Page 26 of Mad Love

No, no, no.

“He’s out now,” Gary added, but whatever sort of reprieve that should have been never came, because Gary still looked way too happy. “He’s recovering.”

“Recovering?” I echoed with a weak breath.

He made a soft tsking sound and nodded. “Prison is a violent place. I heard he was stabbed and beaten. Pity.”

Oh, God.

I could actually feel my heart splintering into pieces. Ryan had been hurt. He’d been in freaking prison.

“But he’s out now?” I gasped, my brain latching onto that fact.

“For now.”

“You did this,” I hissed, fiery rage melting the ice in my blood and turning it molten.

Gary glared at me, his jaw tight. “And I’ll do more until you give me what you stole, you little bitch.”

“Fuck you,” I retorted, my last bit of patience snapping as I stood up, hands balled into fists. “Go to hell, asshole.”

Gary got to his feet across from me, his chest heaving as Mom curled herself into a tighter ball on the chair.

“I’m going to make you pay for this, both of you,” Gary vowed, spittle flying from his lips.

I spread my arms wide. “You know what? Go for it. If you kill me, Ryan gets everything. And thanks for letting me know that my husband is recovering—that means you tried and failed to hurt him. Good luck getting a second shot.”

I knew Ryan, and no way would he—or the guys—let something like that happen again. If Gary had managed to hurt Ryan, it had been his only chance at it. I trusted my husband and our friends completely.

That meant I needed to keep treading water until they came for me—and they would come for me. It was just a matter of time.

Gary rounded the table and grabbed me by the shoulders. I jerked back, my hand coming up and cracking across his face hard enough to split his lip.

He raised a hand to his mouth and then eyed the blood on his fingers. “Oh, Maddie. That’s going to cost you.” He turned his head and shouted, “Doctor!”

A second later, the door opened and Dr. Browne strode in. Her wide eyes took in the scene and immediately turned toward Gary for answers.

Bitch.

Gary held up his bloody hand, his expression morphing from unbridled rage to worry. “I think my daughter might need more time.”

Dr. Browne’s eyes narrowed into slits as she focused on me. “I’d truly hoped we were past this.”

“Come on, Angie,” Gary called to my mom, holding out a hand for her. His eyes met mine. “I’ll see you later, sweetheart. Try to be good.”

“Go to hell,” I snapped before I could stop myself.

Dr. Browne sighed and snapped her fingers like she was calling a dog. A second later, two male orderlies came into the room and flanked me.

Oh, God, not again.

She raised a hand, and I tried to sidestep the guys, but there was nowhere to go. One grabbed me by the arm, and I tried to pull away only to feel the sharp sting of a needle sinking into my shoulder.

“No…” My protests faded as the world bled away into nothing.

CHAPTER 12

RYAN

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