Page 45 of Rescuing Josiah
If she were Desiree Tilly, she’d make this her home.
“We’d like to go to our room now so my wife can rest. As I'm sure you can imagine, pulling her out of bed in the middle of the night has taken a toll on her health, and she needs to rest,” Josiah said firmly.
“Of course, of course.” Dr. Gant hurried them toward the front steps of the mansion. “I’ll have you taken to your rooms. You’ll find the closet fully stocked, fresh sheets on the bed, you’ll have your own bathroom, which should have everything you need, but if you find you're missing anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’m sorry that we needed to handle things this way, but I'm sure you understand, after all, we aren't the only ones taking risks here. Soon it will all be worth it, you’ll have your new kidney, and you’ll be able to return to your life healthier than you’ve been in a long time.”
A young woman met them at the front door, and from the way she kept her gaze on the floor, Chelsea immediately got the feeling that the transplant donors weren't the only ones not here by choice.
This was one giant mess, all started by one woman desperate enough to break the law to ensure her daughter’s survival. Now there were so many lives impacted, and even though she believed Prey would destroy the trafficking ring, nothing could ever be made right for all those affected.
The young maid didn't speak as she led them upstairs and down hallways before stopping outside a room. And neither she nor Josiah spoke as they nodded their thanks and stepped inside their home for the next few days. The room was as gorgeous as the rest of the mansion. A four-poster bed sat under the window, through an open door on the adjacent wall, she could see abathroom, there was a small seating area with a loveseat, two armchairs, and a table. All the furnishings looked expensive, and Chelsea hated that Desiree was able to afford them at the cost of other people’s lives.
When Josiah opened his arms, she didn't hesitate to walk straight into them, snuggling closer when they closed around her.
“We have to be on now, every second, there could be cameras everywhere,” Josiah whispered, his lips against her ear.
“I know.” If they slipped up now, they’d be killed, possibly before they could activate the trackers, as activating the trackers was the signal to Prey that their target had been sighted and for them to move in.
“You can do this.”
“Together we can do this,” she corrected.
Chapter
Thirteen
May 16th
4:17 P.M.
With all the things he’d done in his life, this should be one of the easier ones.
From what he’d seen so far, and they hadn't been able to explore much yet, Josiah hadn't seen many guards hanging around. He was sure there were some, probably around the perimeter, but the mansion itself really did seem to be a luxury spa hotel.
Something which set him on edge almost as much as having Chelsea here with him.
Not only were luxury hotels not his scene, but he hated knowing that those with enough money to buy their shot at living through an illegally acquired organ were treated like royalty, while those supplying those organs suffered slow, agonizing, horrific deaths.
But as much as that bothered him, it couldn’t compare to his fear for the woman beside him.
Even though he knew she was as angry at the injustices as he was, and she was scared she wouldn’t be able to pull off her role, she was doing this as well as he could ever have hoped for. Better than he’d expected. He was ashamed to admit now that he’d ever doubted her.
“You don’t leave my sight for any reason,” he warned as they approached the doctor’s office. They had been summoned for an appointment with Dr. Gant after spending the last few hours in bed feigning sleep so Chelsea could “recover” from the ordeal of being snatched out of bed in the middle of the night.
Maybe she hadn't needed sleep to recover, but he had a feeling she had needed the reassurance of lying in his arms for a few hours to settle her nerves. Despite her fears, she was facing this head-on, with a confidence that amazed him.
If he’d had trouble ignoring his feelings for Chelsea before they undertook this operation, it was going to be a million times worse when they went back home. Back then he’d known she was smart and funny, kind and generous, but he hadn't grasped the depths of her compassion, her strength, her determination to be true to herself, her courage to assert her wants and needs, and her ability to take risks knowing she might be hurt.
She sure as hell had more courage, strength, and determination than he had.
“I won't,” she assured him with a soft smile as they reached the doctor’s door.
No more than two seconds after he’d knocked, the door was flung open by Dr. Gant, and Josiah had to wonder if the man had been watching their progress on the cameras he could feel capturing their every move. They were hidden well, and he couldn’t obviously search for them, but he knew they were there, nonetheless.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Fleet, Mrs. Fleet. I trust you were able to get some rest?”
“Yes, thank you,” Chelsea replied.
“Your room is to your liking?”
