Page 37 of Mad As Hell

Ryan held up a hand and, like the trained puppets they were, everyone quieted.

“It was a good story,” Ryan admitted, rubbing his jaw as he spoke to Dean. “You almost had me convinced.”

Dean glared back. “Almost? Please. You ran out of your engagement party like someone kicked your puppy. Never knew you to be pussy whipped, Cain.”

Ryan smirked. “Clearly you’ve never had good pussy.”

My cheeks flushed red at the insinuation while several people started laughing.

“I had your girl’s,” Dean remarked smugly.

“Did you? Because Ash checked out that video and, I don’t think you had my girl that night.” Ryan tapped his temple. “In fact, I think that video was close to a year old, bro. When Maddie was still underage.”

Dean paled.

“I mean, putting a phony timestamp on there was pretty stupid,” Ryan went on, almost congenial. “Did you really think we wouldn’t figure it out? And stealing the playbook from my room to frame her? Did you forget we have security cameras upstairs?”

“Fuck you, Cain,” Dean hissed. He glared at me. “And fuck you, Madelaine.” He literally spat at the ground by my feet.

“The only one fucked here is you, Dean,” Ryan replied with a soft laugh.

Like he had timed it, the doors opened once more, but instead of teachers or students coming into the dining hall, people in dark blue jackets stalked inside. FBI was emblazoned on their chests in gold letters as they easily walked through the crowd.

“Dean O’Shea?” The woman leading the charge stopped in front of the guy in question. “We have a warrant for your arrest.”

“On what charges?” he spluttered as another agent moved forward to yank his arms behind his back.

The woman glanced at the folded paper in her hand. “Dissemination of child pornography, attempted rape, drugging a victim with the intent to commit a felony, statutory rape, and endangering a minor.” She closed the paper and gave him a savage smile. “And multiple counts on each of those charges, too. Aren’t you the overachiever?”

“I want a lawyer!” he cried as they started to pull him from the room.

She nodded. “You’ll definitely need one of those. You have the right to remain silent…” Her words trailed off as they pulled Dean back out the doors they’d just entered through.

There was a momentary lapse of time where no one in the room seemed to even breathe, and then it exploded into chaos as people started talking.

A sharp whistle from Court, loud enough that my ears rang, silenced them once more.

“And just so we’re clear,” Ryan announced to the room, turning in a slow circle to see everyone before leveling his gaze on Brylee, “the next time someone attacks my fiancée, I’m taking it personally.”

CHAPTER 10

MADDIE

Ryan’s hand on the small of my back spurred me into moving. He guided me to a vacant chair at the center of the football table as the whispers in the dining hall rose to a new crescendo. I sat in the chair he held out for me, trying to wrap my head around what the hell had just happened.

A tray of food appeared in front of me as everyone else took their seats. Ash and Ryan bracketed me while Court pulled Bex into the seat between him and Linc across the table.

Bex’s wide brown eyes found mine, looking just as shocked and maybe even a little mortified.

A hand on my thigh made me jump, and I spun to see Ryan giving me a curious look.

“It’s food, Mads,” he teased softly, so only I could hear. “You’re supposed to eat it.”

I looked down at the food. Two slices of pepperoni pizza with extra cheese waited for me, and dammit, I wanted to devour them. My stomach grumbled, cramping painfully at the reminder that it was uncomfortably empty.

I shoved the tray back like it was poisoned. “I can’t eat this.”

Ryan frowned. “It’s your favorite.”

---