Page 83 of Mad As Hell

Ryan frowned, his gaze darting around to check for whatever had freaked me out so bad. “Baby—”

“Close the goddamn door!” I shrieked, fear leaching out of every pore in my body. I couldn’t get past the irrational fear that Adam would be back, his lecherous body appearing in the doorway ready to…

A shudder rolled through me so hard that I almost threw up my dinner.

Ryan turned and slammed the door before turning all the locks. Only then did I lower my forehead, pressing it against my trembling knees.

“Madison, what happened?” Ryan was by my side again, but he didn’t touch me. His fingers twitched like he wanted to but was holding himself back.

Thank God.

I needed a shower. My skin was crawling, coated in some invisible, oily substance that I couldn’t shake. I needed the hottest water possible and maybe a gallon of bleach to scrub the feel of Adam’s touch off.

“Shower,” I managed, lifting my eyes to see confusion swirling in his cerulean eyes.

His mouth flattened. “Okay. Can I help you up?”

I nodded, knowing I’d need his help to stand. My legs wouldn’t hold my weight, especially not the way I was trembling.

Ryan held out his hands, and I set mine in them. His gaze narrowed as he helped me rise, swiftly grabbing me around the waist when my knees failed me.

“Easy, baby,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of my head.

I flinched away, remembering Adam’s fingers stroking my hair. I didn’t want Ryan tainted by that.

“Sorry,” he muttered, misinterpreting my reaction. He helped guide me into my bathroom. He hit the light switch and I startled.

He hissed out a breath. “Sorry,” he apologized once more.

I stepped away from him, locking my knees and bracing my hands on the counter of the sink. Ryan stood uselessly in the doorway, looking like he wanted to punch someone, but he wasn’t sure who.

“Maddie, talk to me,” he implored, meeting my gaze in the mirror. “What happened?”

I shook my head, humiliated and overwhelmed. Fabric brushed my fingertips and I glanced down, frowning when I saw one of the hand towels wasn’t on the rack where it belonged.

Curious, I picked it up tentatively. When my fingers touched something white and sticky, I dropped it with a cry.

“What?” Ryan picked the towel up from the floor and inspected it. Disgust curled his lips. “Is that…”

Well, now I knew why Adam had used my bathroom.

The fucker had marked it like a pissing dog.

Spinning around, I turned the water on the tap as hot as it would get and pumped soap into my palm. I shoved my fingers under the stream, flinching as it scalded me.

“Madison.” Ryan’s low voice caught my attention, the hint of murder in it somehow making me feel safer.

I was so messed up.

He reached around me to turn off the water, worry in his eyes. “Maddie, your hands.”

I licked my lips and turned to lean on the counter. “Adam was here.”

His eyes went wide for a fraction of a second before he went fucking nuclear.

With a roar, he slammed a fist into the doorframe hard enough to crack the wood. I winced, wondering if this place had a security deposit.

As fast as his rage flared, it dimmed to a simmer and he stepped into the bathroom. His blue eyes were like the base of a flame burning as he looked at me. “Can you tell me what happened?”

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