A Hostage to Delusion, M J Marlow [short story to read TXT] 📗

his hand on her arm. “I want to help you, Cassie…”
“How can I believe you, Eric?” Cassie broke in and moved away from his touch. “All this time, I thought you were my friend. And you were lying to me!” She wrapped her arms around her body. “How many more things were you lying about?” she asked sharply. “Were you only pretending to be my friend so you could spy on me for your family?”
“No!”
“How can I trust anything you say to me, Eric?” Cassie sobbed. She waiTed and saw the anguish in his expression shifting to something she did not recognize. And then he had her in his arms and his lips were on hers. Her fear and anger melTed away and she was confused. It wasn’t like it was with Adam. She pulled away and looked at him in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“I love you, Cassie,” Eric said simply as he let her go. “And even if it kills me, I am going to get you out of this nightmare!”
“It’s too late, Eric,” Cassie cried in despair. “Adam married me tonight.” She saw him go white. “I’m not going anywhere.” She heard a door slam and turned to see Adam coming their way. “You have to go! He’ll kill you if he sees you with me.”
“I’m not giving up, Cassie,” Eric said to her. “I’m going to get you away from him.”
He took off and Cassie burst into tears. Why was this happening to her? What had she ever done to deserve to have her life turn into such a nightmare? She felt him getting closer and looked up to see Adam standing over her. He yanked her up to her feet and took her back to the apartment.
“I wish I could have stopped him, Cassie,” Adam told her as he poured them both some juice, “but my father was insistent. He told me he’d sell you if I didn’t marry you tonight.”
“We could have run away, Adam,” Cassie said to him.
“He has a lot of contacts, honey,” Adam told her. “He would just bring us back.” He reached over to touch her cheek. “I know you don’t have any reason to believe me, Cassie, but I really do care about you.”
“You’re right, Adam,” Cassie said as she finished her juice and took the glasses into the kitchen, “I don’t believe you.”

Cassie was in the movie theater the next day watching an old classic film when Adam joined her. She had been puzzling over Eric’s words since he had spoken them and still could not quite believe that he had meant them the way she hoped. Adam was her reality; Eric was only a dream. Encouraging Eric would only get him hurt and she cared too much about him to let that happen.
“I thought you might be here,” Adam said as he held out his hand. “Let’s go into the balcony where we can be more private.”
Cassie did not argue. She followed Adam up to the balcony and he smiled as he put his arm around her shoulder and just sat with her as if their argument had never taken place. She had been ordered not to wear pants anymore and arrived home to find all of her jeans and slacks missing from her closet. The argument had sent her fleeing to the theater for some time to think. Of course he would learn where she was; every person in town was keeping an eye on her now that she was married to Adam.
“Oh honey,” he purred as he turned her head to him and kissed her. “I have been hungering for a taste of you all day.”
His hand clamped down over her mouth to keep her from being heard as his hand moved under her blouse and caressed her breast. It didn’t matter. Every one in town knew she was his now. She could see it in their expressions before they turned away. They were not going to risk their own comfort to help her.
“What the hell are you kids doing up here?” Eric snapped as his flashlight swept over them. Cassie had forgotten that he was the acting manager today. Cassie kept her face hidden as Adam glared at his brother. “Adam,” Eric frowned. “I didn’t know it was you. I thought it was some high school kid up here necking with his girlfriend.”
“Instead you find the town prince,” Adam laughed, “necking with his wife.” He pulled Cassie up and put her in his lap. “Thank you, honey,” he purred as he ran his tongue along Cassie’s neck. “You always know just how to make me feel better.”
“You’re really married?” Eric’s face lost all color as he saw the despair in Cassie’s eyes. His brother had gone too far! “Congratulations, Adam. Cassie.”
He left the balcony and Adam kissed Cassie and set her on her feet. He could see the sorrow in his wife’s eyes and he wished there was some way he could make her feel better. He was happy enough with this marriage; he wanTed her to be happy as well.
“George and Gloria are out of town for the next week,” he said as he nuzzled her neck. “We are going to spend our honeymoon at their place, honey. Then we will be going to the ranch in Arizona.”
Cassie knew she was not being offered a choice so she didn’t say a word. He opened the car door for her and she got in. Her life was not hers. She was going to spend the rest of her time on this earth as this man’s property. Resentment mounTed in her mind and she knew that her decision to run was right. She would call the detective and tell him to warn her son’s parents of the danger facing them and them she would leave.
“Did I ever tell you that you have very expressive features, honey,” Adam smiled as he helped her out of the car at the diner. He clamped his hands on her arms and he kissed her in full view of the customers in the diner. “You run,” he said to her coldly, “and my brother will suffer a horrendous accident.”
“You wouldn’t hurt your own brother!” She looked up at him in disbelief and saw he was not lying. He knew Aaron cared about her and he did not like it one bit.
“Those were Dad’s words,” Adam told her as they headed to the diner, “not mine.”
Cassie got out her keys and Adam took them from her and unlocked the door. The table in the dining room had been set for them with candles. A bottle of wine was chilling in an ice bucket next to the table.
“Dad wanTed to do something special for us,” he whispered into her ear as he held her to him. “Go put on the gift he bought you.”
Cassie went into her bedroom and saw a gift box on the bed. She opened it and saw an emerald green nightgown and robe that were so sheer she might as well have been naked. She turned as the door opened and two of Jonathan’s employees walked in. They pulled out her suitcases and starTed packing her clothing.
“What are you doing?” Cassie demanded as she saw what they were doing. “Those are my clothes!”
“You won’t need these old rags,” Marsha Winters laughed as she tossed things into the suitcase. “They’re being donaTed to Goodwill. Adam is going to give you whatever he thinks you need from now on.”
“He’s waiting for you, Cassandra,” the other girl, a blond Barbie clone named Gillian Anderson, snapped. “Do you need help getting undressed?” Her sly look made Cassie sick. “He was really gentle with you at the joining ceremony.”
Cassie took the nightgown and robe into the bathroom and put it on. She came out to find them waiting for her. They made her sit down and combed out her hair. Then they sent her out to Adam who was waiting by the table for her. He pulled a chair out for her and nuzzled her neck once she was seaTed.
“You aren’t leaving me anything,” she protesTed as she watched her clothing being taken away. She was glad now she’d stashed her backpack and a change of clothing inside the empty space behind her closet.
“You’re my wife now,” Adam said as he raised her hair so he could nibble the nape of her neck. “If you need clothing, I will provide it to you.” He looked at the nightgown and she could see the lust building in his eyes. “Dad is going out of his way to insure you stay with me, Cassie. He knows you’ll find it very hard to run away wearing only a nightgown.”
“Why is he so insistent we remain here, Adam?” Cassie asked him. “What could he do if we left without his permission?”
“If we try,” Adam told her sadly, “he will activate a document your Grandmother had on hand. It declares you mentally incompetent and gives your husband full control of you.” He looked towards the kitchen where Gillian was waiting. “Serve and then leave us alone.”
Cassie watched as Gillian put the dinner on the table. He kept his hands and lips moving as the woman worked and she was ready to hurt him for doing this to her. He ran his hand down her arm and she felt something silky against her wrist. Before she could register what he was doing, he had bound her wrists behind her back.
“I want to do everything for you tonight, Cassie,” Adam said as he sat down in the chair next to hers. He cut her meat and lifTed a piece to her lips. “Eat.”
“That bastard is cutting her off from everyone and everything,” Henry frowned as he lowered the binoculars. He was still incensed at being sent off on a wild goose chase last night so that Garrison could force the girl into marriage. “It’s time for us to step in and…” He quieTed as a car pulled up and Eric got out. “The would-be champion.”
Eric stormed up the stairs and pounded on the door. Marsha opened it and he pushed past her to look for Adam. He saw his brother trying to make Cassie eat from his hand and he saw red. Eric slapped the fork out of Adam’s hand and slugged him across the jaw.
“Damn it, Adam!” he screamed as he untied Cassie. “She is a human being, not a pet!” He pushed her towards her room. “Get changed, Cassie. I’m getting you out of here.”
“You’re not taking my wife anywhere, Eric,” Adam said coldly. He was shocked when Marsha hit Eric over the head with a lamp. “What are you going to do with him?”
“Your father left orders that Eric was to be jailed for being drunk and disorderly,” Marsha told him, “if he interrupTed your honeymoon.”
“Don’t put him in jail,” Cassie hung her head. “I’ll convince him to leave me alone.”
“It’s not our decision,” Adam sighed as Eric was taken away. He tied Cassie’s wrists again and ran his tongue over her lips. He enjoyed her whimper of protest mingled with fear. “Now let’s get back to dinner.”

There was a wool jersey dress in cerulean blue and beautiful lingerie waiting for her when she woke up the next morning. Adam brought in a pair of black thigh high boots and made a great production out of zipping them onto her. Once she got dressed, Adam took her to the jewelry store where he bought her a golden choker with diamonds along the front. He fastened it around her neck and kissed her until her knees buckled. She came to in the manager’s office where Adam continued