Page 12 of Maddie
The bowler she’d placed on his head was now tossed to the side on the floor.Poor hat.
She peered out the speakeasy, expecting to see one of her clients there. Her entire body stiffened. This was bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. What weretheydoing here?
Imogen and Rav.
Not waiting a moment longer, since that would only make them suspicious, Maddie tossed the hatpin aside and flung open the door with a grin. “How may I serve you, Your Majesties?” She bowed, keeping her gaze trained on Imogen because Rav was more of a piece of shit than the Queen of Hearts.
Without an invitation, Rav bounded into her home, Imogen at his heels. His white, red-tipped hair was pristine as ever, and his brown eyes settled on Noah. Imogen’s scarlet curls fell down her back and instead of her usual gown, she wore crimson breeches and a red and black coat with tails.
“It appears we’re meeting again, sooner than I expected,” Imogen purred, her yellow irises, matching Chess’s, met hers. She then sniffed the air. “The treat you brought home smells rather tasty.”
Noah’s fists tightened even more, and Maddie fought a grin.
“I can share if you want,” she sang. “I was just about to have two kinds of breakfasts with him.”
“I’ll find my own, Hatter.” Imogen’s lip curled as she retrieved her blasted deck of cards out from the pocket of her trousers. “Now, have you seen my Knave?”
Maddie’s heart thumped an extra beat. If Ferris had still been there… But he wasn’t. He was safe with Alice at the moment.
She furrowed her brow, putting on false confusion. “The tall one?”
“You know who I’m talking about,” Imogen snapped.
“Can’t say that I have, but if I do, I will cut out his heart and bring it to you.” Maddie knew that answer should please Imogen enough since the queen relished removing the bloody organ of her enemies.
“Hmm,” Rav said, pressing close to Maddie and fishing out a photograph from his pocket. “Hopefully you please this human more than you did me.” He lifted her chin, his finger caressing her jawline, and she couldn’t stop herself from shuddering. “Now, listen close, have you seen this girl?”
Maddie studied the photograph that he held up a few centimeters from her eyes. She focused on keeping her breaths steady because it wasn’t just a young Alice in the photograph—a boy, who was maybe sixteen at the time, stood beside her. Even though Alice looked the same except for her locks being completely blonde in the picture, Noah appeared nothing like himself. In the image, he was heavier, sporting a choppy haircut, and he wore glasses and braces. If she hadn’t known he was Alice’s brother, she would never have guessed this was the same mortal.
“I’m afraid I haven’t.” Maddie shrugged.
“If you do find the girl or Knave,” Rav said, “bring them straight to the Ruby Heart Palace and we will reward you.”
Fuck their rewards.
“Come on, Rabbit,” Imogen said, shuffling her deck of cards. “I knew coming here would give us no results.” She then turned to Maddie. “For wasting my time, bring me a new fascinator in two weeks instead of a month. It had better please me, or Mouse will answer to me again.”
Maddie took a deep swallow. “I will.” If one thing could make her nervous about anything, it was her sister.
Without another word, Imogen and Rav left her cottage, but not before the bastard gave her a wink while running his hand over his cock. She closed the door behind her and took breath after breath.
“Who’s Mouse?” Noah asked, his voice softer than she’d heard thus far.
“My sister. She was the one who told Ferris to save Alice from the palace.” Maddie sank down on the settee beside him, his lovely scent surrounding her. “That was the Queen of Hearts and her king, Rav. They are the ones who changed your sister.”
“Them?” Noah whisper-shouted. “They were in my home, took my picture? And they also have your sister?”
“It’s a long story.” Too long to discuss with him now—she didn’t have the energy to tell him everything in its entirety at the moment. Not after Rav had put his fingers on her flesh again, caressing, taunting.
“Why is she called the Queen of Hearts?”
“Because she’s obsessed with the organ and will easily rip out anyone’s heart who she sees as her enemy, then decorate the palace grounds with them. I’m lucky she still hasn’t taken Mouse’s. My sister has been in her palace for two years, and I just want her home.”
“I’m sorry.” He blew out a breath. “Once a vampire is changed, can they ever become human again?”
It had been a long time since she had asked herself the same question. There was a time when she’d wanted to return to humanity, but she preferred the cards here. Mouse did as well.
“It would take moving heaven and hell to change back.” She paused and then added, “No more questions. Come on, we need to get this hat to my client. It’s a good friend of Imogen’s which is why it can’t be late.”
