SEVEN
Luka
I swing by the concierge clinic and pick Madisyn up from work.
"Guess what!" Madisyn squeals as she climbs into the front seat. Her excitement is nauseating.
I barely got any sleep last night after learning that Hannah has a family. According to Madisyn, she's not married yet. But she might as well be, she's got a kid, and I'm not going to fuck up her perfect, happy family.
I don't know why the blue-eyed brunette got under my skin, but I can't stop thinking about her.
"What?" I grumble.
"I invited Hannah over for dinner."
"What do you mean you invited Hannah over for dinner? Did you ask Mikhail?"
"I don't have to ask his permission. He's not my keeper," Madisyn says. "Besides, he'll be fine with it."
For being a former FBI agent, Madisyn can have her head in the clouds at times.
"He's not keen on inviting strangers into the compound."
"They're not strangers," she says. "Hannah is my friend, and it's just her and her daughter."
"Bay?" I ask, remembering the little girl's name from the night before. Should she be bringing Bay out if she's sick? Didn't that idiot mention something about the kid having a fever?
I shouldn't hate the man Hannah is involved with. It's none of my business whom she dates or shares a bed with.
Madisyn nods slowly. Like she's working through something in her head, but I can't fathom what. The girl likes to talk a lot. "Anyways, I'll deal with Mikhail. Just be nice tonight. Okay?"
"When aren't I nice?"
She chuckles at my remark. It wasn't intended to be funny, but I'm not the most friendly and open guy.
Madisyn purses her lips, her cheeks rosy. "Just be civil. And you should join us for dinner."
Is she out of her mind? "Is this a setup?" I ask.
"What are you talking about?" Madisyn plays coy. She doesn't strike me for being stupid, and she didn't weasel her way into Mikhail's life based on luck. The girl is downright cunning. And while she left the bureau to pursue her full-time responsibilities at Steele Concierge Medical, I can't help but watch my back.
She betrayed Mikhail once. What's to say that she won't do it again?
"Hannah's involved with the guy I met last night. I don't know what you think you're doing, Madisyn, but stop."
Hannah has her life together. She's got a kid, a family, and she doesn't need me meddling in her personal affairs. I can fantasize about what we did, but that's as far as it can go. I'm not breaking apart her family or ruining her life for my selfish desires.
I'm not that much of a bastard.
"She's not married to him yet," Madisyn says.
I'm not breaking up their engagement because I had a fling with her a few years ago. "Are you out of your mind?"
"Fine, I'll leave it alone. But you should join us for dinner. Mikhail will appreciate your company."
* * *
"I'd like a word with you in my office," Mikhail says.
I head into the office and shut the door behind myself. "Everything all right, boss?" His hands are folded in front of him. The expression on his face is sour.
"Madisyn invited one of her colleagues from the clinic over for dinner."
He sounds about as happy as I feel over the ordeal. "Nikita already ran a background check on her friends and close colleagues."
"Yes, and I'm sure everything will be fine, but I'd like you to watch this girl coming for dinner. If she gets up to pee, I want you to follow her. I don't need another agent trying to weasel her way into my home."
I try to hide the smirk on my face.
"Is something funny, Luka?"
"No, sir." I know better than to piss the man off. He's given me a great deal of responsibility and trusts me. The last thing I want is to fuck that up over some girl.
"Madisyn mentioned that she might be bringing her child along. Make sure that the toys in the attic are brought down."
"Yes, sir." I'm surprised that the toys from his niece and nephew having lived with him are still under his roof. I'd have thought that he'd have torched them much like the relationship with his younger sister.
And while Mikhail had the playroom converted to an additional workspace, no one has dared use the space.
"I don't intend on them staying much past dinner, but Madisyn will insist on dessert, and it's unlikely a small child will have the patience to sit still for several hours," Mikhail says.
"I'll take care of it," I say before exiting Mikhail's office.