Page 174 of Mad As Hell

Linc rubbed his jaw. “Shit. Think I went too far?”

Ash scoffed. “Yeah. Those two have enough shit to sort out without you adding to the pile.”

Linc’s face fell, and he stared down at the counter for a second before getting up. He hesitated by his seat and looked at Ash. “You know, he isn’t the only one who cares about her. Just because I’m not acting like an asshole doesn’t mean I like this anymore than he does.”

Ash blinked in surprise. “I didn’t mean—”

“You think I wanted to tell her what an asshole her father is?” Linc went on, shaking his head. “I hated doing that, but she needed to know. We’ve protected her for years, and I’m really trying to remember why we thought the best way to do that was keeping her at arms’ length. Maybe if we’d been in her life, Dean wouldn’t have drugged her that night.”

“She also might be dead,” Ryan added quietly, his hands tightening on my hips. “We made the best choice we could.”

Linc stared at him for a beat. “Did we?” He left without another word.

Bishop sighed and smiled at me. “You sure know how to clear a room, don’t you, Maddie?”

“It’s a talent,” I mumbled, watching as Ash got up next.

“I have some stuff I need to research before dinner. I’ll catch up with you guys later, okay?” He was gone in seconds, too.

“And then there were three,” Bishop murmured. He froze suddenly, and I had a feeling Ryan was giving him some kind of look since a moment later he said, “Actually? Then there were two. I’ll see you guys later.”

When it was just us, I turned and faced Ryan, my lower back resting against the edge of the island counter.

“What’d Grandpa want?” He brushed a lock of hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear.

“Why didn’t you tell me you told him who I am?” I tilted my head and watched him.

He pressed his lips together. “I didn’t want him thinking you’d hurt me when you didn’t.”

“He told me that he knew Madelaine had a twin.”

His eyes widened in surprise. “He did?”

I nodded. “He’s kept tabs on Gary because of Beckett.”

Ryan snorted. “God, he hates my dad more than I do.”

“Didn’t think that was possible,” I admitted, tracing a star pattern on his denim-clad thigh.

“My dad ruined my mother’s life, and my mom was my grandpa’s everything. Nana had a hard time staying pregnant. She had four miscarriages before they had my mom, and Grandpa begged her not to get pregnant again when she almost died having her. They both gave my mom everything they had.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, touching the side of his face.

He pressed a kiss to the inside of my wrist. “She would’ve liked you. They both would have.”

My lips turned up. “Your grandpa said that, too.”

“We have time before dinner. Are you tired?” The gentle look in his eyes made me want to curl into his side forever.

Instead, I drew in a deep breath and grinned. “Did someone say there were puppies?”

CHAPTER 45

MADDIE

Cori swung our hands between us as we walked back to the house.

“Red is the biggest, but Lovey is the fastest,” she informed me. After playing with the litter of Labrador puppies, Cori and Ryan had taken me on a tour of the rest of the stables. Corinne had made sure to introduce me to the horses; Red and Lovey were her favorites.

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