Page 151 of Mad As Hell

Not unless I wanted a whole new set of bruises decorating my body.

Instinctively, my hand fluttered up to touch my throat. I hadn’t seen a bruise in the mirror of the bathroom, but that didn’t stop Ryan from going deathly still as his eyes tracked my movement.

“What did he do to you?” He spoke the words so softly I almost missed them. The darkness churning in his eyes threatened to suck me under.

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

“Madison,” he snapped, framing my face in his hands. His touch was infinitely gentle, but I felt the barely leashed power behind it.

I lifted my hands to touch his forearms. “He didn’t hurt me.”

“Then tell me what happened,” he demanded.

I sighed, my gaze drifting to Ash like he might be an ally. He looked slightly less murderous but just as concerned as Ryan.

Swallowing roughly, I could almost feel the phantom fingers around my throat. “He grabbed my throat, but I’m fine,” I rushed to add, tightening my hands when he began to step away.

“Ryan,” I snapped when his gaze started to drift, “look at me. He didn’t hurt me.”

His gaze probed mine for a long moment before turning to Ash, who now stood behind me.

“It would be a mess, but you know we have your back,” Ash commented. His ominous tone sent a chill down my spine. “You might need to give me a few hours to get everything in place for you two—”

“Get what in place?” I demanded, looking back at him.

Ryan rubbed his jaw, looking torn. “What about the rest of you?”

Ash shrugged as they both completely ignored me standing between them. “We made a deal. If it was Bex, none of us would blink at whatever choice Court made.”

I clapped my hands together loudly to stop the crazy train they were riding. “I swear to God, if one of you doesn’t start talking—”

“We’re talking about killing Gary,” Ryan informed me flatly, his gaze almost void of any emotion as he turned his eyes to me. “I could kill him tonight and we could be out of the country before the sun comes up.”

My jaw dropped with my stomach. “You’re not killing Gary.”

His brows raised. “He touched you, Mads. I told you what would happen if he touched you again.”

A dark thrill shot through me, and I wasn’t going to lie. Hearing him admit that? In that rough, dangerous tone? Was seriously hot.

Yeah, I was officially finding a psychiatrist tomorrow to work out why an alpha asshole turned me on.

“It wasn’t a big deal,” I protested, trying to keep my brain focused on making sure Ryan stayed here and didn’t run off to kill my father. Gary might’ve scared me, but I also proved I could handle him.

“So, he what? Put his hands around your throat because he was measuring you for a necklace?”

Okay, when he put it like that, I understood his anger.

“We’re not killing anyone,” I told him. “Not right now. Besides, I think I might’ve found something that can help us.” I reached into my shirt and felt around for the key I’d stashed in my bra.

Ryan coughed a little. “Babe, I’m all about your tits, but I don’t see them solving our current problems.”

Triumphantly, I pulled out the key and held it up. “You’re hysterical.” I turned to Ash. “I found this in Madelaine’s room. She had it hidden—”

“Why were you in her room?” Ryan cut in sharply.

I bit the inside of my cheek. “I needed to use the bathroom.”

“Fucking hell, Madison,” he barked, turning away and pacing to the balcony doors. “Forget Gary, I’m going to throttle your ass. We talked about you not taking unnecessary risks!”

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