huge man, she pushed the redial button. It rang twice before Jacob answered.
“Joseph?”
Ember responded, “No this is Ember. There’s a huge man standing in my kitchen drinking coffee and he said you sent him.”
“Yeah, I did Em, his name is Chief and he’s my friend. I trust him with my life. He’ll stay with you until Joseph is better.”
“A little heads-up would have been nice.”
“The satphone was off. Besides, after you told me about his injuries, I knew Joseph and you needed help. Chief can upload the documentation, and we can start to get some resolution to your situation. By the way, did you say your kitchen?”
Ember glanced at the big guy as he poured another cup of coffee. “I believe I did. Thank you for sending us help. I’ll have Joey call you when he wakes up.”
A low rumble resembling a laugh came through the phone. “Joey? Jesus, I haven’t heard that in a while. Thank you for taking care of him. If he had his way, he would have healed up and left the country without anyone knowing he was here. He’s…well, he’s protecting us by not bringing his world into ours. We know it, and what sucks is that you’ve spent more time with him in the last two days than I’ve had with him in the last ten years.”
Ember blinked back the tears that filled her eyes at the thought of the loneliness Joey must live with. “Yeah, he’s alluded to the fact he doesn’t do relationships—even with his family.” She cleared her throat and bounced back to her comfort zone again. “Look, I get that you didn’t know about the abuse. There is no way I can verbalize the extent of the trauma he has endured. Honestly? I’m surprised he wasn’t mainlining morphine.”
“Okay, please ask to him call me when he can. Chief will take care of your security until Joseph kicks him to the curb. Once we get the documents, we will start defusing the time bomb that Dale primed.”
Ember disconnected the phone and got the drive for Mike. She watched as he set up the computer and placed inline encryption devices on the system that would secure the data transfer. As the documents uploaded, they unpacked his truck and Ember gave Joey a dose of antibiotics before putting the groceries away.
She finished preparing dinner for herself and Mike and checked on Joseph throughout the evening. Over his protests, she force-fed him a few spoonfuls of broth and a bottle of water. When Mike headed out to check the access road for any activity, she went to bed. She slipped in between the sheets and moved next to him. Joseph reached out and pulled her closer. “God you feel so good.”
She chuckled and snuggled closer to him. “Go back to sleep, Joey. You’re not strong enough to do anything your mind might be imagining.”
“Mmm…don’t go anywhere. When I wake up in the morning, you’re going to see just how strong I am.”
“Hate to tell you this champ, but your body is going to be really sore for the next couple of days.” She traced his lips with her fingers.
His voice was soft and she could tell he was falling back to sleep. “Yeah? Been there done that…got the scars to prove it.”
She put a hand on his chest and kissed his lips softly. “I know, baby. I know.”
His breathing had evened out before she pulled her lips from his. She lifted her hand and brushed his hair from his forehead. She still loved him. Oh, not in the sweet innocent way she had when she was eighteen. No, he was the epitome of everything she wanted desperately to avoid. Drama, stress, anxiety, and fear. Yet, he was everything she needed. Strength, loyalty, kindness, and compassion.
Joseph King was a dichotomy rolled in danger and served with a huge side of sexual tension.
“I’m so screwed. How can you still mean so much to me?”
Chapter Nine
Ember smelled the amazing aroma of strong coffee long before she walked into the kitchen. God bless Mike for making coffee the right way and for getting up earlier than her to do it.
“Joseph?”
Ember responded, “No this is Ember. There’s a huge man standing in my kitchen drinking coffee and he said you sent him.”
“Yeah, I did Em, his name is Chief and he’s my friend. I trust him with my life. He’ll stay with you until Joseph is better.”
“A little heads-up would have been nice.”
“The satphone was off. Besides, after you told me about his injuries, I knew Joseph and you needed help. Chief can upload the documentation, and we can start to get some resolution to your situation. By the way, did you say your kitchen?”
Ember glanced at the big guy as he poured another cup of coffee. “I believe I did. Thank you for sending us help. I’ll have Joey call you when he wakes up.”
A low rumble resembling a laugh came through the phone. “Joey? Jesus, I haven’t heard that in a while. Thank you for taking care of him. If he had his way, he would have healed up and left the country without anyone knowing he was here. He’s…well, he’s protecting us by not bringing his world into ours. We know it, and what sucks is that you’ve spent more time with him in the last two days than I’ve had with him in the last ten years.”
Ember blinked back the tears that filled her eyes at the thought of the loneliness Joey must live with. “Yeah, he’s alluded to the fact he doesn’t do relationships—even with his family.” She cleared her throat and bounced back to her comfort zone again. “Look, I get that you didn’t know about the abuse. There is no way I can verbalize the extent of the trauma he has endured. Honestly? I’m surprised he wasn’t mainlining morphine.”
“Okay, please ask to him call me when he can. Chief will take care of your security until Joseph kicks him to the curb. Once we get the documents, we will start defusing the time bomb that Dale primed.”
Ember disconnected the phone and got the drive for Mike. She watched as he set up the computer and placed inline encryption devices on the system that would secure the data transfer. As the documents uploaded, they unpacked his truck and Ember gave Joey a dose of antibiotics before putting the groceries away.
She finished preparing dinner for herself and Mike and checked on Joseph throughout the evening. Over his protests, she force-fed him a few spoonfuls of broth and a bottle of water. When Mike headed out to check the access road for any activity, she went to bed. She slipped in between the sheets and moved next to him. Joseph reached out and pulled her closer. “God you feel so good.”
She chuckled and snuggled closer to him. “Go back to sleep, Joey. You’re not strong enough to do anything your mind might be imagining.”
“Mmm…don’t go anywhere. When I wake up in the morning, you’re going to see just how strong I am.”
“Hate to tell you this champ, but your body is going to be really sore for the next couple of days.” She traced his lips with her fingers.
His voice was soft and she could tell he was falling back to sleep. “Yeah? Been there done that…got the scars to prove it.”
She put a hand on his chest and kissed his lips softly. “I know, baby. I know.”
His breathing had evened out before she pulled her lips from his. She lifted her hand and brushed his hair from his forehead. She still loved him. Oh, not in the sweet innocent way she had when she was eighteen. No, he was the epitome of everything she wanted desperately to avoid. Drama, stress, anxiety, and fear. Yet, he was everything she needed. Strength, loyalty, kindness, and compassion.
Joseph King was a dichotomy rolled in danger and served with a huge side of sexual tension.
“I’m so screwed. How can you still mean so much to me?”
Chapter Nine
Ember smelled the amazing aroma of strong coffee long before she walked into the kitchen. God bless Mike for making coffee the right way and for getting up earlier than her to do it.
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