Chapter 61

CHAPTER

SIXTY-ONE

NOW

Maddie pushed Adrienne behind her, shielding her from Josh.

This wasn't Adrienne's battle. She was an innocent bystander.

"What are you doing here?" Josh appeared above a cluster of rocks. His tie had been loosened and he'd ditched his suit jacket.

Maddie couldn't see his face well enough to read his expression, but his voice sounded exasperated. How had he done all of this? He'd been on stage up until thirty minutes ago.

Her head throbbed as she tried to think it through. Was he working with someone?

That had to be it.

"Don't play dumb, Josh." Maddie continued to take steps back, slowly easing away from him. "You told me to come here."

"Why would I tell you to come here?" His words almost sounded accusatory.

What kind of twisted game was he playing?

Whatever it was, it wasn't funny.

"Stop acting dumb," she muttered.

"I'm not playing dumb." His words came out faster than usual. "I got a text telling me to come here."

"So you listened to the sender and left the gala where you were just named CEO?"

His story didn't even sound believable.

Adrienne had never said who did this to her. She was about to when she'd been cut off.

She lingered behind Maddie now, her breathing rapid with fear.

"Everything was cut short." Josh's voice hardened. "The whole thing was a disaster, and now the board wants to reconvene one more time. You had a criminal record, Madison? For murder?"

"It's not like that," Maddie explained. "I didn't mean to kill that man."

"Sure you didn't," Josh mumbled as he inched closer.

"I didn't. I was only fifteen when I walked in to visit my Poppy, and this aide—his name was Kevin MacDonald—was manhandling him. I'd seen the bruises on Poppy for weeks. No one at the nursing home could explain the marks—nor did they care."

Maddie drew in a deep breath as that horrible day flashed back into her mind. She never talked about it. Everything was too painful.

Despite the tension across her chest, she continued. "That day, I realized exactly what had been happening. I tried to stop Kevin." Maddie's voice cracked at the memories. "I pushed him away, and when I did, he fell and his head hit the corner of the counter. He hit it hard. I . . . I never intended to kill him. I was just trying to keep him away from my Poppy."

"So that's why you got that job helping other elders who were abused." Josh pressed his lips together, appearing apathetic at the realization. "I guess it all makes sense now."

This didn't seem like the time or the place to be having this discussion.

This conversation was distracting her from more important issues.

She leveled her gaze with Josh again. "Why did you text me?"

"I'm telling you, I didn't tell you to come out here. I got a text saying I needed to come or more of my secrets would be exposed. I made up some flimsy excuse to the board members who were cross-examining me about my love life and came right away."

Maddie knew the truth. Josh had done so out of desperation to save face. He didn't want any more secrets revealed.

But Maddie still had more questions. "You didn't know a camera was in your room?"

He eyed her. "Of course, I didn't. Did you?"

"No, but I found one in my room last night. I didn't even consider there could be one in your suite also."

Josh squinted. "So what exactly is going on? Why are the two of you out here? Why are there ropes on the ground?"

Before Maddie could answer, something hard pressed into her back.

Her muscles tightened as reality hit her.

She'd misjudged this situation, hadn't she? Seriously misjudged it.

"I really just need both of you to stop talking," a voice growled. "Now."