Page 77 of Mad As Hell

Sighing, she nodded. “Fine. Whatever. Let’s go.”

“I can come, too,” Linc offered, his expression hopeful.

Bex shot him a withering look. “I only need one asshole to escort me around. You two can rock-paper-scissors for it.”

Looking glum, Linc sat back with a sigh until the guy on his other side chuckled. Then Linc nailed him with a solid punch to the arm.

“Fuck, dude,” the guy bitched, rubbing his arm.

Court shot him a sympathetic look and stood up to follow Bex. I watched them leave and then went back to picking at my food.

Ash moved over to Bex’s seat. “Did you have a chance to look?”

I shook my head slightly. “No. I’m not sure I want to.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “I get that. But the not knowing might be worse. And if there’s anything that can help give you closure or answers…”

“I have a pretty good feeling the only thing I’ll see is more stuff to keep my nightmares in business,” I replied rather curtly.

Ryan’s hand settled on my thigh, the unthinkingly possessive move making me freeze. If he noticed, he didn’t care. “We can check it out for you. See if there’s anything you need to know.”

“No,” I replied softly. “She’s my sister. I’ll watch it eventually. Just… not now.”

Not when my mindset was as stable as a sculpture made of pudding.

Linc sighed heavily and we all looked at him. “If you guys are going to whisper, can I at least come sit over there, too?”

“No,” Ash said bluntly before chucking a green bean at his head.

Somehow Linc caught it in his mouth. He grinned while chewing. “Does this at least mean we’re all friends again?”

Ryan inhaled sharply beside me.

Across the table, I met Linc’s gaze. “No.”

“Damn,” he muttered, shaking his head. “What else do we need to do? What other dragons can we slay for you, m’lady?” He dramatically placed a hand over his heart in some invisible pledge. His voice dropped. “Need us to go visit dear old daddy?”

“No!” I blurted the word out loud enough that our private conversation turned a few heads.

There was a thump under the table, and Linc groaned, bending to grab his leg as he glared at Ryan. “The fuck, bro? That hurt.”

“It was supposed to,” Ryan snarled. “Shut up.”

Linc looked wounded as he rubbed his leg where Ryan had kicked him.

I glanced down, my appetite completely and utterly gone.

“I think I’m going back to my room,” I mumbled.

Linc looked stricken. “Shit, Mads, I didn’t mean to upset you. I was kidding. I mean, sort of. Not really, because we can absolutely—”

Another thump, and the table actually shifted with the force of Ryan’s kick. Linc winced and hissed a pained breath through his teeth.

“Stop,” I ordered, grabbing his wrist. My fingers barely reached more than halfway around. Ryan had always made me feel small but protected. I’d loved laying my palm against his and scrutinizing the size differences while we lay in bed together.

Now I just felt small. Insignificant, except for whatever value could be bartered out of me.

A wave of nausea swept through my system, and my back broke into a cold sweat.

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