Page 52 of Mad As Hell

Ash leaned forward in his chair so I could hear his low tone even over the music. “Do you really think going over there and swinging your dick around is going to make Maddie forgive you?”

I smirked at him. “I wasn’t aware you’d been checking out my dick.”

He gave me a bland look. “Only because I wasn’t aware they came that small.”

My fist shot out and clipped his shoulder with enough force to bruise. He didn’t even flinch.

“Seriously, Ry. Let Maddie do her thing. If anyone has earned a night of drunken shenanigans, it’s that girl. And this is as safe a space as any for her to let loose. None of us will let anything happen to her.” Ash lifted his own drink to his lips and took a long sip.

I released a slow breath and tried to look at Maddie with objective eyes, but it was pointless.

She wasn’t just a girl having fun at one of our parties.

She was my fucking girl, and I could see the stress tightening the skin around her eyes even as she swayed unsteadily to the music. The halter top and tiny skirt weren’t something she would have normally worn, and while I appreciated the way those heels made her legs look impossibly long, I also knew she was probably off balance as hell.

My eyes narrowed as she threw an arm around an equally intoxicated Bex. Charles managed to catch them both before they toppled over into a heap on the lawn.

Regret ate at my insides like acid, burning through my gut and twisting up what was left.

I had done that to her. To both of them.

I’d backed Maddie into my world without a second thought. Hell, I’d thought I’d struck the fucking lottery when I realized that Madelaine was gone and I was left with a more pliant, less bitchy fiancée.

A smirk worked across my mouth as I realized that, in a lot of ways, Maddie was even more of a challenge than Lainey had been. Probably because I never gave a shit about what Lainey wanted or felt.

But Maddie…

Dammit, this girl was in my blood. Somewhere along the lines of playing my father’s games, I’d fallen for her.

I shoved a hand into my pocket, feeling the cool metal of her engagement ring. I hadn’t been able to stop carrying it around like some fucked up sap.

Jean-clad legs blocked my vision a second before Court threw himself into the seat on my other side, a scowl on his face that I knew matched my own as he stared at Bex.

“One phone call and pretty boy could be gone for good,” he murmured, rubbing his jaw absently.

I didn’t bother holding back a dark chuckle. “Ash already said I can’t maim the prick, so I’m guessing homicide is out, too.”

“Or maybe I’ll let you both go down for his murder and take Phoenix for myself,” Ash countered softly with a snort.

At the mention of Phoenix, my smile dissipated. “I talked to my father. He expects me home next weekend. Apparently he’s concerned that things are getting out of hand.”

Court’s spine stiffened and his dark eyes cut to me. “What does he know?”

“More than I’d like,” I admitted, an uneasy feeling tingling up my spine. “But he’s still way off about a lot. We’d hoped to have more time to set things up, but—”

“But you went rogue?” Linc interrupted as he came up behind us. He punched my shoulder lightly before sitting down next to Ash. “For something that’s supposed to be a secret, you might wanna lower your voice, man.”

I glared at him. “Do you see anyone paying attention?” I waved a hand at the party raging around us.

We’d carved out a spot in the center and easily chased off the people who tried to sit with us with a few curt words and lethal glares. We were fucking royalty at this school, and people knew to respect the boundaries we set.

Other than the occasional wasted girl who was looking for a bed to warm, no one had approached us. No one would dare. Even the team knew better than to come over when we purposefully separated ourselves from everyone else.

Linc rolled his eyes before passing me another beer. I twisted the top off but didn’t drink. Maddie was drunk enough for the both of us, and someone needed to stay sober.

Besides, my odds of punching out Charles increased drastically with alcohol in the mix.

“What are you going to say to your dad?” Ash demanded, bringing my attention back to the topic I was trying to avoid.

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