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

by their tale, not worried. Her eyes went cold then. “You really expect me to care? The little bitch nearly caved my skull in when she ran away from me.”
“Dekker!” Belinda cried as her husband leapt to his feet to throttle the woman. “Don’t! Leave the hateful bitch alone.” She looked at Justine in disgust. “She’s just a senile old woman. She wouldn’t remember what happened to Cassie three days ago, much less three years ago.”
“Jonathan Garrison bought her as a birthday present for his oldest son, Adam,” Justine snapped. “He was twenty-one.” She saw the look of triumph on Belinda’s face and she shrieked. “You manipulative little bitch!” she hissed as she came at Belinda with her claws out.
“Takes one to know one,” Dekker laughed as he pulled Belinda behind him. “Thank you for your help, Grandmother dear. Have a nice day.” They walked out as Justine cursed at them. They could see a nurse running that way with a needle while the orderly held the shrieking woman. “You were perfect, darling,” Dekker said as he embraced his wife. “I knew bringing you along was the right choice.”
“You told me to stay out of it, Dekker,” Belinda laughed at him as he opened the door of their car for her. “I’ve heard of Jonathan Garrison. His family owns a town in Ohio somewhere.” She pulled out her laptop case and fired it up. Belinda never went anywhere without it. “Thank God for wireless internet,” she said as she got on and typed in the man’s name. “How appropriate,” she said as she saw the results. “Garrisonville Ohio is about forty miles west of here.”
“That’s where Cassie is living,” Dekker frowned. “Henry was just there.” He hit a number on his speed dial. “Henry. It’s Dekker. The name of the man who raped Cassie was Adam Garrison. He’s the father of her child.”
“He’s what?” Henry’s voice came over the speakers.
“The bastard who got my sister pregnant when she was fifteen,” Dekker repeaTed. “My grandmother sold Cassie to Jonathan Garrison. My sister was his son’s twenty-fifth birthday present.”
“Bitch!” Henry snarled. “So essentially your grandmother sold your sister to this bastard Garrison so he could present her to his son like a toy? Adam Garrison married her three days ago, Dekker.” There was silence on the line, and when he spoke again, his voice was filled with amusement. “She sedaTed him and gave him the slip last night. Your sister got on the bus to Toledo early this morning.” He could feel the tension in Dekker. “She’s coming to check on the boy, so be careful not to spook her. The woman has the feeling that’s Cassie is getting ready to run.”
“Of course I’ll be careful,” Dekker nodded. He hung up and turned to Belinda. “Cassie is on her way, Belinda,” he said to his wife. “You were right. She couldn’t stay away once she was told her son was alive.”
“I still think it was a very underhanded thing to do,” Belinda frowned at him. “She’s coming here thinking the boy is hurt.” She thought of their friend. “I’m surprised Henry went along with it.”
“He was told only to use that line,” Dekker replied, “if Cassie proved reluctant to come home.” He looked stern. “Dad wants to meet her, Belinda. How am I supposed to tell him his own daughter doesn’t want to see him?”
“Poor Dekker,” Belinda laid her hand on his cheek. “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” She kissed him and they drove home, where their nephew and his adopTed parents were waiting. “She’s on her way,” Belinda told them and saw their worry. “Cassie is not looking to take her son away from you,” she told them and saw them relax. “But we would like you to consider letting the rest of us into his life when he’s older. He is our family, too.”
“We’ll wait to talk to Cassie about it,” Steve Parker nodded as he saw his wife’s face. “We never asked her to stay out of Oliver’s life, Doctor Yates. She never had that choice.” He could see something in Dekker’s eyes. “How did she end up pregnant at 15 in the first place?”
“That’s Cassie’s story to tell,” Dekker said tightly. He went to the liquor cabinet. “I need a drink!”
“Bad?” his wife Amy asked Belinda.
“Worse,” Belinda nodded. “You and your wife are going to need to stay here where we can protect you until the man is in custody.” She saw their fear and understood it. They had just found out the biological mother of the boy they thought of as their son was alive. “We can’t take the chance that he won’t decide to come after your child,” she assured them. “It shouldn’t be too much longer.”

Cassie stepped out of the hair salon she’d gone into and smiled. She had been promising herself to get her hair done for a very long time; getting married was a perfect excuse to have it done. It was now cut shorter to just below her shoulders and she enjoyed the way it moved as she did. She put on her sunglasses and hefTed her backpack over her shoulder and walked away from the car. She had her money in the backpack.
She felt free for the first time in years. There was still some fear about going back where all of her problems had begun, but she knew it was the right thing to do. Oliver might not be her son anymore, but she wanTed to know he was all right. She saw the bus station and got a ticket to Toledo. From there she would rent a car and drive the rest of the way to Centerville. She bought a book and settled into a seat in the back. She was reading when someone sat down next to her.
“Hey, Cassie,” Adam said as he smiled coldly and put his arm around her. “You took off before I could pick you up.” He grabbed her hand and looked at her sternly as he put the rings back on her finger. “I wish I could let you go, baby,” he said as he leaned close, “but Dad said I had to bring you back.” He winced as she bumped against his arm and she saw the bandage on his wrist. “It’s nothing,” he said as he pulled it away before she could check. “He was just reminding me who was in charge.”
“Why?” Cassie snapped at him. “I was coming right back.”
“Liar,” Adam ran his fingers along her lips. “I’d like to see that our boy is all right before we try to figure out a way to get away from my father.” She looked at him in shock as she heard him actually saying that he would help her escape. She had been so wrong about Adam. “I don’t want to live under his thumb anymore, Cassie.”
“Is it possible, Adam?” Cassie said softly, her head going down. “I want to believe you mean it so please don’t be playing games with me.”
“That’s my good girl,” Adam nodded. He pulled a blanket out of his backpack and covered her with it. “Try to get some rest,” he said into her ear and she shivered as his breath warmed her cheek. “Dad has a car waiting for us at the station in Toledo. Got any money?”
“In my backpack,” Cassie shuddered as his stroking sent her mind and nerves into a tailspin. She had told him the truth before she could prevent the words from being spoken. “Stop it!” she moaned as he kissed her until she was dizzy. “Please don’t do this here.”
“Tell me how much you like it, honey,” Adam said as he locked eyes with her. “Come on, Cassie. Don’t lie. I can tell you like this.”
“I don’t like this,” Cassie sobbed as he stopped what he was doing. “Don’t you understand, Adam? My Grandmother sold me like a – a cow or a horse so you could do what you wanTed with me! I don’t want to belong to you!”
“That’s not important, honey,” Adam told her. He cupped her chin in his hand. “You are my wife, Cassie, and I don’t want to let you go.” He put his arm around her shoulder. “Get some rest now.” He kissed her gently and looked into her eyes. “You’re going to have a good life, honey,” Adam said to her. “I will be the best husband ever.”
“Adam please don’t do this to me,” Cassie whimpered. “I want a life of my own.”
“Please don’t give up on us quite so soon, Cassie.” His hand moved under her t-shirt and she burst into tears. “Oh honey. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t tease you like that in your condition.”
“My condition?” Cassie asked in confusion.
“Of course,” Adam smiled at her. He stroked her lips. “I didn’t use protection with you at our joining.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Angela took a blood test when you went to her, Cassie, and she said you were fertile. There is a good chance that you are carrying my child.”
With the word ‘child’ Cassie could hear the bars of her cage door slamming shut. There was no way she could leave him if that were true. He would have a weapon he could use against her for the rest of their lives together. She would not do anything to hurt a child. Adam pulled her closer. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. She was surprised when the bus pulled to a stop.
“Welcome to Toledo, honey,” Adam smiled at her. He took both of the backpacks in his hand and clamped his other hand around her wrist. They left the bus station and he found the car waiting where he had been assured it would be. They were driven to the best hotel in town. “The bridal suite, please,” he said as he smiled at the desk clerk. “My wife and I are eager to begin our honeymoon.”
“I can see that,” the clerk smiled. If the bride was looking a bit anxious, she could put that down to nerves. The woman finished the registration, accepTed the cash for the room and handed them one key card. “You young people won’t be wanting to leave the room tonight,” she blushed and giggled like a schoolgirl.
They went up in the elevator and Adam actually carried Cassie over the threshold as if it was really their honeymoon. He kissed her the entire way to the bed. She was limp as he dropped her down on the mattress and did not fight him as he had sex with her. She was past all hope of refusing when Adam sent her to the skies and she fell. She was suddenly very certain that she was in danger of falling for Adam Garrison.
“You are so lovely, my wife,” Adam sighed afterwards, as they lay wrapped in each other. “I should have taken you with me that night instead of letting your grandmother talk me into leaving you behind.” He ran his hand along her abdomen. “We would have Oliver now if you hadn’t tried to run away.”
“Your father gave him away to punish us!” Cassie whimpered. The tears were coursing down her cheeks then. “He never intended there to be consequences when you raped me, Adam!”
“I told him I didn’t want to do that to you,” Adam said gently. “No one ever says no to my Father.” He stroked her cheek and she could see the shame and regret in them as he remembered that night. “He drugged me so I couldn’t stop myself from hurting you like that.”
“She sold me to your father!” Cassie remembered. “I told her I didn’t want to go to you and