“Jett, Flynn, you’re sure that Nash and Riker will be safe? You’re sure that Desi can’t get to them? I’m scared. You weren’t there. You don’t know what Desi looked like,” she whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek.
Stone reached over and gently wiped it away.
Flynn and Jett smiled at her.
“A lot of things have become clear,” Flynn stated. “Things they’ll discuss with you when we get you to the safe location. But know this, Riker and Nash are good at what they do. They’re in agent mode right now, and that’s what’s going to keep them and you safe. So no worries, okay, beautiful?”
She swallowed hard. “Okay.”
“Great. Now this is my part. The absolute best part of the entire mission,” Stone teased, rubbing his hands together and licking his lips.
“Cool it, Stone, and get serious,” his brother Emerson said as he opened the door to the room and peeked down the hallway.
He raised his thumb, an indication that things were good.
Stone reached for her. “Put your arms around my neck and let me know if anything hurts too much.” He raised his eyebrows at her. She had to laugh. He really was quite the character.
As he lifted her into his arms, she felt sore, but it was bearable. All she wanted to do was to get to Riker and Nash, and to feel them in her arms.
Chastity was carried from her bed in the hospital, down a hallway, a private staircase, and to the basement. There were men standing guard, holding weapons, and whispering into wrist mics. She had no idea how resourceful Riker and Nash were. The men she saw appeared well equipped and alert. It reinforced the seriousness of this situation. She realized that this went beyond a domestic violence situation and couldn’t help but to think about Nash and Riker’s relationship with that Maggie woman. Who was she? How did Desi know her? What was all of this really about?
“Hold on, darling. We have about ten seconds left to get you to that SUV, or Riker and Nash are going to have our asses,” Stone said as the door to the side entrance opened, and there sat the SUV. There were two men in black suits standing next to it. To the right and to the left, she saw others standing guard. Her insides did a series of flips and flops.
She couldn’t see inside the door, but right before Stone began to place her inside, he smiled down to her.
“Good luck. Stay safe, and listen to your men.” He kissed her on the cheek, and then lifted her into the backseat. Immediately she felt the set of hands lifting her further inside. A quick glance to her left and there was Riker.
“Come on, baby. Everything is going down right on schedule.”
The door closed and as Riker adjusted her body on the sheet-covered seats next to him, she saw Nash.
He was looking at his watch, and speaking into a wrist mic. “You were three seconds off, asshole.”
She panicked a moment. Was he really that angry with Stone for being three seconds late? Then he laughed, and she sighed in relief.
“You okay, baby? Not too sore?” Riker asked her.
She turned to look at him. “You’re sure this is the right thing to do? You and Nash will be safe?”
He stared into her eyes as he placed his hand under her hair and against the back of her head and nape.
“We won’t let anything happen to you. Everything has become quite clear to us.”
He leaned forward and kissed her softly. Then she heard Nash.
“Lie down and rest, Chastity. I don’t want you pushing it and feeling pain,” he told her very seriously.
Sh
e looked at him and smiled, but he didn’t smile back. He seemed different. He seemed guarded and distracted. Was it because of the danger they were in, or did it have something to do with Maggie? She couldn’t help but wonder and feel jealous. Was he thinking about Maggie now? Had Maggie really meant that much to Nash and Riker?
She leaned back against Riker as some doubts and reservations about what was to come exploded through her mind. There would be no future with her if they couldn’t let go of the past, let go of their thoughts, and let go of their love for Maggie. She couldn’t compete with a ghost or fight with them about their loss. It wouldn’t be right to give them a hard time because they lost the woman Nash loved, and that he and Riker shared as a lover.
She didn’t know what that felt like. All she knew was that she never truly loved until Nash and Riker. If she lost them, or if they were killed, she would want to die, too. Life just wouldn’t be worth living.
She felt the tears fill her eyes, and she turned into the leather upholstery to hide her tears and her heavy heart.
* * * *