Page 117 of Mad As Hell

“Can Maddie stay with me?” She peered up at me with guileless eyes. “You’re more fun than Ms. Wallace.”

“Very well,” Ryan corrected, shaking his head a little ruefully. “Sorry, Corinne, but Madelaine needs to come downstairs with me.”

Madelaine.

The only thing saving Ryan from me tearing into him and demanding he listen to me was the little girl between us.

This was the engagement party all over again, except he’d seen me kissing his dad with his own eyes. Sure, he might have spent the last week telling me he trusted me, but even I knew this looked bad.

Corinne reluctantly let me go. “Will I see you later?”

Ryan gave her a soft look. “Yeah. We’ll stop by and see you before we head out, okay?”

She sighed softly and nodded. “Okay. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he murmured, forcing a sharp smile onto his lips for her benefit before turning to me and opening the door a bit more. “Let’s go.”

“See you, Cori,” I whispered to the little girl who had stolen my heart.

Her sweet, innocent smile was almost my undoing. “See you later. Love you, Maddie!”

Emotions choked me, nearly strangling my words. “I love you, too, sweet girl.” Sucking in a wobbly breath, I joined Ryan in the hallway.

He closed Corinne’s door and turned away from me sharply, not waiting to see if I was following or not.

By the time we made it to the top steps, I couldn’t take it. I reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Ryan.”

He froze and glanced back at me before jerking away. “Not now.”

“It’s not what you think,” I hissed, my chest burning with a need to tell him what had really happened.

He whirled and backed me against the wall, his blue eyes blazing with a promise of pain. “Not fucking now. We need to get through this lunch with our fathers, so do me a favor? Be quiet and don’t leave my side so I can get us out of here without killing someone. Think you can handle that?”

I swallowed, the simple movement like forcing broken glass down my throat. All I could manage was a nod as the glass began shredding my insides. The hate in his eyes, which barely masked the absolute raw pain, was crushing. Agony ripped through me as I realized how much damage Beckett had done to us.

His gaze searched mine briefly, and finding whatever he was looking for, he gave a curt nod before turning and leading me down the stairs by my wrist like a disobedient child.

Dread coiled in my stomach as we descended the stairs. By the time we made it down the hall to the dining room, I was ready to be sick. I couldn’t miss the way Gary’s gaze sharpened as I entered. He stared curiously as Ryan deposited me into a seat before taking the chair beside me. With Beckett on his other side at the head and Gary directly to Beckett’s right, the four of us made for a small group at the table, which easily sat sixteen.

Two massive crystal-and-gold chandeliers hung from the ceiling at either end of the dark walnut table. Matching high-backed chairs with cream-colored cushions lined the table. The glass wall behind Gary showed off the backyard, with its sprawling lawn and sparkling pool and grotto.

Beckett cleared his throat and lifted a tumbler of amber liquid. “Shall we toast to your fallen friend? May Kindell rot in hell.” He threw back the drink with a grin.

My hands curled into fists on my lap under the table. I couldn’t help looking at Ryan out of the corner of my eye, but he didn’t seem phased in the slightest.

The corners of Gary’s eyes twitched, but that was the only sign he gave that he gave a shit about Adam’s death.

“Good fucking riddance,” Ryan muttered, reaching for his water goblet and taking a long drink.

Amen, I agreed silently, not moving.

Gary’s gaze flicked to me. “How are you, sweetheart? Sorry I haven’t been around as much.”

I pasted on a fake smile. “Wonderful.”

Beckett snorted in amusement, and I could practically hear Ryan grinding his teeth.

Gary’s eyes narrowed. “I heard from the designer. Your dress will be ready for your first fitting over Thanksgiving weekend. I was thinking you could come to Milan with me instead of staying behind by yourself.”

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