“Talk to me,” she said again, woozy and sleepy. But she didn’t want to go to sleep. Not yet.
He kissed her brow. “Give me just a second, baby. I want to talk to the nurse about you but I’ll be right back. Can you stay awake for me?”
“Uh-huh.”
She felt him move away and she was suddenly cold. She hated that feeling. Fear and panic seeped all the way to her bones. Her lips chattered but they were so swollen that it felt weird, like they were ten times their size.
Or maybe it was just the medication.
Why did it hurt so bad to breathe? It was then she became aware of the oxygen blowing through her nostrils. Her chest was so tight and her muscles ached from head to toe.
Had they wanted to kill her? But no, that couldn’t be the case. They’d given her a message to give to Ash. Had she given it to him?
Panic flared all over again. She had to tell him! Mia and Bethany were in danger, and she’d never forgive herself if they were hurt because she hadn’t warned Gabe and Jace.
“Ash,” she called out as loudly as she could.
“Right here, baby. What’s wrong? You need to slow down your breathing. You’re going too fast. Can you do that for me?”
She sucked in a deep breath and tried to steady herself. The pressure building in her chest was intense. She dragged in another breath, blew it out and then tried again.
“What is it, Josie? What are you afraid of?”
“Mia. Bethany,” she croaked out. “He’ll hurt them like he hurt me. Have to tell Gabe and Jace.”
“Already done,” he soothed. “You told us. Gabe and Jace are making sure that Mia and Bethany are safe. You don’t have to worry about them. I’ve taken care of Britt too. You’ll be happy to know that Kai has her under lock and key.”
She tried to smile. She may have even managed half of one judging by Ash’s look of delight.
Then she sobered because the big question remained unanswered. And she was getting groggier and groggier. It was getting harder to stay awake. She wanted nothing more than to drift off into oblivion where there was no pain, no worries. Nothing but a black void of nothing.
“Why?”
Ash sighed. Didn’t even try to misunderstand her.
“They hurt you because of me,” he said, pain thick in his voice. “Because of the business. Me, Gabe and Jace. He’s an asshole who hurt Mia before. I didn’t know it, but he and Gabe have history. He was retaliating because we shut him down and refused to do business with him. It’s not going to happen again, Josie. I swear to you it won’t.”
The resoluteness of his words worried Josie. It was the same matter of fact way he’d spoken of Michael and the fact that Michael would no longer be an issue.
“What did you do?” she whispered.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” he said as he brushed another kiss across her forehead.
She frowned, her eyes half-closed already. She struggled to remain awake and focused.
“That’s not an answer,” she slurred out.
“It is,” he insisted. “I don’t want you to worry about anything but getting better. This doesn’t touch you, Josie. It never will.”
“Don’t want to lose you,” she whispered.
He stroked her hair, his eyes soft with love. “You won’t lose me. Never that. I’m always going to be here.”