Page 35 of Deserving Maisy
The palm to her face came out of nowhere. Jason then shoved her shoulder hard enough that her head smacked the window next to her.
“Don’t you talk to me like that! Show some respect, Maisy,” Jason growled before putting the car in reverse and backing out of the driveway.
Her cheek stung, and Maisy put her hand over what she knew was probably a red mark. She was shocked he was willing to leave a mark for Jack to find. Proof that Jason was becoming more and more volatile. It was a reminder that she needed to tread very carefully. She probably should’ve insisted that Jack come with them today, but he really did look like he was in pain and she hadn’t wanted to make it worse. Selfishly though, she wished he was there because this trip was a mistake. She knew it down to her bones.
Jason drove toward the bank in silence, but when he didn’t turn on the road she knew he should’ve, anxietymade her belly churn. Eventually, he pulled into the parking lot of a shopping mall. It was busy, cars coming and going everywhere. No one would take notice of them sitting in the nearly full lot. Maisy shivered.
Jason turned toward her—and the look on his face made goose bumps rise on the back of her neck.
“We need to talk,” he told her seriously.
Maisy nodded. It wasn’t as if she could say no, he’d brought her here for a reason, and she’d have to sit here and listen to whatever it was he wanted to say.
“Don’t fall for him.”
“What?”
“Don’t fall in love with that asshole you married. He’s not going to be around long.”
“What do you mean? Why not?”
“You know why not.”
Maisy swallowed hard. “Jase, no. Please.”
His hand swung out and he slapped her again. “I told you not to call me that!” he thundered.
A small whimper escaped, and she was ashamed of herself. She should open the door and run. Should stand up for herself. But she was more scared of what he’d do if she dared defy him than what he’d already done.
“Look, the entire goddamn plan has gone sideways. I didn’t expect him to lose his memory, although that’s been a nice bonus for sure.”
“Whatwasyour plan?” Maisy asked quietly.
“Don has a friend of a friend who was able to work a deal with this guy. The guy knew you needed to be married, and he arranged to have someone delivered. I have no idea who the fuck Jack is or where he came from, and I don’tcare—but as I told you before, he was going to marry you one way or another. It didn’t matter if he was chained to the fucking wall in the basement, you two were getting hitched. It was a nice surprise when he woke up and had no idea who he was. And don’t tell me you aren’t enjoying the benefits, because you’d be a damn liar. I’ve heard you at night. I wonder ifprostitutesenjoy cock as much as you seem to.”
Bile rose in her throat, but Maisy swallowed it down.
“I mean, I paid good money for him to be your husband, so when you think about it, you’re paying him for sex. Might as well enjoy it.” Jason laughed. “Anyway, the deed is done. You’re married and the countdown has started to get your money. Mom and Dad never should’ve tied it up in that stupid trust with its ridiculous stipulations. In three months, when the money’s released, we won’t need lover boy anymore.”
“Jason, please don’t hurt him. I’ll break up with him, divorce him, anything you want!”
“You’re so naïve,” Jason said with a patronizing frown. “You think we can just let him go? His memory is gonna return eventually, and what then? He’s not gonna be happy that he was kidnapped, thrown in a trunk, and lied to for weeks. And if you think for a second he might learn to love you, that’s not gonna happen when he realizes you’re a part of all this. How you lied to his face every day. How you knew what happened, but pretended you were already married to trick him into going through with that so-called renewal ceremony. You’re in this up to your eyeballs, Maise. There’s only one choice here.”
Her brother was right. Therewasonly one choice.
Maisy needed to do the right thing for once in her life.She needed to set Jack free and make sure her brother paid for all the wrongs he’d done in his life.
“Understand?” Jason asked in a cold, hard voice.
She nodded.
“Good. Three months. Evenyoucan keep your mouth shut that long. Just keep doing what you’re doing, keep spreading your legs, and a few weeks after that money is released, we’ll tell everyone he ran off. That he abandoned you.”
Maisy bit back the words she wanted to say. That there was no way the police would be stupid enough to believe the same story twice. That Jack had just left the same way Jason’s wife had, a few months after they were married and conveniently after the trust money was released.
“After a while, we’ll ask the authorities to declare him dead, you know, when he hasn’t used any credit cards and there hasn’t been any sign of him. Oh! I know, maybe he can leave a suicide note, saying how much he loves you and after learning that you don’t want to be with him anymore, he can’t go on living. I can plant a seed that he went to the coast and threw himself in the ocean or something. That way his body can’t be found. Anyway, once he’s officially been declared dead, we can collect on his life insurance policy.”
Her brother was insane. That was the only explanation for the calm way he was plotting the death of another human being. Then, his words finally registered. “Life insurance?”
