A Hostage to Delusion by M J Marlow (the reading list book txt) 📖

than she is mine!” He saw Eric flinch. “Did you think I wouldn’t check her background, Eric? I keep a better watch on my sons than you think.” He looked at Delia. “You are a psychiatric nurse-practitioner who moonlights for your brother, Henry Evans, when he needs someone to strong arm hospital administrators.”
“You lied?” Adam hissed and looked at his brother. “You came to the ranch to take her away from me!” He was on his brother with a roar and had to be pulled off. “She’s my wife, Eric! Don’t you understand that yet?” He pulled free and glared at Eric. “She may think she’s in love with you right now, but she’ll get over it. It’s just a childish infatuation.”
“Adam,” Jonathan said calmly but with a warning in his voice, “I think you need to get some rest.”
“Shut up, Dad!” Adam turned on his father as he and his siblings had planned. “I am so tired of you telling me what to do! Cassie wouldn’t be in this trouble if it weren’t for you and her bitch of a grandmother!” He sank back down in the chair and glared at Jonathan. “They drugged me, Eric; did you know that? And once I raped her, I was sunk. I couldn’t say no to him after that.”
“Shut up, son,” Jonathan’s voice went even softer.
“Why, Dad?” Adam snapped. “I’m tired of all the lies!” He looked at the agents. “Justine made millions with her extortion schemes. She left everything to Cassie and my father was determined to have it.”
“I’m warning you, Adam,” Jonathan hissed as his control began slipping.
“I didn’t want to hurt the girl,” Adam ignored his father’s warning, “but he slipped something into my drink that night and I was rabid for her by the time her grandmother forced her into my room.” He put his head in his hands and groaned. “She was so terrified and she kept begging me to stop, but I couldn’t. And once it was over, Dad had me on a leash. I had to do what he asked or he would let the authorities have me.” He looked up at his father. “Well, Dad; I am finally calling your bluff. If Cassie lives through this, I am going to divorce her and let her press charges for rape and kidnapping.”
“No!” Jonathan screamed. He was on his feet with the nearest agent’s gun in his hands. “No one betrays me!” he shouTed as he turned the gun on Eric. “This is all your fault!”
Eric found himself falling as Adam tackled him and the first bullet hit his brother instead of Eric. He watched as his father was shot down and disarmed. He was still cursing as he was taken out in cuffs. He got up onto his feet and went to Adam’s side. His brother gripped his arm and looked up at him.
“I’m sorry, Eric,” Adam choked as the pain hit him. “I knew you liked her but he wouldn’t let me off the hook. He said he’d hurt her and you if I didn’t keep you apart. And then,” he admitTed the truth, “I found I wanTed her for myself.” He coughed and his face went white. “Tell Cassie I’m sorry.”
“Get him to the hospital,” the lead agent ordered. “Under guard. We’ll worry about charges later.”
“I love her, Eric,” Adam said as he was lifTed up and put on a stretcher. “But she has never felt the same way about me.” He gripped Eric’s arm tighter. “Find her, little brother. Bring her home safe.”
“You can count on that, big brother,” Eric smiled at his brother briefly. “Don’t you dare die on us, you hear me?”

Dekker didn’t know why he decided to drive past Justine’s house. Something about the way she had died had been bothering him. So he pulled up the driveway and stopped as he saw a car parked in the garage. No one was supposed to be here. He got on the radio and froze as someone knocked on his window.
“Hello, Dekker dear,” Justine smiled at him as he poinTed the gun at his head. “Please turn off the car.” Dekker did as he was told and she walked around to get in the passenger side. “Pull into the garage, dear.” She smiled when he did as she asked. “Such a good boy,” she patTed his leg. “Now if you continue to behave, I will take you inside to see your little sister.”
“You have Cassie here?” Dekker choked. “How?”
“You’ll get your answers soon enough,” Justine promised him. She motioned for him to get out and she followed him as they went in the back. “Put your gun and your cuffs on the table. I won’t have you distressing the child with the sight of such things.”
Dekker did as she asked and she motioned him towards the stairs. He opened the door she indicaTed and stepped inside. He froze as he saw his sister sitting on the window seat with a large Teddy bear in her arms. She looked over and he could see she’d been crying. He could also see that Cassie had been forced to dress like a child. Her hair was up in ponytails with ribbons tied in bows. She was wearing a white pinafore over a blue dress with a lace collar and had on ankle socks and black patent leather shoes.
“What the hell are you doing to her, Justine?” Dekker snapped as he turned on his own grandmother. She slapped him.
“Language, Dekker,” Justine shook her head. “You will not talk like that in this house. Your sister is an innocent child.” She motioned him to a chair. “Take off the belt and hand it over to me, boy.” Dekker did as he was asked. “I’ll have lunch set up for you.” She smiled over at Cassie. “We’ll have a piano lesson after you’ve eaten, darling.”
“Yes, Grandmother,” Cassie nodded and turned back to the window.
“Dekker, dear,” Justine smiled at him. “Try not to upset your little sister. She’s had a hard time lately and she needs to rest.”
She left the room and Dekker heard the lock being engaged. He watched his sister in silence and waiTed for her to acknowledge him. But she did not turn to him and she did not speak.
“Are you all right, Cassie?” he finally asked her as the silence began to unnerve him.
“Grandmother says I am wounded,” Cassie said in a soft voice. “She says it is all my own fault. I should never have disobeyed her.” She clutched the Teddy bear to her tighter as the tears fell and finally looked at him. He could see how lost and frightened she was. “Is that right? I got hurt because I told her I didn’t want him touch – touching me?” Her eyes widened as Dekker got to his feet. “You’re not going to hurt me, are you?”
“Of course not, Cassie,” Dekker said as he sat back down. “I would never hurt you. I’m your brother.”
“Grandmother told me you didn’t want me,” Cassie whimpered. “She said Daddy couldn’t take care of me and that’s why she brought me here.”
What was wrong with his sister, he thought as he pondered her words. She was talking as if the past seven months had not taken place. Her eyes did not show any sign of her having been drugged. Had her mind snapped after all the abuses she’d suffered over the years? He began to think that his grandmother’s claim that his sister was mentally incompetent might not be off the mark. Then he shook himself.
“I don’t know what she did to you, Cassie,” Dekker told her gently, “but I am going to get you out of here.”
“I can’t go anywhere,” Cassie shook her head. “I’m being punished for hurting Grandmother. I’m under house arrest until she says my debt is paid.” She looked up as the door opened. “Lunch,” she smiled and set the bear aside to go get the tray someone Dekker could not see was holding out to her. “Thank you, Edna.”
“You’re to leave the blue cup to your brother, Miss Cassandra,” Edna said to the girl. “Step back now so I can lock the door.”
“Of course, Edna,” Cassie nodded and did as she was told. She carried the tray to the table in the alcove and set it down on the table. “It is nice to have you here, Dekker,” she smiled at him happily. “It gets really lonely in here.”
“How long have you been under house arrest, Cassie?” Dekker asked as he sat down across from her at the table.
“I disobeyed her the night of my birthday, March 17th,” Cassie thought over the timeline. “It is,” she frowned as her mind refused to supply a date for her. “I was ill for a very long time,” she said finally. “I don’t know how long I’ve been locked in my room.” She grew very sad. “I have nightmares about babies and being hurt over and over and being in the desert.”
“Are you sure they’re nightmares, Cassie?” Dekker prodded
“What else could they be?” Cassie frowned at him. “I’ve been here in my room. I’m sure I’d remember if I had a baby.”
He could see she was growing anxious so he distracTed her by telling her about their father and all the other things he’d told her once before. They finish the lunch and he knew he’d been drugged. He could feel his head starting to spin. He stumbled to his feet and headed towards the door as Cassie went got her Teddy bear and went to lie down.
“You ran a risk bringing him in here,” Grayson said to Justine as they watched Dekker fall. “If he remembers…”
“He won’t,” Justine broke in. “We’ve already seen how well the drug has worked on Cassandra. She doesn’t remember anything past the night Garrison’s brat hurt her. Dekker won’t remember he was here or that he saw her.” She turned to Edna. “Help Howard get my grandson back to his car and roll it down the hill. If he lives, the drug will keep his memory locked. If he dies, we won’t have to worry, will we?”
“You are such a cold-hearTed bitch, Justine,” Grayson laughed. “No wonder I adore you.”
“Save your flattery Howard,” Justine sniffed, “for someone who will appreciate it. Get going. We can’t afford to have him waking up before the car is on its way, can we?”
Grayson and Edna left the office and she watched them as they carried Dekker out of the house and put him in his car. She watched the cars leaving and turned her eyes back to the monitor that showed Cassie sleeping. Justine went to the room and let herself in. She saw Cassie’s eyes open and the girl smiled at her.
“Come here to Grandmother,” Justine smiled as she sat down in the rocking chair. Cassie sat in her lap and leaned against her as Justine stroked her hair. “Tell Grandmother what your big brother said to you, child.” Cassie did as she asked and Justine smiled and kissed the girl on the forehead. “You’re such a good girl, Cassandra. I’m going to let you out of your room but you are still under house arrest and not allowed outside.”
“I am not allowed outside,” Cassie nodded. “I really am sorry I hurt you, Grandmother.” She said as she nestled closer to Justine. “I love you.”
“As I love you, Cassandra,” Justine smiled and continued stroking Cassie’s hair. “Go back to bed now, dear, and finish your nap. I’ll see you at dinner.”
Cassie kissed Justine on the cheek and got up. She went to the bed and held the Teddy bear to her chest. Justine