Hot Summer Nights (Lucas Brothers)

“Jesus Christ, Maggie. Am I not giving you what you need in bed? Does what we have together fall short of what you want? Why couldn’t you tell me you were seeing someone else.”

“I would have told— Wait. Hold up here, Bryant. What do you mean if I was seeing someone else?”

“I told you, Maggie, I know. Your mother was there when the bastard called you. She told me all about it.”

“My mother,” I whisper. “She told you about a man I’m sleeping with in Dallas?”

I don’t know how to respond. I don’t even know how I feel. I just stare at Bryant as he puts the cat down on the floor.

“We’re not over, Maggie. We’re not over, and if you think I’m going to stand by and let some other man claim what is mine, you’re full of shit,” he growls.

“What is yours?” I cry. “I’m not property, Bryant!”

“The fuck you aren’t. You’re mine, Maggie. You’ve always been mine, and there’s no way in hell I’m going to let another man take you away.”

Before I can pull away from him, he picks me up and tosses me over his shoulder.

“What are you doing? Bryant, you let me down right now!” I demand.

“No. You aren’t going back to Mason, and you aren’t going to turn your back on us,” he says, walking us quickly back to the cabin.

I try to calm my temper. Maybe if I can calm the situation and make him think that I don’t want to choke him and my mother—which I totally do—I can get his guard down and head back toward the main road. The drive here felt like forever, but surely it wasn’t that long. I should be able to get back not long after dark… or maybe I can wait till the morning. It would be easier to get away from him if I leave while he’s sleeping.

I’ve taken so long to work things out in my head that by the time I come up with a plan Bryant already has us back in the cabin.

“Bryant, honey, let me down. Let’s talk about this,” I tell him, doing my best to make my voice sweet.

“Oh, we’re going to talk about it,” he says, dropping me down on the bed.

I bounce as the mattress adjusts with my weight, but before I can sit up, Bryant takes my wrist in his hold and pulls on my hand.

“Bryant—”

Before I can finish saying anything, I feel cold metal slap against my wrist, my arm is pulled backwards and then I hear this clicking noise. It takes me a minute to realize what just happened. Even when I see it, I can’t truly believe it.

“Did you just handcuff me?”

“Now you won’t be running away from me.”

“You just handcuffed me,” I almost screech. “Who do you think you are?”

“Your mother says I need to grow a pair of balls, honey. This is me with balls,” he says, then he walks out of the room, slamming the bedroom door, leaving me alone.

Shit…

19

Bryant

It makes me an asshole, but I’ve left Maggie alone in that room handcuffed to the bed for a while. I’m not proud of it, but I just needed time to get control of my anger. I really thought she would deny the fact that there was another man. I guess that makes me an even bigger fool. I’ve spent the last hour making sure the generator was squared away in case the solar panels failed. I chopped wood, and why I did that, I have no idea. It’s not like it’s cold this time of year in Texas, but I did it just the same. Then, I walked around the property. It really is a beautiful piece of land. I can see why Titan caved to Faith’s demands now. It butts up against a lake and there’s a dock. With no other houses around, it’s completely private.

I walk back inside, dreading the confrontation with Maggie. I’m so out of heart that I have the urge to take her back home, but I can’t make myself give up now. If nothing else, I want to clear the air with Maggie and if we end, then damn it, she’ll know where I stand.

The minute I walk inside, Fifi comes running with a meow. She twines herself around my leg, swooshing her fluffy tail happily. “At least one girl in this damn cabin wants something to do with me,” I grumble.

I reach down and scratch her behind the ears and then walk toward the bedroom. I open the door, half expecting Maggie to be gone—or sitting on the bed completely free and holding a gun waiting to shoot me. Neither would surprise me. Instead, I find her sitting on the bed much like I left her, her face tight with anger.

“How nice of you to come back,” she snaps.