Page 47 of Deserving Maisy
Maisy nodded.
Stone turned from her then and headed for the stairs. He needed to make some calls. His friends had to be worried sick about him. And he needed answers. If Owl and Lara were still in the Seattle area, he’d find them andbreak them out of whatever fucking hole Carter Grant had stashed them.
“Jack?”
He wasn’t going to turn around. Wanted to ignore the small and soft way she said his name. But he couldn’t do it. He stopped and turned to look at Maisy.
“I love you more than I’m indebted to my brother. Whenever you want to leave, I’m ready.”
Her words confused the hell out of Stone. But instead of storming over to her and shaking her and demanding answers to the hundreds of questions rattling around in his head, he merely nodded and continued down the hallway, walking away from her.
Every step he took felt like torture, and he didn’t know why. She’d lied to him. Had married him against his will…no, that wasn’t fair. He was willing, he just thought he was a different man than he actually was. But he couldn’t block out the way she clung to him as if she was truly in love. The way she opened up to him. The things she’d shared, sounding so damn earnest about every confidence.
Gritting his teeth, he took the stairs two at a time, relieved he didn’t run into Jason. He wasn’t sure what he’d do or say to the man if he saw him right this moment. Before he did something rash that might get him thrown into the safe room Maisy said they had in the basement—he hadn’t even been down there, he had no idea what he might find, but he had a suspicion he wouldn’t like it—Stone needed to think. Needed to touch base with Brick, find out what the hell was going on.
After that, he’d make the decision whether to disappear like a thief in the night, or metaphorically burn the place down before he made his exit.
Either way, Stone was out of there. He’d vowed he’d never be a prisoner again. He wouldn’t stay, not even for a woman he was afraid had already gotten way too far under his skin.
“Stone?! Holy shit, is that really you? Where are you? What happened?”
Stone couldn’t help but smile at hearing Brick’s stunned words. “I didn’t think anything could flap the unflappable Brick,” he couldn’t help but say.
“Shut the fuck up and start talking,” Brick ordered.
Stone sobered. “I’ll tell you everything, but first, is Owl okay? And Lara?”
“They’re fine. They’re here at The Refuge. Holy shit, I can’t believe you don’t know. Grant hired a guy, Ricky Norman, to kill both you and Owl, and to fly Lara to his island lair. Norman sold you instead. And the man who bought you was supposed to take Owl too, but turns out, he just took you. So this Norman guy flew Owl and Lara to Grant, who was pissed way the hell off. They got into a shootout, Owl stole the chopper while those two assholes killed each other, but not before taking a round. He promptly passed out as soon as they were in the air. Lara flew them to an airport and now they’re married and Lara’s pregnant. Your turn. What the hell happened? Where have you been?”
“You aren’t going to believe me when I tell you,” Stone said, his mind reeling over everything he’d just learned. He was thrilled for Owl and Lara, but pissed they’d had to go through such a harrowing experience.
He spent the next five minutes explaining everything that had happened tohim.
“Jesus! But you’re okay? Not hurt?” Brick asked.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Thankfuck. And you have all your memory back now?”
“I’m thinking so, yeah. I remember having a panic attack when I was in that trunk. I think my mind must’ve turned off to protect itself. I was being kidnapped again, and maybe I thought I was going to be tortured or something. So I just…forgot who I was.”
“And these people, Jason and Maisy, they tricked you? Said you were her husband?”
“Yes.”
“Shit, Stone, that’s insane! Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do they know who you are? Like, where you’re from or your name or anything?”
“I’m not sure. I obviously haven’t seen my wallet or anything.”
“Hmmm.”
Stone waited. But his friend didn’t say anything else. “That’s it?” he asked impatiently. “Just, hmmm?”
“It doesn’t make sense. There has to be a reason. Lara said the guy who dragged you away said his boss only wanted one guy, not two. That’s why he didn’t take Owl.”
