Games 007

Maddox POV

The air between us crackled, thick with her defiance and my hunger. Maddie’s blue eyes burned with a mix of fear and fury, her small frame trembling under my grip, but she didn’t break yet.

That fire in her, that stubborn spark only made me want and crave her more. It was like staring at a wild thing, caged but untamed, and I was the bastard who had built the cage just to see how long it would take to make her mine completely.

“Crazy?” I repeated, my voice low almost a purr, as my thumb brushed the soft skin at the nape of her neck. Her pulse raced under my touch betraying her feigned emotions. “You think this is crazy, princess? You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Her lips parted, a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue, but I tightened my hold just enough to make her freeze. Not enough to hurt her, as if I would ever hurt her. But it was enough to remind her who held the reins here.

Her breath hitched, and fuck, that sound alone sent a jolt through me, straight to my core. I could still hear her moans from last night, the way she has gasped “Daddy” in that sweet, broken voice. It played on a loop in my head, a drug I was already addicted to.

“Let me go Maddox,” she said, her voice steadier now, but I could hear the tremor beneath it. She was trying so hard to be brave, to push back against the storm I was brewing around her. “This isn’t a game and I'm not your… your possession.” she stammered her eyes leaving my face.

I smirked, leaning in closer until my lips were a whisper from hers. “Possession? No princess. You are more than that, maybe you could be both my woman and possession.” The words slipped out raw and unguarded, and I saw the way they hit her.

Her eyes widened, her breath catching again. Good. Let her feel the weight of it, ket her know there was no escaping this, not when I had spent years carving out a space for her in my world.

She jerked back, trying to break free, but I held firm, my fingers curling just a little tighter. “You don’t get it, do you?” I said my voice dropping to a dangerous edge. “You think you can just walk away? Take that job, dance for those lowlifes who don’t deserve to even look at you? You think I would let anyone else have a piece of what’s mine?”

Her jaw clenched and for a moment, I thought she might slap me. Part of me wanted her to try, just to see how far she would push before I pushed back. But instead, she glared up at me, her blue eyes like twin flames. “I’m not yours, Maddox and I don’t belong to anyone, so if you think you can scare me into staying here, you are absolutely wrong.”

I laughed, a dark, rumbling sound that made her flinch. “Scare you? Oh princess, I don’t need to scare you. You will stay because you want to. Because deep down, you know last night wasn’t a mistake. You felt it the same way as I did.” I leaned in, my lips brushing her ear as I whispered, “You can fight it all you want, but you are already craving to be mine.” A slow smile crept into my face.

She shoved at my chest, her small hands barely making an impact against my frame. I let her go, stepping back just enough to give her the illusion of space. She stumbled slightly, her cheeks flushed, her breathing uneven. “You’re delusional,” she spat, but her voice cracked, and I saw the doubt flicker in her eyes. She was trying to convince herself as much as me.

“Am I?” I tilted my head, studying her. The way her chest rose and fell, the way her hands clenched into fists at her sides. She was a mess of contradictions, furious but fragile, defiant but drawn to me. I could see it in the way her body leaned toward me, even as her words pushed me away. “Tell me you didn’t feel it last night and tell me you didn’t want me.”

Her mouth opened, then closed back. I smiled because I knew I already had her. She couldn’t lie, not about that. The memory of her body pressed against mine, her nails digging into my back, her voice breaking as she gave in, it was too raw and too real. She could deny it all she wanted, but her body had already betrayed her.

“I was drunk,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “It didn’t mean anything.”

“Bullshit.” I closed the distance again, my hand cupping her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze. “You weren’t that drunk, Maddie. You wanted it. You wanted me and you’ll want me again.”

She jerked her face away, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “You already slept with me. You've done all you needed. I’m leaving, Maddox. I’m taking that job, and I’m getting the hell out of here. You can’t stop me.”

Fragile? I never knew her to be one unless, she was feigning this and I knew she was.

Since she loves games, then let's play along. “You think you can just walk away?” I said, my voice low and controlled, but there was a storm brewing beneath it. “You think I’d let you go that easily? I’ve waited too long, Maddie. I’ve watched you, wanted you, planned for you and you, are not slipping through my fingers now.”

Her eyes widened, and for the first time I saw the real fearin her blue eyes there. “What are you talking about? Watched me? Planned? Maddox, what the hell are you saying?”

Damn forget all about the questions, but God the way my name left her lips, like she was moaning. "You think it was an accident, you ending up here? Eva didn’t just invite you out of the goodness of her heart. She tricked you. Seriously you should know the friends you keep."

Her face went white, her lips parting in shock. “Are you telling me you… you planned this? I meant all of it? Eva… she…”

“She did,” I cut in, my tone final. “She had no choice and neither do you.”

She turned and bolted for the stairs, her footsteps echoing in the quiet house. I let her go for now. She could run, she could hide but it didn’t matter. I had built this cage, and I would make sure she never left it.

As the sound of her door slamming shut reverberated through the house, I pulled out my phone and dialed Eva's line. She picked up on the first ring, her voice shaky. “Maddox, I—”

“Shut up,” I snapped, my patience gone. “She’s talking about leaving now, taking a job at some club. You know what happens if she walks out that door.”

Eva’s breath hitched. “I… I didn’t know she has—”

“Fix it,” I growled. “Or I’ll make good on my promise and you should know what I’m capable of.”

I hung up before she could respond, my eyes drifting to the staircase. Maddie could fight all she wanted, but she would learn soon enough. This was her home now and I was her home.

I dialed Ryan's number, my right hand man. "Ryan." I called after he picked up the call, "trail Maddie tomorrow, don't let her pass the job. Make sure she's well protected."