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  Copyright © 2020 Kennedy Fox

  www.kennedyfoxbooks.com

  Always Yours

  Liam & Madelyn, #2

  Cover Photo by Sara Eirew Photographer

  Cover design by Simply Defined Arts

  Copy Editor: Jenny Sims | Editing 4 Indies

  All rights reserved. No parts of the book may be used or reproduced in any matter without written permission from the author, except for inclusion of brief quotations in a review. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, establishments, organizations, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously to give a sense of authenticity. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Epilogue

  The Ex-Con Duet Series

  Hey readers!

  Always Yours Playlist

  About the Author

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  Newsletter

  Acknowledgments

  “I don't hate you

  No, I couldn't if I wanted to

  I just hate all the hurt that you put me through

  And that I blame myself for letting you”

  “Wrong Direction”

  -Hailee Steinfield

  Chapter One

  MADDIE

  I should’ve known things were too good to be true.

  Liam and I were living in a perfect bubble, just the two of us, and happy as hell. I knew Victoria was being her normal pain in the ass self, ordering Liam around, and had him by the balls. I trusted him, though. Trusted he’d fight this battle with me by his side.

  I should’ve known better.

  The moment Victoria shows up with Liam’s dad, it’s game over. She announces she’s pregnant with twins and claims Liam’s the father.

  And then I notice the look on Liam’s face when he realizes Victoria has revealed the secret he’s kept from me.

  Devastated.

  Just like my heart.

  After Victoria butters up Liam’s dad and talks about Liam moving to Vegas, I fake politeness and get the fuck out of there. Liam knows nothing he can say will keep me from being pissed even though he begs me to hear him out. The pain is too fresh, but it doesn’t matter because he can’t change what’s happening.

  Once I’m in my room, I lock the door and focus on my breathing. Tears threaten to surface, but I hold them back. I won’t break down while she’s in this house. I refuse to give her that satisfaction. Or him.

  I spend hours in my bed, waiting for the darkness to swallow me whole. My worst nightmare has come true, and I can’t do a damn thing about it. Victoria’s the puppet master, and Liam has no choice but to do what she says. Now that she’s pregnant, nothing can go back to the way it was when we were sneaking around. There’s no way she’ll let him go if those babies are really his.

  Liam blows up my phone with text messages, and it’s not until he sucker punches me with our promise that I finally find the strength to respond.

  Liam: You promised, Maddie. You promised no matter what, you were mine, and I was yours.

  Maddie: That was before you knocked up your WIFE, asshole. Fuck off. Go to Vegas and stay there this time.

  I don’t mean it. I want him here with me, but I’m so damn hurt that I convince myself it would be for the best. He needs to leave so I can get over him once and for all. It’s his final text that has me falling apart.

  Liam: I am so sorry.

  So much meaning in those four words.

  Sorry for what he did, sorry this happened, sorry it has to be over.

  Tears spill over, falling down my cheeks, and I don’t even have the strength to wipe them away. I gave him my heart, my virginity, and trusted him amongst all the Victoria drama. I’d fallen for him so effortlessly, and he lied so easily. Liam kept the truth from me and used me as a distraction to his reality. My body shakes as the tears come faster now, soaking my pillowcase. Curling up into a ball, I just pray for the ache in my chest to take me under.

  It’s sometime after midnight when I get up to use the bathroom and grab a banana from the kitchen. Everyone’s passed out, and by morning, Liam and Victoria will be gone. None of this feels real.

  Once I’m back in bed, I fall asleep with my heart shattered into a million pieces.

  “Maddie, wake up,” someone whispers while shaking my shoulder. “Wake up,” she repeats. “Time’s running out.”

  Huh?

  “What?” I ask, blinking and holding up a hand to cover the bright light coming from my lamp. “Victoria? What time is it? Is Liam okay?”

  She rolls her eyes as if me worrying about him annoys her. “It’s after three, and you need to get your ass moving. Pack a bag. You’re leaving.”

  That gets my attention enough to sit up and glare at her. “Excuse me?”

  “You need to do exactly as I say, Madelyn,” she roughly whispers.

  I scoff, crossing my arms. “And why should I? In case you haven’t realized, I hate you.”

  A slow, smug smile spreads across her gorgeous face. I hate how pretty she is. “Listen closely, little girl.” She closes the gap between us, leaning down until our eyes meet, and jabs a finger into my chest. “I know you’ve been fucking my husband, and that stops right now. You’re a distraction he doesn’t need. If he’s going to keep up with his part of the deal, then I need you out of the picture.”

  I swallow. What the hell is she talking about? “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

  “I’ve got it covered,” she states proudly. “And unless you want Liam to get killed for betraying me and my family, you’ll do what I say. Trust me, it’s for the best.”

  “For you, maybe,” I mutter. “I’m in college, so I can’t just vanish. Plus, my sisters and Liam would look for me.”

  “Don’t worry, princess. You can defer for a semester, leave your sisters a note, and I’ll keep Liam plenty busy.” Victoria grabs one of Sophie’s suitcases from the closet and throws it on the bed. “Hurry up, Maddie. It needs to look like you left of your own free will. Take what’s important.”

  “Where’s my phone?” I ask when I notice it’s not on my nightstand.

  “You won’t be needing it.”

  “You can’t just kidnap me and expect I’ll go quietly…” I stand, wondering if I can make it to the door without her grabbing me first. If she’s as crazy as Liam’s said, she might be carrying a gun.

  Victoria smiles as if I’m not a threat. “Oh, you’ll go willingly. Trust me.” She rubs a hand over her small belly bump. “Because if you don’t, Liam will suffer the consequences.”

  My heart stops as my breath hitches. I have no doubt she would take it out on him, considering the bomb she dropped tonight. Her father’s bodyguards have been following him for weeks and probably have all the evidence she’d need to prove his infidelity. Lord knows what they’d do to him once revealed.

  “Tick tock.” She taps her wrist where a watch would sit. “Take what you want, or I’ll do it for you. And trust me, it won’t be those sports bras and booty shorts you
wear around my husband and do yoga in.” She clicks her tongue. “And those car rides.” She dramatically rolls her eyes. “It’s like you two weren’t even trying to hide it.”

  “You’re the one who had us followed,” I say aloud when I realize the truth. Liam’s relentlessly asked for her to get her father to stop watching him, but it was Victoria all along.

  “And you’ve underestimated what I’ll do to get what I want. I saved Liam’s life, and he owes me. So unless you want my family to know what my husband’s been doing behind closed doors, you’ll do what I say and walk out of here. Got it?”

  I grind my teeth, knowing I have no choice. She doesn’t love Liam like I do—even if she pretends she does—so she won’t think twice about jeopardizing his life. All she cares about is getting her trust fund money and doesn’t care what happens to him in the process.

  “Fine,” I say begrudgingly. Grabbing my necessities, I watch her closely as she types on her phone. “Do I at least get to know where I’m going?”

  “On a plane,” she says dryly, not taking her eyes off the screen.

  “For how long?” I ask, digging through my closet.

  “As long as it takes.” She finally looks at me. “That’s all you need to know.”

  As long as what takes? This is sounding worse by the second.

  I glare at her, though she’s not fazed. “How am I supposed to know what to bring?”

  “There’ll be a washer and dryer. Whatever fits in your bag should be enough,” she says with amusement. “The bathroom will be stocked with whatever you need,” she adds. “You’ll have a warm bed and food, so don’t worry. In fact, it’s going to be like a luxury vacation compared to being in this dump.” She snickers and sticks her nose up as if this place is filth, which pisses me off. I’d rather sleep in a cardboard box than go where she tells me.

  After grabbing a few things from my closet, I dig around in my dresser for leggings and underwear.

  “Don’t forget to take your school shit or whatever it is you do. It has to look like you brought your essentials.”

  “I’m a dancer,” I tell her, reaching for my backpack that already has some of my notebooks, books, and practice clothing.

  “Well, whatever. Make it look like you left to go live with a friend, so they don’t question it.”

  I snarl but keep my lips tight as I move around the room, making it look like I left of my own free will. “They’ll never buy it,” I whisper to myself.

  “Liam’s life depends on it,” she reminds me before locking her gaze with mine. “By the look on your face tonight, he didn’t tell you we were expecting. But you care about him, so I know you’ll do whatever you can to keep him safe.” The amusement in her tone has me digging my nails into my palms. I want to rip out her throat.

  “If they’re even his babies…” I mutter.

  “They are, trust me. We’ve had a lot of sex. Unprotected.”

  My blood boils, nearly causing my entire body to overheat. According to Liam, they were together once since they got hitched, and he used a condom. I so badly want to trust his word, but after this shitstorm, I don’t know what to believe.

  “Either way, DNA doesn’t matter because we’re married. It’ll be enough for Daddy. His first grandchildren and adding heirs into the family legacy are all he cares about.”

  “You’d deceive your family and your own children? That’s the kind of mother you’re going to be?” I arch a brow, zipping my bag closed.

  Victoria stalks toward me, her eyes narrowed as she scowls. “Mind your own damn business. Liam’s life isn’t the only one on the line.”

  “No? Gonna kill me too?” I deadpan, not letting her words get to me. I hope she burns in hell for all the hurt she’s caused.

  “If necessary,” she says dryly. “Liam’s father, Sophie, Mason. Don’t forget who my family is, Maddie. My father’s a powerful man, and no one in their right mind messes with him or me, including the authorities. So listen to what I say, and no one will get hurt.” Then she plasters on a saccharine smile. “Time to write your note.”

  I grab a piece of paper from my notebook and choke back the emotions swirling inside me. Victoria tells me to keep it short and simple.

  Sophie,

  I had to leave and get away from all the memories of Liam here. I’m sorry, but please don’t come looking for me. I’ll come back when I’m ready.

  Love you,

  Mads

  “Good enough?”

  “It’ll do.” She shrugs, then holds out her hand. “I’ll place it in the kitchen so she finds it right away.”

  Part of me wants to argue that there’s no way Sophie will believe I left in the middle of the night with nowhere to go, but it’s no use. Victoria has already orchestrated this and won’t reason with logic. My sisters know I don’t have money to go anywhere and will automatically think I went to Utah.

  “They’re gonna call and text me,” I tell her.

  “I’m taking care of that.” She winks, then looks at her phone. “Your ride is here. Give me your keys. Time to go.”

  “My keys?”

  “Yes, my bodyguards are driving you to the airport in the Suburban. I’ll handle your car so it looks like you left.”

  I have so many questions I know she won’t answer, so I don’t even bother. Fishing my keys out of my backpack, I hand them over. If anything happens to it, considering Liam’s the one who bought it for me, I’ll be so pissed. “Anything else?”

  Victoria flashes a grin, and I can tell she’s used to getting what she wants. It’s as if she’s never heard the word no in her entire life. She’s a mobster princess and spoiled brat. I bet she’d put Veruca Salt to shame.

  As the memory of watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as a kid emerges, I grab my bag and suitcase and quietly follow Victoria out of the house. I refuse to show any emotion around her, so I straighten my spine and tighten my lips.

  Two men are standing next the black Suburban parked out front. “She’s ready,” Victoria tells them. One of them opens the back door while the other loads my things into the back. Before I hop in, Victoria grabs my elbow, digging her fingers into my skin. “Remember what and who’s on the line here. Play by my rules and nothing bad happens. I’ll be in contact with you soon.” Then she releases me and walks toward the house, the very home I’m not sure I’ll ever return to.

  After I’m forced to wear a blindfold the entire flight, we finally land. I lost track of time, but a couple of hours had to have passed, though I can’t be sure. The guards talked softly, and I could hear them moving around, but other than that, I sat and waited.

  Waited for what? Who the hell knows?

  “Can you stand?” one of them asks after unbuckling me. I push myself off the armrests, and he grabs my elbow. “This way.”

  “This would be a lot easier if I could see,” I tell him.

  He grunts. “Not yet.”

  I can sense the other guy behind me, his steps following mine.

  “There’s a railing on your other side you can grab while we go down the steps,” he directs and holds me tightly. I don’t know if it’s because he thinks I’m gonna bail or if his orders are to keep me alive, meaning don’t let me get hurt. Either way, I grip it tightly as I take each stair.

  “Your ride is here,” he informs me as we walk.

  “I’ll take it from here, Oliver,” another man says. This voice is much softer and kinder. Oliver releases me as the other one grabs my arm.

  “I’ll let her know she’s arrived,” Oliver says, and then he’s gone.

  “Okay, this way.” The new guy leads me, and then I hear a door opening. “It’s a big step in,” he tells me. I don’t know why, but he feels safe, which is probably fucking crazy. They’re all must be criminally insane if they work for the O’Learys.

  Once I’m buckled in, the door is shut. Then I hear two more doors open and close.

  “How many of you are here?” I ask softly as the truck t
akes off.

  “Two, miss. I’m Ty, and this is Eric.”

  Well, he sure doesn’t sound like a murderer, but then again, they never do.

  “Where are you taking me?” I ask, hopeful he’ll actually give me answers.

  “To a cabin. You’ll be safe there,” Ty responds.

  Safe? There’s nothing safe about this. Hell, this sounds like some twisted witness protection except the person I need protecting from is the one keeping me hostage.

  The drive is long, and just as I start to doze off, we slow down and then park. My heartbeat races as the fear of the unknown takes over. I tried to be strong earlier and not let my guard down, almost not believing this was really happening. Though now that the shock is wearing off, my adrenaline is taking over.

  I can’t be here.

  My sisters and Liam are going to freak the hell out. There’s no way they’ll believe I left.

  But if what Victoria said is true, then this will allow Liam to stay focused on doing what she asks. If her father finds out their marriage is a sham and that Liam’s been unfaithful, I don’t even want to think about what Johnny O’Leary would do to him. In some weird, fucked-up way, I think maybe she’s right. I am the reason he’s lost focus in playing along in their messed-up marriage arrangement. He wants out, I know that, but until Victoria releases him, he has to follow her orders and make their relationship believable.

  “Ready?” Ty asks after he opens the door. I reach out, and he assists me to my feet.