Liar (Madison Kate #2)(25)

The older man hesitated a moment, then gave me a small nod. "Yes, miss. My employer is taking good care of things, even if we are a bit bored."

I gave a short laugh. "Well, enjoy it. I'm sure he'll make up for it by being a demanding fuck when he gets back from his cruise."

Steinwick murmured a bland agreement and shuffled silently out of the kitchen. Seriously, the household staff were like ghosts. That was the most I'd spoken to Steinwick in... forever.

Rubbing my arms, I clenched my jaw to stop my teeth from chattering as I waited for the espresso machine to warm up.

A warm hoodie draped over my shoulders a few moments later, though, and I shivered into the garment.

"Thanks," I murmured, threading my arms into the sleeves and hugging the body-warmed fabric around me. It smelled like Steele, all clean soap and car grease. "You want coffee?"

"God, yes," he mumbled back, his voice thick with sleep as his arms came around my middle and he zipped the hoodie up for me. But he didn't move away when he was done, instead resting his face on the bend of my neck a moment while his inked arms rested across my middle. "Why are you down here shivering your cute ass off at this time of morning, Hellcat?"

"Making coffee, obviously," I replied. I didn't move out of his embrace, leaning back into his chest as I went through the motions to make our coffees. "What are you doing down here pretending like we're okay again?"

Not that I was complaining.

Steele sucked in a deep breath, releasing it in a long sigh that ruffled my hair before he replied. "I want us to be okay again. I hate all the anger and resentment and silent treatment... It’s fucking killing me."

Damn him for speaking the thoughts I was too stubborn to say out loud.

Finishing our coffees, I set them aside and turned around in his arms so I could face him. He'd taken his own hoodie off for me, leaving him in just a T-shirt and sweatpants. His skin was prickled with goosebumps and he was rumpled from sleep, but damn he was attractive.

Blame it on the snow for bringing me a weird sense of calm in the early, pre-dawn light. But I was ready to let go of some of that crap. I looped my arms around Steele's neck, letting the long sleeves of his hoodie cover my hands.

"I miss you," I admitted in a soft whisper. "It seems silly, considering we never really... I dunno. I just thought we were starting something and then..."

Steele grimaced. "And then we went and fucked it all up. Your dad—"

"Is a prick," I cut him off, my eyes hardening, "but he wasn't acting out of his own concern for my mental health, was he?"

Steele's eyes turned sad. Regretful. "Hellcat..." He sounded pained, and I shook my head.

"It doesn't matter. I know you guys—or Archer—have been pulling his strings. But what I want to know is how?" I kept my tone calm and non-confrontational because deep down I already knew I'd get nothing out of Steele. This was Archer's circus, and we were all his monkeys. "How did you make him threaten me like that? Why?"

Steele's brow furrowed, his mouth twisting down, and I sighed.

"Forget it," I muttered, shifting my gaze away and dropping my arms from around his neck. He caught my wrists, though, and placed my hands back on his shoulders.

"Don't do that, Hellcat," he told me in a soft, tortured voice. "I want to tell you everything so badly. You have no idea. But..." He trailed off with a frustrated sound.

I nodded. "But Archer, right?"

Steele gave a small nod, his frown deep. "It's his story and his secrets, babe. I can't betray his trust before he's ready."

A small stab of disappointment shot through me, even though logically I understood where he was coming from. "Right. But it's okay to stomp all over mine." It came out more bitter than I'd intended, and Steele flinched like I'd hit him.

I tried to pull away from him again, but he tightened his grip, crowding me against the counter with the coffee machine at my back.

"Madison Kate," he said with a thread of iron in his voice. "It's never okay to betray your trust. Ever. It's something I think the three of us will spend a long time making up to you... but I owe Archer my life. When he asks me to keep his confidence, I can't—"

"It's fine," I interrupted. I was being combative simply for the sake of it. I knew all of this. It was abundantly clear to anyone who paid attention; Archer, Kody, and Steele had a bond forged in fire. It ran deeper than blood, deeper than family. To expect any of them to prioritize me or my fragile feelings when they barely knew me from a bar of soap... it was preposterous and arrogant. "I don't want to argue, Steele. I just..." I sighed and rested my forehead on his chest. "I just want this to all be over, okay? I want my stalker to disappear. I want whoever tried to kill me to die in a plane crash. I want to walk away from Shadow Grove, and everyone in it, and never look back." I was whispering the words, but I knew he heard me from the way his arms tightened around me. He pulled me in close until I was surrounded by his scent, his warmth.

"I don't want that," he murmured back, "because then I might never see you again."

Pulling back slightly, I tipped my head back to meet his gaze again. "Steele—"

Whatever I was going to say... who fucking cared? His lips met mine, and suddenly my mind was blank to whatever bullshit I'd been about to spin.