Page 101 of Masked in Deception
I nod, once, and brace myself for the hit that quickly follows across my jaw. I know it’s not as hard as he’s got or my jaw would be broken, but my ears ring all the same, and I slump backward into a plush armchair.
Fuck, I’m losing it. I can’t stop crying, my head hurts, and I see black spots in my vision. I think that asshole concussed me. They can beat me if they want to, and ship me off to wherever they want, never to be heard from again. But I’m not going one more second without my cards on the table. Time to say my piece.
Chapter sixty-eight
“I’m going to be your favorite auntie. I promise to spoil youeven morethan your daddy, or Grandma, or your uncle Henry, or even your uncle Jack,” I say, swaying the sleeping baby in my hands. Sloane agreed to let me take him on a little walk to find Ledger while Mom helped her get cleaned up. And following the sounds of his shouting, it doesn’t take me long…he’s landing punch after punch as Henry holds Jack steady for him.
“I love her.”
Jack's quiet sob stops their progress across the room, and they wait, hands on hips, for him to say more.
I’m in too much shock to do anything but freeze in place in the entrance of the room. I’ve been too angry to listen every time Jack’s tried talking to me, but watching him spill his heart to my brothers is an out-of-body experience, and I can’t help but hide partially behind the door as I watch the scene unfold.
“It wasn’t about fucking her. I did hurt her because I’m a selfish bastard, but my goal has only ever been to love her. I’veknown for a long time that she’s it for me, and I tried to stay away out of respect for the family. I tried so damn hard.”
Ledger still looks furious, but Henry’s gaze has softened slightly. “You’ve known for a long time? How long? You always stayed close to her growing up…”
“No. Nothing like that growing up. I just wanted to protect her. Not like a brother, but I always felt like her bodyguard, like I was responsible for her, you know? Nothing happened until after your wedding, Ledger. I failed. She was too perfect, and I failed to resist her. But I immediately knew I had put us all at risk, and I tried to make her realize there are better men out there than me. I sent her to Paris thinking she’d find someone better. When she came back to New York and hated me, I figured I had completely fucked my chances, but I was willing to do anything. You have no idea how much I knew I fucked up as soon as I let her go…”
Ledger has turned to face away from him now, hands on top of his head as he processes, but Henry hasn’t stopped staring at Jack this entire time.
“I made a mistake with the club that I’ll pay for for the rest of my life, but my motivations were the same as they’ve always been. I wanted any piece of her that she’d give me. In any capacity, no questions asked. And I wanted her to be happy, regardless of what that meant for me. None of that’s changed. If she wants the real Jack, he’s hers. If she only wants me in a mask, she’ll never have to see my face again. If she wants me to dance in a monkey suit 24/7 for her, that’s fine.
“If she wants anything from me, ever again, it’s hers. No questions asked. I fucked up royally, worse than I hope either of you ever know, but I’m convinced I have the capacity to make her happier than any other man on the planet. She’s certainly the only woman who will ever bring me an ounce of joy. I’m going to grovel, on my knees if she wants, for as long as she’ll let me,and be in her life any way she’ll let me. I tried to ignore it so I wouldn’t upset or disappoint you all for too long. I wasted time with her. I won’t do it again. I love her so fucking much. More than anyone else ever will. More than either of you do.”
Punch.
“The fuck you do!” Ledger yells, hitting Jack in the ribs this time instead of his already bleeding face. “Don’t you sit here and tell me you love my own goddamn sister more than us after the stunt you just pulled. You don’t deserve tocrawlon the same fucking ground as her. You’re lucky I don’t kill you right here, you fuckingtraitor.You were a brother to me.Fuck,you were closer than a brother.”
Punch. Punch. Punch.
“But Ido,”Jack breathes, spitting blood on the floor before continuing. “I’m so fucking sorry, Ledger. But I love her too much. She’s worth it. I’d choose her over you every time. Over all of you. I won’t apologize for that.”
Ledger goes to lay another hit, but Henry pulls Jack away, saving him from the impact. “Wait. Carter, I’m going to have to agree with my brother that you don’t deserve to breathe the same air as our dear sister. I don’t give much heed to empty declarations of love, but I’ll give you one chance to convince me yours are not.”
I feel myself moving closer to Jack, drawn to him as he shifts his gaze between my brothers.
“Henry, I mean this with the utmost respect, but I don’t believe you’ve experienced a love like I have for your sister to be an adequate judge. But you, Ledger, your love for Sloane might come close to how I feel…”
“Again with those fucking insinuations that you could possibly know what it’s like to care for someone like this.”
This time, the bite in Jack's voice mirrors that of Ledger’s. “Don’t I? I’ve watchedyoufumble through life with your pitifullittlepoor meexistence, not giving a damn about anyone who cared about you for so long. And then I watched you do a complete one-eighty when you met Sloane. You straightened up, changed your bachelor pad into a home, got married, and started a damn family. And you really want to tell me you don’t want that for me too? Because the only way I get that is with Margot. I want the home, I want my ring on her finger, I want…That!”
I realize as we lock tear-filled eyes, that I’ve made my way to be standing right behind my brothers, who both turn to look at me holding little LJ in my arms.
“You want to know that I mean to do well by your sister?” he asks the men beside me, all the while never breaking eye contact with me. “I have the property ready to build whatever house she wants.Three of them.Enough acres for a compound by each of your houses and beside Blanche’s as well, so she can choose where to live. Or hell, I’ll build her a mansion on all three with my own hands. I’ve had a ring for a while now, and I would love nothing more than to have her signature on a piece of paper, legally binding her to me the way our hearts have been bound for years. As far as children go, it would be my greatest honor in life to raise a family with her. To hold our own baby in my arms, the tangible combination of our souls.”
“Jack…” I breathe, handing LJ to his dad so I can wipe the blood about to fall from Jack's eyebrow.
Before I can reach him, Mom comes marching into the room. “Ledger Sinclair, your wifewho just gave birthis looking for you…Oh good heavens!” She pauses to take in the state of everyone. Ledger with bloody knuckles, Jack with a swollen, bloody face, me with puffy red eyes, and then of course, Henry, looking as suave as ever. “When we agreed to wait until after LJ was born to tell your brothers, I wasn’t counting on it beingimmediatelyafter he was born.”
Everyone’s attention snaps to Mom. “You knew about this?” Henry asks.
“Why, of course I did.”
Henry just shrugs, but Ledger doesn’t let it go. “And you knew Jack had been dominating her in a sex club with a fucking mask on?”
“God forbid someone has a kink or two.” Mom rolls her eyes. “And really, Ledger? I wouldn’t expect you to have such a problem with that.”
