Stranded with My Stepbrother Chapter 137

Will

“Grandfather,” I said tersely into my newly-acquired phone as I paced the arboretum, “I told you I’d do whatever you ask. I’m back. You’ve got me on a tight leash. I get it. If I don’t do what you want, McKenzie’s going to suffer. You don’t need to call and confirm it with me. Shouldn’t you be saving your phone calls for your lawyer?”

William Masterson Sr. just laughed. It chilled me even more than it had when he told me I wouldn’t be a football star. “I thought you could use the reminder. I might be… away for a while. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have eyes on you.” His voice hardened. “You are allowed your one rebellion. And I’ll even give you your McKenzie. But I swear, William, if you pull something like this again….”

“I know.” He wouldn’t be stupid enough to say it on a prison phone. A threat, even from someone as prestigious as William Masterson Sr., would have to be taken seriously and could hurt his appeal.

An appeal that would almost certainly go through now that the two key witnesses were in the wind.

Damn it!

“I’m glad you know. Now, I expect you to bring your young lady to see me this weekend. It’s been too long since we’ve sat and had a nice conversation. I hear she’s very… spirited.” He chuckled.

“I don’t think she’ll be agreeable to that,” I replied, anger roiling in my gut. The old man wanted to rub it in our faces that he owned us. In person.

“Make her agreeable,” my grandfather said firmly. “I want to see the girl who’s going to be the mother of my great-grandchildren.”

I dragged in a breath and let it out slowly. “Is that really necessary?”

“Yes. Now, do as I say like the good grandson I know you are,” he said.

It was an order.

“I’ll let her know we have weekend plans,” I responded, gripping the phone hard.

“Good. I’ll see you this weekend. Until then, Ike’s in charge. He’ll steer you both in the right direction,” he said sweetly and hung up.

I was about to chuck the phone when McKenzie came around the rhododendrons. I pocketed the phone instead, my rage dissipating. “Honeybee, did you sleep well?” I asked, opening my arms to her.

She walked right in and hugged my waist, laying her cheek against my chest. “I did. Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you. I know you wanted to talk.”

“You needed sleep more.” I tilted her chin up and kissed her.

McKenzie kissed me back, and I nearly forgot everything I’d wanted to talk to her about. But, my grandfather’s veiled threats festered in the back of my mind, and I finally broke away, setting her at arm’s length.

“Will?” She looked hurt and confused.

“Much as I’d like to ravish you right here and now, I do need to talk to you. Well, with you. Actually, both,” I said. “And if I have you in my arms, every other thought is going to go out the window.”

“Oh.” She gave a little laugh. “That’s understandable, I guess.”

I smiled at her. “I thought you’d understand.” I looked around, then brought her over to a sitting area and settled us on a white, wrought iron bench. “All right, so… where to begin….”

“You don’t want me getting between you and Ike?” she suggested.

I frowned. “Yes, there is that.”

“Never gonna happen. I’m not losing you because you go to prison for killing him,” she said, holding a hand over my mouth when I would have argued. “End of discussion.”

Gently, I took her hand away from my mouth. “You won’t be there when we’re at work together.”

“Then you’ll just have to behave yourself, won’t you?” She sniffed. “But you know he’s doing it on purpose, right? He’s trying to get a rise out of you using me, and it’s working. Stop giving him what he wants!” She swatted me.

I captured her hand, feeling a little foolish, but mostly just pissed off at Ike. “I’m hoping he’s realized what he wants is to die if he keeps it up. It’s bad enough we’re all tied up with nowhere to go and no one to help us. I’m not letting him take advantage of that—of you. You shouldn’t have to put up with his… lasciviousness.”

“You paused before the big word. Afraid the hayseed wouldn’t understand it?” she asked.

That was a complete one-eighty. “Honeybee, what are you talking about?”

McKenzie sighed. “Sorry. Nothing. It doesn’t have anything to do with you. I mean it does, but it’s not your fault.”

“Now you’re going to have to explain because I’m confused,” I said.

She shifted uncomfortably. “It’s just… people keep saying I’m not refined enough for you.”

“People? Who, Ike?” I asked, still lost.

“Yeah, Ike. Or is it ‘yes’?” she snarked.

I shook my head and held her eyes with mine. “It’s whatever the fuck you want it to be. I don’t care.”

“I mean, I know you don’t care,” she said. “But other people do.”

“When did you start giving a shit about other people’s opinions?” I asked. “McKenzie, I don’t know who’s been saying what to you, but you can tell them to go fuck themselves. You’re perfect just the way you are. And you’re perfect for me.”

She made a face. “That was very cheesy.”

“And it was very true. So stop worrying about that bullshit.” I kissed her nose. “Though… who besides Ike has been bothering you about crap like that?”

McKenzie shrugged. “I guess I told her I was going to tell you. Polly cornered me in your bedroom—”

“Our bedroom,” I corrected her. “But go on.” I could already feel the coals of anger she’d helped to quench getting stirred up again.

“She basically said I wasn’t fit to be your fiancée. Don’t worry about it, though. I already told her off.”

My anger turned to humor. “I thought you might have. My honeybee’s not a wilting flower, after all.”

She laughed. “Can’t say that I am, no.”

“Do you want me to fire her?” I asked, stroking her arm. “I can, you know. Grandfather would be pissed if he knew that there was a staff member bad-mouthing his future granddaughter-in-law.”

McKenzie made a face. “Don’t remind me. No, I don’t want you to fire her. I’ve got that to threaten her with, and it’s not like we’d have the same leverage with a new staff member. It can’t hurt for Polly to owe us a favor.”

“True. Though I don’t know whether to be proud or appalled that you’re getting so good at playing this game,” I replied sadly, touching her cheek.

She kissed my palm. “Be proud. I want to be able to help you any way I can. Like a real partner.”

“You are a real partner to me.” I sighed and pulled her into my lap.

“I thought you were worried about not being able to keep your hands off me long enough to have a conversation.” She giggled, looping her arms around my neck.

“I am,” I admitted. “But I want you near me for the next part.”

McKenzie looked surprised. “Wow, it must be something big if being right next to you wasn’t close enough.”

“It is.” I took a deep breath. “Grandfather wants us to visit him this weekend.”

She stared at me. “You’re kidding. At the prison?”

I nodded. “It wasn’t really a request. More of a directive.”

“So… we have to go,” she said slowly.

“Yes.” I buried my face in her shoulder and made a frustrated sound. “I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do about it, and yes, I’m pretty sure he just wants to gloat. I—”

McKenzie gently took my face in her hands. “Then we just go.”

“We just go?” I blinked. “Simple as that?”

“It’s not like we can avoid him forever. Without my parents, he’ll be getting out of prison soon,” she said bitterly. “I’d like to face him somewhere he can’t get his hands on me.”

My eyes narrowed. “He is never getting his hands on you.”

“He already kind of has.” She made a vague gesture at our surroundings.

I looked around at our gilded cage, feeling trapped and hating it.

She leaned in and whispered in my ear. “We are getting out of here, though.”

“We’re—” I replied, startled. “We’re what now?”

“Shh! We’ll need to play his game for now, but we’re going to escape. You just wait. We’ll come up with a plan—” she continued excitedly.

I grabbed her by the arms. “McKenzie, you can’t talk about things like that here,” I hissed, glancing around. Was that a camera behind the cherub sculpture? In the rose bushes? Under the bench?

Suddenly, everything looked as though it was watching us.

“But we will,” she insisted, still keeping her voice low.

“Not now. Not here,” I replied. My voice was tense even in my ears.

She made an exasperated noise. “Shower?” she suggested.

It was as good a place as any, but I was fairly certain we’d be surveilled there as well. I slid her off my lap and took her hand, dragging her along as I took quick strides to get us back to my bedroom.

“Will, slow down!” she protested, jogging to keep up.

I didn’t want to slow down. I wanted us to be safe, and nowhere was safe. Nowhere.

When I swung open the heavy wooden door to my bedroom, Polly was tidying up inside. Ostensibly. I gave her a stern look and she jumped.

“Mr. Masterson!” Polly cast around for an excuse, and I knew for certain she was not there to clean. “I was just—”

“Leave,” I said coldly.

She nodded vigorously. “Yes, of course, Mr. Masterson. If you need me—”

“I won’t.” I slammed the door after she scampered out.

“Will…” McKenzie said.

I took her hand again and yanked her into the bathroom and right into my large, multi-jet shower. I turned on every one, including the big rain showerhead, while we were both fully clothed.

McKenzie gasped and hugged herself as cold water hit her. “Will, what’s gotten into you?!”

“Do you want to get yourself killed?!” I yelled with more force than I meant to. “Do you?!”

“I… I was just saying we’re going to get out of here. I mean, we are. Eventually. You… believe that, right?” she asked, her eyes wide and hurt.

I raked a hand through my hair, my suit jacket becoming heavy as it got soaked. I hadn’t even remembered I was wearing one. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?!” She looked as though I’d hit her.

“I don’t. I don’t know for sure, okay?” I shrugged out of my jacket, letting it fall to the shower floor with a wet plop.

“Damn, Will, lie to me! Give me some hope,” she snapped, beginning to shiver. Her dress was now plastered to her, hugging every curve.

“Fuck. Fuck this fucking water,” I muttered, turning to play with the temperature dials. And to keep my brain on track. Nearly-naked McKenzie was always going to distract me.

She slapped my hands away from the dials. “Don’t turn your back on me after dropping that bomb on me!”

“I’m not turning my back on you!” I frowned.

McKenzie raised an eyebrow at me.

“Not because… never mind. It’s not important. I just want us to stop talking about this, okay? Just… not in this house. Fuck, probably not anywhere,” I said.

Tears shimmered in her eyes. “You’re just going to lie down and let this happen?”

Guilt stabbed me in the chest, but I had to make her stop. “I didn’t say that. I’m just saying—”

“Saying what?! What could be more important than getting out of here?!” she shouted in my face.

“Keeping you alive, goddammit!” I shouted back.