Page 40 of Protecting Josie
“You want to know what I’ve learned by watching you?” he asked.
Josie’s brows furrowed, and she shook her head.
Blink chuckled softly. He was enjoying this moment in time. The intimacy of it. Even though they were in a room with all of his teammates, it felt as if they were in a bubble of their own. “I’m going to tell you anyway. You’re like me, Spirit. You watch others. Figure out what they’re all about before you interact. You did that with me. You weren’t sure you could trust me. Didn’t know what I might do when I found out you were there in that cell. And when you realized that I was on your side, that I wouldn’t hurt you, you acted.”
Josie moved so her cheek was resting on his chest once more, breaking eye contact.
“You giving me that water…it changed my life, Josie,” Blink admitted in a whisper. “I know what that water meant. It was literally your lifeline. By all rights, you should’ve been dead. I don’t know how long you’d gone without food, but any idiot could see it was averylong time. It took over a day and a half for that cup to fill with water. And yougaveit to me. Not half of it, the whole cup. My teammates would give their lives for me, and I’d do the same for them, but outside those men…no one has ever shown me the kind of courage and selflessness you did.
“I’m going to do everything in my power to return that kindness. Not because I have to. Not because I feel obligated in some way. But because if I can’t find a way to keep you in my life, I’m not sure I can even keep doing what I’m doing. I’ve seen too much hate. Too much death. I need you in my life to balance it. Not someonelikeyou—but you.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Blink suddenly wished he could take them all back. By the look on her face, he knew he was coming on too strong. Way too fucking strong. This woman had just been through hell. She had a life back in the States. And here he was, basically telling her he wasn’t going to let her go. Shit, like he was a stalker or something. The thought made him want to beat his own ass.
Josie picked up her head and looked at him once more. She had tears in her eyes, and Blink panicked, his own eyes going wide at the sight. He hadn’t meant to upset her! Hadn’t meant to make her cry.
“Fuck,” he swore.
To his great surprise, she gave him a watery smile. “You say fuck a lot.”
Blink gaped at her in total shock. Her voice was a low and raspy whisper, as if her vocal cords were rusty from not having been used for so long. And she seemed just as surprised to hear it as he was.
He wanted to leap up and let out a yell of triumph. She’d spoken! Tohim! It felt like a huge victory.
He forced himself to keep his cool. “Yeah. I do. Should I apologize?” he asked.
She gave him a small shake of her head.
“It’s just that the word perfectly sums up how I feel when I use it. If I’m hurting, surprised, concerned, excited…it can convey all those feelings. It’s a multipurpose word that always fits the occasion.” Blink brought his hand to her face and wiped away the tears on her cheeks with his thumb. “Don’t cry, Josie. I can’t stand it when you cry.”
She gave him another wobbly smile.
Then Kevlar’s alarm started pealing in the quiet room.
There were moans and groans from the men around them. Kevlar barked, “Time to get up, boys! We’re going home!”
“The only reason you’re excited is because you get to see Remi,” Smiley bitched.
“Yup. And one day, you’ll have your own woman to go home to, thenyou’llbe the first one up. Getting on all of our nerves by trying to make us hurry.”
“Not likely,” he groaned.
“Told you,” Blink said quietly to Josie. “You ready for today?”
She shrugged.
“Well, whatever happens, I’ll be there. So you don’t need to worry. Okay?”
Okay, she mouthed.
Blink hadn’t expected her to start babbling away, now that she’d finally spoken, but he hoped she’d gain some confidence and would be able to use words more often than not. He smiled at the thought.
Josie poked his chest and tilted her head at him in question.
“I was just thinking about how I’m the verbose one in this relationship,” he admitted honestly. “Which is hilarious, because I’m anything but talkative…with anyone other than you.”
“He’s not lying,” Flash said from the bunk next to them. “Blink’s aseriouslyquiet guy. You know he’s thinking a mile a minute under that dead-eye stare he’s got, but he never opens his mouth unless he’s got something to say.”
Josie gave Blink a small smile. One that went straight to his heart.
