Page 36 of Mad Love

Mom coughed and dropped to her knees in time for Gary to kick her ribs.

“Stop!” I screamed, struggling against Evan.

Gary grabbed a handful of Mom’s hair and wrenched her neck back while looking at me. “I told your mother to help you get ready, and yet here you are, looking like that.”

“That wasn’t… I…” Shit. I tried to formulate a response.

“I’m sorry,” Mom gasped. “Please—”

He reared back and slammed his fist into the side of her head with a sickening thunk. My stomach twisted, and I thought I’d throw up.

“Stop,” I begged, tears spilling over as I watched my mother curl into a ball. “Please, just stop. I’m sorry, okay?”

“I don’t give a fuck if you’re sorry,” Gary retorted, stepping back from Mom and dropping into his chair. “She disobeyed me, Madison. It’s time you learned there are consequences for your actions.”

I stared at Mom, feeling helpless and beyond frustrated as pressure swelled in my chest while she sobbed into the floor, hands around her ears.

“Have you learned your lesson yet?”

I turned my attention to Gary, who nodded at Evan. A second later, Evan let me go and moved away.

“Just… don’t hurt her,” I whispered, rubbing my forehead with shaking fingers.

“Now,” Gary started, his tone way too calm for someone who’d just beaten the shit out of a woman, “let’s discuss our next steps. You and Ryan fucked up a lot of things for me, but I’ve figured a way out of it.”

Here it came. I wrapped my fingers around the arms of the chair, steeling myself.

Gary glanced at a paper on his desk. “The money issue is being sorted out, but it’s going to cost both of us, I’m afraid.”

I tried to pick my words carefully, my attention divided between Gary and my mother, who was slowly starting to get up. “I don’t know where the money is. Ash buried it in offshore accounts. It’s not like I memorized the account numbers.”

“It doesn’t matter. I have someone else working on locating them now, and as soon as they do, you’ll sign them over to me.” Gary flashed me an almost pleasant smile. He turned to my mom, who was now on her feet. “Why don’t you go get some ice for your face, Ang?”

Mom gave him a small smile and a weak nod. “I will. I’m sorry, Gary.”

His expression chilled. “Don’t let me down again, sweetheart.”

My mouth fell open as I watched them, wondering what kind of sick Twilight Zone episode I’d stumbled into.

“I won’t,” she promised. She spared me a glare, full of contempt, as she left the room.

“Where were we?” Gary murmured, rubbing his jaw. “Oh, right. What you’re going to do to fix the mess you’ve created.”

I wouldn’t bother touching that comment. Instead, I sighed and asked, “And what am I going to do?”

“What we originally planned,” he replied. “Get married.”

I couldn’t help glancing at my bare left hand. “Already did that.”

“You did,” he agreed, “and I undid it for you.”

I frowned until he pushed a paper across the desk at me. I took it slowly, like it was a viper waiting to strike. As I read the Dissolution of Marriage line, I kinda wished it had been a viper.

But I still didn’t get it as I looked up at him. “So, you want me to, what? Remarry Ryan like you originally planned? Sorry if us eloping messed up your grand wedding plans.”

He laughed like I was an idiot for suggesting such a silly thing, and worry started eating at my insides.

“God, no.” He actually smiled at me. “If I could get away with it, I’d finish what those idiots in prison couldn’t and put Ryan Cain on a slab in the morgue.”

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