Page 54 of Rescuing Josiah
“Hi,” Chelsea said as they approached the couple.
“Hi,” the man said back.
From the way the couple sat, with the woman lounging in an overstuffed armchair and the man with his own chair pulled close, hovering protectively over her, Josiah assumed that it was the woman who had received the lifesaving transplant, or was about to.
“You guys mind if we sit?” Chelsea asked, indicating the couch opposite the two chairs.
“Not at all,” the woman said, offering them a smile. “You two new here?”
“Just arrived yesterday,” Chelsea replied, as both of them sat down on the couch. “I'm Chelsea, and this is my husband, Josiah.”
“Amy and Gavin,” the woman supplied. “That middle of the night wake-up call is terrifying, isn’t it?”
At her words, the man, Gavin, bristled, and it was clear that he was protective of his wife. It was also good to know that the break-in hadn't been just for them, which meant the ring really did believe they were there to buy an organ.
“Terrifying,” Chelsea agreed. “You guys have been here for a while?”
“We’re almost ready to leave,” Amy said with a grin.
“My wife is almost back to her old self,” Gavin added, a tender smile on his face as he brushed his knuckles across his wife’s cheek.
“I'm so glad your surgery was successful,” Chelsea said, smiling at the couple even though he knew she was as upset as he was about the way these wealthy people were fine with knowingtheir donor had suffered horribly. “And you were … okay … with how everything went down?”
Immediately they both had the grace to look embarrassed. At least that was something.
“It wasn't easy,” Amy said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. “But knowing that the donors they use are at least criminals helped. Money to get their lives restarted seems a good trade off for giving up an organ.”
Interesting.
They hadn't known that’s what the ring was spouting out.
“We try not to think about it too much, it makes Amy upset,” Gavin inserted.
Yeah, Heaven forbid that the people paying to disassemble another living, breathing human being’s body, should have to feel upset about it. Upset was nothing compared to the pain and terror the victims were suffering.
Chelsea nodded. “Yeah, I'm a little … upset … about it too. But, I mean, it’s that or die, so … I can see why you just try not to think about it.”
Just because the trafficking ring knew who they really were didn't mean anyone else here needed to. Besides, he wasn't even sure Amy and Gavin, or anyone else here, would care if they learned the donors weren't criminals but everyday people just like them, who had been snatched off the streets and imprisoned by the ring.
“Can I ask what transplant you needed?” Chelsea asked.
“Skin,” Gavin replied. “My wife was in a terrible accident, and her legs were so badly burned she almost lost them. The doctors weren't able to find us a donor, and my wife didn't have enough good skin left to transplant, plus she was still weak and recovering. When we were contacted by the clinic, we jumped at the chance to get Amy her life back.”
“Of course,” Chelsea tutted understandingly. “You guys are still young, you have your whole lives ahead of you, of course, you wanted to grab that chance and run with it. We’re the same way.”
“Gavin would do anything for me,” Amy said, staring lovingly up at her husband.
The other man’s gaze met his, and Josiah realized that at least they had this in common. Because he would do anything for Chelsea. Including, he realized with somewhat shocked horror, attempt to face his demons.
“Same way you're here doing this for your wife,” Gavin said.
Josiah nodded. Suddenly, needing to touch more of Chelsea than just her hand, he hauled her into his lap, uncaring of what anyone watching, either the couple they were talking with or anyone watching surveillance footage, thought.
“We want to have kids, grow old together, play with grandbabies, and travel the world,” Chelsea said as she snuggled into him.
“Same,” Amy said, leaning into her husband’s touch when he palmed her cheek.
“You guys want kids?” Chelsea asked, the question sounding completely innocent, even though Josiah knew where she was going with it.
