Page 59 of Twisted

“I’m so sorry, my little angel,” she whispered.

That was the day half her soul died as well.

Jaeger

Present Day

He was concealed in the shadows and still as stone. Though summer, the day was uncharacteristically glum—dark and rainy. He didn’t mind. It suited his purposes quite well. He figured he’d only have to wait a few more minutes at most.

The sting of Maisie’s running away was nothing compared to the writhing anger in the pit of his stomach. He knew he only had one person to be angry with, and that was himself, but a childish, stubborn part of him still wanted to blame her for running. Swiping a hand along his exhausted face, he shook those thoughts away. Barely knowing what Maisie had endured before he’d dropped into her life was clearly not helping him in any way; he needed to approach her with caution and a firm hand. It was the only way he’d get her back.

No more threats, no more blackmailing, and no more torture…well, maybe just a little of the sweet kind. His cock swelled in his jeans. They’d been together only a few days and apart for even less, but she was addicting, scars and all. He would never give her up, give up the chase. He would protect her with his dying breath.

Which, he thought with bitterness, may come sooner rather than later. There were more players throwing their hats in the ring, but it seemed he was still the first in Carter’s office. Rancho was becoming slow in his latter years, for Jaeger knew that just because he’d denied the job, it didn’t mean Rancho would—which would also mean Lindsay would tell him about the hard drive. Everyone fucking knew about it at this point, and everyone wanted it.

The click of the heavy door alerted him, and before he knew who it was, the scent of honey hit his nose in the most delicious way. Salivating, he adjusted his bulge in his jeans, watching from the corner near a bookcase. He was half-hidden, tucked away in the shadows with the lights off and the dim sun barely bleeding in through the windows. Maisie muttered a thanks to the secretary before turning and closing the door, pausing to lock it.

Waiting with bated breath, his keen eyes watched her every move, every subtle shift of her hair, the way her fresh pair of jeans hugged her ass and thick thighs and cinched in at her perfect waist, the way her tight little tank top was glued to her skin, her cleavage on display for the world to see. He was simultaneously aroused and enraged; he wanted to fuck her here and now, but he also wanted to force his own shirt over her head so no other man would lust after what he considered his.

As she turned around, he caught the gleam of her harried eyes, such a striking blue it knocked the breath from his lungs. She looked well enough, refreshed, her hair curled and her make up subtle yet striking, accentuating her eyes and plump lips. She was the most precious thing in the world to him; he’d rather die than lose her.

Forcing himself to stay still with his temptation just feet away, he held his breath and watched, waiting for her to give away the location of the hard drive. It would be the nail in her coffin, and now that he’d irrevocably chosen which side he was on, he’d help her destroy it and never again ask a question about it. If she wanted to tell him the rest of her past, she would.

Actions always spoke louder, though.

She bit her lip, using both hands to tuck her hair behind her little ears in a display of nervousness before she dropped them to her thighs. Her eyes roamed the space—an office much too ornate and large for a fucker like Carter, but Jaeger reminded himself he was dead. Dead at the hands of his little Maisie Jane. The notion brought a smirk to his lips. His woman had bigger balls than most men.

She moved, situating herself at the desk, pushing aside his rolling chair. Jaeger’s eyes narrowed as he watched her drop to her knees, her back to him. Her round ass was on display as she crawled forward on all fours, looking underneath the desk. The sight was enough to snap his resolve. They had some time, and she’d already shown him where the hard drive was.

Now? Now it was time to show his Maisie why she’d never leave him again. Silent as a phantom, he eased forward with hushed footsteps. When his shadow fell across Maisie’s back, she tensed; she knew he was there. Slow, she backed out, rising up on her knees, sucking in a deep breath.

“Wh—”

“Save it, baby doll,” he drawled, his voice deepening in his quiet fury. Her gulp of trepidation was audible.

With a heavy sigh, his hand reached to his belt buckle.

“Told ya, Mais. You’re mine. Don’t matter who the fuck I’m related to, don’t matter who you’re related to. I make my choices and stand by them.”

He watched her back as she trembled, but from his angle, he could see over her shoulder to the slope of her perfect breasts, and through her tank top her nipples were hardened into stiff peaks. Slipping his belt through his loops with a snap, Maisie whimpered. His smirk widened.

“You gonna be a good girl for me, Mais? Or will I always have to show ya who you belong to?”

Her whole body tensed in sudden fury.

“I told ya, I ain’t fuckin’ yours,” she seethed. Her words were hot, poisonous. But it made his smile only grow wider.

“If that were the case, baby,” he said, folding his belt in half, stroking her cheek with the worn leather as her breathing hitched, “—then you woulda killed me the night ya ran.”

The air in the room stilled, and Maisie turned her face to his in sudden shock, blinking up at him with parted lips. Bending to be at eye level with her, his eyes danced with malice and power and the kind of authority that commanded all attention. Using his thumb, he stroked her beautiful scar.

“Face it, Mais. Ya need me. I need you. There is no one else in this life for me, got it?”

Clamping her mouth closed, her widened eyes watered. The way her lips trembled sent a jolt straight to his heart. She was scared of him—truly frightened—for the very first time. Sure, there was a certain level of fear when he’d appeared in her room, when he’d taken her to the woods. But now, he was witnessing her beautiful downfall, witnessing a vulnerable side of her he figured he’d never see.

Shaking her head, she whispered her retort with the most sorrowful note to her angelic voice.

“You don’t know me, Jaeger. Not who I am now.”

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