Page 29 of Deserving Maisy
Without a word, Jason scooted his chair back from the table and stood. He shot Maisy a look so full of threat, she flinched. She’d need to do what she could to avoid being alone with him for a while. Because when he was like this, he always took it out onher. And now that she wasmarried, and sleeping with her husband every night, there was nowhere her brother could mark her that Jack wouldn’t notice. His days of being able to bruise her arm by holding her too tight, or pushing her so hard she fell on the floor or against a piece of furniture, were gone. Another way he was losing control. Which just made him even angrier.
Jason would have to find another way to hurt her—and Maisy had a feeling that would involve threatening Jack.
It would work. Maisy had already gotten to the point where she would doanythingto protect her husband. He hadn’t asked to be here. He’d been taken from his real life and thrust into this farce. Jason wouldn’t hesitate to do anything necessary in order to get his hands on her money, and if there was even a one percent chance that Jack was regaining his memory, or that he’d do something to threaten Jason’s plans, her brother would act.
He’d lock Jack in the basement—or worse, straight-up kill him and not report his death or disappearance to the authorities until three months had passed. She only needed to be married for three months. After that, it didn’t matter if Jack divorced her or if either of them ended up dead.
“You okay?” Jack asked quietly when they were alone.
Maisy did her best to wipe the dread she was feeling from her expression before looking at him. “Yeah.”
His hand tightened on her thigh. “You don’t look okay.”
That was another thing, this man could read her like a book. She couldn’t seem to hide any of her emotions from him. She sighed.
“I’m sorry.”
Maisy tilted her head in question. “For what?”
“For not talking to you about moving out before I informed your brother.”
She couldn’t remember the last timeJasonhad apologized to her. If anything, when he was in the wrong, he seemed to get more defensive rather than apologetic. “It’s okay.”
“Is it?” Jack asked. “Do you want to get an apartment with me?”
“Yes.” Maisy couldn’t think of anything she wanted more than to get out of this house. At one time it had been a refuge. Filled with memories of her family. But over the years, it had become a prison. Her brother wasn’t the same person she’d looked up to when she was young, and she’d been terrified of him for a long time.
“Your brother…he’s not nice.”
She wanted to snort. That was a complete understatement if she’d ever heard one. But what did Jack know? What had he heard? Anxiety threatened to overwhelm her.
“This is a big house, but it’s notthatbig. I’ve heard how he talks to you when he thinks no one is around. It’s not cool, Maisy. It’s abusive, and I can’t stay quiet about it anymore. I know he’s your brother and you love him, but he’s a bully. If you were just some random woman, and he was some guy you were in a relationship with, I’d advise you to get the hell out before he did something other than just use words to hurt you.”
Maisy stared at Jack and felt the tight band she always seemed to have around her chest loosen a fraction of an inch. She was both glad and frustrated that Jack didn’t know the actual extent of Jason’s volatile personality.
Glad because if he knew that her brotherdidget physical with her, he’d probably lose his mind. He’d seen a few small bruises on her arm the first week he was in the house, but she’d blamed them on her clumsiness. Fortunately, he seemed to accept her excuse.
And frustrated because she knew the second Jack regained his memory, his concern about her would disappear in a puff of smoke. Because abused or not, she was complicit in what Jason had done. She hadn’t been involved in the plot to kidnap a stranger, hadn’t wanted to get married, but she also hadn’t spoken up. Hadn’t gone to the police once she’d realized what had occurred…or with her other suspicions about her brother.
She’d agreed to get married knowing full well Jack didn’t have any idea he’d been kidnapped, and she’d lied to his face over and over about their so-called life together, all because she was afraid to stand up to her brother.
She was ashamed of herself. And tired. So damn tired.
For the first time in months, the desire to lose herself in the medications she used to take rose hard and fast within her. She wanted the easy out they gave her. Wanted to numb herself to what she could feel coming on the horizon…namely, having to face the consequences of Jason’s actions—and her own.
Losing Jack would destroy her. She loved him already. It was ridiculous, and the odds of her brother choosing a man for her who would end up being the love of her life were astronomical. And yet, here she was.
Jack treated her as if she was the most important person in his world. He was constantly checking with her to make sure she was all right. Wanting to feed her. Making sure she was getting enough sleep and was stayinghydrated. He listened to her. Laughed with her. Supported her.
In short, he was perfect. And he’d hate her forever once he understood the depths of her deception.
“You can tell me anything,Stellina,” Jack said gently as he brought her hand up to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. He did that all the time, and it never failed to make her want to melt. “No matter how scared you are, how uneasy you are about a situation, you can tell me about it and I’ll do what I can to make it better. You aren’t alone, I’m here. Understand?”
Maisy stared at him. Yeah, he was here…now. But without a doubt, as soon as his memories returned, he’d leave and never look back. She gave him a small nod anyway.
“Good. I don’t know about you, but I’ve kind of lost my appetite. What do you think about going upstairs and snuggling under our covers?”
She smiled. She would never turn down a suggestion like that. “Yes. That sounds amazing.”
