Page 142 of Mad Love

Linc chuckled and reached over to push my hair out of my eyes. “Try saying that without shivering, Mads.”

“It’s cold,” I argue.

“It’s seventy degrees,” he pointed out with a grimace. “Just relax, girl. Where’s the rest?”

“On their way.” Ryan helped maneuver me into the helicopter with the help of Court. “Winthrope was shot.”

“Chase?” Bex gasped. “Is he okay?”

“Not sure.” Ryan tried to put me on the seat, but I made it stupidly difficult by not letting him go. My arms wouldn’t unwind, and my fingers were clamped to the point of cramping where I gripped his shirt. “Maddie, I need to help the others.”

“I know.” I still couldn’t seem to make my damn arms work. Panic swelled in my chest like a tsunami, and my bones ached as I started to shiver harder.

“Fuck,” Ryan murmured, turning so he was sitting on the seat with me on his lap. He nuzzled the side of my face with his nose, peppering kisses from my jaw to hairline. “I’ll stay with you, okay?”

I nodded and closed my eyes, breathing in his scent as I tried to settle down. Everything felt wrong and chaotic, like my nerves had been stripped bare and exposed to a hurricane. The only thing that made sense was Ryan and the way I felt in his arms, so I sank into that feeling as the world moved on around me.

“I’ll go help the duke of dicks,” Linc muttered before jogging toward the house.

Bex reached across the space between the rows of seats and touched my hand. “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” I said, picking my words carefully, because I definitely didn’t feel right, but I didn’t think I was hurt.

A shudder rippled down her frame. “When I heard those shots… Jesus, Maddie.”

I forced a smile across my numb lips as Ryan’s thumb stroked the exposed skin above my hip.

“Ash,” Ryan’s voice rumbled, “grab some gauze for her forehead.”

I frowned as Ash came closer and pressed a white bandage to my head. He flashed me a small smile. “How you doing, Mads?”

“Tired,” I answered honestly, yawning to punctuate the response.

Ash lifted concerned eyes to Ryan. “She might have a concussion.”

Ryan growled. “We need to go. How’s Bex’s ankle?”

“I don’t think it’s broken,” Court replied.

“Where’s… Brandon?” I tried to remember the name of the other guy who had been with Chase and Seamus.

“Brennan went back inside,” Bex told me.

Ryan’s arms tightened around me. “He was with Royal and Bishop. You probably didn’t notice because it was so dark.”

“He killed Seamus,” I whispered, remembering the way the guard’s body had jerked before he disappeared over the edge. I screwed my eyes shut and shivered.

“Who?” Ryan sounded confused.

Bex helped him out by adding, “The guard who went inside with Maddie and Chase.”

Ryan made an unhappy sound. “Fucking idiots.”

I peered up at him, wondering who was an idiot. Before I could ask, the others rushed up carrying Chase between them. There was a bit of shuffling as Bishop jumped in the cockpit seat and started flipping buttons and Ash got into the seat beside him. Brennan and Knight loaded Chase onto the floor of the helicopter, blood continuing to seep from his wound. He looked gray.

Knight pushed into the space and looked at Brennan. “Get out.”

Brennan narrowed his eyes. “Fuck off. I’m not leaving him unprotected.”

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