Page 49 of Mad As Hell

I mean, I guess that was progress from Ryan outright accusing me, but still.

Pushing Charles aside a bit, I returned Ryan’s glare with one of my own. “Charles offered to escort me in.”

Ryan’s gaze ripped to me. “Really.”

My eyes narrowed in defiance. “Really.”

He forced a grimace as he turned back to Charles. “Well, thanks for seeing my girl in. I’ll take it from here, Chucky.”

Charles, to his credit, barely blinked. “We’re good, thanks, mate.” He looked at me. “Care to dance, love?”

Ryan’s hand shot out and grabbed my free hand. “Can we talk?”

I gave him a benign smile. “I was invited to dance.”

Ryan’s jaw clenched, and I had a feeling that I was treading the line of too far. A thrill shot through me at seeing him lose it a bit. But on the heels of that, a tiny thread of guilt twisted around my heart.

I knew Ryan was sorry for what had happened, and I knew he genuinely loved me, even if it was in a way I would never fully understand or be able to accept.

“Give me a sec,” I murmured to Charles, letting him go so Ryan could pull me out of earshot. I caught sight of Bex hiding a grin as we moved aside.

“Maddie.” Ryan’s voice was full of a heavy emotion that made my insides tangle. “Seriously?”

I arched a brow. “What? I can’t hang out with a guy unless he’s on your pre-approved lackey list?”

“I sent Ben—”

“Ben?” I interrupted.

He smirked. “Five. I sent him to get you because I had to handle shit here. Dean’s arrest meant we needed a new president.”

“Let me guess,” I drawled, giving him a long look. “You’re the next president?”

He grinned smugly. “Was there ever a doubt?”

“Glad to see you’ve benefited from Dean’s disgusting practices,” I muttered, shaking my head. “Then again, why would I be surprised? Do you do anything that doesn’t directly benefit you?”

“Not as a general rule, no,” he replied. There wasn’t even arrogance in his tone. He simply meant that he didn’t lift a finger if it didn’t help his own cause in some way or another.

I willed my hormones to lock it down as I took a step back. “Right.”

Ryan’s hands shot out, grabbing me by the hips and tugging my closer. “Maddie, I’m trying.”

“Are you?” I lifted my gaze with a challenge, not bothering to move away from him. Ryan Cain was my own personal center of gravity, and I was helpless to stop from falling into his orbit.

“Yes,” he insisted, his blue eyes flashing as he glanced over my shoulder. “But bringing that douche canoe here isn’t helping us.”

I sucked in a sharp breath. “Maybe it’s helping me, Ryan. Did you ever think about that?”

His forehead wrinkled in confusion. “What does that even mean?”

I placed my hands on his forearms and gently pushed them down so he wasn’t touching me. “It means I want my own friends.”

“You have friends,” he argued stubbornly. “You have Bex and the guys.”

“Bex is my friend,” I agreed, nodding, “but the guys? Hell no. They’re loyal to you first.”

“Debatable,” he muttered.

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