Page 26 of Sold to My Ex's Brother
Her wide eyes track me across the room, and I can tell she is spooked, shocked by the intensity of what I have just said. But can she be that surprised? I’m talking about my family here, my heir, my legacy...
And, as I look back at her, I know that even if I was just talking about her, too, I would do whatever it took to make my brother pay. Because I’ve let him get away with his bullshit for long enough.
And now, once and for all, he needs to answer for it.
11
MAYA
I restmy head on the pillow, the book that I’m trying to read tossed to the other side of the bed. There’s not much out here to entertain myself with; no internet connection, no games, just a handful of historical nonfiction that I have been struggling to actually get into.
But on the other side of the door lays a far more frightening prospect, and I know that the best thing I can do is keep myself to myself for a little while longer.
How long has it been since we arrived at the cabin? A few days? Something like that. They have all blurred together by now.
I have heard him on the phone, speaking in hushed tones to whoever is on the other end of the line. Pressing my ear to the door, I’ve heard mention of a new apartment, of a fresh set of guards, of other members of his organization flying in from around the country to fill in the gaps left by the devastating attack on the house.
Even now, I can still see the bodies splayed on the front steps, the scent of blood in the air, and it’s enough to make me sick. Ijust have to pray that the baby has not absorbed any of the stress that has coursed through me these last few days, though that, frankly, seems pretty unlikely.
The baby. That’s the trigger behind all of this, all of his intensity. The moment I told him that I was pregnant, something in him seemed to shift. Sure, he was angry before, furious, even, but like he told me, the attack on the house is now an attack on his family. Now, he’s willing to take out anyone.
Even his brother. That’s the part that scares me the most, knowing he would turn against his own flesh and blood like that. Where does that leave me, leave the baby? We might be the cause for his crusade now, but if something changes, then we might be on the wrong end of his fury, and I don’t even want to think where that would-
Suddenly, a knock sounds on the door, and I almost jump out of my skin.
“What is it?” I ask, springing to my feet and hurrying over to it. Any news from him, I feel like, has to be bad news. He has mostly been leaving me alone, making sure I’m eating, though I do not have much of an appetite. I could put it down to morning sickness, but I know it has more to do with the stress and fear that has been threatening to get the better of me ever since we arrived.
He opens the door slightly, and I find him standing on the other side, shirt sleeves rolled up. “I’m making dinner. Join me.”
“No, that’s okay, I haven’t had that much of an appetite anyway, it would be a waste?—”
“I wasn’t asking, Maya. You need to eat.” His tone has that edge to it that it did before, and I can sense that he is not going to take well to being blown off.
I run a hand through my hair, and glance around. “Let me just take a shower and get changed,” I reply, bargaining for a little more time so I can gather myself before we are alone together again. “Ten minutes?”
“Sure,” he replies. Unspoken is the addition, ‘and don’t keep me waiting,’though I’m sure he wants nothing more than to mention that too.
He allows me a few minutes to gather myself, at least, and I hop in a warm shower and change into some fresh clothes. There isn’t much here in the way of women’s fashion, I guess because he didn’t expect to be sharing this space with a woman, so I have to stick to sweatpants and a tee that would better fit a guy.
Hey, at least I don’t have to worry about maternity wear, right...?
I emerge nervously into the kitchen, to find him hard at work over the stove. He glances over at me and cocks an eyebrow in greeting.
“Hey,” I murmur, slipping into a seat at the breakfast bar. “What are you making? It smells good...”
I have to admit, as much as I’m not exactly here out of choice, this cabin is a million times nicer than the place I was living in back in the city. That studio barely had enough room for me to spread my arms from wall to wall.
This place, though it is not exactly huge, is well-appointed, a wood cabin that looks like it could have been used by a logging company or something back in the day. There is a large livingroom attached to the kitchen and two bedrooms, the rustic wooden walls giving the place a cozy feel. Or, at least, they would, if it hadn’t been for the circumstances under which I found myself here.
“Some noodles,” he replies. “Didn’t have much in the cupboards, but I made do.”
“Well, I’m sure you’re going to do a better job than me,” I add, with a slight laugh. “I can’t cook to save my life.”
He chuckles slightly, and I feel myself begin to relax. It’s not like I can be on my guard every second I’m around him. He wants to keep me safe, and that’s all that should matter to me right now, as difficult as it is to accept that.
“Can you cook? Guess I’m going to find out...”
“I’m alright at it,” he replies, pushing the hissing and spitting noodles around the pan to make sure they are fully coated in the deep reddish sauce he has made for them. “Before I hired Marlena, I used to cook for myself pretty often.”
