My Ex-Boyfriend’s Brothers (Ex Marks the Spot)

35. Maggie

35

***Maggie***

I slowly climbed off the back of Jackson’s motorcycle once we were parked back at the resort. I was fighting a bout of giggles that won every time I met his gaze. I really shouldn’t have been laughing at him but I couldn’t stop. Our night had taken such a weird turn that I wasn’t sure poor Jackson would ever recover.

“I can feel you laughing in your head.” Jackson grumbled at me as he pulled my helmet off.

I bit my lip hard and shook my head, despite the tears filling my eyes from trying to hold back the laugh. I made the mistake of glancing up at him, though, and let out a bark of laughter that probably woke up everyone at the resort. “Sorry! I’m sorry!”

Jackson growled at me but he wasn’t nearly as intimidating as usual with the day’s date stamped across his forehead in bright red ink and a steadily darkening black eye. Not to mention the wet spot on his crotch from where he’d held a bag of ice for nearly half an hour before he could move normally.

The cheap motel I’d suggested had turned out to be a little bit of a wild ride. I’d been a little overeager to get us into a room and the night clerk working the counter had been a little high. The combination hadn’t gone well. I rushed the clerk a little too much for his liking and he let me know I was ruining his high. I told him that he was cock blocking. He accused me of trying to have a three-way with him because he’d somehow gotten that I wanted him to join us.

I might’ve gotten a little carried away with my hand gestures as I boldly let him know that I had all I could handle with Jackson. One of those gestures might have possibly hit Jackson right in the cock the clerk was blocking. Jackson fell forward in pain and the clerk thought he was being attacked so he threw an old-fashioned stamp at Jackson’s face and landed the hit mid forehead. In my efforts to defend Jackson, I accidentally punched him in the eye. He went down hard and then the clerk and I just stared at each other in shock. In the end, he’d gotten Jackson ice and we’d exchanged numbers so we could laugh about the misunderstanding at some later date.

Had I nearly killed Jackson instead of giving him a night of great sex? Maybe. Was I terribly sorry for him and for myself? Definitely. Was I still having the giggles over the whole thing and risking Jackson murdering me? Yep.

“How can one woman do so much damage without trying?” His voice was still strained. “Leave the leathers on and help me get to the closest cabin.”

I nodded, still laughing. “Of course. I’m so sorry, Jackson. I don’t know what happened. I think I was just too excited, you know?”

He grunted and put his arm around me for support. “You’re a monster.”

“I know. I really am. Kyle thought so, too.” I saw the question on his face. “The clerk, Kyle. He asked me if I wanted a job working security.”

“Fuck Kyle.” Limping down the path towards the cabins, Jackson sighed. “I don’t mean that. It wasn’t Kyle’s fault. Not all of it.”

“So… Fuck me?”

He fought a grin and only just barely managed to contain it. “Not tonight.”

I laughed harder, slightly delirious from the day’s events. “I promise I’m going to make it up to you. Ice, kisses, expensive whiskey. Whatever you want, Jackson.”

“Kisses?” He stopped walking and frowned at me. “Where?”

I glanced down at his pants and wagged my brows.

“Keep talking. Maybe I’ll forgive you.”

“Maggie? Jackson?” Brad’s voice cut through the quiet night like a bomb going off.

I looked up and saw that he was walking towards us from the lodge, his hands in fists at his sides and his face a mask of anger that he only just softened when he got closer to us. I knew he hadn’t heard me offering to kiss Jackson’s sore penis better so I wasn’t sure what to expect from him.

“There’s a wedding emergency. Where have you been? I’ve been trying to get in touch with you all night.” He scowled at his brother. “Sorry to ruin whatever lecherous plans you had, Jackson, but Maggie has to come with me.”

“Get fucked.” Jackson gripped the back of my neck and I could feel his willingness to laugh off the night turning sour as he glared at Brad.

I glanced up at him and gave the slightest shake of my head before looking back at Brad. “What’s wrong?”

“Apparently there’s an entire section of the guest list that didn’t receive invitations!”

My heart sank. “That’s not possible. I sent them out myself. I had a callig-”

“It happened, Maggie. You have to fix this. Half of Christina’s family didn’t get an invite.” Brad ignored Jackson and motioned for me to follow him. “You have to fix this.”

I felt like I was going to throw up. Turning to Jackson, I silently pleaded with him to understand. “I have to go. I don’t know how this could have happened but I can’t let Christina’s big day be ruined. Are you okay to get to the cabin?”

He tore his glare away from Brad and nodded at me. “I’m going to Luke’s. Text me later and let me know when you’re done.”

I stretched up and kissed his cheek. Whispering so just he would hear me, I apologized. “I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you.”

“Come on, Maggie!”

Jackson reached out and snagged the back of Brad’s shirt. “She’s coming. Treat her with a little respect.”

I shot Jackson one more apologetic look and walked towards the lodge, hoping removing myself from the situation would alleviate their tension.

Brad caught up with me a few seconds later, his quiet anger nearly palpable. He didn’t say anything but he pointed every so often, directing me past the main entrance to the lodge and across the property, around to the back. My feet were killing me and all the laughing had caught up with me. I was tired and my mind was running faster than comfortable over how a mishap with the invitations could’ve happened.

I wasn’t paying attention to where we were going until I glanced up and realized we were nowhere I recognized. I stopped and looked around. “Where are we?”

“What the hell are you thinking, Maggie?!” Brad threw his hands up and got closer to me. “Were you with him? Were you with Jackson ?”

I shook my head. “Why are you talking about him? What about the invitations? Why did you bring me out here?”

“The invitations are fucking fine. I just had to get you away from Jackson. He’s not a good guy, Maggie. You’re a soft girl. He’d hurt you. I just saved you from making a huge mistake.” Pacing in front of me, Brad looked up to scowl at me every few steps. “Not to mention he’s my brother. Why are you wearing those clothes? Where were you? You’re going to get yourself hurt. He’s a player.”

My head spun. “Wait. Did you say the invitations are fine?”

“You owe me! You get with a guy like Jackson and you end up knocked up in a trailer park somewhere. I got you out of that life and he’d drag you right back down.”

My hand was in the air before I realized what I was doing. I yanked it back to my body and stared in horror at Brad. I’d nearly slapped him. I’d never slapped anyone before but he’d pushed me there. Even all the shame in the world couldn’t outweigh my fury at him, though. “You got me out of the trailer park, Brad? You met me at a bar where a cocktail is fifteen dollars. Are you nuts? I can’t deal with you. I’m going to my room to go to sleep and if I see you again before tomorrow afternoon, I don’t know what I’ll do. Which way is back to the lodge?”

He was slack-jawed, still shocked that I’d almost slapped him. He raised his hand and pointed me towards the lodge. “Maggie… I-”

“Jackson was right when he told you to get fucked.”