Insomnia

PARALYZED OLD

Maddox follows Evie into her bedroom, following the strange rituals that he had learned long ago. He gets his hands up under her shirt to settle on her hourglass waist, finding her lips for a sweet kiss. She complies, tangling her fingers in that intoxicating red hair. Maddox revels in the feeling of a woman under his fingertips instead of a man beneath his fists.

The buttons of Evie's shirt slip from their respective holes with ease, as does Maddox's shirt from his toned figure.

It was all so gentle, exactly what she should want.

•

Evie runs her hand through the crown of her hair. She tucks her knees up to her chest, looking at the section of the bed next to herself. She rubs her eyes and watches the window. It's still raining. Not storming, but raining. Evie looks back at the sleeping Maddox, smiling to herself.

Her quilt falls just before his mid-back. The blinds just barely make stripes on his tattoos and messy hair. The artwork doesn't fit the room — skulls, snakes, and dragons among pastels, antiques, and books.

Evie- Lena- whoever she is nowadays, brushes the stubborn cowlick from his face that never seems to want to lie in the correct position.

"Morning, sweetheart." Maddox murmurs, smiling though his eyes are closed.

"Good morning." She murmurs back to him. "You didn't hurt - err, I didn't hurt you, right? Your arm?"

He chuckles. "No, darlin'. I'm just fine." Maddox rolls on his back. "Could you get me an ice pack? If you wouldn't mind, that is."

"Sure." Evie carefully pushes back the sheets, looking between the flannel on the floor or the t-shirt Maddox was wearing last night.

Evie picks up the flannel, pulling it over her shoulders. She exits the room, a little pep in her step.

Evie jumps at the sight standing in her kitchen, whimpering.

"M-Maddox!" She cries, watching the figure leaning against the butcher-block counter. "Maddox, please!" Evie grabs onto the wall, slowly walking backward.

"What are you screamin' about, sugar?" Maddox gets up, jogging to where Evie is.

He's also equally shocked by what he sees.

Christian Belmonte stands in the middle of her kitchen. Not that she knows that.

Maddox pulls Evie behind himself. "What do you want, Belmonte?"

Christian has a blade perched between his fingers. "You're the famous Evangeline Lacoste, I see. You look a little different than the pictures we had."

Evie can help but flush at the mention of her weight.

He was an attractive man even now, she wonders how he looked when he was younger.

"I'm here on behalf of Cade," he purrs, "he owes me a little something, so I'll owe him a little something until he decides to give it back."

Evie clutches onto Maddox, trying desperately to hide behind him.

"He can't protect you, love. See that sling? That's on Maddox's dominant arm. He wouldn't dare fight with me, not in this state, not with the people who are after him." Christian places his knife down on the counter. "I promise she'll come back to her the way you got her. All I need is a little leverage."

"You're not going to hurt me?" She asks, loosening her grip on Maddox.

"Belmonte here has a thing against hurting women," Maddox mutters, "something to do with his wife."