Page 6 of Mad As Hell

“What’s our play here, Ryan?” he asked, the dim lighting of the SUV’s interior casting shadows across his dark complexion. “It’s the middle of the night. You really think Bex’s parents are going to invite us inside so you can interrogate their daughter?”

I grimaced. He had a point. The Whittiers weren’t like other parents I’d grown up around. They actually seemed to give a damn about their kid. Or her mom did, at least. Bex’s dad wasn't quite as deep into shit as ours were, but he wasn’t a saint by any means.

Court sighed from the back. “I can get you in,” he muttered, pushing open his door.

Linc’s brows shot up. “You still have a key? I would’ve thought Betty took that back after—”

Court glared at our friend, annoyed at the mention of Bex’s mom. “She did. But since when has something like a locked door kept me out?”

I smirked and shook my head. Court’s skill had come in handy, especially when he showed me the finer points of lock picking. It was how I had broken into Maddie’s room that first day of school to surprise her.

Pain flared in my chest, and I fought back the wave of panic threatening to break over my head if I didn’t find her soon.

“Want us to come, too?” Ash offered, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

Court eased his door shut so as not to attract too much noise. “No, it’ll be easier with two of us than an entire group.” He leaned in through my open door to look at Ash. “But, just to be on the safe side, you may want to hack into the surveillance cameras and erase us being here.”

Ash nodded and reached for the laptop he had tucked between his seat and the consol. “On it.”

“Court,” Linc beckoned. He hesitated, wincing. “Fuck. Tell Bex…”

Court’s lips pressed together in a flat line. “Yeah, I know, man.”

“Seems like we’re all buying tickets for the apology train,” I muttered darkly.

Ash ticked up a finger, not pausing from where he was hacking into the Whittiers’ security system. “Not me.”

I shot him a glare. “Fine. Not you. Fucker,” I added before closing the door more softly than I would’ve liked. I turned to Court.

He jerked his head toward the side of the house. “Their basement walkout is our best bet,” he murmured as we started forward, sticking to the shadows. “Malcolm uses it to smoke at night, and he disabled the alarm so Betty wouldn’t know.”

“Maybe he gave up smoking,” I remarked.

Court snorted softly. “I saw him ducking outside to light up at your engagement party. I was kind of surprised to see them there, actually.”

“Maddie mentioned that Gary’s been trying to get Malcolm to help him with something,” I admitted.

Court stopped cold, a calculating glint in his dark eyes. “Why am I just hearing about this now?”

“Because I’ve had other shit going on,” I reminded him with a snarl.

His wide shoulders stiffened. “Ry, you know I like Maddie—”

I growled at whatever he was about to say.

“—but since you found out who she really is…” He trailed off with a grimace.

“What?” I whispered harshly. “Say it.”

“You’ve been distracted,” Court finished.

I folded my arms, annoyed that we were having this conversation now, in the shadows of the Whittier mansion. “And you haven’t been?”

His eyes narrowed.

“You think I haven’t seen the way you’re constantly following Bex around?” I pointed out, knowing I’d hit the mark when the skin around his eyes tightened.

“And whose fault is that?” he hissed. “You’re the one who had me carry her home that night Dean tried to…” His hands curled into massive fists, and I knew from experience that if one of them swung in my direction, it would hurt like a bitch.

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