Page 102 of Deserving Maisy
But Jack shook his head. “You were magnificent. I’m not thrilled with the way you baited him. That had beenmyplan, to get him to turn his attention to me so he’d leave you alone, but nothing you said makes me love you any less.”
Maisy blinked. Afraid to believe he’d said what shethoughthe’d said.
He stood up from his crouch and sat on the edge of the gurney. He took her face in his hands and leaned in. “I love you,Stellina. I’d walk through the fires of Hell to have the right to be your husband. I’ve done a shit job of beingyours so far, but I promise I’ll be better…if you give me the chance.”
Maisy didn’t hesitate, she threw her arms around him and held on as tightly as she could. She felt Jack chuckle against her.
“I take it that’s a yes?” he asked against her neck.
“I love you too,” Maisy said in reply.
“I’m gonna do better,” he told her after pulling back so he could meet her gaze.
“Impossible. You’re already the best man I’ve ever met. And I love you so much.”
“How about we head outside, make sure Brick and Tiny are good, go to the police station to talk some more with the detective, get some sleep, then go the hell home?”
All of that sounded good to Maisy, except maybe for the talking to the cops part, but it had to be done. She knew that. “Yes. But can we maybe get a change of clothes first? Get into something clean that isn’t tainted by my brother and his basement?”
“I’ll send Tiny back to the hotel to grab our bags and have him meet us at the station.”
Emotion swamped Maisy. Probably delayed reaction from everything that happened, but she didn’t think anyone would think less of her for it. She rested her head on Jack’s chest and did her best not to break into a million pieces.
“It’s okay,Stellina. I’ve got you. I’ll always have you.”
They didn’t move for a minute or two, then Maisy sat up. “I’m good now.”
“So damn strong. Love you.”
She’d never get tired of hearing those two words. “Ilove you too. Now, let’s do this. The sooner we can get home, the better.”
“Amen,” Jack said. Then he stood, helping her off the gurney, holding her until she was steady on her feet, and led her out of the ambulance.
EPILOGUE
A month had passed since Maisy’s brother had tried to kill her, and Stone’s nightmares had morphed from dreaming about being a POW to watching Jason shoot Maisy in the head while he did nothing but stand there and watch.
Maisy had her own nightmares, but they’d been there for each other, holding each other in the middle of the night, reassuring each other they were all right. That Jason couldn’t hurt either of them ever again.
Her brother was in prison up in Washington and the last time they’d talked to the DA, he’d said he was confident they could get a conviction on all three counts of premeditated murder, plus two counts of kidnapping, and a host of other charges. At a minimum, he’d be facing life in prison, at best it would be without a chance of parole.
His friend Don was also going to see prison time, and they’d learned just the day before that detectives had been able to track down one of the men Jason hired to kill her parents. It had been a tough day for Maisy, but Stone was in awe of the way she was able to bounce back, to see thepositive in the latest development. At very long last, her parents were seeing some justice.
This morning, Maisy had woken up with the sun, as usual, had met Tonka and Jasna at the barn to help with chores, then headed over to the lodge to assist Luna and Robert in setting up the breakfast buffet for guests. Stone was as proud of her as he could be, and he wanted nothing more than to shelter her from all the shit life liked to sometimes throw at people. She’d had her share, and if he could help it, she’d experience only goodness from here on out.
Ry had asked to speak to him three days ago, giving him one of the most thoughtful gifts he’d ever received. He wasn’t sure what Maisy would think, but he hoped she’d be as pleased as he was.
Stone had wanted to ask Ry if she was staying, but she seemed a lot more…fragile lately, and he didn’t want to do or say anything that might push her to make any rash decisions about her future. Personally, Stone wouldn’t mind if Ry stayed forever. He liked her, yes, but more than that, having someone as talented as she was when it came to electronics and information would be a very good thing for The Refuge, as far as he was concerned.
Yes, he was a little worried about her penchant for breaking the law while she gathered information, but she’d promised him and the rest of the guys that she wouldn’t ever do anything that would bring attention to The Refuge. As a man who’d benefited from her abilities, legal or not, Stone was willing to trust her word.
He had no idea what was going on between her and Tiny. Most of the time his friend seemed irritated with his new roommate, but when anyone suggested any otherliving arrangement—like converting one of the conference rooms in the lodge into a temporary living space for her, or having her move into the family and friends cabin they’d built—Tiny immediately vetoed the idea.
So, Ry was still living in Tiny’s cabin, even though the two of them were like oil and water. Half the time they didn’t even seem to like each other, and yet…she was still here.
Alaska had texted him and given him a heads-up that Maisy was on the way back to his cabin, so Stone was ready and waiting for her when she walked in.
“Hey!” she said happily.
