Cannon drops Lucas’s shirt in an instant; and when he looks at me again, his face doesn’t show even a hint of the man who is capable of terrorizing others but is back to the carefree playboy. “You can object all you want, but we’re not going anywhere until the election…in March.”
Jake opens his mouth to comment but quickly closes it. I answer the question for him.
“It’s a special election since the current mayor has decided to suddenly retire in the middle of his term.”
“I have no doubt that Bailey had a hand in that too,” Cannon mutters. “Less time for any competition to come at him when it’s a sudden retirement.”
“Too bad for him that I actually keep up with local politics,” I respond.
“Yeah, too bad for him,” Cannon says. “Now, could we take this party inside and shut the door before we all freeze to death?”
I sigh and hold the door open for the prospects since God knows I could use the free help even if I think Cannon is overreacting.
Chapter Eight
Cannon
Being inside Madison’s small office is an improvement from the cramped SUV. Once the boys followed her in their car to the office, and I followed them to make sure she got in safely, I went home and took a quick, hot shower, hoping it would help wake me up. It didn’t do much other than thaw me out a little, but seeing Madison up close and personal again this morning was all the jolt I needed to overcome the exhaustion.
Like yesterday, her makeup or her skin is flawless, her full lips painted a dark pink, and her midnight hair is pulled back into a low bun at the base of her neck. Today, she’s wearing a light, baby blue pantsuit that’s almost as pale as the white one yesterday. I’m starting to think she’s scared of bright colors.
“This way,” Madison says when she leads us to one of two other doors in the space. It’s not big enough for us to all fit inside, just me and her with the two other women sitting at a desk with open boxes next to them.
“If the…prospects want to take over the address labeling from Lily and Vanessa, I’m sure they would appreciate it,” Madison says sweetly to the boys, who are behind me, peeking over my shoulder.
“Who are…” one of the other women, either Lily or Vanessa asks.
“These are our new volunteers,” Madison responds, giving me a quick glance before she turns her attention back to the younger woman. “Lily, could you show them what needs to be done?”
“Well, sure,” she says. “You just take one of the address labels from this big long list, peel it off and place it on the postcard.”
“I think even these two can handle that,” I tell her.
“There’s only about thirty thousand of them,” Madison says when she goes over and pats the stack of boxes in front of the desk. Her moving further into the room allows the boys to come in. Both of their mouths have fallen open. “But don’t worry. You have until the end of the week to finish them.”
The fact that she’s giving them ‘til the end of the week makes me think that she’s finally embracing our intrusion into her life. Even if she doesn’t think her life is being threatened, she seems pleased with the free help.
“So, what do you need me to do for you, Madison?” I ask her. Even I recognize that it comes out sounding more like a salacious offer than a campaign volunteer. Everyone else in the room does too. Jake and Lucas don’t even try to fight their grins, and Lily and Vanessa both blush as if the question was directed at them. “Maybe you can give me the basics of hosting a fundraising event.”
“Why?” Madison asks suspiciously.
“Because I told you that the Kings want to help you, and it doesn’t take a genius to realize you need money if you’re going to have a chance at winning this election.”
“You’re serious?” she asks. “What if I lose more voters than gain them when word gets out that I’m associating with an outlaw biker gang?”
“Guess that’s a chance you have to take. But most of us were born and raised in the city. We have family and friends here, all of which know that we do what we can to support the community.”
“Chief Bailey will use the association against me, especially during our debate.”
“Probably,” I agree. “But there may be a way to get him to keep his mouth shut by one-upping him. The Kings know a few things about the former chief that I’m sure he wouldn’t want made public – like the fact that my brother Conrad, also a Savage King, knocked up his daughter Hannah after the chief ordered Conrad to basically kidnap her from college in California and bring her back by any means necessary so that she wouldn’t do anything that could be used against him.”
Madison blinks at me in surprise, and then she eyes me up and down like she’s really looking at me, seeing all of me for the first time in two days because I finally did something interesting enough to warrant her full attention. If I had to guess, I would even say that her stern, tense face softens just a little. Is dirt on the chief all it takes to put a chink in the thick, heavy armor the stubborn woman wears like a second skin? Wish I had known that yesterday. It could’ve saved us both some time.
I wait for her to say something, anything to prove I’m right. Finally, she does, and it’s everything I hoped it would be.
“Lily, Vanessa, why don’t you and the boys take this project into the front room where you’ll have more room to spread out? Cannon and I have some strategy to discuss.”
“Should I help carry those boxes?” I offer, but Jake and Lucas have already picked up two each.
“We’ve got it,” Jake says before they leave the room with Lily and Vanessa hurrying to lead the way.
“Sit down and tell me everything you know about Bailey,” Madison says as she lowers herself into the chair behind the desk like a queen taking her throne. And for the first time in my life, I don’t mind taking orders from a woman. In fact, I’m hoping her next command is for me to get on my knees and worship her with my tongue.
Chapter Nine
Madison
Yesterday, I thought Cannon was attractive in an obvious way because of his big, strong body and classically handsome face. Today, I’m finding him nearly irresistible because of the secrets coming out of his mouth.
Guess the former police chief isn’t as upstanding as he pretends. The fact that he sent a Savage King to kidnap his own daughter sounds almost too good to be true.
“Do you know where his daughter is now?” I ask Cannon.
“Ah, yeah,” he answers, dangling the information like a carrot as he slouches in the seat across from me, legs spread wide, looking utterly masculine in the very best way.
“Well? Where is she? Do you think I could talk to her to confirm what you just told me?”
“I think that could be arranged.”
“How far along is she?”
“A little over three months now,” he says, less cocky now and more thoughtful. “She moved in with me and my brother.”
“I don’t think I could see you changing any diapers,” I remark, and for some reason that makes him wince before he shrugs.