This was not something that Madeline typically did. She had spent most of her life looking out only for herself and, since coming to New York, her family. She didn't go out of her way to help others unless there was something in it for her. Selfish, maybe, but it was true. But tonight, when she had seen Alex so severely beaten and learned the reasons why, she had decided to do something about it.

After leaving her apartment, Madeline had headed to her office, where she spent the next few hours searching for the man Alexander had said was the cause of his recent troubles -  Frankie 'Blue Shoes' Malone. Alex had never said where he had grown up, so she wasn’t sure where to start, but she had connections across the country. Besides, as she was soon to learn, the man was a somewhat notorious scum bag. Malone, it turned out, did own several shell companies, including this supposed record company that he signed Alexander too. He was based out of Arizona; a place Madeline had never traveled too before. There was a first for everything right?

It was past sunrise when the plane touched down on the tarmac. She had gotten a few hours of sleep, but it was mostly adrenaline that kept her moving. Madeline knew if she were gone for more than a few days she wouldn’t make it back in time to speak with Alex directly before he left her apartment. She had to stay focused and get this job done quickly and quietly.

Since she had left Nikolas behind, it was Stephen that filled in for him on this trip. While she missed Nikolas’ familiar presence, she was glad to have a chance to get to know one of the other men that had pledged his life to protect hers.

“Let’s spend the day getting our bearings around the city. Malone seems more of a night owl, so he’s probably passed out right now. Besides, I want to make sure I have all the information on him I can get before I meet him face to face.”

Alex had mentioned growing up in an orphanage, but Madeline knew those records would be hard to track down. She wanted to try and follow his path to Malone, so she could learn more about how the man operated. There was also the part of her that wanted to learn more about Alex and his history, although she was hesitant to do too much digging. She doubted she would be pleased if anyone discovered her hometown and went around asking questions.

An hour or so later and Madeline was sitting in the office of Phoenix Mayor Fred J. Paddock. She had learned long ago how to get what she needed from men. Dressed in a pale-yellow sundress that was just a tad bit too short, her blonde hair cascaded in loose waves. Her smile was bright, and she knew how to bat her eyelashes just the right way. The Mayor had practically stumbled over himself to welcome her.

“What brings you here to our fair city Ms. Evans?”

“Well you see Mayor, I’ve been doing a bit of charitable work recently, and I was hoping you might help me acquire a list of orphanages that operate here in Phoenix. I would like to visit some of them and donate funds to help those I find the most deserving.”

The Mayor raised an eyebrow slightly. She couldn’t blame him for finding it odd; she was a relative stranger after all, why did she suddenly want to come into Phoenix and start helping orphanages?

“I’m sure I can pull a list together, but it might take some time. How long did you plan on being in town?”

“Oh, I know it might be a terrible inconvenience, but if you could have something for me today that would be ideal. You see, I’m visiting several big cities here on the West coast and I’m only going to be here a few days before moving on.”

This was one of those times that her Southern accent came in handy. She leaned in slightly, evoking pure innocence as her eyes lingered on the Mayors. “Please Mayor Paddock, your help would be so very appreciated. And imagine the good press when I tell everyone how helpful you were in this endeavor?”

That thought caused the Mayor to perk up a little bit – after all, what politician didn’t want positive free press?

“Very well. I’ll have my security draw up a list for you, with their addresses so you can make your visits. Just please let me know which ones you choose for your project. I would like to be involved in the process.”

“Of course, Mayor! I will ensure my people work very closely with yours. If I could ask for one tiny little favor – if the list could include information on when the orphanages originally opened, I would forever be in your debt.”

That request made the process just a bit harder, but it would help her to narrow down the ones that were open when Alex was a child. She knew the man was about twenty years old and he’d only mentioned one orphanage, so it didn’t seem likely that he’d moved between various places. Madeline went for breakfast and returned to pick up the information a couple of hours later. When she did, she asked the Mayor one last question.

“I was told that a local businessman might be interested in assisting with my project. Frankie Malone. Have you heard of him, Mayor?”

At the name, the Mayor’s face hardened, and Madeline knew she’d hit a sore spot. She wondered what ties lay between Malone and Paddock and if she had inadvertently tipped Malone off to her presence. The moment passed, however, and the Mayor smiled one of those fake, politician smiles at Madeline.

“Helping orphaned children isn’t Malone’s forte. But if you want to speak with him, he usually spends his evenings at his club downtown.”

Madeline flashed a charming smile at the man. “Thank you, Mayor, you’ve been so very helpful.” With that, she spun and headed back out to start her hunt.

Madeline had spent the rest of the day visiting various orphanages all around Phoenix. It hadn’t been easy to track down the right one; the record keeping in most of these places was atrocious. Each home she visited was equally heartbreaking. Madeline knew that places like this existed, but she had never been to one before.

It wasn’t that Madeline’s childhood had been carefree, not by any means, but Madeline had a home, and she’d had Sadie. These children had only each other, and even then, they were each other’s competition. When she first arrived, the children thought maybe she was there to choose one of them. Some of them ran from her, and some ran to her, trying to get her attention. They were often dirty and their clothes old and worn but, yet she was impressed by them. They were so resilient at such young ages. It was an experience that Madeline hadn’t been expecting on this trip and yet she knew it was something she would never forget.

There were homes for girls and homes for boys, which wasn’t notated on the list, so Madeline had to visit them all until finally, she found the one she was looking for. Inside was an elderly nun who went by the name Sister Agatha. Madeline was escorted to a small office space where Sister Agatha sat behind a desk. There were pictures on the walls of children – group photos or photos of children with adults Madeline assumed had come to adopt them. Agatha seemed firm, but she was polite, which was all Madeline could ask for really.

“So, you’ve come looking for information on Alexander. Why? It’s not our practice to discuss the children who have been here.”

“I understand, and I know it may be an odd request. I can promise it’s nothing shady or malicious. Alex is a friend of mine, and I just wanted to learn a little more about his life while I was here.” Saying it out loud, Madeline knew it didn’t make sense. But there was little in life that made sense, especially when it came to relationships between people.

Perhaps it was her years of experience that allowed Sister Agatha to pick up on Madeline’s honestly at that moment. She was here to protect Alex, not to harm him. The other woman was silent for a few moments, and Madeline felt like the other woman was practically staring into her soul. Whatever it was that she saw, she seemed to approve of because she started to speak.

“I remember Alexander. A right rascal that one was, always sneaking into the pubs to steal from the patrons. He leaned light of hand tricks and could often lift a wallet without you having any idea. And then one day he discovered his voice. And what a voice that young man had.” Sister Agatha seemed almost sad as she thought past. Madeline couldn’t help but wonder all the things this woman had seen in her life. She couldn’t imagine that anyone would run a home like this and not grow attached to the children who passed through its doors.

“He still does,” Madeline said gently. “He’s done amazing things with it.” Even if he didn’t see it, even if he continued to crave more, Madeline could see how far he’d already come.

Madeline was in the office for some time as Sister Agatha shared stories of Alex’s childhood. She talked about his antics and how she’d had to chase after him. She spoke about ways he had helped other children, his kind spirit and his protective nature. She taught Madeline about a man that she knew she wanted to know herself.

Before Madeline left the office, Sister Agatha gave Madeline a file – Alex’s file. She asked her to give it to him when she saw him next, said that it continued information about his parents that he might want. Madeline knew the weight of what she held and promised that she would indeed deliver it. She also gave Madeline the name of some of the local places that Alex had frequented as a child, the ones that were still open at least.

When she climbed back into the waiting car, Madeline looked back at the home with a sigh. Children were playing out front, and she saw Sister Agatha come to the door, waving goodbye to Madeline. As she waved back she said to Stephen:

“Make sure Sister Agatha receives a sizeable donation. She doesn’t need to know where it came from but I want it personally handed to her.” Madeline knew corruption was rampant in places like this and she wanted to make sure her money went where it was needed. “And see to it that she gets the same amount every month. These children should want for nothing.”

She had been on the go for nearly 24 hours, so after visiting a few of the pubs that Sister Agatha had mentioned, Madeline decided to call it a night. She found a room in a local hotel and passed out almost immediately.

The next day Madeline spent time looking into Malone. She wanted to learn everything about him that she could before she met him. Looking into several of his companies, Madeline began to suspect that man had ties to the criminal world himself. That or he had a makeshift sort of crew running here in Phoenix without realizing it. He seemed to have hands in everything and everyone. Madeline had suspicions he was blackmailing the mayor himself. It appeared she had uncovered all sorts of corruption in Phoenix but not only was it none of her business and she didn’t have the time to delve that deeply.

Once evening fell, Madeline made her way downtown to Frankie’s bar; not surprisingly it was called “Blue Shoes.” She was dressed in a killer red dress, her hair curled and makeup done to perfection. She was out for a night of partying after all, she had to dress to impress. But she had both a knife and a gun hidden on her, just in case.

As the car pulled up to the club, she turned her attention to Stephen. “Make sure you get Terrance to the airport to ensure the flight out of here is ready. Once I handle Malone, we’ll need a quick exit.” After he confirmed that he understood, Madeline headed inside.

She didn’t go looking for Malone right away; instead, she went to the bar and ordered a drink. She explored the layout of the club, noted all the exits and the staircase that she assumed led to Malone’s office on the second floor. Killing him in the club would be a challenging task; she’d have to get down the stairs, out the door, and into the car without being caught by Malone’s guards. Still, the noise from the music would cover any gunshots, and she might be able to leave before anyone realized he’d been killed.

Finally, with a plan in mind, Madeline went to the stairs. They were roped off, with a security guard on either side to stop people from going up. She flashed a charming smile before speaking. “I need to speak with Malone. Tell him I’m here about Alexander Knight.” There was no point in lying – if she told him the same story she’d told the mayor he would turn her away in seconds.

 One of the guards went upstairs and emerged a few moments later, nodding to the second. The rope was opened for her, and she sauntered her way up the stairs where the first guard opened a door and ushered her inside. She spotted the man she could only assume to be Malone sitting behind a desk, cigar in hand. He gave her a once-over, the kind men give women when they see them as objects and not people. She had to resist from rolling her eyes, especially since it was the reaction she wanted. It was so much easier to get over on men who spent their time lusting over her instead of genuinely paying attention.

“Well well well….and how can I help you, Miss….?”

“Evans. Madeline Evans. I came to speak with you regarding your interests in Alexander Knight.”

The man smirked, taking a long drag from his cigar before he answered her. “Oh, did you now? And why is Alex sending a woman to take care of his business?”

“He didn’t send me. Besides, after what your men did to him he was hardly fit to travel himself.” Madeline’s voice was firm but not confrontational, not yet.

“They roughed him up a bit, nothing he can’t handle.” He waved it off as it was no concern to him.

“What is it that you want exactly Mr. Malone?”

“Alex knows what I want. Five hundred thousand and not a penny less. He gives me that, and I’ll rip the contact up.”

“Will you?” Madeline leaned forward, a smile dancing on her lips. “Will you really? Or will you keep it tucked away, waiting for his next album to drop and then demand an even more ludicrous sum?”

Malone frowned, suddenly paying a bit more attention to Madeline. He put down his cigar and laughed. “And what exactly would you do if that were the case? Either you pay me my money or Alex’s career goes down the drain, simple.”

“Nothing is ever that simple Mr. Malone. I’ll give you your money, but if you back out on this deal, I will make sure you live to regret it.”

That response elicited another chuckle from the man. “Of course, you will be dear, of course, you will.”

Madeline stood, suppressing the desire to shoot the man right then and there. That had been her original plan when she walked in, but she realized quick enough she’d never make it out alive.

“Tomorrow morning. Meet me at the airport. You’ll get the cash, and I’ll get the contract. And then we’ll never have to see each other again, right?”

“That’s the deal. And don’t you know I’m a man of my word Ms. Evans?” Another twisted smile; they both knew he was no such thing.

“Until tomorrow then. Oh, and Mr. Malone, if you don’t show up personally I won’t hand over the money.”

With that, Madeline left the club. Tomorrow would bring the end to this problem and the end of Frankie Malone.

Madeline had told Malone to meet her bright and early, mostly to ensure that he had very little time to investigate who she was. The biggest thing that could go wrong this morning would be Malone figuring out that Madeline was far more dangerous than he thought; she regretted giving him her real name, but at the time she thought she would kill him before leaving the club. Plans evolved, and now she was standing on the tarmac, a plane behind her ready to take her home to New York.

She hadn’t brought many of her men with her given the last-minute nature of this trip, but she had enough that she felt comfortable standing openly next to the car they had rented. She wore a blue jumpsuit, her hair loose and a pair of expensive sunglasses covering her eyes. Madeline had been told the minute Malone’s car entered the airport, and she was ready. She had men scattered in prime locations, each with a clear eye on her. Once this was over, some of them would stay behind to help clean it up and make sure it didn’t get traced back to her. Stephen and Terrence were next to her, one on each side, but they had no visible weapons. She didn’t want Malone getting itchy right off the stat.

As Malone’s car pulled up and he climbed out, Madeline suspected he hadn’t even gone to bed yet. He wore the same suit that she had seen him in last night at his club and the same smug smirk on his face. His men climbed out of the car and stood next to him, although he was confident that nothing would go wrong today. How wrong he would be.

“Miss Evans. You have my money?”

“You have my contract?” Madeline didn’t have the patience for pleasantries this morning, and neither, it seemed, did he. She felt Terrence tense as Malone reached into the breast pocket of his jacket, pulling out a slip of paper.

“A deal’s a deal.”

Madeline resisted the urge to roll her eyes; instead, she turned back towards the car, the trunk of which was already popped open. She grabbed one large duffel bag and handed it off to Stephen. The second she carried herself, walking towards Malone. A small pocket on the side of the duffel bag that faced her was holding a weapon. When she got close enough, Madeline simultaneously let off a short whistle and dropped the bag, the weapon in her hand. Hearing the signal, the men she’d staged around the tarmac took out the few men that Malone had brought with him within a matter of seconds.

Malone seemed stunned. Madeline stood, the gun in her hand pointed at the man. He had underestimated her, as men so often did in this world. First Ricci, now him.

“Miss Evans,” she could hear the fear in his voice when he spoke. “I thought we had a deal? Surely we can work something out.”

“No, we can’t. We both know that’s not the only copy of the contract that you have. And we both know you have no intentions of ever leaving Alex alone.”

“You’re wrong. Alex and I, we go way back. He’s a good kid, but I couldn’t just let him out of his contract without a fee. That’s a business Miss Evans. But given the change in the situation, I can renegotiate. Take your money and leave; you’ll never hear from me again.”

This time, it was Madeline’s turn to laugh. “Scared Mr. Malone? Of little ol’ me? Surely I’m no threat to you?” She was taunting him, which he picked up on rather quickly. Madeline wasn’t usually like this, but Malone had threatened someone she cared about, and she wasn’t just going to let him walk away.

Realizing he had no way out, he tried to grab a gun from one of his fallen men. He was quicker than she expected, but not quick enough to get to the weapon before Madeline shot him. She’d been handling weapons since she was young, so her aim was spot on. Malone fell, blood immediately starting to spill out. She walked over to him, glancing down and kicking him slightly to make sure he was dead. She saw the contract laying on the ground where Malone had dropped it; she picked it up, both because it could lead cops to Alex and because she wanted to give it back to him so that he knew it was truly over.

Looking around the tarmac one final time, Madeline smiled and headed onto the plane. Her men would make sure the scene was cleaned up, and Malone dumped somewhere else. And she would need to figure out how to go home and explain all of this to Alex.