Burn (Breathless 3)

Had they wanted to kill her? But no, that couldn’t be the case. They’d given her a message to give to Ash. Had she given it to him?

Panic flared all over again. She had to tell him! Mia and Bethany were in danger, and she’d never forgive herself if they were hurt because she hadn’t warned Gabe and Jace.

“Ash,” she called out as loudly as she could.

“Right here, baby. What’s wrong? You need to slow down your breathing. You’re going too fast. Can you do that for me?”

She sucked in a deep breath and tried to steady herself. The pressure building in her chest was intense. She dragged in another breath, blew it out and then tried again.

“What is it, Josie? What are you afraid of?”

“Mia. Bethany,” she croaked out. “He’ll hurt them like he hurt me. Have to tell Gabe and Jace.”

“Already done,” he soothed. “You told us. Gabe and Jace are making sure that Mia and Bethany are safe. You don’t have to worry about them. I’ve taken care of Britt too. You’ll be happy to know that Kai has her under lock and key.”

She tried to smile. She may have even managed half of one judging by Ash’s look of delight.

Then she sobered because the big question remained unanswered. And she was getting groggier and groggier. It was getting harder to stay awake. She wanted nothing more than to drift off into oblivion where there was no pain, no worries. Nothing but a black void of nothing.

“Why?”

Ash sighed. Didn’t even try to misunderstand her.

“They hurt you because of me,” he said, pain thick in his voice. “Because of the business. Me, Gabe and Jace. He’s an asshole who hurt Mia before. I didn’t know it, but he and Gabe have history. He was retaliating because we shut him down and refused to do business with him. It’s not going to happen again, Josie. I swear to you it won’t.”

The resoluteness of his words worried Josie. It was the same matter of fact way he’d spoken of Michael and the fact that Michael would no longer be an issue.

“What did you do?” she whispered.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” he said as he brushed another kiss across her forehead.

She frowned, her eyes half-closed already. She struggled to remain awake and focused.

“That’s not an answer,” she slurred out.

“It is,” he insisted. “I don’t want you to worry about anything but getting better. This doesn’t touch you, Josie. It never will.”

“Don’t want to lose you,” she whispered.

He stroked her hair, his eyes soft with love. “You won’t lose me. Never that. I’m always going to be here.”

“’Kay.”

“Rest now, baby. You’re about to go under. Go to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

She fought only as long as it took to whisper the words. Words she’d never given him before.

“Love you.”

This time there were tears in his eyes. Turning the green to aqua pools. His breath caught and stuttered over his lips as he stared down at her.

“I love you too, darling. Now get some rest. I’ll be here watching over you while you sleep.”

She gave in, closing her eyes, surrendering to the pull of the medication. But she was still aware of the warm hand cupped over her brow. And of the lips against her temple.

Chapter thirty-four

“How is she?” Mia asked anxiously when Ash walked into the ICU waiting room. “Has she woken up yet?”

Ash gathered Mia in a hug and then put an arm around Bethany, who wore the same worried, grim expression. He hated that this touched them. That they’d been threatened and now had to live with that knowledge.

More than that he hated that Mia’s past had been dragged into the present. Shame burned bright in her eyes. She carried guilt she had no business carrying. It wasn’t her goddamn fault that Charles Willis was a fucking coward who preyed on women to get his point across. He was pissed beyond belief that Charles had put that fear in Mia and Bethany’s eyes. More than that, he was enraged that Josie bore the bruises and broken bones from Charles’s attack.

The man would pay. It was only a matter of time.

Gabe and Jace also looked expectantly at Ash as they waited for an update on Josie’s condition. None of the men had slept since this all began. They were too worried that Mia or Bethany could be next and so they’d taken steps to ensure neither woman would ever be at risk.

Mia and Bethany weren’t thrilled, but neither did they object.

“She woke up for a few minutes,” Ash said.

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Bethany breathed. “How was she doing?”

“She’s in a lot of pain. They gave her pain medication and she slipped back under. She managed to say a few things. She’s confused. She was very worried about Mia and Bethany. She didn’t remember that she’d already warned us so she was frantic to tell Gabe and Jace that he’d threatened Mia and Bethany.”

“Son of a bitch,” Jace muttered. “What has the doctor said?”

“When will we be able to see her?” Mia asked anxiously.

“Maybe the next time she wakes up,” Ash said. “And the doctor said she’s making remarkable progress. They were able to take the chest tube out and she’s breathing on her own with the aid of oxygen. They’ll likely move her to a step-down unit tomorrow if she continues to do well and shows no sign of infection.”

“That’s wonderful,” Bethany said.

“I’m so pissed this happened to her,” Mia said tearfully.

Gabe immediately went to her, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her into his side.

“It’s my fault,” she continued, tears slipping down her cheeks. “It should have been me not her.”

Ash scowled and Gabe didn’t look any better. Guilt weighed heavily in Gabe’s eyes. He looked haggard and gray, suddenly older than his thirty-nine years.

“That’s bullshit,” Jace growled. “It’s not your fault, Mia. I won’t have you saying it.”

“We all know it’s my fault,” Gabe said grimly. “If I’d taken care of the asshole the first time, we wouldn’t be standing here and Josie wouldn’t be lying in a hospital bed.”

Ash wasn’t going to refute that. If it had been him and the situation with Mia had happened to Josie, Ash would have taken care of the issue then and there. But assigning blame did none of them any good. Gabe was kicking himself enough without Ash and Jace piling more on.

Jace sent Gabe a dark look that said he still hadn’t forgiven the other man for what had gone down in Paris and then afterward when Charles had tried to blackmail Mia. But Jace remained silent, his lips pressed together in a tight line.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s been taken care of,” Ash said. “There are other more important things right now.”

Jace shot a worried look in Ash’s direction but Ash ignored it. He wasn’t about to get into specifics in front of Mia and Bethany. They had enough to deal with as it was.

“I have a lot of making up to do with Josie,” Ash continued. “Apart from the fact that she’s lying in a hospital bed in horrific pain, there’s also the issue of the paintings I bought. I hurt her by doing that and keeping it from her. I need your help.”

“You know we’ll do anything,” Bethany said.

Ash squeezed her to him, his arm still wrapped around her. “Thanks, sweetheart. That means a lot.”

“What do you need us to do?” Gabe asked.

“I want to arrange an art show for her and I want to go all out. I need you to call in every favor owed you to make this huge. We can use the ballroom at the Bentley for the showing. Make sure everyone who is anyone is invited and that the show is hyped as the must-attend event of the year. Politicians, celebrities, the whole nine yards. I want Josie to have a venue where her art will shine and prove to her that she has incredible talent. She just needs the right exposure.”

“Okay, when?” Jace asked.

“It will have to be in a couple of months. I want to make sure that Josie is recovered enough to enjoy her big night. The last thing she’d want is to show up to her own event with bruises and a cast. But we need to start working on it now so everything goes off without a hitch.”

“You got it,” Gabe said.

“Thanks,” Ash murmured. “Means a lot you always having my back.”

Mia moved from Gabe’s hold and hugged Ash fiercely. “We love you, Ash. And we love Josie too. We’ll be happy to help. Just let us know if you need anything else.”

Ash’s lips curved into a half smile. “As a matter of fact there is.”

“Name it,” Bethany said.

“Need you to stay here in case Josie wakes up again. I have a ring to buy.”

Mia’s and Bethany’s delighted smiles warmed his heart. He squeezed both women to him and dropped kisses on their temples.

And then he went to Tiffany’s to buy Josie’s ring.

Chapter thirty-five

Josie managed to sit up in bed propped on several pillows, no small feat considering the pain in her ribs. But after several days and a move from ICU to a step-down unit and finally to the floor, she was able to sit up and actually move some. More importantly, she was able to eat!

Not that they’d busted out the real food or even something remotely palatable, but she’d been so hungry she had fallen on the jello and pudding like it was manna from heaven.

Ash had gone out to meet Gabe, Jace, Mia, Bethany and even Brittany and he was bringing them all in to visit with her. She was extremely self-conscious about the fact she looked terrible. But she was so anxious to have company she didn’t care. All the makeup in the world wouldn’t hide her face, but hopefully the bruising would heal quickly.

Already some had faded from the purple, almost black, to green and yellow. She didn’t even want to know what the rest of her body looked like. She’d made it a point not to look when Ash had helped her shower.

The door opened and she eagerly looked up to see everyone spill through the door. Ash led the way and right behind him were Mia, Bethany and Brittany. They swarmed her bed, giving gentle hugs and exclaiming how much better she looked. They were total liars but she loved them for it.

To her surprise, Kai Wellington came in with Gabe and Jace. She arched an eyebrow in Brittany’s direction and Brittany blushed like a schoolgirl getting caught making out with the quarterback.

“He insisted on coming,” Brittany whispered. “He hasn’t left me alone since this happened.”

“Damn right,” Kai growled. “Not going to let some fucker get to you and hurt you. Bad enough he got to Josie.”

“He sounds so possessive,” Josie whispered to Brittany. “I take it things are going well?”

Brittany’s eyes glowed and she nodded vigorously. “Oh yes. Definitely.”

Josie squeezed her hand with the fingers that weren’t casted. “I’m glad.”

“How are you feeling?” Mia asked anxiously.

“Better,” Josie said.

At Ash’s skeptical look, she flushed. “Okay. Not wonderful, but I am better. I can sit up now without feeling like my chest caught on fire. And I can breathe normally again. They took the oxygen off this morning.”

“That’s wonderful, Josie!” Bethany exclaimed. “We’ve been so worried about you.”

“How are you guys?” Josie asked in a low voice. But her question was mainly directed at Mia. Ash had told her about Mia’s history with Charles Willis.

“We’re okay,” Mia said, but her eyes were haunted. “I still feel like it’s my fault. I mean I’m the one who pissed him off.”

Josie shook her head and winced at the pain it caused. “He’s an asshole, Mia. You aren’t to blame for his actions.”

“Got that right,” Ash growled.

“I hate that I share a last name with him,” Bethany said, pulling a face. “I don’t want anyone thinking we’re related!”

Mia rolled her eyes. “Like Willis isn’t a common last name?”

“You won’t have to worry about that much longer, baby,” Jace said, satisfaction written on his face. “Your last name will soon be Crestwell.”

Bethany’s face flushed with happiness and she automatically stared down at the ring on her left hand. And it was a gorgeous ring. Huge diamond but it didn’t look gawdy at all. It was tastefully expensive and it suited her perfectly.

“Speaking of, have you set a date yet?” Josie asked.

Jace looked unhappy and Bethany laughed. “We’re working on it. I wasn’t planning anything until you’re completely recovered and can stand for me at my wedding.”

Josie’s heart warmed and she smiled big, allowing her pleasure to show.

“I wouldn’t miss it,” she said. “Even if I’m still in a cast. Don’t wait on me! I don’t want to delay your big day.”