Obsession, Loving An Alpha Male(61)

Josh nodded and moved to the panel. Jacks resumed looking at the bomb. He disarmed it in less than three seconds left. Then he moved quickly to the panel.

“Slowly and carefully loosen the screws, yeah?” Jacks told him.

Josh nodded, pulled out his Ka–bar knife and did as he was told. Jacks was an expert in bombs, setting them and disarming them. Josh knew Jacks had everything under control. Despite what happened between them, the man knew his job.

Both men worked together to unscrew all four of the screws. Then Jacks slowly moved his fingers in the grooves of the panel to find the wires.

He found one and followed it to where he hoped the trigger was.

He looked up at everyone in the room and said, “We only got three seconds before this blows, I need everyone…”

Suddenly, Jacks was cut off by a huge explosion that rocked the room. The shudder of the blast threw everyone to the ground, and debris fell on top of them.

Josh was knocked to the floor, ears ringing and his head on fire. He called out to his brother and didn’t move until he felt his brother grab him on his leg.

“Shit Josh!” Jacks exclaimed but realized if he couldn’t hear himself think, Josh couldn’t hear him either.

Jacks pushed some falling debris and a ceiling beam from his legs and crawled to Josh. Josh saw him coming and was about to ask what happened when he pointed to where the panel they were about to move used to be.

“Sweets!” Josh yelled and crawled to the large hole in the floor.

He couldn’t see in the darkness, but he didn’t care. Because of the debris from the roof, he was able to use that to climb down in the darkness.

Lead me to her, God, please.

He saw a small pin light behind him and saw Jacks had followed him down. He turned back, and that’s when he saw her. She wasn’t moving. Some debris had fallen all around her. He moved some items out of his way so he could get to her.

He crawled over to her and gently called her name, “Sweets.”

She didn’t move. She had her back to him, so he climbed around, and the moment his eyes fell on her face, he felt like his whole world collapsed.

“What did they do to you?” he said softly. He moved her hair away from her sweat soaked face and forehead just to have a reason to touch her. “God, baby, do you hear me?” He asked again.

He leaned closer to get a feel of her injuries.

Her face was so swollen if he didn’t know her intimately he wouldn’t have been able to recognize her. One of her eyes was closed shut and swollen. The other eye was just staring out into nothing. Blood was caked up on her face, arms, and her nose looked as if it was broken. Her breathing was labored because of her nose, and no doubt the way she was kicked, he knew she had some internal injuries. As Josh laid down on his side next to her, he could see the life leaving her with every breath she struggled to take.

“Fuck me!” he heard Jacks whisper behind him.

“We can’t move her. Go and get fire and rescue down here,” Josh said to him but kept his eyes on Kenya.

“I’m on it,” Jacks replied back and moved back up to the debris to the level they came down from, seeking help.

Josh reached for her hand and caressed it lightly. “Sweets, baby, it’s me. I’m here. You’re safe…”

He heard her whimper, and it seemed as if she was trying to move away from him.

“No, no baby, don’t move okay. Stay very still.” He finally saw her eye move. He touched her arm, trying to sooth her, letting her feel him. “It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you. You’re safe, Sweets.”

She groaned and whispered over and over again, “I’m sorry.”

Josh had to move closer to her in order to hear, and once he did he shook his head.

“No, baby, you have nothing to be sorry for. This isn’t your fault. Do you hear me?” He touched the top of her forehead. “It’s my fault baby, not yours. I shouldn’t have left you that night. I shouldn’t have…”

His words caught in his throat as his emotions finally got the better of him. He wanted to hold her, to make her pain go away, but he couldn’t. Helplessness was never something he handled well, and it was eating away at him.

“Josh…” she whispered.

“I’m here, baby, I’m not going anywhere. Do you hear me?”

He moved closer to her and lightly kissed her on her forehead. Her whimpers of agony and pain were breaking his heart bit by bit. When he saw her eye closing he spoke a little louder, panic lacing his voice.

“No baby, stay with me. Help is coming… Okay, don’t give up on me, baby, do you hear me? Don’t give up… Shit, Kenya, please…”

He lightly touched his forehead with hers.

“I love you, Joshua…” he heard her whisper and panic settled in…

“Sweets, please just hold on for me. If you do love me, you’ll hold on okay… God, I need you baby please…” he whispered, letting go, and for the first time since he was a child, tears began to fall from his eyes. He didn’t stop them. “God, I love you so much… you’re breaking my heart. Baby, please stay with me.”

Josh took a deep breath, and trying to think of something to keep her with him said softly, “I… I met your parents…but uh… I don’t think they like me very much…” he chuckled when he heard a soft hum come from her lips. He knew she was still with him. He continued. “I met your brother though, and well, he seems to like me somewhat. He’s actually upstairs, a little bit of a badass but a good man. He loves you. I can see it.”

She hummed again. This was a huge encouragement that he needed.

He said, “You have no idea who else I met… your grandparents…” he waited for a hum or any type of response but didn’t get one. He continued though and said, “They actually sought me out. You wouldn’t believe where they work…”

Jacks stood quiet while he watched one of the toughest, fearless and ruthless men he knew fall apart. He had to admit he was beginning to do the same. He realized the moment he fucked up was when Josh left Kenya’s family home. He was played and ended up losing two very good friends, and family, and he would never get that back.

But watching the agony Josh was going through right this moment, he had an idea that would at least get him on speaking terms. He climbed back up the debris, giving Josh his time alone with his woman and started searching for the very man he would employ to help.

The paramedics finally arrived, and Josh moved back giving them just enough room to work. He wouldn’t move too far away from her, and he didn’t let go of her hand. He figured as long as he held some part of her she would know she wasn’t alone.

It was tricky getting her back up the blown out hole, and even trickier getting past the debris from the bomb blast and a few bodies of members of Diane’s team. Josh helped with the gurney, and when they were on level ground, Josh’s brothers joined him at his side. They didn’t say a word, just followed him, waiting to be there for him just in case he faltered.

The paramedic told him where they were taking her, and he nodded.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear, “I’m going to be right behind you. Just concentrate on getting better, beautiful.”

He stepped back and watched as they lifted her up into the ambulance. He didn’t move when they closed the door or when they drove off lights and sirens.

He said to no one in particular, “I want a body on her when she gets to the hospital and at all times, even if I’m there or not.”

“Already handled bro… I’ll let you know when I’m settled and keep you posted until you get there.” Malcolm walked in front of his little brother and placed both hands on his shoulders. He looked deep in Josh’s eyes and said, “I will guard her with my life. No one will ever get close to her again. You have my word… She’s family, and we take care of family… You go do what you need to.”

Malcolm squeezed his shoulder once then walked away with Misty at his heel. Josh gave her a questioning look, and she smiled and gave him a thumbs up confirming she was fine.

Josh took a calming breath and nodded. His head was killing him from the debris that fell, so he knew he needed to get checked out. But after that… he was going hunting… He looked in Shane’s eyes and saw he would definitely have company on this hunt, and he welcomed it…





Kenya


My eyes snapped open, breathing hard as I struggled to bring my heart rate and blood pressure down to normal. I had another nightmare of me running from darkness and coldness that seemed to be at my heel no matter how hard I ran.

I ran my hands through my damp hair and pushed it away from my face. I swung my legs out of heaven aka this huge king size bed and goose feathered comforter and placed a shaky foot on the floor. I started to shiver and looked over at the open window but refused to close it. Instead I tore off the egregious soaked t–shirt and threw it in the corner.

I don’t move to get up right away. I’d been dealing with equilibrium issues for months now, and I still sometimes got dizzy by standing up too fast. As you may imagine, it’s been rough for me. It was four months from today that I was kidnapped, and saying it has been an uphill battle ever since is an understatement.