Page 156 of Mad As Hell

“Spoken like a guy who went to bed with his hand,” Ryan interjected.

Ash scoffed. “And what if I did?” He flashed a feral smile. “My hand knows exactly what I like.”

“Mine, too,” Bex added innocently, licking a dollop of frosting from her finger as she finished her cinnamon roll.

Everyone stopped and stared at her.

She snorted and rolled her eyes. “What? Guys are the only ones allowed to get off without judgment?”

“Not at all,” Linc agreed quickly, his dark blue eyes sparkling as he leaned forward. “But I’m having a hard time picturing the visual. Are we talking left or right hand?”

Court lobbed a biscuit at his head and, with more dexterity than a human should possess, Linc caught it and took a big bite with a wolfish grin.

Sighing, I turned my attention to Ash. “Is there a way to narrow down what the key is for?”

“I’m working on it, but honestly, Mads, it’s going to take time.” He frowned. “And there’s a big chance we won’t ever know.”

My shoulders slumped a little. “Dammit. I wonder if her CryptDuo app will have anything else in it.”

“Maybe? Again, it’s going to take time.” His lips pulled down in a grimace. “There’s a reason the government uses that app for communication.”

Bex’s head tilted to the side. “What if it doesn’t?”

Ash smiled indulgently at her. “Despite what you see on TV, there’s not a fast fix for this. The app your dad designed is a fucking fortress.”

“Exactly. My dad designed it. I’m sure if there’s a way to unlock it, he would know. I could ask him,” she suggested, her wide eyes looking around at each of us.

“No,” Court said almost as soon as she’d gotten the idea out.

She turned and scowled at him. “I want to help, and I bet my dad would, too.”

Court’s jaw clenched. “No. We’ll find another way.”

“Why are you being so stubborn about this? My dad could be the key,” she argued.

“Your dad can’t be the key if he’s part of the problem, sweetheart,” Linc said softly. The look in his eyes was bordering on pitying, but it hardened when he met Court’s gaze. “She needs to know the truth, man. You’re not doing her any favors by protecting her.”

“Protecting me from what?” Bex asked in a small voice. Her head swung back and forth as she looked between them before finally settling on Court. “Court?”

He wouldn’t meet her eyes. He just hung his head and blew out a hard breath.

“Someone better tell me,” Bex demanded, turning to Linc.

Linc gave her a steady look. “Bex, your dad is part of it, too. The club, the girls… All of it.”

She jerked back like he’d slapped her, bumping into Court’s knees. “No way. My dad wouldn’t do that.”

Oh, hell. My heart broke for her as she tried to fight the truth. As if sensing my pain, Ryan’s hand settled on my back.

“Babe, your dad is one of the smartest men in the country, and he’s come up with technology that every government agency is dying to get their hands on. You think he wasn’t one of the first people my dad approached to help hide his clubs and move his product?” The disgust in Linc’s voice left little room to what product he was referring to.

“He wouldn’t do that,” Bex whispered, her gaze begging for him to be lying. When he didn’t back down, she turned to Court. “Tell me he’s lying.”

“He’s not, Becca,” Court whispered, his dark eyes fathomless as he lifted them to watch her. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

She lurched to her feet. “No. No fucking way. You’re a liar, Court Woods.”

He looked up at her and shook his head. “I’ve never lied to you, Becca. You know that.” He grimaced. “Why do you think your parents barely speak to each other? Your mom knows. She found out years ago, but they have a prenup. If she divorces him, she loses everything, including custody and rights to you. And it’s not like she’d out him—it would blow up your life.”

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