Page 53 of Deserving Maisy
“We’re all good. Just anxious to see you. Now, back to what we were talking about. Ry hacked into Jason Feldman’s email and phone, and it looks like he’s asked a couple of his friends to find intel on you, and no one’s been able to deliver—which must make them the dumbest assholes on the planet, considering there’s plenty of info about you online if they know where to look.
“It also seems that one of his more questionable acquaintances hired a friend of a friend to drive you to the house. The guy stole your wallet and is now in the wind. No one can find him. And the guy he hired to do all this doesn’t even know the real name of the guyheasked to take care of your kidnapping.
“And another friend, some Don asshole—who isn’t someone you want around anyone you actually give a shit about—sounds like a sick son-of-a-bitch. But regardless, they’re all a bunch of amateurs…Ry’s words, not mine. Although I happen to agree.”
“Why me?” Stone asked the question that had been bothering him the most.
“If it’s any consolation, I don’t think it mattered who they kidnapped. It could’ve just as easily been me. But the motive is as old as time. Money,” Owl said. “Ry’s still working on figuring out all the details, but she’s convinced it’s tied into the marriage certificate that was submitted with your name on it.”
The renewal of vows that was actually a marriage ceremony. But learning the motivation behind his kidnapping brought up even more questions. For instance…what would they have done if he hadn’t lost his memory?
“Right, anyway, Ry contacted someone she knows from the dark web and he’s going to meet you at oh-five-hundred at the airport with new identification. She’s booked you on a six a.m. flight out of Seattle. And when she says no one will be able to trace you or the false name she’s created, I believe her.”
Stone’s gaze went back to the woman on the bed. Maisy was completely vulnerable at that moment. He could literally do anything he wanted with her, and she’d have no idea.
The mark on her face seemed to mock him. She’d hurt him. Had lied to him and used him formoney. And yet, it was more than obvious she was terrified of her brother. It was more obvious than ever that Stone couldn’t leave her behind. She’d been alone with her brother for what, anhour? And she’d returned to his side covered in bruises and drugged out of her skull.
And Stone couldn’t get her words out of his head when she’d asked if he’d ever thought he was going to die. Because hehad. Memories of being a POW were burned into his brain. He assumed it was the reason why he’d had temporary amnesia. It was his brain’s way of trying to protect him from reliving the horrible memories of being kidnapped the first time.
Other things Maisy said in her drugged state echoed in his mind.
It’s bad here. Bad things happen.
I love you too much to purposely make you hate me. But I’m gonna fix it.
I guess he can get his evil minions to make whatever he wants.
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.
He’s gonna kill me.
“I need two tickets and two IDs,” Stone blurted.
“What? Why?” Brick asked.
“I’m not leaving Maisy here.”
Utter silence greeted him for a moment. Then Owl said, “She was in on it, Stone. She knew you weren’t her husband, and yet from what you’ve said, she went along with it.”
“I know, but she didn’t want to,” Stone said, realizing he believed what he was saying one hundred percent. “She was the worst liar, but I was so confused and in shock from not remembering anything about who I was, other than my first name, that I ignored the signs. He abuses her, Owl. She’s lying here on the bed in front of me,completely out of it from the triple dose of Valium he literally forced down her throat, with bruises on her arm and face. And I’ve seen others. If I leave her here, he’s going to kill her. Besides…there’s a possibility she’s carrying my baby.”
He heard Brick mumble something about everyone being fucking pregnant, but then Owl spoke again. “Do you trust her?”
“No,” Stone said without hesitation. “But all signs are pointing to the fact that she’s my legal wife.”
“She is,” Spike said. “Ry found your marriage license. It was submitted all legal like and everything.”
“Except it’s not his name,” Tonka argued. “So technically it’snotlegal.”
“She’s my wife,” Stone insisted, not sure why he wasn’t jumping on the idea that because his last name was wrong, he wasn’t married. He’d made a commitment. Even if he was conflicted in his feelings about Maisy, he’d made a vow to protect her. And he wouldn’t go back on that now. Not when he knew without having to think twice about it that if he left her here, she was as good as dead.
“Right, I’ve texted Ry and told her to add a passenger. It’ll make you more recognizable if anyone starts looking for you, but I think if you wear hats or something, it’ll help.”
Stone nodded, frowning as he wondered what such a high dose of Valium might to do a fetus. Reaching out without thought, he put his hand atop Maisy’s belly.
“All right, you going to be able to get to the airport?” Brick asked.
“Yeah.”
