Page 51 of Deserving Maisy
Smiling, Maisy took hold of his hand and placed his palm on her cheek. She tilted her head into him and closed her eyes.
“Maisy?”
“Hmmm?” she asked, lost in the feel of his palm against her overheated cheek. It felt so good. His hands were soft, but they also had calluses, which felt amazing when he ran them over her body. He was everything she’d ever wanted in a man, and he was hers.
“What’s wrong? You’re acting weird.”
Was she? Maisy opened her eyes and stared up at Jack. His brown eyes were so beautiful. Reminded her of milk chocolate. Was there any in the house? She was hungry. Then she remembered that she was trying to make her husband mad, but couldn’t really think of why.
Then it hit her. Jason was going to kill him. She had no doubt.
“You should leave,” she blurted.
“What?”
“Leave. You need to go. But don’t tell anyone. Just go, Jack. You have to go.”
He studied her, and to her relief, didn’t move his hand from her face.
“Why? Why should I leave?”
“Because. It’s bad here. Bad things happen.”
“Like what?”
But Maisy shook her head. “Can’t say. You’ll hate me. And I love you too much to purposely make you hate me. But I’m gonna fix it. Need to write in my diary.”
“Maisy, did you take something?” Jack asked softly.
She liked this gentle Jack much better than the angry one.
“I’m trying to be gentle,” Jack told her. “Now, tell me what you took.”
Crap, she’d said that thing about gentle Jack out loud?
“Maisy, concentrate. Tell me what you took.”
“Didn’t wanna, but I couldn’t breathe and had to swallow. He said it was Valium. But triple dose. Didn’t know they made those. Guess he can get his evil minions to make whatever he wants.” She had no idea what she was saying anymore, and visions of yellow creatures like from that cartoon movie danced in her head.
“Fuck.”
“Yeah. He said I was s’posed to do that too but…I’m tired. And dizzy. Can I rest for a minute before we have sex? Or maybe you can just do it while I’m sleeping? But then you gotta go.” Maisy blinked, and it seemed to take way too much energy to open her eyes again. “Get away from here, Jack. I wish I could say where you came from, so you could go there. But I don’t know. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
She seemed to wilt then, but she somehow didn’t fall to the floor. She was floating. No, Jack was carrying her. She turned her head and buried it into the skin of his neck. “Smell so good,” she told him, trusting him not to drop her.
She felt something soft under her and smiled. She recognized her mattress. “I love my bed,” she said dreamily.
“Did Jason do this?” he asked, running his fingers up her arm.
Since he’d asked so nicely, Maisy nodded.
“And this?” Jack asked, and she felt his fingers on her cheek once more.
“Sorta,” she said with a shrug. “I fell when he shoved me.”
“And he made you take the Valium?”
Maisy heard the skepticism in his voice, and it hurt. More than the bruises on her body. “You ever thought you were gonna die?” She didn’t wait for his response before she went on. “His hand over my nose and mouth…cut off my air. I couldn’t breathe. It was scary. He’s gonna kill me, you know. Not today, because time’s not up. But in a couple months, we’re as good as dead. Should’ve just let him do it. Then you would’ve left. Been safe. And he wouldn’t get it. Charity would get it all. Should’ve died a loooong time ago…then you wouldn’t be here.”
