Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Maisy blushed when she looked over and caught Jack's eye. They were eating dinner with Jason and were sitting next to each other. Jack had his left hand on her thigh, as if he couldn't bear not to touch her for more than a moment. And Maisy loved it.

A week had passed since they'd gotten married, and he'd been insatiable. They'd spent more time in bed than out of it, not that Maisy was complaining.

But her brother's snide comments when Jack wasn't around—like when he'd gone out to get a test to prove that he didn't have any STIs; he didn't—about her whoring herself out and warning her not to fuck anything up, were getting to her. With every day that passed, Jason seemed to get meaner. It was as if having Jack in the house was turning her brother into even more of a monster.

He was impatient and resentful that he had to wait three months to get his hands on what he thought of as his money.

Jason had used some of his criminal connections to get his new brother-in-law a "replacement" ID. He'd also added Jack to her bank account, so he could get a credit card. Jason was further disgruntled because that meant he'd actually had to put money into her account, so Jack wouldn't get suspicious when he saw how little there was in their supposed joint account.

Now she had more money than she'd ever had in her life, almost ten thousand dollars, but Jason made sure she understood that it was an advance on the tiny stipend he gave her every month. Which was ridiculous, because the stipend she should be receiving was double that ten grand. Jason took it for himself every month, leaving her pennies…and more importantly, making sure she was reliant on him.

But now that she was married to Jack, things were different. And Jason knew it. He was losing control over her, and he hated it.

"We're going to go look at apartments tomorrow," Jack announced out of the blue. He squeezed her thigh when she turned to look at him in shock.

"Why?" Jason asked in a hard voice.

"Because. It's time. We've been in your way long enough."

"You aren't in my way."

Maisy would've snorted at the comment if she felt safe enough to do so. But she didn't, so she kept quiet.

"Maisy and I need to be on our own. I appreciate you letting her stay here while we worked through our stuff, and for letting me recuperate from my accident, but we need to be in our own space," Jack said firmly.

"Maise, this isn't a good idea," Jason said. "What if you have a relapse? When Jack goes back to bounty hunting, you'll be alone again. And you know what happens when you're alone. You get depressed and need to take meds so you don't do something stupid. And when you're on meds, you're a space cadet. Remember that time you lit all those candles and almost burned our house down?"

Maisy pressed her lips together. Her brother wasn't exactly wrong. She didn't like being by herself. And the meds the doctor had prescribed did help. But they left her feeling disconnected from just about everything. She was on meds for years and years after her parents died, and had lost so much of her life because of them.

"I'll take care of her," Jack said. "I'm going to find something else to do. Obviously, my previous job wasn't good for our relationship. And if Maisy needs to see a doctor, I'll get her to one. I don't know what meds she was taking before, but there's no reason for her to be a ‘space cadet,' as you call it. She probably didn't have the right dosages or combination of medicine. She's my wife, my responsibility. Not yours."

The tension in the room was sky high, and it made Maisy extremely nervous. She knew why Jason didn't want her to move out. Because with her around, he could keep an eye on her and make sure she wasn't doing anything that would betray him. She had no doubt that he hadn't expected a man like Jack when he'd kidnapped him. He'd wanted someone he could control, and Jack wasn't that man. Not even close.

Without a word, Jason scooted his chair back from the table and stood. He shot Maisy a look so full of threat, she flinched. She'd need to do what she could to avoid being alone with him for a while. Because when he was like this, he always took it out on her . And now that she was married, and sleeping with her husband every night, there was nowhere her brother could mark her that Jack wouldn't notice. His days of being able to bruise her arm by holding her too tight, or pushing her so hard she fell on the floor or against a piece of furniture, were gone. Another way he was losing control. Which just made him even angrier.

Jason would have to find another way to hurt her—and Maisy had a feeling that would involve threatening Jack.

It would work. Maisy had already gotten to the point where she would do anything to protect her husband. He hadn't asked to be here. He'd been taken from his real life and thrust into this farce. Jason wouldn't hesitate to do anything necessary in order to get his hands on her money, and if there was even a one percent chance that Jack was regaining his memory, or that he'd do something to threaten Jason's plans, her brother would act.

He'd lock Jack in the basement—or worse, straight-up kill him and not report his death or disappearance to the authorities until three months had passed. She only needed to be married for three months. After that, it didn't matter if Jack divorced her or if either of them ended up dead.

"You okay?" Jack asked quietly when they were alone.

Maisy did her best to wipe the dread she was feeling from her expression before looking at him. "Yeah."

His hand tightened on her thigh. "You don't look okay."

That was another thing, this man could read her like a book. She couldn't seem to hide any of her emotions from him. She sighed.

"I'm sorry. "

Maisy tilted her head in question. "For what?"

"For not talking to you about moving out before I informed your brother."

She couldn't remember the last time Jason had apologized to her. If anything, when he was in the wrong, he seemed to get more defensive rather than apologetic. "It's okay."

"Is it?" Jack asked. "Do you want to get an apartment with me?"

"Yes." Maisy couldn't think of anything she wanted more than to get out of this house. At one time it had been a refuge. Filled with memories of her family. But over the years, it had become a prison. Her brother wasn't the same person she'd looked up to when she was young, and she'd been terrified of him for a long time.

"Your brother…he's not nice."

She wanted to snort. That was a complete understatement if she'd ever heard one. But what did Jack know? What had he heard? Anxiety threatened to overwhelm her.

"This is a big house, but it's not that big. I've heard how he talks to you when he thinks no one is around. It's not cool, Maisy. It's abusive, and I can't stay quiet about it anymore. I know he's your brother and you love him, but he's a bully. If you were just some random woman, and he was some guy you were in a relationship with, I'd advise you to get the hell out before he did something other than just use words to hurt you."

Maisy stared at Jack and felt the tight band she always seemed to have around her chest loosen a fraction of an inch. She was both glad and frustrated that Jack didn't know the actual extent of Jason's volatile personality .

Glad because if he knew that her brother did get physical with her, he'd probably lose his mind. He'd seen a few small bruises on her arm the first week he was in the house, but she'd blamed them on her clumsiness. Fortunately, he seemed to accept her excuse.

And frustrated because she knew the second Jack regained his memory, his concern about her would disappear in a puff of smoke. Because abused or not, she was complicit in what Jason had done. She hadn't been involved in the plot to kidnap a stranger, hadn't wanted to get married, but she also hadn't spoken up. Hadn't gone to the police once she'd realized what had occurred…or with her other suspicions about her brother.

She'd agreed to get married knowing full well Jack didn't have any idea he'd been kidnapped, and she'd lied to his face over and over about their so-called life together, all because she was afraid to stand up to her brother.

She was ashamed of herself. And tired. So damn tired.

For the first time in months, the desire to lose herself in the medications she used to take rose hard and fast within her. She wanted the easy out they gave her. Wanted to numb herself to what she could feel coming on the horizon…namely, having to face the consequences of Jason's actions—and her own.

Losing Jack would destroy her. She loved him already. It was ridiculous, and the odds of her brother choosing a man for her who would end up being the love of her life were astronomical. And yet, here she was.

Jack treated her as if she was the most important person in his world. He was constantly checking with her to make sure she was all right. Wanting to feed her. Making sure she was getting enough sleep and was staying hydrated. He listened to her. Laughed with her. Supported her.

In short, he was perfect. And he'd hate her forever once he understood the depths of her deception.

"You can tell me anything, Stellina ," Jack said gently as he brought her hand up to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. He did that all the time, and it never failed to make her want to melt. "No matter how scared you are, how uneasy you are about a situation, you can tell me about it and I'll do what I can to make it better. You aren't alone, I'm here. Understand?"

Maisy stared at him. Yeah, he was here…now. But without a doubt, as soon as his memories returned, he'd leave and never look back. She gave him a small nod anyway.

"Good. I don't know about you, but I've kind of lost my appetite. What do you think about going upstairs and snuggling under our covers?"

She smiled. She would never turn down a suggestion like that. "Yes. That sounds amazing."

"I have a present for you," Jack blurted.

He looked nervous, which wasn't like him. And his nervousness made Maisy feel anxious in return. "I don't need anything. Except you."

Jack's lips twitched. "Which is one of the things I love about you. You don't demand trinkets. You don't collect useless crap. You're content to sit in the window and read, or just soak up the sun, watching the world go by. It's awesome. But I got you something anyway. Come on, we'll stop by and apologize to Paige for not finishing this amazing dinner before going upstairs."

"And see if we can steal a snack for later?" Maisy asked, knowing Jack fairly well by now. They'd spent the last two weeks barely away from each other's side. She knew that he had a sweet tooth and liked having a snack a couple of hours after dinner.

He grinned. "Maybe." Then he stood and pulled her up with him. But instead of heading for the door, he pulled her against him and hugged her tightly.

She felt him nuzzle her hair before he said quietly, "I hate that you have anxiety. That you have to take meds because of it, because I wasn't there for you. But I give you my vow that I'm here now. I'm going to be a better husband this time around."

Maisy wanted to blurt out the truth then and there. This wasn't right. Wasn't fair. Jack was beating himself up for something he hadn't even done.

Determination rose within her. She might not have done the right thing before, but she couldn't continue on this way. Couldn't let this man think he'd let her down. He'd done nothing . Had merely been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She needed to tell him everything. About how they'd just met, how their renewal ceremony had actually been a fake marriage—but legal as far as the government knew, especially since "Jack Smith" now had ID to back it up, she assumed. How her brother had kidnapped him and possibly killed his own wife. About her inheritance, how Jason wanted it for himself, which was why Jack was here in the first place.

Figuring out who Jack was and where he came from would be a harder task, but she could give him the ten thousand dollars Jason had reluctantly put into her account and he could use it to hire a private investigator. Surely someone out there was looking for him, worried about him. He could find his people and forget all about her.

Feeling better than she had in a very long time, now that she had a plan, Maisy squeezed Jack hard. Giving him up would hurt, but it was the right thing to do. She should've done it already, but maybe the fact that she was finally pulling her head out of her ass would mean something.

She opened her mouth to tell him everything, but he spoke before she could.

"Come on, let's find Paige. The sooner we do that, the sooner we can get under the covers…and snuggle."

"Snuggle?" Maisy asked with a heartbreaking chuckle as she tilted her head up to look at him. Her husband was so damn handsome it made her heart hurt. His eyes sparkled behind the glasses he wore, and she did her best to memorize the moment.

"I don't know if I was the kind of husband who liked to snuggle with his wife before, but now I find it's the best part of my day."

"Mine too," she admitted without hesitation, deciding it was best if she told him everything in their room, anyway. Away from anyone potentially eavesdropping.

"And when we're done snuggling, you can ride me."

Maisy snorted in surprise as he turned them toward the door to the dining room. "I think you're obsessed with me being on top," she told him.

"I don't hear you complaining," Jack said easily. "And you have no idea how gorgeous you are when you ride me. I can see all of you, have easy access to your clit, and you take me so deep that way. Besides, you hate sleeping in the wet spot and when you're on top, you don't have to deal with that."

Maisy stopped and stared up at Jack. She'd gotten wet just hearing him describe their lovemaking, but it was his consideration of her that made her pause.

"What? Too much?" he asked with a small, sexy grin.

"No, I…I'm falling in love with you," she admitted. It was another lie in a long list of lies, but she wasn't brave enough to tell him that she wasn't falling—she was already there.

"It's a good thing, since we're married. Come on, Stellina , I have a need to cuddle with my wife sooner rather than later."

An hour later, Jack couldn't stop smiling as he stared up at his wife, who was riding his cock with unbridled lust. She was lost in sensation, her head thrown back, desperately grinding herself on his dick as she approached her orgasm.

He hadn't lied earlier, this was his favorite position with her, although they were all amazing. His Maisy was beautiful. And the kicker was, she had no idea of her appeal. She was self-conscious about her body, and even though her brother tried to convince her she was fat, Jack thought she was perfect. He loved everything about her.

Loved .

Yes. He loved his wife. It hadn't taken him long to come to that conclusion. It was hard to believe a week ago he was questioning his feelings for her. Jack felt as if he'd loved her forever. And it wasn't a superficial kind of thing, not brought about because of how good sex was between them. He was so damn grateful he'd gotten a second chance to prove that he could be the kind of husband she deserved. He had no idea what his problem had been, why he'd felt it was a good idea to live hours away from her, why he'd put his job ahead of his relationship, but that was done now.

"Jack," she whispered almost desperately.

Knowing what she needed, he moved. Flipping her over so she was on her back, he slammed his cock in and out of her until they were both panting. It was hard to believe a week ago she could barely take him without pain. Now, she took everything he had to give and demanded more.

She loved when he took her hard, and the way her pussy squeezed his cock as if it didn't ever want to let him go was the most incredible sensation.

"You want to come?" he asked as he fucked her.

"Yessssss," she hissed.

"Then touch yourself. Get yourself off while I take what's mine," Jack demanded.

Her hand immediately moved between them. She didn't have a lot of room to maneuver but didn't seem to care. Her fingers brushed against his belly every time he bottomed out inside her, and it was sexy as hell. He felt her frantically fingering her clit, and it only heightened his pleasure.

Gritting his teeth, Jack barely held onto his control. He wanted her to come before he let himself go. Needed that. She came first, always. It wasn't a feeling that felt familiar, but it did feel right. Maisy was his everything. He'd do whatever it took to see to her needs. No matter what they were .

The moment he felt her pussy fluttering around his dick, he pulled her hand out from between them and lifted her legs over his shoulders. Then he leaned down until they were face-to-face. She was almost bent in half, completely open to him.

Her ass shook as she continued to orgasm and Jack's hips pistoned up and down as he took her. It didn't take long for his own pleasure to overwhelm him, and when he finally let loose, he shoved himself as far as he could inside her and groaned.

His orgasm almost hurt. Every time with her felt like the first time. He still hated that he had no idea what their sex life was like before his accident, but he was convinced it couldn't have been anywhere near as good as it was now. If it was, there was no way he would've forgotten. The feeling of being torn inside out every time he was deep inside her body wasn't anything he'd experienced before. He'd bet his life on it.

This time, instead of rolling over so Maisy was on top of him, Jack lowered her legs and braced himself over her on one elbow while leaning over to the nightstand. He was careful not to let his dick slip out of its warm, wet home. Every time he came, he expected to lose his erection, but he always stayed half hard, as if his cock had a mind of its own and was determined to stay in Maisy's hot pussy.

"Jack?" she questioned when he moved back over her.

"Yeah?"

"Not that I'm complaining, because I love being under you, surrounded by you like this. But…what's up?"

"That surprise I mentioned downstairs?" He held a small box up between them.

Maisy's small gasp made Jack smile .

"What is it?" she asked, making no move to reach for it.

"Why don't you open it and see?" he suggested.

Reluctantly, she reached for the box. She looked up at him, then slowly opened the lid.

"I noticed you don't wear a ring, and I don't have one either. I guess it must have been destroyed in the fire. But I find that I want everyone we meet to know that you're mine. And I want to show the world that I'm taken as well," Jack said when Maisy didn't reach for the rings nestled in the box between them.

"They aren't fancy, but you don't seem like the kind of woman who would like a huge, gaudy ring." Jack began to get nervous as Maisy simply stared at the set of wedding rings in the box. "If you don't like them, I can take them back and get something else."

"No!" she exclaimed suddenly. "I love them. I just…Jack."

There was sorrow in her words that Jack didn't understand. He thought she'd be thrilled with his gift. He'd noticed that neither of them wore rings and it hadn't sat well with him. But now he second-guessed his surprise. Maybe they'd agreed before not to wear them for some reason.

He watched as she pulled out the three rings. She lifted her left hand and went to put the band on her finger, but Jack stopped her. It was a little awkward balancing on his elbow above her as he reached for her hand, but he wouldn't miss this moment for the world. "Let me?" he asked.

Maisy nodded and gave him a small smile.

She held her hand out for him, and Jack slid the thin gold band down her ring finger. Then he slowly added the band of diamonds he'd thought fit her personality perfectly. Seeing his rings on her finger made his heart beat faster, and his cock harden deep inside her.

She gasped and licked her lips sensually. Then she held up the ring he'd bought for himself.

Moving his weight to his right side, Jack held his hand out for her. The feel of her sliding the ring down his finger was like coming home. "You're mine," he breathed.

"And you're mine," she replied.

"Damn straight."

A knock on the door startled them both, and Jack turned his head and frowned at the door.

"Maise? We have that appointment with the banker in the morning. Don't oversleep!"

"Go away!" Jack barked, scowling as he heard his brother-in-law's steps retreat down the hall. "After your meeting, we're going apartment hunting," Jack informed Maisy.

"Okay."

"Okay," Jack agreed. Then he moved, reluctantly pulling out of her body and climbing to his knees. "Up," he ordered. "On your knees, facing the headboard."

Maisy's cheeks were pink, but she didn't hesitate to do as he asked. She turned away from him and settled on her knees and elbows in front of him, exposing her perfect pussy and ass.

Jack's dick jumped at seeing his come slowly leaking out of her. Reaching out, he used a thumb to catch it before it could fall to the sheets and push it back inside her channel. The image of her heavy with his child made his heart lurch in his chest. She'd admitted that she wasn't on birth control, and while she'd claimed it wasn't the right time in her cycle to get pregnant a week ago…it could be now.

The urge to tie her to him in such a fundamental way was strong. So strong, Jack inched forward on his knees, grabbed her hips with a grip that was probably too tight, and sank into her sheath with one quick thrust.

They both gasped.

"Shit, sorry…too much?" Jack asked. It took every ounce of control not to move. To give her time to adjust to his size.

"No, you're perfect. More, Jack. Please."

There was that word again. Most men would revel in their women begging them for more. But not him. He hated when she pleaded.

"You don't have to beg me for more," he told her as he began to move. "I'll gladly give you anything you need."

"All I need is you," she said.

Neither spoke anymore and the only sound in the room was the slap of skin meeting skin as he took her hard and fast from behind. Jack's eyes were glued to his cock as it slid in and out of her slick folds, covered in their juices. It was hot as hell, and it made Jack even harder.

But because of how good she felt, it was only a matter of time before his balls drew up in preparation for letting loose. Gritting his teeth, Jack draped himself over Maisy's back. She came up to her hands and began to move, rocking herself on and off his dick, fucking him as she desperately reached for her pleasure.

Looking down, Jack saw their left hands next to each other on the mattress. Their wedding rings shining in the overhead light he hadn't bothered to turn off. Seeing the tangible reminder of their commitment to each other made his heart beat faster.

He leaned down and nuzzled her ear and wasn't able to keep the words from spilling past his lips. "I love you, Stellina . I don't know what I would've done without you these last couple of weeks. You're my everything, and I vow that I'll always be by your side. No matter what, I'll be your rock."

She froze under him. "You can't promise that," she said softly.

"The hell I can't," he growled. "You love me?" he asked.

His heart stopped beating for a moment while he waited for her answer.

"Yes."

"That's all that matters. We'll figure out things as we go. Together."

"Okay."

Jack relaxed at her acquiescence. "Okay," he agreed. Then he snaked a hand under her body and she jerked in his grip as he tweaked her clit. "Come on my cock, Stellina . Mark me as yours."

"You are mine," she hissed, just before she exploded.

Her possessive words and the feel of her milking his dick was all it took for Jack to come too. He held himself deep as ropes of come burst from him. When he was finished, he felt as weak as a kitten. He fell to the side, holding Maisy against his chest as he did. He held her close until his cock slipped out of her body, then he turned her. She eagerly assumed the sleeping position they'd found was the most comfortable. Plastered against his side, head on his shoulder, one leg slung over his, his arm around her .

"How's your head?" she asked groggily after a moment.

Jack smiled. She was always worrying over him. When she'd found out the headache he'd had since waking up two weeks ago hadn't abated, she'd been instantly concerned.

"It's fine."

"Still there?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Maybe we should take you to see a doctor."

"I'm okay," he told her.

Maisy sighed in frustration against him, her warm breath gliding over his chest. "It shouldn't still hurt," she told him.

"If the headache is still there in a week, I'll go. Okay?"

She immediately nodded against him. "Okay. Promise?"

"I don't make promises I don't keep," he reassured her. He played with the ring on her finger as it lay on his chest.

A minute or two went by before she spoke again. "You really love me?" she asked quietly.

Jack didn't know why she sounded so surprised. "Yes."

"But you just met me."

He frowned at that. "Not really. I mean, we were married before I lost my memory, and it's obvious my soul recognized yours. I might not remember what we did day in and day out, but a love like ours obviously can't be held back by something as trivial as memory loss."

"I'm going to do right by you," Maisy said solemnly. "I've made mistakes. Huge ones, but I'm going to make this right if it's the last thing I do."

"Shhhh," Jack soothed, not liking the distress he heard in her voice. "Sleep, Stellina . Tomorrow you'll have your meeting at the bank, then we'll find a realtor who can help us apartment search. We have the rest of our lives to figure things out."

"I love you, Jack. I do."

The words settled into his soul. Jack kissed her forehead before closing his eyes.

He had no idea how long he'd been asleep or what had woken him up, but one moment he was sleeping peacefully, and the next, his eyes popped open and he stared not at the ceiling of his and Maisy's room, but at a dark, dank metal box. He heard the sounds of yelling and moans, and his heart began to race.

"Stone? You okay? Hang in there, buddy! We're not dying here, you hear me? We aren't! The Army's coming for us. They wouldn't leave two of the best Night Stalkers here to die. Don't you give up on me, Stone!"

After blinking several times, the dark cell gave way to the comfortable room he'd shared with Maisy for the last two weeks. The overhead light was still on, and Maisy snored lightly in his arms. Jack was covered in sweat and his head was pounding so hard it hurt to even breathe.

What the hell had he just dreamed? Was it a dream? The crazy thing was that he knew the person speaking was someone named Owl. But he had no idea who Stone was. Nothing in the dream made sense.

Closing his eyes, Jack did his best to slow down his breathing and heart rate.

It was a nightmare, nothing else.

Deep down, he suspected it was much more. But he couldn't think about it right now, instinctively knowing if he did, his head would literally burst. So instead, he counted Maisy's breaths. Concentrated on the feel of the puffs of air from her exhalations against his bare skin. Inhaled the smell of sex and apples that permeated the air and bed. Listened to the faint sound of vehicles outside the house. Licked his lips and tasted Maisy's musk from when he'd eaten her pussy earlier, before they'd had sex.

Swallowing hard, Jack allowed himself to fade back into an uneasy sleep. This time when he dreamed, it was of a beautiful mountainside filled with trees, cabins interspersed throughout the forest, laughter, the smell of food cooking, and a cow mooing impatiently from inside a big red barn. It felt peaceful, and it calmed him into a restful sleep.

"I can't believe we haven't found anything!" Owl said as he ran a hand through his hair in agitation.

Brick wasn't happy either, but he had to be the voice of reason here, otherwise Owl would go off the deep end. It had been two weeks since Stone's kidnapping. And since then, there hadn't been any sign of where he'd been taken—or by whom.

Lara had gone over and over what had happened in that hangar in Seattle, and nothing she could remember had given them any clues as to where Stone could be. She had given them a pretty good description of the man who'd taken him, as well as the car, but she hadn't been able to catch a license plate number. And without that, they were as much in the dark as they'd been when they'd started. They knew a serial killer had hired a man to kidnap Lara, and that man had sold Stone. And that was about it. Both the serial killer and his hired hand were dead, taking any secrets to their graves with them .

The surveillance cameras at the regional airport hadn't been working, and the one camera that had caught the car leaving the hangar was too far away to be able to read the plate.

Stone had disappeared into thin air, and there hadn't been any clues as to where he could be. And Owl, his former Army Night Stalker partner and fellow prisoner of war, was on the verge of completely losing it.

"I can't believe that with the best people on this—Tex, that Elizabeth woman he works with, even Ry the supposed computer genius—we can't find hide nor hair of him! He has to be out there somewhere, Brick! And he's probably wondering why the hell we haven't come for him. We need to find him. Now! "

"I know, Owl. And we're trying."

Owl crumpled into a chair at the table in the smaller conference room at the main lodge at The Refuge. "We have to find him," he said in despair. "I can't bear to think of what he's going through. It makes no sense. Who would've taken him? And why? If they haven't asked for a ransom, why kidnap him?"

Brick didn't have any answers. "I don't know. But I promise you, Owl, we aren't going to stop looking. No matter how long it takes or how much it costs, we aren't giving up. Ever."

"I'm gonna go talk to Ry again. She said she had an idea last night. I want to see if she's found out anything new," Owl mumbled.

Brick wished he could do more. Wished he could help his friend. Owl and Stone were as close as two men could be. They'd been to hell and back together, and Brick knew Owl was blaming himself for Stone's kidnapping. Even though he'd been unconscious at the time of the abduction, he still blamed himself.

Ryan, otherwise known as Ryleigh or Ry, had been working at The Refuge for a while now, and apparently she was some sort of computer hacking prodigy. There was definitely a backstory with her, but with Owl and Lara both recovering from being kidnapped by a serial killer—an evil bastard who'd been hell-bent on making Lara his sex toy for a second time—and with Stone missing, no one had much time to get to the bottom of why Ryan was working at the lodge and what she was hiding from.

Brick put his hand on Owl's shoulder and squeezed. "How's Lara doing?"

"She's good. No sign of any morning sickness yet," Owl said. Talking about his new pregnant wife seemed to take some of the anguish from his eyes.

"Good. Let me know if Ry's found anything."

"I will. Brick?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For not giving up."

"I will never give up. Stone's out there somewhere, Owl. He's strong. I have no doubt he's hanging in there, just waiting for us to find him. And we will."

Owl took a deep breath. "Yeah, we will." Then he nodded at Brick and headed for the door.

Brick stood in the middle of the room for a beat after Owl left. He closed his eyes and took his own deep breath. He had no idea who would want Stone, or for what. Every day that passed with no word of where he'd disappeared to wasn't a good sign. But he hadn't lied to Owl, Brick would never stop trying to find answers. Stone was one of his best friends, and he didn't deserve what had happened to him.

The thought of him being held hostage, again , was like a ball of acid in his belly. The man had been through enough, and whoever was responsible for kidnapping him would pay. Brick would personally make sure of that.

Letting out the breath he'd taken, Brick opened his eyes and headed for the door. He wanted to call Tex once more, check on his other friends to make sure they were all hanging in there, and he needed to make sure the guests at The Refuge this week were having a good time. He had a lot of balls in the air and didn't want to drop any of them.

But first, he needed to see Alaska. She was his rock, his light. Just being around her made things seem not so bad. She and the other women were just as worried about Stone as the rest of them, but because of her own experiences, she had nothing but confidence in his ability to get to the bottom of what happened and bring their friend home.

He needed that boost, because right now, it really did seem as if Stone had disappeared into thin air. There were no clues, no signs about where he could be. With every day that passed, the likelihood of bringing their friend home alive got slimmer and slimmer.