Page 8 of Mad As Hell

“We don’t have time for this,” I snapped, getting between the two of them and using my height to tower over Bex. If I needed to intimidate the little mouse to get my answers, I would. “Where is Maddie?”

Her jaw set in a mulish line. “Why would I tell you anything? You broke her heart when she needed you the most.”

I bit back an angry retort. “Because I know I was wrong. I know Dean set her up and everything was faked, okay? I feel like shit.”

“You should,” she muttered.

“Rebecca, please,” I tried, the word tasting strange on my tongue. I was Ryan Cain; I didn’t beg for anyone or anything.

Except the girl who had stolen my fucking heart.

“I went to her house tonight and it was empty. No one’s there.”

Her eyes widened with… fear?

“Oh no,” she whispered, her hand drifting up to cover her lips. “No, no, no. Are you sure?”

“What’s wrong?” Court demanded, coming to stand at my side as he peered down at a rapidly freaking out Bex. “Hey, breathe, Becca.”

She sucked in a hiccupping gasp, not bothering to correct the name. It was what he had called her the entire time we were growing up. The name he still called her when he was alone with his friends and had too much to drink.

“You have to find her,” Bex told me.

“I’m trying to,” I reminded her, something dangerously like fear tried to mix into my blood. “But I have no idea where she is.”

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips nervously. “After you left… Jesus, Ryan, why did you leave her?”

God, I wished I had an answer other than because I was a freaking idiot.

“What happened?” Court asked, obviously trying to stay calm.

Tears gathered in her eyes as she looked at us. “Gary lost it. Like, really lost it.”

I winced. “I’m sure. He was pissed as fuck. I’m sure he said some nasty shit.”

“No, Ryan,” she said, starting to shake her head. “He beat the hell out of her.”

My world stopped.

It ground to a jarring halt as everything froze in some weird suspended limbo. I could hear the soft hum of the HVAC system in the house as it pumped air through the ducts. I could hear the ragged breathing from Bex, and Court’s knuckles popping as his hands balled into fists.

“He did what?” The three words were barely a ghost of a whisper on my lips.

Because no way did she say what I thought she’d said.

Bex blinked and the tears rolled free, sliding down her cheeks until Court reached out and framed her face with his hands, swiping at the tears with his thumbs.

“Tell us everything,” he told her quietly.

She sniffled a little. “I went upstairs to check on her after you guys left.”

Fuck.

I’d left her. I’d left her, and she’d been… That motherfucker had…

I swallowed the bile burning up the back of my throat and focused on now. I couldn’t change what had happened, but I could find Maddie now and fix it.

Starting with Gary. He was a fucking dead man.

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