“Why does he get to drive?”Erik asked.
“I chose one of you.Let’s go.Ares are you coming?”
“Yep.Move out of my way, Xander.”
“Keep me informed.”
“Why?There’ nothing for me to tell you.”
He marched out of the conference room behind the guys but paused at the doorway.
“When I have Josie safe in my arms I'm taking her home.To our home.I bought a place that looks out over Howe Sound.That’s where we were on Christmas Eve.I’m going to be happy, whether you like it or not!”
“Good,” His brother said calmly.“Don’t let me stand in your way, I never asked to be in that role.You think it had to be one or the other but it's not.”
“That’s not true!I even told Josie she’d have to accept that taking care of you is part of my deal.”
“Is it?”Xander tilted his head.“Or are you just afraid of what happens when you have to focus on what it is you want?When you can’t use me as an excuse anymore.You asked me what if it was Harper,” Xander shook his head.“I would have turned every single inch of this city apart until I found her.I would have screamed at the moon until it came down, demanding that the gods give me her back.I wouldn’t have moped around for fucking days, telling myself I couldn’t do anything because I had to protect my brother.”
Xander never minced words.
“You're welcome, for everything.”He marched out of the building he had helped build because it was his brother’s vision and into the car of the men loyal to him.
Nothing was going to stop him from finding Josie and showing her how much he loved her.Not even loyalty.
34 JOSIE
“Yougavehertoomuch of the drug.”
Josie tried to keep her eyes closed.They didn’t know she’d been awake long enough to hear their whole conversation.Carter’s plan was to drive her to the restaurant, make her give him her client list and then they were going to move her.Jared had a home in Seattle.Josie hoped they did bring her to the restaurant because that was her best chance of escaping.She’d run right into traffic if she had to.The other restaurants around them had to be open.The hair salon on the corner, the pharmacy next to it.They weren’t in some rural country setting where nobody would see her.
“Did you try touching her?”
She opened her eyes as Jared shook her.
“Ugh.I feel awful.”
“Josie, here is some water.With no drugs in it.You’ll feel better,” Carter rushed over to make her drink again.She didn't want to, but he held it to her parched lips, and she couldn't help it but guzzle it.
She couldn’t sleep and was losing track of time.Her skin felt like it was stretched too tight, and it was going to crack.
Her lips were dry, and she couldn’t stop her heart beating so fast, as if she was running a marathon.
Her stomach rumbled.Her feet hurt.Her whole body throbbed with pain.She leaned her head against the couch, wanting to close her eyes.
Carter had helped her to the windowless bathroom and stood outside.She splashed water on her face which only made her skin feel drier.
The good thing about having her body flooded with drugs was that it kept her from thinking.Every time her thoughts surfaced, she almost wished Jared would stick another needle in her neck or like he did last, her thigh.That had hurt and she could feel the bruise.But once her thoughts surfaced, guilt made her break out in sweat.
How could she have been so stupid to run out of Ares’s house?She didn’t even give him a chance to explain.
He’s the only man she ever met that never treated her as if she's something other than broken.
He always respected her, made her feel like a goddess with how he looked at her.She’d give anything to see his green eyes blaze with heat.Anything to kiss his feathery lip.To be in his ropes.
How could she possibly think about that now?But she felt safe thinking about him.
He was the only man who made her feel safe.
