Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

Chapter 279: Hung Over

Mari’s birthday night had been loud, bright, and full of laughter and booze.

Mari could still hear the echo of Jax’s laughter in her head, the way he had tried to balance two glasses of wine in one hand and nearly spilled them all over the rug while putting up a show for her. She remembered how both brothers had pulled her up to dance in the middle of the living room, spinning her until her head whirled and her cheeks hurt from smiling. She remembered the sweet burn of the liquor sliding down her throat, the heat in her belly, the way she had thrown her head back and shouted along to Chad’s guitar when he played happy tunes.

”Birthday queen!” Chad had called her more than once, lifting his glass every time like it was a toast.

And Jax had kept close, always steadying her when she swayed too much, laughing when she tugged him down to steal kisses, feeding her little bites of cake with his fingers. She had felt alive, untamed, and completely his.

Now morning had come, and her head felt heavy, her tongue dry, her body limp.

Mari groaned softly as her lashes fluttered open. The curtains were pulled back just enough to let the sun seep through. She blinked, her vision adjusting, and then her gaze shifted, landing on Jax.

He was lying beside her shirtless, propped on one elbow. His beautiful blue eyes were on her, drinking her in like she was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

Mari blinked again, then let out a small giggle, though it ended in a pained groan when a sharp sting of ache pulsed in her head. ”Oh no...” she mumbled, covering her face with her hand.

Jax’s low chuckle rumbled close to her ear making her heart flutter. He brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, his touch feather-light. ”Good morning, love,” he said softly. ”You look beautiful even hung over.”

She peeked at him through her fingers, cheeks pink. ”I always read books and saw movies where guys did stuff like this, you know, just staring at the girl when she wakes up. I thought it was silly. But now...” She laughed faintly, wincing at the movement of her head. ”Now that it’s happening to me. It feels so strange. And sweet.”

Jax’s smile deepened. He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her bare shoulder before pulling back. ”What’s strange about waking up to see your boyfriend, who is crazy about you staring at you?”

Mari rolled her eyes playfully, but her smile betrayed her. ”Absolutely nothing. It’s the most normal thing in the world. Why aren’t you hung over, any way?” she muttered.

”Because I didn’t drink as much as you did. I can’t get drunk when I’m supposed to be protecting you,” Jax said as he reached for a glass of clear water and a bottle of pill on the nightstand, then took out two small pills in his palm and handed it to her with the glass. ”Here. This will help your hangover.”

Mari pushed herself up slowly, taking the water from and pill from him. She swallowed the pills and drained half the glass, sighing as the coolness soothed her dry throat. ”Thank you. I think I will live,” she whispered, her voice soft with gratitude.

”You’ll definitely live and be up to no good soon enough,” he murmured, watching her with a look that made her cheeks warm all over again. He brushed his knuckles along her jaw, then gently urged her back down against the pillows. ”Rest a little more and go freshen up when you feel better. I’ll be downstairs making breakfast. You don’t need to come down. I’ll bring it up when I’m done.”

Her lips curved in a coy smile. ”Breakfast in bed?”

His grin was slow, teasing. ”You had better be well dressed and covered by the time I get back.”

Mari giggled as she snuggled into the pillow, her body still heavy from the night before, her heart light and full as she watched him rise and move across the room. ”Will you spank me for being a naughty girl if I’m not covered by the time you get back?” She asked, batting her lashes at him.

”Told you, you’d be up to no good soon enough,” Jax said, chuckling as he walked out of the room.

The moment the door closed behind him, Mari sighed deeply and sat up on the bed.

Her thoughts drifted to Jamal, and she pouted when she remembered that he’d not reached out to her to wish her a happy birthday.

She understood that he had been busy, but she also knew he’d most likely arrived in Ludus, so why was she yet to hear from him.

She contemplated reaching out to him to find out how they were doing and settling in, but just as she picked up her phone, she noticed an unread message from Emily.

She opened it and saw it was a link to an Instagram video. She clicked on it and was led to Ryan’s video.

”You’ve got to be kidding me,” Mari muttered as she watched the video. ”What a dirty bastard!” She muttered when she was done listening to all the nonsense he had said.

Momentarily forgetting her plan to call Jamal, she rose and went into Jax’s bathroom to go freshen up.

As she showered her thoughts drifted to her parents. Despite how perfect everything had seemed the day before, concern for her parents had nagged at the back of her mind all day.

She’d not heard from them on her birthday and it bothered her a lot more than she let on.

She hoped they were safe wherever they were, and more than that she hoped that now that Jamal and Abigail were safe that the family would give priority to her parents so that everything would be resolved once and for all, and her father would never have to hide again.