Page 31 of Protecting Josie
Woman trash Not Army Not worth trouble
Blink was done. “You are not trash,” he said almost angrily.
They think Not me
But Blink wasn’t sure she truly believed what she’d written. He could see it in the way her shoulders slumped. How she tried to curl into herself. She’d been thrown into that cell and forgotten, like she’d said. Or maybe she wasn’t forgotten, but clearly no one gave her enough thought to neither continue to torture her, nor keep her alive. She was literallynothingto their captors. Just like she said. And it pissed Blink way the hell off.
“You have family, Josie?” Tate asked gently. “Someone we can get in touch with to let them know you’re okay? Someone has to be worried about you.”
Josie stared at Blink’s brother for a tense moment beforeshaking her head and shrugging again. She dropped the knife and stood, pointing toward the bushes where they’d been going to pee, and slowly disappeared behind them.
“Well, shit,” Pyro said.
“If she had anyone who was worried about her not returning from vacation, surely they would’ve contacted the authorities by now. Told them that she’d gone to Kuwait and hadn’t come back. That information would’ve gotten to someone in our circles eventually,” Kevlar stated.
Blink would’ve liked to think so, but he wasn’t sure. If she truly didn’t have anyone who’d noticed she was gone…
That was unfathomable.
Josie returned before they could discuss it further. She began to clean up their dinner, carefully putting the uneaten food back into the pouches so they could eat it later. No one felt much like talking after learning what they had about Josie’s situation. So everyone simply settled in to wait. For darkness to fall. For rescue. Something.
Blink couldn’t stay away from Josie if his life depended on it. Without a word, he scooted up behind her and urged her to lay on her side to rest, then spooned her. His arm went around her waist, and he held her against him, secure in the cradle of his body. He completely dwarfed her. But it felt right, as if he was protecting her from the world.
She was stiff at first but gradually relaxed. Blink shifted until his other arm was under her head, so she could use it as a pillow.
Neither of them slept, but it felt good to just lie there. With her.
CHAPTER NINE
Josie was embarrassed. She’d kind of freaked out, after doing so well in the last few weeks to feel nothing. But knowing that she’d likely be separated from Nate, and would probably never see him again, made her panic. She was no one. Nate was a Navy SEAL. He was important. And realizing the military people on the boat might think she was a traitor or a spy had made her desperate to let these men—men who seemed to actually like her a little—know who she was.
It was hard to communicate without speaking. But she’d been able to tell them some basic facts. Maybe it was enough for the people in charge on the boat not to lock her in the brig—she had no idea if that was even a thing anymore—and they’d figure out a way for her to get home.
But the thought of going back to Las Vegas, to her empty apartment, wasn’t appealing. She doubted anyone even noticed she hadn’t come back from vacation. Hell, they probably didn’t even know she’d left. The mail carrier might’venoticed, but only because she never came in to get the mail she’d put on hold.
Her life was kind of pathetic, and she wasn’t eager to return to it. But where else would she go?
With a sigh, she inched slightly closer to Nate. Lying there with him felt…good. She was relieved he hadn’t thought badly of her for coming to Kuwait to see a guy she was going to break up with. It had been a horrible idea, obviously, but she was thankful Nate didn’t seem to think so.
Or hell, maybe he did, and he just wasn’t saying anything.
Maybe he felt too sorry for her to share his opinion.
But she didn’t think so. She wasn’t an expert on men, but surely he wouldn’t be snuggling with her if he thought she was stupid?
She was too tired to think about it anymore. Tired but not sleepy. Which made no sense. So Josie simply lay in Nate’s arms, doing her best not to think about the future either. She couldn’t predict what would happen. Things had been so crazy, she couldn’t imagine what was up for her next.
She didn’t have to wait long to find out. She felt Nate pick his head up at the same time she heard a faint drumming sound in the sky.
“They’re here,” Pyro suddenly announced.
Nate was up and moving in a flash. He urged her to sit up and said, “It’s time, Josie. We’re going home.”
She kind of missed Nate calling her Spirit. She wasn’t sure about the nickname at first, but she’d gotten used to it pretty quickly. She’d never been given a nickname before, and knowing why he’d called her that felt pretty darn good.
She got to her feet and stood with the others, looking upat the sky. The sun had almost set and there was just enough light to see without tripping over any rocks. But Josie had no idea if someone flying a helicopter could see well enough to land, especially not where they were currently standing. Maybe they’d have to go up that rope thing again. It wasn’t something she was looking forward to, but if it would get them out of there, she’d do whatever it took.
“Here they come,” Tate said unnecessarily.
