Chapter 4

"Holy crap.Lucas Hart is coming over here." Piper hopped off the stool. "I"ll handle him."

"No." Maddie put her hand on Piper"s arm. "He hasn"t taken his gaze off me. I need to know what he wants." She tightened her fingers. "Stay with me," she whispered.

"We"ll never leave you," Piper said, moving to stand beside Maddie.

"What she said," Tori said, moving to Maddie"s other side, standing so close that her shoulder was against Maddie"s.

"You can handle him, but I need to shield you," Keira said. "People are taking photographs."

"Oh, God." Maddie"s stomach churned. The idea of getting her face on the internet was even more terrifying than the man walking toward her.

"No worries." Keira shot her a smile. "We"re on it."

Lucas walked up as Keira moved in front of Maddie, standing a few feet in front of her, so it looked to observers as if Keira was the one Lucas had come to meet.

He paused, looking in surprise at Keira. "Hi."

His voice was delicious. Low and deep, but it had a warmth and gentleness that made Maddie want to sink down into it.

"What do you want?" Keira asked. Her voice was perfectly friendly, but there was a faint edge to it that made it clear she was protecting Maddie.

Damn, she loved her friends.

Lucas glanced at Keira, then looked over at Maddie. "I"d like to talk to Madison."

Maddie saw folks around them raising their cameras, so she turned her back on him and leaned on the bar, bending her head down. Keira would know what to do.

"You attract attention, Mr. Hart," Keira said.

Maddie watched him in the mirror over the bar, and saw his brows go up. "Call me Lucas," he said. "And I do attract attention," he agreed. "Is that a problem?"

"It is," Keira said. "Maddie is happy to talk to you, but she has zero tolerance for photographs."

"Maddie," he repeated softly, turning her name over as if it was a puppy he"d just met.

She met his gaze in the mirror over the back of the bar.

He smiled at her, a smile that was genuine and warm. Kind even. None of the airs or superficiality she would have expected from a man of his family, wealth, and celebrity. "My name"s Lucas Hart."

She nodded. "Obviously. Why are you following me?" It sounded conceited to assume that Lucas Hart was following her, but she knew she was right.

He cleared his throat. "May we talk in private?"

"I don"t hide secrets from my friends." Not anymore. Not after ten minutes ago, and that felt amazing.

He glanced at her friends. "I respect that," he said, "but as you said, I attract attention." He paused. "The manager"s office is down the hall on the right. I will meet you there in ten minutes." He glanced at her friends. "All of you," he added, with just the faintest hint of amusement.

Then, before she could respond, he turned and walked away, taking the attention with him.

The minute he was gone, Maddie let out a shuddering sigh of relief.

"What the hell?" Piper hit Maddie on the arm. "He couldn"t take his attention off you. What the heck was that?"

"Maybe he wants to hire Vale"s Flowers for an upcoming wedding," Tori said. "I think one of the Harts is engaged. Maybe two of them."

Keira didn"t laugh. Instead, her face was focused and intent. "Where were you living when your dad found you?"

Maddie knelt beside Violet and wrapped her arms around her dog. "Portland."

"Maine?"

"Oregon."

Keira let out her breath. "The Harts live in Oregon. They were homeless kids in Portland."

The four of them fell silent, digesting that connection.

"He must be here about my past," Maddie said softly, her fingers digging into the scruff on the back of Violet"s neck. "I don"t want to talk about my past. I don"t want to go there." Her throat felt tight. She wanted to call her dad. Bring him in on it. Team up with the man who had swept in and pried her free of the life that wasn"t meant for her.

But she didn"t know what that would do to her dad. Would he freak out? Would he be energized? She couldn't take the risk.

"You can leave," Tori said. "You can walk away, and I"ll tell him to stay away from you."

Maddie pressed her forehead against Violet. Her heart was racing, and fear was gripping her. "I"ve been running my whole life," she said. "I don"t want to be scared anymore. Maybe this…maybe talking to him will help me."

Piper frowned. "You"re sure?"

"No. Not at all." Maddie stood up. "But I"m going to do it anyway. I"m an adult. He and his family have no claim over me, no matter why he"s here." She looked around. "You guys are coming, right? I can"t do it alone."

They all nodded.

"Okay, then." She took a breath. "Let"s go find a private, isolated room to meet with a strange, powerful man who might have ties to drug dealers and child traffickers. Good?"

Piper grinned. "It"s what dreams are made of, baby."

Tori held up her purse. "I have Mace. If I scream "watermelon," everyone look away and cover their eyes, because I"m not great with weaponry."

Maddie grinned. "Watermelon it is. Let"s go."