Chapter 32
Josie
The FBI agents were really kind, probably the first law enforcement that had been nice to me since all of this crap had started. I couldn’t stop shaking as I sat in the chair and went over my story. I had to tell it from the beginning, when Paulie and Harry had first come to the house. I had to try to remember every single detail that I had experienced. It was a bit exhausting, and my face was throbbing. Blaine sat beside me, refusing to leave and claiming he had the right to be there because technically, he was my attorney. I was glad to have him there. Even though I’d wished he would stay away, now that the air was clear, I was so relieved that he’d shown up when he did. I couldn’t believe that I had given up the way I had, and all to keep a man safe. A man who would never leave me to die. I was silly for even thinking it.
Telling my story was easy until it got to the kidnapping. Then, it became a little more difficult to talk about. It was starting to sink in that I had gotten abducted, that Paulie had groped me, and all the other things that happened behind closed doors. I was feeling a bit traumatized.
After several hours, the FBI made sure we were safe, and they released us. I felt okay going back to Blaine’s house, although I didn’t know if I would ever go back to my father’s house again. There were too many bad memories there. The Giorntino crime family was pretty much screwed, and they ended up catching all but one of the members of the mob, the last making a run for it and plunging his car, accidentally, into the ocean. It was definitely a good day for the FBI, the state of Florida, and most importantly, me and Blaine. I knew then that all my charges would be dropped, and there were definitely some issues we had to take up with local law enforcement for not listening to me at all.
Blaine helped me gingerly up from the chair and kissed my forehead, pretty much the only part of my face not black and blue. He held my hand as we walked through the FBI headquarters, smiling at the celebrations going on around us. I guessed that they had been trying to take these guys down for a long time. Who knew little ole me would help solve a ginormous case for the FBI? Well, I didn’t do it alone. That was for sure. I looked up at Blaine and smiled as we walked hand in hand out to the car. He opened the door to the SUV and got inside, reminding me that I had demolished his car.
“Sorry about your car,” I said with a cheesy smile.
He laughed. “That’s why I have insurance, love. Gonna get a brand-spankin' new one real soon.”
I sighed with relief as we pulled up to his house, breathing in the salty sea air as I stepped out of the SUV and back on familiar ground. The security was still here, and Blaine planned on keeping them around until everything had settled down, just in case. We walked inside and put down our things, and Blaine gently grabbed my wrist and pulled me back toward the bathroom. Once inside, he helped me get my clothes off, hardening his face every time I winced.
My wrists and ankles were all cut up from the ropes, and my face felt like a punching bag. He turned on the hot water and helped me in, taking his clothes off and climbing in after me. Very carefully, he filled the soft loofah with body wash and washed Paulie off my body, minding all the cuts and bruises. Then, as if he were reading my mind, he turned me around and washed and conditioned my hair, laughing as he struggled to get it all out. I reached up and kissed his cheek, lifting my arms painfully over my head and rinsing it well.
I was still amazed at this man standing in front of me, who happened to be the only person I had left in the world. When he was done showering, he helped me out of the shower and wrapped a towel around me. He dried my body and wrung my hair out before combing through the tangles gently. I smiled at him with every stroke, knowing I had never been treated this well by anyone in my life. It was almost astonishing what he was doing for me. I looked up in his big blue eyes as he pulled my hair back in a low ponytail to keep it out of my eyes. I didn’t have the heart to tell him no woman could sleep with her wet hair pulled back at that angle, and instead, I figured I would fix it when he wasn’t looking. He then sat me down on the stool in the bathroom and pulled out the tube of ointment the medics had given us. He got down on his knees and gently applied it, carefully running his fingers over the cuts. He smiled at me as he did the same with my wrists.
I watched Blaine as he washed the ointment from his hands and dried them off. He walked over and grabbed me under the arms, helping to lift me up. My legs were still sore from being tied up, and my knees were weak, buckling at every turn. He walked me into the bedroom and helped me climb up under the covers, pulling them up to my chin and walking around the other side. I watched as he pulled his shirt off and showed his muscles, his body shimmering in the light. He was so sexy, but neither of us were in any shape to do anything about that. He pulled his arms around my body and tugged me in close, laying his head on my shoulder and watching my fingers move in and out of his. We sat there, silently watching each other for several minutes, just enjoying the silence and the ability to be close to one another. I couldn’t even begin to thank him for what he had done for me, and I decided not to try. The words were just not fitting together.
“Why did you come back for me?” I asked.
“Why?” He lifted his head and furrowed his eyebrows. “I had no choice. I love you. I couldn’t for one second be okay with letting you go. I will never let you go.”
I smiled and laid my head down on the pillow, feeling his hands trickle over my back. He had risked his life for me, and not just once. This time, though, it was a life or death situation, and I was so glad he brought the FBI with him because if he had come in alone, we would have never made it out alive. I still hadn’t faced all the things that had happened. I still hadn’t mourned my father’s death or even made arrangements for him, but knowing that Blaine loved me so much really helped seal those wounds.
“Why did you leave?” he asked.
“I didn’t have a choice,” I said. “I love you. I wanted to protect you. I never wanted to think that I was responsible for you getting hurt or killed. I couldn’t have lived with myself if something like that happened. I was going to turn myself in and take the plea, because at least then, the mob would have left you and me alone.”
He rubbed my shoulders. “Do you really believe that? The mob would have always kept you on a string. When you got out of prison, they would have had a new demand. It would have been a never-ending process.”
“I just didn’t know what else to do,” I said, sighing. “My father was dead, and the only other person they had to come after was you. I could never live with being the cause of any pain in your life. I could never imagine my life without you. It would be horrible, and I couldn’t survive it. Honestly, a life behind bars sounded better than a life without you in it. It’s my responsibility to protect the people I love so that’s what I did.”
“No,” he shushed. “It was your father’s responsibility. But I understand now why you go above and beyond to protect others. It’s because no one was there to do that for you. You were left as a kid to take care of your father, and he got so far into his addiction that he didn’t care anymore.”
“You’re right,” I said, my voice beginning to shake. I turned over in the bed and faced Blaine. “I am so sorry. I have put you through hell and back. I put your life in danger, your practice in danger, and everything because my father didn’t pay his debts, and I was too afraid to tell the truth about the mob. I could have gotten you killed. I don’t deserve the amount of amazing things you do for me on a regular basis. I don’t deserve the kind of dedication you put into this whole case. You risked your life for me.”
“And you did the same for me,” he said. “So stop. I would walk through hell for you. If I had the option to do this all over again, the only thing I would change would be being there for you more. I would have never let you go, and instead, I would have taken you to the FBI so they could clear up your charges instead of you putting yourself in harm's way. You are too precious to me to ever think otherwise.”
“You are crazy,” I said, chuckling.
“Well, everything is done now,” he said, sighing. “Now, we can really get back to life, strengthen our bond even more, and really let our love go free. You and I have such an amazing future ahead of us, and it’s just because we will be together. Everything we choose to do from here on out will be done as two people in love. There won’t be anymore drama or questions, and the only thing I’m hoping to have to save you from is when you stub your toe on the corner of the table.”
“I do that a lot,” I said, smiling. “You might have to buy me special shoes when I’m old.”
“I’ll get matching ones so you don’t feel self-conscious,” he said, leaning in and kissing my forehead.
“Thank you,” I replied, smiling at him. “Thank you for loving me like you do. Thank you for changing who you are to be a better person for us. Thank you for holding my hand no matter what. It is absolutely the best feeling ever in the entire world.”
“I will always be there,” he said, smiling. “Now, we need to cuddle up and get some sleep. It’s been a really long two weeks.”
I smiled as I turned back over and let him slide his arms around me. I grabbed onto to his hands and pulled them close to my mouth, kissing each of his fingers. I had never felt so close to anyone in my entire life. I loved this man so much, and I owed him my life, something that I would spend the rest of my days making up to him with kisses, love, and support wherever I could give it. I truly felt that the universe had brought us together at the perfect moment, a moment when we needed each other, even if we didn’t see it right away.