by K. C. Crowne
I collapsed on his chest, truly spent from the day. I didn’t think it would be possible to climb out of the bathtub, but as always, Cyrus wouldn’t let me falter.
He helped me back into the tub, relaxing, and lathered up a loofah with soap. He washed me from head to toe, gently running the loofah over my body. I closed my eyes and felt like maybe, just maybe I’d been right earlier. I was in Heaven, or as close to it as I could get.
“I love you,” I whispered, half asleep.
“I love you too, Josie.”
I hardly even felt him as he lifted me from the bathtub and carried me into the bedroom, putting me to me bed. I remembered nestling against him, but that was it.
Ooo000ooo
I was awake bright and early - earlier than Cyrus for a change. I threw on some clothes just as he woke up.
“Where are you going?”
“I have to go into work, Cyrus. I’m sorry,” I said.
He sat up in bed and wiped at his eyes. He ran a hand through his tousled bed head and looked confused. “Why?”
“Because I have a meeting today. A client wants to talk to me about a potentially huge booking that could bring in more money than I typically make in a year, plus lots of potential new clients.”
“But we’ve talked about this. You don’t need the money.”
“It’s not just the money, Cyrus,” I sighed. “I can’t let my business fall by the wayside. If I don’t keep it up and running, it’ll be harder when I go back - and I do eventually want to go back. I can’t stay cooped up here forever.”
He climbed out of bed, not arguing with me, which took me by surprise. He threw on some clothes.
“What are you doing?”
“I agree, you probably do need to keep working,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean you’re going to do it alone.”
My jaw nearly hit the floor. “You’re going to work with me?”
“Sure, why not? If anything, I can sit around and keep an eye on things, but who knows? Maybe I can help.” He winked at me.
“But we’re—” I wanted to say competitors, but that no longer seemed to fit. He was my husband, but did that mean we were no longer in competition with one another? We still ran two separate businesses doing very similar things. How could we reconcile that?
“We’re husband and wife now,” he said matter-of-factly.
Milo fussed in his crib and Cyrus walked over to him without hesitation. He picked him up and said, “Good morning, little guy. Wanna go work with mommy today?”
“My mother could watch him,” I began, but he shook his head.
“Nah, I’d feel safer if we were all together. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
He had a point. I felt safer with Milo and Cyrus nearby too. I didn’t bother to argue with him but was still surprised by his willingness to go with me to work. Not just that, he wasn’t fighting me going in at all. He was right, as long as we were married, money wasn’t the issue. But I didn’t run my own business just to make money. It was my calling. It’s what I had for me. And I didn’t want anyone to take that away from me, least of all Wade. He’d done enough damage to my life already; I wouldn’t give up my business for him too.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I mean, unless you’re willing to change your mind and stay home, I don’t see any other choice. I knew what I was getting into with you,” he said, smirking. “We’re the same in that regard, Josie - we both value our work. I know your business means a lot to you, and I want to support that, but I also want to keep you safe.”
To have freedom, even under these circumstances, and for him to understand my need for freedom, meant more to me than almost anything else.
“Alright then,” I said, throwing on the rest of my clothes. “Let’s get ready for work.”
Chapter 20
Cyrus
“Milo and I will sit over here, out of your hair,” I said, carrying the baby over to the front desk, which had a computer. I was kidding myself, thinking I might actually get some of my own work done. I had to cancel most of my meetings with potential clients and clear my schedule, but I really needed to keep my own business going too.
“There’s not much for you to do here. I’m sorry.”
“As long as you have wi-fi, I’m sure I can entertain myself.”
She went through the building turning on all the lights. I’d never been inside her place before. It looked small from the outside, but it felt roomier inside. She had a minimalistic design approach and that helped a lot.
I could hear her humming as she walked back toward the front lobby. When she came into the room, she was frowning, however.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just worry that since I’ve been closed so much of this week, no one will come for my morning class. I can’t really blame them.”
“Did you send a message to your customers?”
She thought about that for a second and pulled out her phone. “No, but that’s a good idea. Thanks for the suggestion.”
“Of course,” I said, leaning back in the chair. Milo fussed in my arms, asking to be put down. I set him down on the floor and pulled some toys from the bag we’d brought with us. He grabbed the play cups and started stacking them, sitting right at my feet. I’d have joined him on the floor, but it might look a little weird to have a giant man sitting on the floor if customers walked in. I considered it anyway.
“There, sent. I let them know we’re open for classes and consultations today. Hopefully that means we’ll get some folks in here.”
“I’m sure you will.”
Josie got to work around the office, and I tried to help where I could. Mostly we moved some things around she’d been meaning to move for some time but needed someone stronger to help her with. I put up some new pictures on the walls. We took turns playing with Milo on the floor, and he crawled around, following us and watching everything we did.
I had to admit, we made a pretty nice team when we were working together.
The bell on the door chimed as someone entered the building, followed by another.
Josie grinned. “Just in time for my morning class. Thanks for suggesting reaching out to them.”
I winked as she scurried off to greet her customers. Milo and I followed. I intended to take my place back at the front behind the desk. The door opened again before I took my seat, and I found myself staring at Ben. He froze, then looked backward, as if wanting to run away. But he knew he’d been caught already.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I, uhh, well, I’ve been taking classes.” He scratched his chin and refused to meet my gaze.
Josie was beside me and added, “Ben’s been with us for a few classes so far. Even signed up for the monthly membership.”
I raised an eyebrow. My only concern was him causing trouble, but from the friendly look on Josie’s face at seeing him, I didn’t get the impression he was there to be a problem.
“You like yoga now?” I asked.
“I guess so, yeah,” Ben said sheepishly.
Josie stayed quiet. I think they both expected me to say something snarky or condescending. Ben was a big guy like me, not someone you’d expect to be contorting his body in a yoga class.
“Well good for you, man,” I said, reaching out and patting him on the shoulder. “Enjoy your class.”
Ben’s jaw opened as if he was shocked. Maybe the old me would have said something in jest, but fitness is fitness as far as I was concerned. It wasn’t my thing, but it meant one more customer for Josie and that made her happy, so it made me happy too.
Josie gathered all the students in the classroom, then came back out and gave me a quick peck on the lips.
“You and Milo okay for about forty-five minutes?”
I looked down at the little guy happily playing with blocks on the floor. “I think we can manage.”
“Thank you,” she said, slipping back into the classroom.
The
walls were glass, so I could see everything. Originally, I’d planned to get some work done, but once the class started, I was mesmerized by it. Mainly by Josie. Every move she made was fluid and perfect. She was flexible, something I hadn’t considered before, and there was something erotic and beautiful about each move she made.
I found myself enjoying the view - and not just because her ass looked nice in downward dog. She was simply beautiful and in her element. There was something magical about that.
When the class finished, she was the last to leave the room, talking to each person and smiling, giving them positive feedback. Never before had I realized how important her job was to people. We might be in similar industries, but we offered different experiences to different types of people.
Ben stopped by the desk on his way out. “So, when do you think you’ll be back, boss?”
I shrugged. “Soon, hopefully, but I’ve got some shit going on.”
Ben nodded. He’d been working still, mostly keeping everyone aware of what was going on and rescheduling appointments. He was a personal trainer as well, so he ran a few sessions while I was out of the office.
“Alright, well, I’ll keep holding down the fort.”
“Thanks, man,” I said.
Ben left, and eventually, so did everyone else. Josie came out of the classroom and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She seemed to be glowing and smiling wider than I’d seen her smile in a long time.
“That was nice. Exactly what I needed after everything lately.”
Milo let out a soft cry and reached his arms upward for his mother. Josie picked up him and grimaced. “Ooh, boy, someone needs a change. I’ll be right back.”
She walked down the hallway toward the bathroom, which was at the very end. I turned to the computer and started it up. It was a really old computer and took forever. I tapped against the table, wondering what was taking Josie so long.
The sound of glass shattering caught my attention.
“Josie?” I called, turning around in my seat.
My heart was already racing, and I was up out of the chair before I heard Josie scream, “Cyrus!”
I ran down the hallway, reaching the bathroom in record time. The door was locked, so I pounded against it. Thankfully, it was weak as hell; one solid kick and the door flew open.
A man in a black mask had Milo in his arms and was trying to climb out of the window above the sink. Josie wasn’t making it easy on the guy, pounding on his back and pulling on his clothing. Blood poured from her face where she’d been hit pretty hard. There was blood all over the sink and floor too - her blood. It made me see red instantly. Even hurt, she was still fighting back.
Milo’s screams were deafening and only pushed me over the edge even more.
I rushed over and grabbed the guy, pulling him down from the sink. He fell backwards onto the floor, his head cracking as it hit. Milo fell from his arms at the very end, thankfully close to the floor. He landed on the man’s chest, and Josie grabbed her son.
The masked man then went still on the floor.
Josie looked at me, cradling Milo in her arms and comforting him. “Is he…”
I wasn’t sure if he was dead or not. I dropped to the floor, checked for a pulse. “He’s still alive. Call 9-1-1, now.”
Josie nodded, still trembling as she reached for her phone in her pocket. She needed an EMT as much as the guy on the ground did; the bleeding wasn’t letting up. From what I gathered, the man had slammed her face into the sink.
When I turned my attention back to the man, he moved. Fast. He grabbed my head and neck, slamming it into the wall behind us. It wasn’t that hard of a hit, but it took me by surprise. He’d been faking being passed out. Before I could get my bearings together, the man pushed himself up to standing and sprinted out of the bathroom. I got up as fast as I could and ran after him.
The bell at the door chimed, and I entered the front entryway just as he left. I took off out the door, but stopped, thinking about how Josie and Milo were inside alone. They needed me if he came back or had an accomplice.
I hurried back inside, locking the front door before heading back to the bathroom. I was relieved to find Josie sitting on the floor, Milo in her arms, talking to someone on the phone and asking for help.
She looked up at me as I entered and there was true terror in her eyes now. She wasn’t just hurt; she was absolutely terrified.
I knew her business was important to her, I knew she wanted to keep working, but I wasn’t willing to let her risk it again. I could see it in her eyes - she knew it had been a mistake to come into the office too.
Ooo000ooo
“What do you mean you have no way of connecting this with Wade? The guy at the wedding literally announced he was working for him!” I slammed my fists down onto the desk.
Teddy was a damn good sheriff most of the time. He was even a good friend, someone I thought I could trust. But now I had my doubts.
“Chuck is a private eye who says he was hired by Wade, and he went too far, yes, but there’s been no proof that Wade authorized him to do any of that. Wade insists he knew that Josie was hiding something from him, and that he has a right to know about his son.”
“He’s not his son,” I growled. “Milo is my son.”
Teddy didn’t look entirely convinced, but he finally nodded. He threw his hands in the air. “My hands are tied, Cyrus. I can’t really prove anything, and we can’t go off hunches. I’m with you. I believe that Wade is behind this, but without solid proof…” He shrugged his shoulders to indicate the end of his sentence: the police could do nothing.
Josie let out a muffled cry behind me. I glanced back at her and Milo, who were sitting at her desk. An EMT had cleaned and treated her face, placing a butterfly stitch on her forehead where the laceration was deeper than the others. I looked at her bruised face and felt my stomach clench.
I was literally down the hall from Josie and Milo and a criminal almost kidnapped Milo and seriously injured Josie. I’d promised to protect the two of them, and right now, I wasn’t doing the best job of it. I had to do better.
“I’m going to continue looking into Chuck. We’ve got our eyes on him. One thing I can say for certain is that the guy who broke in wasn’t him. My deputies were watching him all damned day.”
I sighed. “Still doesn’t mean Wade didn’t hire someone else.”
“I agree. And we’re going to keep looking for this guy, Cyrus. I’m going to do everything I can to connect him to Wade, but I can’t make miracles happen either. I have to act within the confines of the law.”
“Fuck the law. They’re doing a terrible job of protecting an innocent woman and child, not that I’m surprised.” I remembered all the times the sheriff had been called on my dad growing up. And all the times they left without arresting my dad because he was a good old boy. He bought them off. I didn’t think Teddy was the type to be bought, but I really didn’t trust anyone anymore.
“Listen, I understand your frustration, but you cannot take the law into your own hands or I will have to arrest you. Let me handle this.”
“Wade has a court date in a few days. That asshole could be getting out, and considering he’s harassing Josie and making her life hell from behind bars, I’m not looking forward to seeing what he’ll do once he’s out.”
Teddy didn’t say anything. There wasn’t much left to say, really. The law had restrictions, and those restrictions allowed a very dangerous man back on the streets. It wasn’t right, and I wasn’t going to let my wife and son get caught in the crosshairs.
“Just don’t break the law, Cyrus. That’s all I’m asking.”
“See to it that Wade is kept behind bars and then we’ll talk. Until then, I make no promises.”
Teddy sighed, and before he left, he had a few words with Josie. He tried to comfort her, but he couldn’t offer her what she needed the most - his word that Wade wouldn’t be free to terrorize her in a few days.
My fury was bo
undless. If I could, I’d break into prison and kill that asshole to make sure he never terrorized Josie again. Barring that, I wasn’t sure what other options I had.
Except for one.
I reached for my phone.
“Who are you calling?” Josie asked, her voice quiet.
“A lawyer. We’re going to need one.”
“I can’t afford a lawyer.”
“I can, and we’re married now. What’s mine is yours, Josie, and I’m going to get you the best damned lawyer money can buy.”
“And what will a lawyer do?”
“We’ll have to talk to him and figure it out. I’m sure there’s something we can do to make sure Wade can’t come near you and Milo ever again. If Wade wants to threaten you with power and money, we’ll fight back with power and money.”
Josie stood up and rushed over to me. With Milo between us, she hugged me. I held the two of them close.
If the legal route couldn’t protect us, I’d do whatever I had to. But for now, I’d try fighting fire with fire.
Chapter 21
Josie
We stayed sheltered at Cyrus’s house for days, only leaving to meet with the lawyer. Even then, Cyrus didn’t let Milo or me out of his sight, and we always went straight home.
We debated with ourselves about the court date itself. I’d been called to testify, so I would have to be there. But did we want to bring Milo out in the public eye? I offered to go alone, to let Cyrus stay home with Milo, but he refused.
“I don’t like leaving Milo,” I said for the hundredth time as Cyrus drove us to the courthouse.
“I don’t either, but I trust Grant. He’s a good man who will protect him at all costs.”
We’d gone out of our way to get Milo to Grant secretly. Grant came over and literally snuck out with Milo. He hid him against his body inside his jacket. He already had a car seat and everything in his car; we’d set that up beforehand. He was to take Milo back to his place, which was as safe a place as he could be. Grant was an ex-Marine. He knew how to fight back. Anyone walking into that house uninvited was literally asking to leave in a body bag.