CHAPTER SEVEN: YOU BELONG TO ME NOW

IRIS

I couldn’t have heard him right. I mean, there was no way in hell a man that I had known for all of one night was asking me to marry him.

“What?” I tried to make my voice sharp but it came out as a whisper.

Maverick leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His dark hair fell over his brows and he brushed it back, smiling darkly. “You heard me.”

A laugh burst from my mouth. This man was truly, definitely insane.

“Are you on something?” I asked. “Tell me, what is it?”

If I wasn't observing him so closely at that moment, I would not have noticed the way his jaw clenched and the dark look that crossed his face. It was gone before I could even register it.

Did I hit a nerve?

The air in the cabin was suffocating. I was in this space with a man I barely knew, who was clearly out of his mind. I wanted no part of this.

“I’m not joking, Iris.”

Calm down. Deep breaths, I told myself. Inhale, exhale, just breathe…

I swallowed, searching his face for any sign that he was messing with me, that he was about to laugh and tell me that this was just his idea of a twisted joke.

But there was nothing. No humor. No hesitation.

He was as sure as I’d ever seen him.

Finally finding my voice, I asked, “How do you know my name?”

Maverick sat up, pinning me with his stare. I thought he was about to avoid the question again, but instead, he started to speak.

“Iris Blake. You were Iris Sinclair until two years ago when you were divorced by your husband.” He paused. “The night we met was the night of the divorce, am I correct?”

A chill ran down my spine and sweat began to break out. How did this man know about me? Was he a stalker? Was he going to kill me? Did he know my daughter? Was she safe?

“How do you know that?” I asked, my voice trembling.

Maverick’s intense stare turned soft. “Hey, you’re safe with me, okay? I promise. There’s no need to be frightened.”

But I was done with him dodging my questions. I stood up angrily. “How the fuck do you know all that?”

Maverick sighed. “My name is Maverick Sinclair. I’m Sebastian’s brother.”

The world tilted.

My legs nearly gave out beneath me, but I lowered myself slowly onto my seat. My heart was pounding so loudly it drowned out everything else, including the sound of my own breathing.

No.

“You’re lying.” My voice was hoarse. “You’re fucking lying. Sebastian never had a brother.”

Maverick didn't move, didn't even flinch. He just watched me, an unreadable expression on his face. “I’m telling the truth.”

Sebastian’s brother.

The man I had slept with to help me forget about my ex-husband was his brother.

“Oh my God,” I pressed a trembling hand to my forehead, feeling the urge to throw up. “Oh my God.”

“Iris. “Maverick’s voice was quiet, steady as he approached me slowly like he was trying to keep me from spiraling. He reached out to touch me but I leaned away from his hand.

“Why?” My voice cracked. “Why are you doing this to me? Why did he send you to ruin me? Hasn’t he done enough damage?”

He got down on his knees in front of me so he was at eye level with me. “No one sent me, Iris. The only reason you never heard about me is because we’re not on good terms. We haven’t been brothers since we were teenagers.”

His tone oozed sincerity. I didn't know what it was about this man, but I believed his every word.

“Then why didn't you tell me?”

Maverick let out a slow breath, running his hand through his hair. “Because I didn't know who you were that night.”

“Bullshit,” I snapped. “You just listed my entire story like it was a goddamn Wikipedia page, and you expect me to believe you didn't know?”

His jaw tightened. “I didn't know ‘then’. I only found out a few days after.” His gaze didn't waver. “I’d known he had a wife, but I never cared to know who it was. I hired an investigator to look into Sebastian. That was when I found out about the divorce… and you.”

I couldn't process this. Any of it.

I exhaled shakily. “You’re telling me you hired someone to investigate your own brother?”

Maverick’s lips curled into a smirk. “I’ve been keeping tabs on him for years.”

My blood ran cold. “Why?”

“Because Sebastian doesn't deserve to walk through this world unchecked.” He paused, and then muttered, “And neither does my father.”

I swallowed hard. There was venom in his tone. A rage that hinted at a history I wasn't sure I wanted to uncover or be a part of.

But I had bigger things to worry about right now.

Did Maverick know about my daughter if he was keeping tabs on me? Did he connect the dots?

As if reading my mind, Maverick gave me a small smile. “I wasn't keeping tabs on you, I promise.”

So maybe he didn't.

I sat back, crossing my arms. “So what? You suddenly thought it would be fun to track me down?”

He looked at me, confused.

I rolled my eyes. “Pretty convenient for you to run into me at an airport in fucking Amsterdam and let me fly in your jet, isn’t it?”

Maverick’s eyes lit up in amusement. He was still kneeling in front of me, so close, yet so far away.

“I promise you, Iris, that was a coincidence. I’ve lived there since I was eighteen.”

I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment, but I prodded more. “Why am I here, Maverick? What are we doing?”

He stood to his feet, shoving his hand in the pocket of his slacks as he looked down at me. “I want you to marry me, Iris.”

“Why?” My voice was barely above a whisper. “That’s an absurd thing to ask.”

“Think about it.” His tone was smooth, assured. “I know you think you’ve gotten over what happened, but I also know that deep down, you want to get back at Sebastian for tossing you away like you were nothing.”

A pang of pain hit me square in the chest, but I refused to let it show. “Fuck you.”

Maverick continued as if I didn't just cuss at him. “He replaced you without a second thought, even before your marriage ended. And I bet that still eats at you.”

I hated that he was right.

I hated that Sebastian had disrespected me in the worst possible way and I let it roll off my back like it was nothing.

“Don’t you want to finally see him get what he deserves? I know you want to get your revenge, Iris. I can help you.”

I was stunned, unable to speak. He was right. Everything Maverick said was right. I wanted my revenge. I wanted to see Sebastian suffer.

Maverick stretched his hand out to me, pulling me up and close to him. Confidence rolled off him in waves. He knew what he wanted, and he knew how to get it.

“Imagine his face,” he pushed my chin up so I was looking directly into his eyes. “When he finds out that you belong to ‘me’ now.”