Page 21 of Seduced in Ink

The only reason he still dealt with them at all was because of her. And it was something she wasn’t proud of.

She just wished she was strong enough to walk away. But, occasionally, she got some good glimpses. They weren’t always all bad.

She just had to remember that.

Or maybe she needed to forget.

“Hey, Madison, your mom’s here.”

A feeling of cold water doused her veins, and she swallowed hard.

Oh?” she asked, turning with the frosting bag in hand.

“Yes, and giving us her standard glare since we won’t let her come back.”

“She should know that she can’t come back here. This is a place of business. Plus, it’s not safe for her.”

“We tried to tell her that. But, honestly, we’re a little scared of her. You want to go out front and deal with her?” Brynn asked. Madison nodded, handing over her piping bag after she’d washed her hands.

“Thanks, I’ll do it.”

“You’re a better woman than me,” Brynn said, and Madison shook her head.

“We both know that’s not the case.”

“Hey,” Brynn said. “Don’t be mean to yourself.”

“Sorry, just getting prepared.”

Brynn’s eyes darkened with sympathy, and Madison hated it. So, she smiled and made her way out to the front of the building where people were drinking coffee and ordering cupcakes and even a few of the cookies that Madison sometimes made. Brynn liked making them, so they had more of them than usual. It was good that they weren’t a full bakery. There wasn’t a lot of room in their tiny little shop. Something that her mother mentioned. Often.

Madison checked her reflection in the mirror for any stray traces of frosting or cake. She was grateful that she looked decent, though likely not to perfection like her mother wanted. She didn’t care.

She straightened her apron, something her mother never wanted her to wear. Yet again, she didn’t care. She walked around the corner and saw her mother standing near the bay window, her chin raised, her pearls glistening under the lights.

Her mother was gorgeous. Always had been. When Madison was a little girl, her mother had smiled more. She had thought her mother a fairy princess. One who helped her defeat the dragon until they could ride away on horseback and smile and laugh.

She had never been so wrong about anything in her life.

Her mother must have sensed her approach and turned on her very tall heels, a single brow raised.

Maeve McClard rarely smiled anymore. She only deigned to do so when she needed something from someone lately. And even then, it wasn’t a true smile that reached her eyes, it was more of a sneer. Not that anyone who hadn’t known her for all of their lives would even notice. Madison did.

Mostly because the sneers were usually cast in her direction.

“Madison.”

Madison smiled, aware that no one was paying attention to them, but this was her place of business. “Mother, come to the side over here where there are fewer people.”

“I cannot believe you’re making me come into this establishment.” The way her mother said the wordestablishmentmade it sound like she was in a roach-infested hotel with slime on the walls and people being murdered all around her.

Sin in a Cupwas cute, very clean, and people enjoyed themselves.

Madison would not let her mother ruin this for her. At least she would do her damndest.

“Come with me if you want to talk. If not, then have a wonderful day. I’m working, I don’t have too much time...”

“Working. Here.” Maeve whispered the words as if aware she didn’t want people to overhear her acting like she currently was. Her mother did have a reasonable sense of self every once in a while. Mostly, she didn’t like to make a scene if she wouldn’t come out on top.