Page 36 of Mad As Hell

It was hard not to absorb the warmth he offered. My blood had turned to ice water since we’d walked inside, and now that we were almost to the football table, the glares were accompanied by a hushed silence that fell across the room. Brylee’s dark gaze landed on me from her usual table.

My jaw dropped a bit as I saw a pissed-off Bex standing near Court. He seemed to be holding her backpack hostage so she couldn’t storm away from his side.

“Looks like everyone’s here,” Ryan murmured with a nod.

Dread trickled into my numb system. “What?”

He looked back at me with an unreadable expression. “Time for the show.”

“Sh-show?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper.

Ryan smiled at me, but there was something dark in his eyes. Something that promised hurt and pain and… vengeance.

“Ryan, I want to leave,” I whispered, trying to move away, but his arm was like cement glued to me. Short of me throwing an actual fit, I wasn’t leaving his side. And even then, people around here would probably just laugh as I struggled against their prince.

“You can’t leave yet,” he told me. A line creased the space between his eyes. “I set this up for you, babe.”

Oh, God. Oh, shit.

Panic started to claw at my throat. Honest-to-God panic that made me want to run away. Whatever was about to happen would be bad. Horrific, even.

I noticed Brylee started to smile, smelling blood in the water.

My blood.

There were teachers in here. If I started screaming, then surely someone would—

The doors to the dining hall slammed open like a scene from an actual movie. They banged against the walls of the silent room with a crash that made me flinch and a few girls shrieked.

Linc and Ash strode in, yanking Dean between them. The frat president looked angry and terrified at the same time. His face was ashen under the mottled red of his cheeks. He struggled between them, trying to pull away.

Linc grinned, practically feral, as he hauled Dean forward. Ash didn’t give away anything on his impassive face. When Dean was in front of us, they pushed him to his knees before letting go of his arms and taking a step back, still flanking him.

“Hey, brother,” Ryan greeted in a tone that was anything but welcoming. His blue eyes had hardened into chips of ice and his voice was just as arctic.

Dean glared at him and struggled to his feet. “What the fuck, Cain?”

Ryan released me and stepped in front of Dean, folding his arms across his wide chest. “I just wanted to clear a few things up.”

Dean’s gaze bounced around the room, looking for an ally and finding no one. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, as he looked at me and then Ryan. “What?”

Ryan laughed, the sound deep and throaty. “Maybe he needs a reminder about a certain video?”

A wave of whispers swirled around the room, and Dean blanched before he tried to school his features.

Tried… and failed.

“A video where you made it look like you were sleeping with my fiancée?” Ryan prompted, eliciting another round of gasps and hushed words.

Dean’s eyes narrowed, a sneer curling his lip. “I should think you’d be thanking me for helping you realize what a slut you were letting into your bed. Not to mention the fact that she’s a fucking traitor.”

“Traitor bitch!” Someone shouted across the room. More comments quickly followed.

“Fucking whore!”

“Slut!”

“Cum bucket!”

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