Page 116 of Mad As Hell

Beckett’s head lifted, and Ryan’s surprise arrival unbalanced him enough for me to shove him away.

I stared at Ryan, my heart falling to my feet at the fury in his eyes. I’d seen that look before, and I wanted to cry.

“Ryan.” Beckett adjusted his shirt and smiled at his son like this was totally normal behavior. “Did you finish your phone call?”

Ryan’s face flushed. “Seriously? That’s all you’re going to say?”

The corner of Beckett’s mouth curved. “What? You want an apology? Grow the fuck up. Maybe if you acted like a man, you could hang on to a woman.”

Ryan’s gaze cut to me. “Get out.”

Horror washed over me. No, no. He had to understand. “Ryan—”

“Get. Out,” he hissed, eyes flashing dangerously. He stepped away from the door, clearing a path for me.

I dipped my head to hide my tears as I ran out of the room.

CHAPTER 31

MADDIE

Every part of me wanted to run and hide, but there was nowhere to go. Ryan had driven us here, and even if I could somehow manage to get his keys, I still didn’t know how to drive. I didn’t even know my way around this damn house to find a private corner to regroup in.

Not that what had happened upstairs was in any way my fault, but before, it had obviously been Madelaine screwing around on Ryan. I couldn’t claim that when he’d walked in on his dad shoving his tongue down my throat and grinding on me like a rail at a skateboard park.

But would he understand that I hadn’t wanted any of that; that I’d tried to stop it?

“Maddie?” Corinne’s soft voice diverted my inner freakout, and I turned to see her door cracked as she peered out. “I heard more yelling.”

I quickly went into her room and closed the door. “It’s okay.”

“Majesty?” Her face fell when she realized I didn’t have the dog. Another boom of thunder shook the house, and she let out a soft scream before diving for my waist and hugging me.

“She’s still in Ryan’s room in the closet. Your dad caught me—”

Her head tipped back, eyes wide. “Did he hurt you?”

My eyes narrowed, concern replacing my panic. “No. Why? Does he hurt you?”

Her gaze jerked away, and she gave a small, unconvincing shake of her head.

“Cori, if your dad is hurting you—”

“He just says mean stuff,” she mumbled, burying her face against my chest. “But he’s my daddy, so he loves me. I make him angry because I’m stupid. I need to be better.”

For the second time in less than ten minutes, tears flooded my eyes. “Honey, you’re not stupid. Your dad shouldn’t say those things.”

A sharp knock sounded on the door at my back, and a second later, Ryan opened it. His expression gave nothing away, looking like it had been carved from the same stone as the silent statues scattered around the grounds.

“Your father’s here,” he told me in an even tone that made me want to scream. “We need to get downstairs.”

“Cori’s scared of the storm,” I muttered, still stroking her hair. I was probably ten different kinds of cowardly for hiding behind his sister right then, but I needed space to think.

Some of the ice in his eyes melted. He looked at Corinne. “Ms. Wallace is on her way up. I told her to hang out with you until the storm passes.”

His sister lifted her head. “I’m not eating with you?”

His lips pressed into a thin, tight line. “No. It would be boring anyway.”

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