie.

Emotion clogged Maddie"s throat. "I"ll be fine?—"

"I know. But I have first-hand life experience that things can go bad fast when dealing with bad people." Piper pulled back, searching her face. "You want me to call my brothers?"

Holy crap. What an offer. Piper had run from her brothers and her life years ago. She"d hidden herself to keep them from coming after her. But her brothers were the kind of people who knew violence, which was why Piper had offered.

She hugged Piper. "Never," she whispered. "Never in a million years would I let you make that sacrifice for me. I have Lucas."

Piper whirled toward Lucas. "You keep our girl and her dad safe. Do you understand?"

His eyes narrowed, and he glanced around at the table of women staring at him. "I do understand," he said. "What happened to make everyone so worried?" His voice was casual, but there was an edge to it. He was a man ready to take action, and Maddie was glad for it.

"Piper pointed out that if Les finds me, he"ll find my dad. Since my dad was the one who took me from his brother, he might be in danger. Maybe even more than me."

Lucas"s eyes widened ever so slightly. "Hang on." He immediately turned away and pulled out his phone, speaking quickly as soon as someone answered.

Tori and Keira were on their feet now. "I feel like we should all hang out at the store today," Tori said. "Just in case you need us."

"No!" Maddie shook her head quickly. "Look, I"m sure we"re all overreacting. Lucas"s brother is working on it, and I have Lucas. We just need to hang on for a couple more days until Dylan finds him." She tried to take a breath, but panic was closing in. Violet whimpered and licked her hand, but she didn"t want to sit on the floor with her dog in the middle of a café.

She wanted to be normal and capable right now, not collapsing under a panic attack.

Action always helped. She lifted her chin. "Okay, I"m going to go find my dad. Lucas?"

He shoved his phone into his pocket. "I have someone going to his house now. He lives nearby. We"ll meet him there." He put his hand on Maddie"s lower back. "Shall we go?"

"Yes, let"s go." She hugged her friends again quickly, and then almost ran out of the café. Her heart was racing, and she could feel she was spiraling. "Where"s your truck? I forget." She spun around, searching.

Lucas caught her shoulders with his hands, pausing her frantic spiral. "Maddie."

"We have to go!"

"No, we don"t. I have someone on his way who is very capable. He"ll be there in five minutes. Your dad will be safe."

"Lucas—"

"Take a step back."

"What? Why?" She could barely process what he was saying.

"Take a step back. Literally. Now." He dropped his hands from her shoulders.

She stared at him.

He stood there and waited.

Finally, she took a step back.

He nodded. "Say "breathe."" His tone was autocratic and unyielding, but there was a softness and understanding that broke through her resistance.

"Breathe." As she said it, she felt herself take a big breath that seemed to go all the way to her soul.

"Say "settle.""

"Settle." Again, as she spoke the words, she felt her weight sink into her feet, and her body seemed to connect with the ground.

"Now, listen to whatever thought comes up. What is it?"

The first thought that popped into her mind was, "Everyone I love is going to die and be ripped from this earth, tortured, and destroyed." She stopped, surprised. "No wonder I feel panic. That"s a very aggressive thought."

He grinned. "It needed to be heard. Do it again."

She cocked an eyebrow. "So I can discover I also have thoughts about aliens coming to Earth and stealing my dog?"

He shook his head. "Do it again."

"All right." She took a step back, and then said. "Breathe."

The same thing happened. Her body pulled in a huge amount of air, and she felt her mind ease.

"Settle."

Again, she felt her feet sink into the ground, and her shoulders lowered.

She listened for the first thought that popped into her head. "Capable." Well, that was a surprise. And better.

He raised his brows. "And?"

She paused, continuing to listen to the thoughts that wanted to pop up. "My dad is capable. I"m capable. You"re capable."

He nodded. "One more time."

She took a step back. "Breathe."

Her body instinctively inhaled a long, deep breath.

"Settle." Again, her feet seemed to sink into the ground. Her shoulders relaxed. Her mind quieted. And she listened to the next thought. "Fun." She looked at Lucas. "Fun? I just thought this is fun. An adventure."

"How does that thought feel?"

She paused. "Honestly, it feels good. I like adventures. My dad and I used to go on adventures in the woods all the time."

He smiled. "So, now you"re thinking that we are all capable, and this is fun."

She rolled her eyes. "That sounds so stupid. I should be panicking. But I feel a sense of lightness now."

"That"s because you let your brain and instincts find the thought that would help you settle in that moment, instead of trying to force what you think will work." He grinned. "You"d be amazed at some of the thoughts the brain will come up with when given free rein to help. Sometimes, it"s a color. Just blue. Or a question. Or a statement of what"s bothering me, and I just need to hear it so I can let it go. I"ve been doing it for years. It works for me."

She felt calmer now. Able to think. And she felt the truth of the thoughts she"d had. She was capable. So was her dad. So was Lucas. And it was so much more fun to think of it as an adventure, not a terror-filled hunt where she and her dad were the prey. "How many times do you do it in a row? Always three?"

"As many as it takes. Sometimes once. Sometimes I do it thirty times in a row, although not so much anymore. The "step back" is critical because it tells your brain you"re stepping out of the cycle. Not trying to stop it. Just stepping out of it." He grinned. "Glad it worked for you. It doesn"t always help everyone."

The panic attack wasn"t coming. She could tell. "You"re amazing."

His smile widened. "Just a guy who has seen a lot." He opened his car door. "Your chariot, my ladies."

Violet hopped in, but Maddie didn"t move.

She just stood there in front of Lucas.

He raised his brows. "What"s wrong?"

"Nothing," she said softly. "I feel like for the first time in a long time, nothing is wrong. Which is ridiculous because everything is crazy, but I just feel lighter. I feel empowered. Not scared. Not like I"m sitting around waiting to become a victim of some terrible event." She didn"t have words. "Thanks."

He smiled. "You bet."

The moment became still. Silent. Full of just them.

Maddie wanted to kiss him. She wanted to connect with him. She wanted more of this insanely handsome man who was beginning to feel like her soul"s guardian angel.

His smile faded, he cocked an eyebrow, and he slid his hands along her jaw.

Her heart started to race, and she stood on tiptoe as he leaned down to kiss her.

His kiss went from gentle to sizzling in a split second. It was as if all the emotions of the last twenty-four hours had unleashed themselves into the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her against him.

Her breasts hit his chest, and awareness poured through her. She wanted more of this man. More with this man. More of everything Lucas. He was so intense, and at the same time, he got her, and he helped her see herself.

He let out a low groan, and angled his head, deepening the kiss until she felt like her insides had caught fire. His arms were strong and solid around her, holding her against him, encircling her like walls of steel and kindness.

The kiss became more. More electric. More complex. More irresistible. More unstoppable.

He backed against the car and sat down in the passenger seat, pulling her between his thighs, shielding both of them behind the door of his truck. The brim of his hat bumped her forehead, and his sunglasses brushed her nose, but neither of them stopped.

His disguise gave them freedom for this moment, out in a parking lot, out in public, and yet, no one cared what they were doing because they were nobodies.

Just a man and a woman, jumping into a connection that had been drawing them in since they"d met.

This man was a billionaire. A celebrity. A homeless kid who had fought his way to family, wealth, and kindness.

And yet, in his arms, Maddie felt like he was simply a man who had already healed a hole in her soul that had been there since she was tiny, maybe forever.

Violet put her head on his shoulder and licked their faces fiercely, pushing Maddie"s head to the side. They both laughed, and she let go of Lucas to pat her dog. "No growling this time," she teased her dog. "I guess you and Lucas really did sort it out."

Lucas kept his hands looped around her waist, and he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. "I feel like I could kiss you forever and still want more."

She pulled back to look at his face, and her heart got soft at the expression on his face. "It wasn"t just me?"

"Hell, no." He slid his hands through her hair and leaned in to kiss her again. "This is insane, Maddie," he said after another long kiss, his lips brushing over hers while he spoke. "I don"t react this way to women. I don"t allow it."

She clasped his wrists. "Well, I was finished with men and dating for the rest of my life. I don"t want a man. I don"t want to be attracted to anyone. I don"t want this." But as she said it, she tightened her grip on his wrists to make sure he didn"t pull away.

He raised his brows. "You might not want anything to happen between us, but I do."