Twin Cupids at Work Daddy Come Home novel Chapter 613

Madeline climbed out of the car with Luke trailing behind her. He looked completely out of it, eyes glued to the ground, clearly somewhere else in his head.

She slipped her car keys into her bag, casting him a sideways glance. “What’s on your mind?”

Luke barely met her eye. “Sorry for causing you so much trouble.”

“Knock it off.” Her voice was firm but gentle.

In truth, if it weren’t for looking for her, Luke wouldn’t have gotten mixed up with the wrong people and ended up poisoned.

The front door swung open and Cody hurried outside, flashing Madeline a polite smile. “Hey, Madeline.” His gaze flicked to Luke, sizing him up.

She nodded. “Is Jordan here?”

“Yeah, he’s inside. The boss is here too. Come on in.”

“Thanks.”

As they stepped inside, Cody asked quietly, “Madeline, who’s the guy with you? I’ve never seen him before. Bodyguard, or… friend?”

Madeline glanced at Luke, then answered smoothly, “A friend.”

They reached the entryway and Cody held the door for them. Madeline strode confidently inside.

In the living room, Casey was sitting with Jordan, the two of them sipping tea.

At the sound of footsteps, Casey looked up. “Hrllo.”

Madeline nodded. “Hey, Jordan.”

Jordan grinned. “This kid showed up at my door last night and dragged me out of bed. As soon as I saw his face, I knew you needed something. He never gets this fired up for anything else.”

Madeline gave Casey a quick look.

Madeline gave a small nod. There weren’t really any other explanations. “Maybe.”

She took a sip of the tea and looked him over. “Didn’t know you were into tea these days.”

He chuckled. “Only way to keep the old guy company.”

Meanwhile, in the other room, Luke stood stiffly in front of Jordan.

Jordan studied him for a second.

Luke spoke up, his voice steady. “Thank you for taking the time, sir. But I know my limits. You don’t need to waste your energy on me. Including today, I’ve got three days left. When you go back out there, I’d appreciate if you tell Madeline you have a way to help, but it’ll take time, and that I need to stay here with you.”

Jordan arched an eyebrow. “You’re awfully sure, aren’t you? I haven’t even checked you out. What makes you think I can’t save you?”

Luke smiled, a little sad, a little resigned. “It’s not about doubting you. This poison… there’s no cure. Suppressing the symptoms is the best you can do and my time’s basically up. Even if you want to help, you can’t. So please, just tell Madeline what I said. I’ll handle my own mess. I don’t want her getting dragged in any more than she already is.”