Behind the Mask

Chapter 44

Victor's POV

I had to stop myself from punching the computer screen when I watched the footage Sean had requested. Marissa's entire body language changed the moment she realized Jackson was in the room with her - it screamed fight or flight. Corey swore from behind me, "Fucking hell! How did she ever let herself get mixed up with these two?"

Running my hand over my face, I groaned, "I don't know, man. She says they were totally different in the beginning and it was just scene play. We need to talk to Luke. He's the first one she confided in about them. Maybe there's something we're missing." I grabbed my phone and sent him a text: Hey Luke, can Corey and I swing by? We need to ask you about Marissa's poly relationship.

Luke: Sure thing, Just come on in the back, I'm decorating cookies.

Thirty minutes later we were sitting around a large table watching Luke pipe skeletons onto sugar cookies. "So what did you two need?" he asked, never looking up.

"What can you tell us about her relationship with Jackson and Chloe? We're trying to figure out if this was all planned, or did something happen along the way," Corey asked.

Luke paused for a moment, grabbing the black icing, then said, "Well when she told me about it, she said it started as a healing thing for her, but a side experiment for them. She didn't pinpoint exactly when things had started to change, but I'm guessing it wasn't long before we approached the company the first time." He frowned for a moment, then looked up, "She did say they were her only friends at the time. I remember that made me feel unbelievably sad." I remember Gabe mentioning how up and down Luke had been that day as well.

"Didn't you say she mentioned being late the day Owen and the other met them for the first time?" I asked. "I wonder how things were then?"

Corey let out a low whistle between his teeth, "That's a slippery slope Vic. How would you feel if Marissa watched old sex tapes of you and Sang, or you and any of the guys without your permission?" Luke and both went wide-eyed. I hadn't thought of it that way, I just wanted to help her. It never occurred to me that we might stumble on private moments as well.

I sighed, "I see your point, sorry. I guess we'll have to wait until big Marissa can answer our questions."

Luke pulled out another sheet of undecorated cookies in the shape of pumpkins and grinned, "You know, there is a way to solve all our problems."

"And what, pray tell, is that?" asked Corey.

"Your team pulls their heads out of their asses, and we all propose to her," he giggled at his own suggestion. "We get the woman of all our dreams, she has fourteen husbands who would move heaven and earth for her. No more creepy business partners and her Father can't touch her. See, a win-win."

I just sat in stunned silence, while Corey sputtered and mumbled about Luke being off his rocker, but he still grinned as he painted similar faces on the cookies. His eyes danced when they met mine. Would she?

****

It was later than we'd planned when we got home. Corey and I had stayed to help Luke finish the cookies and get everything packed for Marissa's office party. When we walked into the house it smelled amazing. I could tell North and Silas had stopped by North's favorite German restaurant on the way home. Marissa and Sean were hiding in a blanket fort eating as they watched the old Peter Pan movie. Kota sat watching them while almost everyone else was in the dining room. He inclined his head as he saw us come in, then smiled as the two giggled inside their fort.

We grabbed a plate and discussed our day. A few moments later, Marissa and Sean came in pinkies linked. "So how was your day little ones?" Corey asked.