Page 70 of Play of Love
“Amy.” The person sounded like Josh, but how could it be? He wouldn’t be here, he didn’t even know where I lived. I thought I would pass out from the shaking and the terror that took me when I watched the door and the bin move.
“Amy.” The person moved the door with a little more force, prying it open.
I moved up against the wall under the window, recoiling away, as if that could help.
“Please have mercy,” I begged as the tears wracked my body.
“Baby, it’s me.” I looked up and saw Josh coming towards me. He came up to me and lowered next to me so he could pull me within the safety of his arms. I threw my arms around him and held onto him so tight my hands tingled. How had he known to come?
“Josh,” I cried into his chest. Then he pulled back and looked me over.
“Amy, what the hell are you doing in this shithole?”
I couldn’t talk, I was crying too much.
“What happened?”
“They took my stuff, everything is gone.”
“They? Who isthey?” He released me and stood up so he could flick on the light switch, but of course there was no light.
“They turned off the power.”
He got out his phone and shined the flashlight on me so he could see me better. I could see his eyes widen when he looked at my face and could only imagine that hit Dom gave me must have left a mark.
“Jesus. Who did this to you?” He held my face.
“It’s okay. I’m fine.”
“No. You tell me right now who did this to you and who they are,” he demanded.
“The landlord and his jerk friends.”
“Do they live here?”
I nodded.
“Okay, pack up what you have left.”
All I could do was look at him and try to work out what he meant. “What are we doing?”
“We’re going home, but first we’re going to get the rest of your things back.”
I looked at his stern, very serious expression on his handsome face. I opened my mouth to talk but didn’t know what to comment on first. I didn’t have a home, and going after these guys would be dangerous. Dom had a gun.
“Home?” I breathed.
He reached out and held my face and his expression softened a little. “You’re coming home with me, and I’m going to take care of you.”
That moment was the most safe and secure I’d ever felt in my life. And as I gazed into his eyes I didn’t think I’d ever experienced the warmth and care I felt from anyone. Not even from Mom. She tried to take the very best care of me and Tristan, but sometimes she just couldn’t. Sometimes they really had to rough it out. Whether that was the trailer park, or in the back of a car.
“I’ll take care of you,” he repeated with an assertive nod. “Now come, get it all together and let’s go.”
“Thank you.” I continued to gaze in his eyes. He took my hand, brought it up to his lips, and kissed my knuckles. I savored the moment for a few brief seconds, then pulled in a sharp breath at the memory of the gun. “Josh, they have a gun. The landlord pointed it at me. You could get hurt.”
His eyes blazed when he heard that. “Baby you let me worry about that. Come on.”
Since I didn’t have much to grab we were out of there within minutes. He kept me close as I directed him to Dom’s apartment. Loud music came from inside and it sounded like there was a party going on.
