Page 16 of Rent a Masked Duo

Awalk? My mother is sick, and my father’s only solution to the mounting medical bills that our family is drowning in was to sell me off to one of the most powerful and ruthless men in existence. My hand in marriage, my virginity, in exchange for cold hard cash. My services rendered, and payment would be made, wiping out our family’s medical debts and paying for the rest of my mother’s medical treatment and expenses.

Except that never happened. Thanks to Mark and Jax.

Not only did they crash my wedding, along with any hope of saving my mother, but they helped themselves to my virginity, which I offered up with wanton abandon. I should have been terrified, furious, and felt anything other than the overwhelming desire to be consumed by them. This is crazy. Maybe I’m going crazy, but they’re crazier than I am if they think a casual stroll through the woods will fix my problems.

He should feel bad about not letting me talk to my mother. I sure as hell did. She was sick, and now she would be worried about my disappearance. An added stress she doesn’t need given her worsening condition.

The doctors said she beat the odds and was in remission. She looked great, felt great, better than she had in years. Until one day she didn’t. Her cancer came back with a vengeance. Her oncologist is recommending an aggressive treatment plan. One we can’t afford on top of the bills my father still hasn’t paid from her first battle with cancer. She doesn’t need to be worrying about me or fighting with the bill collectors and the insurance company.

Not when I was the one who was supposed to save her.

By marrying Patrick. The thought of him, his hands on me, on what would have been my wedding night, makes my stomach churn. Maybe that’s why I had sex with random strangers. My act of rebellion. Give up the one thing Patrick wanted most—my virginity—on my terms, to someone, or two someones, of my choosing. Not my father’s. Of course, Mark and Jax weren’t really random strangers. There was nothing random about how we met. They’d planned it.

What they hadn’t planned on was their attraction to me. Or mine to them.

Man, am I screwed up or what? The air in the old farmhouse feels thick and stuffy. I can’t breathe. My chest is tight, and the walls feel like they’re closing in. Black spots dance in the corners of my vision. Recognizing the symptoms of a panic attack, I force myself to suck in a breath of air, and then another. Too fast. I’ll hyperventilate or pass out at this rate.

Mark and Jax are watching me, worry etched on their faces, poised and ready to jump in if I black out.

I take another breath. Slower, deeper this time, through my nose, and then exhale through my mouth. Again. I repeat the process until I get my breathing and myself under control.

“Maybe some fresh air will do me some good.” I’m not in the mood for a nature hike, but I need to shake off the rush of anxiety, and getting out of the house is bound to help.

Their shared relief is a palpable thing. Slacked shoulders, easy half smiles, and an overall release of tension in their bodies and the air around us.

“Good. That’s good. We’ll go on a walk, get some air, some sun, and just relax, okay?” Jax raises his hands in a placating gesture and steps to the side to give me a little space.

“Fine. I might need to get out of the house, but that doesn’t mean I’m not pissed. Because I am,” I reply with a huff, refusing to give them an inch. “Let me go change.”

Jax lets out a long breath. “I really am sorry, Anna.”

His apology sounds genuine. I want to believe him, and it’s harder to stay mad at him when I know he’s making it clear that he feels as badly about me not talking to my mom as I do. Mark and Jax lost their foster mother to cancer, and a series of events put into play by my former fiancé. Just referring to him as that makes the bile in my stomach burn the back of my throat. Still, the men who kidnapped me for revenge know something about loss and have the same appreciation for a mother’s love that I do.

I can use that to my advantage. Maybe while we’re out on our walk, I can convince them to let me call my mom just long enough to tell her I’m okay. And if not, well then, maybe I can convince myself to run away from them. Back to my mom.

And Patrick.

With a newfound determination to convince them to grant me one phone call, something even criminals are given when placed under arrest, I head upstairs, grab the shopping bag Mark left on the entry table, and rummage through it for something to wear on the hike. He bought sensible things — hiking pants, a moisture-wicking shirt, wool socks, a light jacket. Nothing fancy. Nothing designed to charm me. I get dressed in record time and sprint down the stairs.

“I’m ready to go. Nature walk. Let’s do this.” My voice sounds chipper, too happy, even for my ears. I need to dial back the enthusiasm before the guys call bullshit, and I foil my plan to get them to cave to my one demand before I can even set it into motion.

“Yeah, Jax, let’s do this.” Mark shares a questioning glance with his brother, or maybe he’s his best friend.

“Right.” Jax returns the look Mark gave him, slaps his palms against his knees, and pushes up off the couch. “Nature walk. Let’s go on an adventure.”

He grabs a backpack from the pew-style wooden bench in the mudroom, filled with what I can only assume are bottles of water and snacks, and leads the charge out of the house. The contents of that pack could just as easily be duct tape and rope, but if they wanted to hurt me, they’ve had plenty of opportunity before now. Besides, they seem far more interested in giving me pleasure than causing me pain.

The woods around the house are lush and dense. Pine and fir trees grow tall, fighting each other to breach the canopy and reach the sun’s rays. Ferns cover the forest floor, and downed limbs, trees, and large stones are covered in moss and lichens. Mushrooms sprout from the dark, damp, rich soil. It’s beautiful, like an enchanted forest straight out of a fairy tale. I keep waiting for some magical creature to cross over the path in front of us. The trees and the footpath open up, revealing a blue-green lake fed by a cascading waterfall on the opposite side.

“This is beautiful. It’s like paradise.” A little gasp of excitement escapes my mouth, and I can feel my eyes widening with wonder as I take in the small patch of sand amidst the rocky beach and the spray from the water crashing against the rocks at the bottom of the falls. It’s easy to see why they like it here. A person could forget themselves and their troubles in a place like this. At least for a little while.

“The water’s surprisingly warm this time of year if you want to go for a swim.” Jax arches a brow, as if daring me to get into the water.

Not one to back down from a dare or to miss an opportunity, I strip out of my clothes down to the plain cotton bra and panties that were the closest thing to lingerie in Mark’s practical shopping bag. Fine. I’ll work with what I have.

Something tells me a little sexual persuasion will go a long way to getting me my phone call.

I reach behind my back, and with a gentle tug I release the hooks, letting the bra straps slide down my shoulders before hooking my thumbs in the sides of my panties and making a show of inching them down my legs.