Position of Honor The Honor Series Book Two

Chapter 18

"Matt, " Travis began in a warning tone. He understood how his brother felt but he had to be sure it was real emotions he felt for Madison and not just the impact of the loss he was dealing with.

"Christ, Travis, I didn't plan to..." Matt paused, realizing where his thoughts were going.

To what, Matt thought, to fall in love with her? God, could that be his problem? How could he love her, he barely knew her, or had he loved her all this time and not known it?

Choosing his words carefully, Matt would deal with his feelings later. "I can't lose her, because I didn't try hard enough to keep her safe and protect her."

Michael knew where Matt was coming from. Matt had lost his partner and his wife because of a single accident that could have been avoided. Matt still blamed himself for what happened even after all these years. It still hurts Matt, haunting him every day. The darkness in his eyes now told both Travis and Michael that Matt was remembering his past and putting his regrets into the present – right where they didn't belong.

"She's not Lindsey or Davis, Matt," Michael reminded him softly as he placed the cap back on his empty bottle of water. "Madison doesn't blame you for any of this. She knows you're doing everything you can for her. She's not going to leave because she thinks you haven't done your job. She'll leave to keep you safe."

"The hell with that," Matt muttered, and stepped closer to Madison. He wasn't going to be protected by the woman he was sworn to protect. That was his job!

"This isn't going to go well," Travis muttered to Michael as they watched Matt set his rules.

"Five bucks says she kicks his ass," Michael places his bet.

"I'm not stupid enough to take that bet," Travis pushes his brother's hand away as they watches with interest in how Madison handles him.

"You're coming home with us!" Matt spoke with a tone of authority.

Madison looked up and didn't say a word, she didn't need to. Her face said it all.

Without waiting until they were alone to talk to her about it, he continued with his rant, "This is nuts! We can't protect you at a hotel, you're wide open here! Obviously someone is willing to do whatever they have to, to get rid of you. I'm not going to let that happen," Matt softened his tone when he saw the officers and fire crews turned to watch the show.

Her initial reaction was defensive. She had been told what to do all her life, she has tried so hard to get control of her world and now here's another person dictating to her. Madison wanted to stand up and scream right back at Matt. How dare he demand she go anywhere?

She has been taking care of herself all these years without anyone telling her what to do. Granted, the situation was definitely different from what she was used to, but it still irked her. The fury lit her eyes first, the fire reflecting the heat that was burning at her to fight back.

"I can't be in two, three places at a time, Madison. I need to protect you and my family but having you out here isn't working. Putting you in a hotel isn't going to be any better!" As Matt made his point clear, it hit home. This involved him too. His world, his family, his life. His son.

She was putting too many people in danger. People Matt loved and needed to protect. He had lost too many people in his life lately, Matt couldn't take any more. She looked up at Matt and could see the pain he was holding back. Madison knew she was wrong to think that Matt could protect them while she remained at a distance.

Seeing the look of defeat on Madison's face, Matt felt the knife stab at his heart. Damn it, if only he could fix this for her, he thought. If he could just make everything better, then maybe, just maybe, he could figure out these feelings bombarding his heart. Between losing his parents and Lindsey, these feelings were so jumbled up in his heart. Everything ached.