Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Something had to give. Stone wasn't sure he could continue on like this for much longer. With every day that passed, it was more and more difficult to keep his distance from Maisy. The more he tried to keep away from her, the more he wanted to be with her. Especially when she was trying so hard to fit in. To help out around The Refuge.

He found her in the barn with Tonka and Jasna one day, shoveling shit out of the stalls. Another day she was in the kitchen with Robert and Luna, laughing as she made a huge bowl of salad. And yet another day, she was hiking with some of the guests and Brick, making small talk and keeping them happy as they walked.

But things between the two of them weren't good. Stone just wasn't sure what to say to her anytime they were in a room together.

Ry had cornered him just a few days ago and shoved a thick sheaf of papers at him and told him to get his head out of his ass. That if he thought Maisy wasn't as much a prisoner in that house as he was, he was an idiot .

By the time he'd finished reading through the emails and texts from Jason to his so-called friends, he was ready to fly back up to Washington that second and take the man out.

The correspondence went back several years. He regularly made fun of Maisy, telling his buddies that she was pathetic and a "tight prude." He despaired of ever finding anyone to marry her because she was so fat, stupid, and ugly. He thought he was so smart, using antianxiety drugs to keep her compliant. Other emails complained about how bad his wife was in bed, and he didn't show one ounce of concern when she "disappeared."

But it was a recent conversation between Jason and his friend Don that had Stone rethinking the thoughts about Maisy. It was a couple of weeks after they'd been married. Don had asked if Maisy was causing any trouble with the new brother-in-law living under the same roof. His response was burned into Stone's head.

no. my sistr is so in love wth him she does whatevr I tell her to

Maisy had told him that she loved him more times than Stone could count. And yet after his memory returned, he'd doubted everything she'd ever said. Now that he'd had more time to think, to come to terms with what had happened, he had a feeling she hadn't been lying about loving him.

He'd never been with a woman who was so in tune with him. Anytime his head hurt, she knew, and she'd lie down on their bed with him. They didn't talk, but feeling her against him somehow made him feel better.

And they didn't have sex…they made love. He seriously doubted any woman could be as good an actress as Maisy seemed to be when they were alone. He'd had a one-night st and or two, and they'd seriously lacked the connection he and Maisy had between the sheets. She eagerly did anything he asked of her, even when she was obviously nervous. There wasn't a chance in hell that she'd slept with him because she'd been ordered to do so by her brother.

In fact, she'd gone out of her way to avoid being alone with Jason, something Stone had fully approved of and encouraged. The few times she'd been unable to avoid him, she'd returned to Stone with bruises.

The signs had always been there, but because of his hurt and betrayal, Stone had refused to acknowledge them. But after reading the communications between Jason and his dumbass buddies, the full scope of the hell Maisy had endured for years hit him hard. Yes, he'd been a victim of the man's evil plan, but Stone had been treated reasonably well because Jason didn't want to risk him getting suspicious. Obviously he didn't have the same concern when it came to his sister.

Maisy had been completely reliant on her brother. She'd been a minor when her parents had died, when her world had been shaken from its foundation. And the person she thought was fully on her side was actually the enemy in disguise. He'd drugged her for years, stolen from her, then came up with the kidnapping scheme and threatened to kill not only Maisy, but whoever he brought in to marry her as well.

And then Stone took her away from everything she'd ever known, forced her to live with him, told her that he would be annulling their sham of a marriage as soon as possible, and treated her as if she had a communicable disease.

The problem was, he didn't know how to fix it. His feelings for Maisy were confusing as hell. He didn't want to be near her, but he couldn't imagine not having her with him in the living room each night. He wanted to know all about what she was doing each day to stay busy, but every time he heard her voice, he got mad about her deception all over again.

The nights were the worst. He wasn't sleeping well. At all. His bed seemed too big, too empty, without her in it. And, God , he missed the feeling of being inside her. Of seeing her above him, smiling down at him, as she rode his dick. Of how she always seemed so damn surprised when she orgasmed. It was cute. And such a massive turn-on.

She made him feel as if he could do anything. Like he could be her protector, her rock, the man she turned to when she was upset.

All that had been ripped away with the return of his memories…but again, now that some time had passed, Stone couldn't help but wonder if not all of what happened had been a lie.

Tonight had been the worst yet. He'd made them a simple taco dinner, and they'd eaten in complete silence. Then he'd turned the TV to a baseball game. They'd sat on opposite ends of his couch without saying a word. He could smell her unique apple scent—she'd obviously ordered her favorite shampoo and had it delivered—and every time she shifted, Stone had to force himself not to turn to her and ask if anything was wrong.

Eventually she'd sighed, told him quietly that she was going to go to bed and read, and left the room. The second she was gone, the room seemed empty in a way he'd never felt before. Stone wanted so badly to talk to her. To tell her that he forgave her. To ask if their marriage had been real in her eyes or simply a way to keep her brother from hurting her.

By the time he'd shut off the television in disgust and gone to bed, Stone was heartsick. He still wanted Maisy. Wanted to be her husband. Wanted to hear her talk excitedly about her evening with the girls the other night. Instead, he'd overheard her telling Carly all about it the previous afternoon, while she'd been helping her clean one of the guest cabins.

Stone was missing out on everything Maisy was doing, everything she was thinking, anything she might be planning for her future…and he hated it.

He lay in bed for a long while, his ears straining for any sound coming from the room next to his. He wished things were different. That he had the guts to pull Maisy onto his lap and make her talk to him. No, that wasn't fair. He was the one who wasn't talking. Who was going out of his way to make her feel unwelcome. This was all on him. Not Maisy.

Eventually he fell asleep, but his brain wouldn't settle. He kept thinking about every minute he'd spent in that house with Maisy in Washington. How…happy he'd been, despite everything. And it was because of her. She made all the difference.

Maisy wasn't sleeping. She hadn't had a full night's sleep since…well, since she'd last fallen asleep in Jack's arms. She was safe with him. Her brother hadn't come into her room once after he'd arrived. He was like a wall between her and Jason, keeping him from saying mean things, pi nching her, pushing her to the ground. And without him at her side, every noise felt as if it could be Jason returning to take revenge on her for leaving. For ruining his plans.

By now, he'd have realized he wasn't getting her monthly stipend. He might have even gotten notice of the canceled life insurance policies. Possibly even realized somehow the house got put on the market and it wasn't in his name anymore. He must be freaking out. Trying desperately to figure out a way to get control back. Control of her, of her money, of the situation.

Because she was awake, she heard the soft knock on the front door. She was confused for a moment, then leaped to her feet. It was eleven-thirty, way too late for someone to come for a social visit. Something had to be wrong.

Maisy rushed out of her room and automatically looked at Jack's door as she exited. It was shut tight. He did that every night, closed his door, making it clear she wasn't welcome in the private sanctuary that was his bedroom.

Not thinking about anything other than finding who could be knocking so late, if someone was hurt—or worse, if Jason had figured out where she and Jack had gone, and was now on his way—she rushed to the front entry. Without looking through the peephole, she unlocked and opened the door.

Owl was standing there.

"What's wrong?" Maisy blurted almost desperately.

"Nothing. I mean, I hope not. I was just…Stone seemed off today, and I wanted to check on him."

"Oh, good! I mean—no, not good that something might be wrong with Jack, but that it's not anything more serious. Come in." She stood back and held the door open.

"I know it's late," Owl said, not moving. "Lara told me I was being ridiculous, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to come over. Make sure he was all right."

"It's fine. It's not that late," Maisy said in a soothing tone. Owl looked stressed, and once again she was fiercely glad Jack had a friend like him. They'd been through some intense experiences together, and his disappearance had to be even worse for Owl than the others.

Reaching out, she took his hand and pulled him inside the cabin, then she shut the door quietly behind him. "We called it an early night, so we've both been in bed a while. He's probably asleep, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you went and woke him up."

"Oh no," Owl said quickly. "I'd never do that."

"Why not?"

"He doesn't do well being woken up when he's asleep. You know about his nightmares, right?" Owl asked.

Maisy nodded. "Yeah, he got them every now and then when we were in Seattle."

"Did he hurt you?"

"Jack? No! Why would you even ask that?" Maisy asked.

"Because when he has a nightmare, he loses a part of himself. He's not in his right mind. And if he's touched, he gets violent."

"No, he doesn't," Maisy said, confused.

"Yes, he does ," Owl countered. "He's punched me more than once when I've tried to wake him up. I've learned to keep my distance and do what I can to snap him out of it." Then Owl seemed to realize what Maisy had said. "Wait, he doesn't get violent when you try to wake him up during a nightmare?"

She shook her head.

"Wow. Okay, that's…that's awesome."

Maisy was still confused, more questions on the tip of her tongue, but a sound down the hall made both her and Owl turn and look in that direction.

"Fuck," he swore. "Sounds as if my intuition was right on tonight. Stay here."

But Maisy couldn't. She recognized the agonized sounds coming from Jack's room. She heard them every other night. He was having yet another nightmare, and every whimper and pleading word for faceless men to stop hurting him tore at her insides.

She pushed past Owl and practically ran down the short hallway.

"Maisy, wait!"

She ignored him and opened Jack's door. As she'd expected, he was thrashing on the bed, the covers tangled around him as he fought an imaginary foe. Not imaginary, that wasn't the right word. As he fought the memory of those who'd tortured him years ago.

When he briefly settled on his side, facing away from them, Maisy didn't hesitate. She climbed onto the bed beside the man she loved. No matter what had gone on between them, she still loved Jack. With all her heart. She'd go to the grave loving him.

"Maisy—"

As far as she was concerned, it was only her and Jack in the room. "It's okay, Jack, you're okay. You're safe here at The Refuge. Those men can't hurt you anymore."

He rolled suddenly, making Owl gasp, and pulled Maisy against him so roughly, she grunted with the impact. But he didn't hurt her, simply buried his nose in her hair and held her to his chest almost desperately.

"I've got you, you're good. Owl's here," Maisy murmured.

"Owl! Get out! Run!"

Shoot, maybe mentioning Owl's name hadn't been the right thing to do. Maisy did her best to wiggle an arm free, and once she succeeded, she wrapped her hand around Jack's nape. "He's safe. He and Lara are good. She's pregnant. You're going to be an uncle."

Her words had Jack going still.

"And Henley and Reese are too. You're going to be an uncle three times over. Well, four if you include Jasna in there. Oh, and Cora and Pipe are on the short list for a foster kid. Things are good around here, Jack. Promise. You're home safe, those men can't touch you anymore."

" Stellina ," Jack whispered. He hadn't opened his eyes yet.

"That's right. It's me. I'm here."

"I'm going to go," Owl whispered.

Maisy nodded in acknowledgement but didn't take her attention away from the man in her arms. Her only goal was to settle him down. To soothe him. She distantly heard the bedroom door click closed but immediately dismissed it.

"I'm sorry," Jack said quietly.

Maisy blinked in surprise. She had no idea what he was apologizing for. "It's okay," she told him.

Then his eyes opened, and she was startled to see them so clear. So focused.

"Jack?" she questioned, stiffening. It was one thing to climb into his bed when he was having a nightmare and had no idea what was happening; it was another when he was lucid. Especially considering how things had been between them.

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

"Um…okay?" It came out more as a question than a statement.

"I've been a dick. You didn't deserve that."

Maisy was afraid to get her hopes up. He was usually kind of out of it after a nightmare. It was likely he wouldn't remember this conversation in the morning.

"Actually, I deserve anything you want to dish out," she said a little sadly.

Jack's arms tightened around her. "Can we talk about it?"

Maisy knew exactly what "it" was. And no, she definitely didn't want to talk about it. "Now?"

"I'm awake, you're awake, and the last thing I want to do is think about what I was just dreaming about…so yeah, now."

Sighing, Maisy closed her eyes. She didn't want to talk about how horrible she'd been. How she'd lied to him time and time again. She was right where she'd wanted to be for the last week or so. She'd craved this, him. And now that she was in his arms, in his bed, she didn't want to do or say anything that might rip that away from her again.

"Please?"

That did it. The last thing she wanted was to make this man beg her for anything. Especially with his abhorrence for the act. "What do you want to know?" she asked.

"Anything you'll tell me. Obviously, I know that your brother had me kidnapped so I could marry you and start the clock ticking on your inheritance. Was everything you told me about our relationship his idea?"

Maisy nodded against him. She'd opened her eyes and was staring at his chest. "I went to Jason and told him it wasn't going to work. That you'd have questions about why you had no belongings at the house, what you did for a living, things like that. He told me what to say. And when I still expressed doubts about his plan…well, he made it clear I didn't have a choice."

Jack's arms tightened around her for a moment before he relaxed again. "I couldn't understand why the hell I'd up and leave and go to Spokane. It made no sense to me. Even if we weren't getting along, that didn't feel like something I'd do."

She couldn't help it, she snorted against him. "Kind of like now. You hate me, and yet you won't let me stay anywhere else."

Jack rolled then, forcing Maisy onto her back. She stared up at him with wary eyes.

"I don't hate you."

"Yeah, right," she said, the sarcasm easy to hear in her tone. "I lied to you over and over, pretended to be your wife, tricked you into marrying me, all because I was scared of what my brother would say or do if I defied him. I should've told you the truth. Gone to the police. Something ."

"You did lie, but it was for a good reason. You knew that if you said no to your brother, bad things would happen. And if you told me that we weren't married, that I'd been kidnapped and had amnesia…I'm not sure I would've believed you. It would've sounded extremely outlandish. "

Maisy stared up at Jack. He'd taken his glasses off to sleep and his brown eyes seemed even more intense without them. His hair and beard had been trimmed at some point since they'd arrived in New Mexico, and she longed to feel his cheeks and lips against her own.

Ry's suggestion about seducing her husband flashed through her mind, but she wouldn't do that to Jack. He'd been forced into doing way too many things against his will already. The last thing she wanted to do was add one more thing to that list. If there was a chance for them, she wanted it to be his choice.

"I forgive you, Maisy."

She jerked. Afraid she hadn't heard what she hoped she had, Maisy asked, "What?"

"I forgive you. I had a long talk with Henley today, and she made me think about stuff I hadn't considered before. Mostly about how scared you had to have been. Your brother brought an unconscious man into your room and informed you that he was going to be your husband. With every day that passed since our wedding, a huge clock's been ticking. You, more than anyone, know exactly what your brother's capable of, and not only were you trying to deal with him, but you had to continue to lie to me, worry about what would happen if I regained my memories, and how your brother would react. You had a lot on your plate, and I haven't stopped to consider everything from your perspective."

Maisy's heart was thumping hard in her chest. She would grab onto the olive branch Jack was extending with both hands. She had no right to ever hope that things might go back to the way they'd been, but not being hated by Jack…it would be enough .

"The thing is, I can't forget how things were between us," Jack went on. "It had been a long time since you'd been with anyone before our wedding night…hadn't it?"

Maisy briefly closed her eyes. She knew she was blushing; she could feel the heat in her cheeks. She was so embarrassed. "Since I was fifteen," she whispered, her eyes fluttering open.

She'd clearly shocked him, based on his expression. "I can't stop thinking about that night. How brave you were. I thought we'd made love hundreds of times. That you'd seen every inch of my body before then. I was so excited to get a second chance to make love to my wife for the first time that I rushed you. I should've been more gentle. Should've gone slower."

"It was perfect," Maisy whispered, hating that he thought for even two seconds that she hadn't loved everything they did. "I have a lot of regrets about what happened. About the lies I told you, about not being strong enough to stand up to Jason. But I have zero regrets about our physical relationship." She couldn't believe she was admitting that out loud, but she needed Jack to understand. "My brother might have whored me out, but when it was just you and me…I felt special. As if it really was my wedding night. You really were my husband."

"It was our wedding night," Jack said in a tone she couldn't interpret. "And I am your husband."

"It was all a lie," Maisy said uneasily.

"Was it?" Jack countered.

She wouldn't lie to him again. Never again. "Not to me."

"Not to me either. The thing is, I knew something was wrong. I heard the way Jason spoke to you. I didn't like it, not at all. I couldn't understand why I couldn't access my own bank account, couldn't picture myself as a bounty hunter. It wasn't clicking, and now, obviously, I know why. But with you, Maisy…right from the beginning, I felt as if I was right where I belonged. It's why I didn't question what was happening. I was enjoying my wife too much."

Maisy couldn't believe what she was hearing. Maybe she was dreaming. The words coming out of Jack's mouth were a miracle.

He was still lying over her, keeping her trapped beneath him. She had on the T-shirt he'd given her that first night in his cabin and a pair of underwear. That was it. He was wearing a pair of boxers. And now that she was thinking about it, she could feel his erection against her belly.

Need rose hard and fast within her. Maisy might have gone years without being sexually active, but Jack had flicked a switch inside of her. She wanted him with an urgency she'd never felt before. Her nipples hardened under her shirt and she felt wetness between her legs.

"Do you forgive me for being an ass?" he asked.

"Of course."

He smiled. "There's no ‘of course' about it. I wouldn't blame you if refused to have anything to do with me."

"Kind of hard to have nothing to do with your husband," she told him. "Especially when he refuses to let you stay anywhere but in his cabin."

"Hated every second of you being in the room next door. I wanted you here. With me. In my bed."

He was killing her.

"I don't care about anything that happened before now," Jack said, sincerity oozing from his words. "About being kidnapped, about your brother being a dick, about any lies you had to tell me in order to keep yourself safe. Wait, no, that's not true, I do care about one thing…I made a vow, Maisy. To have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, through sickness and health, I pledged myself to you. And I take my promises seriously."

What was he saying? Maisy could barely breathe.

"I don't want the annulment," he said, blowing her mind. "I want you. I want children. I want to start over. With no lies between us. Do you think you could ever forgive me enough for that to happen?"

Maisy couldn't believe what he was saying. She let out a small noise in the back of her throat and wiggled until she could get her arms out from under him, throwing them around his back. She lurched upward until her nose was buried in the space between his shoulder and neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. She held onto him as tightly as she could and burst into tears.

She couldn't speak, could barely wrap her mind around what he was saying. He wanted her? For real?

Thankfully, Jack didn't seem alarmed by her reaction. He eased upward so he was sitting on his ass and she was in his lap, still clinging to him. One hand went behind her head to hold her against him and the other went around her lower back, pressing her closer.

When Maisy had a little more control over herself, she lifted her head so she could look into his eyes. His hand stayed at the back of her head, holding her protectively.

"Forgive you? You did nothing wrong. Nothing ," she said heatedly. "I have no idea why you want anything to do with me. My brother is most likely a murderer, definitely a kidnapper and an asshole. You were forced to marry me under false pretenses, and if my brother ever finds out where we are, he'll likely do whatever he can to make our lives hell."

"None of that has anything to do with you. Us," Jack said simply.

Tears filled Maisy's eyes again. "Yes, Jack. I want all of that. I love you. I think I loved you that first night when you were so gentle with me. So worried that you were hurting me. I knew then that you were a good man down to your soul, and you just proved it again."

"I take you, Maisy, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, through sickness and health, till death do us part."

Shit, she couldn't stop crying. "I take you, Jack, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, through sickness and health, till death do us part."

Then Jack's head lowered, and he kissed her with the most loving and gentle meeting of lips she'd ever felt in her life. He lifted his head and his hands came to her face, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"We're gonna make this work," he vowed.

"Your friends are gonna wonder what the hell is wrong with you," Maisy warned.

He chuckled. "No, they aren't. I've already been getting side-eye from all of them. They don't like how I've been treating you. They're on your side, Maisy. Even with everything your brother did, they understand that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Yeah, getting kidnapped sucked, for both of us, but in the end I came out a winner. And just think about how us being together for real will piss off your brother. "

Maisy couldn't help but laugh at that. Yeah, her being happy would chap Jason's ass for sure.

"You good?" he asked.

"Yeah. You?"

"I'm perfect."

"Owl told me that you hit him once when he tried to wake you up while you were having a nightmare." Maisy wasn't sure where this was coming from, but she wanted to make sure he was really okay, and this whole conversation wasn't somehow because he was sleepwalking or something.

"Yup. More than once. No one could ever get near me when I was dreaming. It didn't turn out well for them."

"You didn't hurt me ," Maisy said.

"No, I didn't. And I won't. Ever. You're the only one who can reach me when I'm lost in my nightmares, and I wouldn't want it any other way." Then he moved, putting Maisy on her back once again. He hovered over her, and this time one of his hands fingered the hem of her shirt at her hip.

And just like that, arousal swam in Maisy's veins. "Yes, Jack. I need you."

"Are you sure?"

In response, feeling braver than she'd ever felt, Maisy wiggled and shifted until she got her shirt off. Then she lay under him in nothing but her underwear.

The lust and pleasure in his eyes made her feel like the sexiest woman in the world. He didn't speak, simply lowered his head and took a nipple into his mouth.

Maisy groaned. Jack's hands and mouth on her felt right . She felt as if she'd finally come home.

This time, there were no secrets. He knew who she was, and who she wasn't, and he wanted her anyway. It felt like a miracle. Somehow this felt as if it was their true wedding night. They'd re-pledged themselves to each other with no lies between them.

But unlike their first time, there was nothing slow and easy about their coming together. Jack ripped his boxers off and Maisy slid her underwear down her legs and kicked them away. Jack's hand went between her legs and drove her right to the brink with hardly any effort. She was soaking wet. Needy. Desperate.

"I'm ready. Now, Jack. Now!"

He didn't ask if she was sure again. Didn't hesitate. Pushing her legs apart with his knees, he pressed inside her in one long, hard stroke.

They both moaned.

"Can't go slow," he warned.

"Don't want you to," she panted.

He took her then. With no mercy. And Maisy loved every second of it. Jack kept his gaze locked onto hers, and it felt as if he was finally seeing all of her.

Her orgasm took her by surprise. One second she was admiring the color of Jack's eyes and how they seemed to change right in front of her, and the next, she was flying over the edge.

"That's it, Stellina . Come on my cock. Squeeze me hard. Fuck, you feel so good."

His words prolonged her pleasure. She felt as if she was flying. When he grunted and slammed into her as hard as he could and stayed planted there, she knew he was coming too.

They were both sweaty and panting by the time he lifted his head. He stayed lodged deep inside her body, something Maisy never thought she'd ever feel again.

"I'm not giving you up," he told her as casually as if he was asking what time it was.

"Good, because I don't want you to," she returned.

"I'm not an easy man to live with."

Maisy couldn't help it, she laughed.

"What? What's so funny about that?"

"Jack, I know that. When you take off your socks, you leave them in the middle of the room. You hog the covers, but since I'm usually plastered against your side, I'm okay with that. You're kind of a picky eater—and you get grumpy when you haven't eaten—and you aren't exactly a morning person. You're protective, and kind, and loyal to a fault. You have more integrity in your little finger than anyone I've ever met. I love you. All of you. And you saying you're not easy to live with is ridiculous considering I've lived with a man who loved to torment me, belittle me, and physically hurt me when he could get away with it. With you, I feel as if I can finally be the person I was always meant to be."

"You can. And I'll never hurt you, Maisy. I give you my word."

She wanted to hear him say that he loved her once more, but she was more than content with him not glaring at her or trying to keep his distance.

"Stay here," he ordered, then gently eased out of her body.

Maisy couldn't hold back the small wince. Even though it had only been a week since they'd last made love, Jack wasn't a small man, and as promised, he hadn't been gentle.

He was gone less than a minute and returned with a warm washcloth. He cleaned her up, making Maisy squirm in the process, then climbed back under the covers after a quick trip back to the bathroom. He pulled her close, and Maisy settled against him as she'd done so many other nights.

"Good?" he asked.

"Good," she confirmed.

A moment later, he said, "Missed this. You, clinging to me like a baby monkey."

She might've been insulted if he didn't sound so darn content. "Me too," she admitted. "You're always so warm."

"And you're always freezing. Your feet are blocks of ice, woman."

Maisy giggled. She felt him kiss the top of her head before relaxing fully.

He fell asleep in what seemed like seconds, and Maisy lay against him reveling in being able to hold him once more. She never thought this would happen again. Not only had it happened, but it seemed as if she and Jack were…remarried?

That made no sense, and no one would understand if she tried to explain it. But they'd literally exchanged vows earlier. This time they meant so much more because she wasn't living a lie. Jack didn't have amnesia. And his forgiveness meant everything to Maisy.

But deep down inside, she wasn't content to let things stay as they were. Jason was still out there. Like a black cloud hovering over her and Jack. He wouldn't stop trying to get her money. She knew that as well as she knew he'd murdered their parents.

And if she wanted her happily ever after, she'd have to fight for it. She was scared out of her mind to confront Jason, but she needed to. Needed to show him she wasn't the same little sister he'd bullied for half her life. Oh, she wouldn't do anything stupid, but she wanted him to feel some of the fear he'd instilled in her for years.

She thought she'd have to confront Jason alone, even if Jack and his teammates were willing to escort her to Seattle to settle her financial affairs. But now that Jack had forgiven her, and seemed to want a real relationship, she wanted him there to see her stand on her own two feet. She didn't want to be the pathetic, spineless woman he'd first met, but she also didn't want to be TSTL. Too stupid to live. She'd learned that phrase online, in a review for a book. The heroine had a stalker and yet she'd insisted on being independent and going off on her own to do something. Shop, maybe. And the reviewer was right. The heroine had been too stupid to live.

So maybe instead of trying to confront Jason on her own, she'd ask Jack to be there. And maybe Brick and Tiny as well, who'd already volunteered to go with them to Seattle. Having two former Navy SEALs and Jack at her back would give her courage, and dissuade Jason from doing something stupid…like punch her, or drag her down to the bank by her hair and force her to sign over her inheritance.

She just needed a few minutes. Long enough to finally tell him that everything he'd done had made him the pathetic one, not her, as he'd so often called her.

Maisy felt good about her plan. She wasn't sure how to make it happen if Jason was no longer living at the house, and she had a feeling it wouldn't be easy to talk Jack into letting her confront her brother, but in order to move on with her life, she had to do it .

Sighing, Maisy eased a leg up and over Jack's thigh and smiled when his arm tightened around her.

"You okay?" he murmured, sounding mostly asleep.

"More than okay," she told him.

She fell asleep with his scent in her nose and his warmth seeping into her bones. She had no idea what the future held, but for once in her life, she was actually looking forward to whatever came next.