Chapter 22 - Kayla
Another day passes, and I still can’t shake this horrible feeling. There's something about Josiah’s obsession with revenge that doesn’t sit right in my chest. My mind keeps racing, trying to warn me. Although I can’t pinpoint anything specific, the feeling refuses to let up.
As I walk past his home office, I glance inside, and he hardly notices me. “Jos,” I whisper.
He looks up, his expression strained. “Can we talk?” I ask.
“Of course, baby, come in,” he says, spinning his chair away from his desk. I walk over to him, and he pulls me onto his lap and cradles me there like I’m a little broken bird.
I love his tenderness, but I hate how he's treating me like I’m broken or damaged.
I push his arm away and climb off his lap, shaking my head. “You can’t keep doing this,” I huff in frustration.
“Doing what?” he asks, clearly confused.
“I’m not broken, Josiah. I’m not this fragile little thing that is going to shatter if you speak too loudly,” I insist.
He clenches his jaw and leans forward in his seat, pushing his hand through his hair. “I know, Kayla, I just…it really scared me, what happened to you. That man had you in his hands…he…”
“You need to stop this!” I snap.
“Kayla, this is one of the reasons I broke up with you. Men like him will do anything they want. They will take what they want and hurt whoever they want to get to where they want to be,” he tries to explain.
I shake my head.
“You need to get the hell over this. I don’t even want to hear you say this is why I broke up with you ever again.
Stop speaking as though you get to choose for me, because this time, I am the one who is choosing.
I’m still here, fully knowing what choice I’m making.
I haven’t left. If you keep hanging the risk over your head like you are the only one carrying the burden alone, then I will leave.
Because you are making it clear that you still don’t see us as equals.
Especially when you treat me so delicately. ”
He scoffs.
“Do you not see the power that man has?” he demands.
“Are you serious?” I snap. “Do you not see the power you have? If I can stand here after coming face-to-face with him and not be afraid of him or let him get into my head, then so can you! Stop obsessing. It’s making your head clouded, and you’re drowning in it. Snap out of it and think clearly.”
“Kayla, I could have lost you,” he groans.
“But you didn’t. I’m still here. And I’m clearly a freaking strong woman. Strong enough to face men like Anton Radev…and strong enough to be your wife.”
The last thing leaves him speechless for a moment.
He sits there staring at me in surprise.
Suddenly, he chuckles and shakes his head.
“You really are feisty, aren’t you?” he muses, standing up and walking over to me.
“Feisty enough,” I shrug, tilting my head to the side.
“Clearly,” he sighs, laughing softly as he pulls me into his arms. “I’m sorry I’ve been difficult over the past few days,” he whispers, gently kissing my lips.
“I forgive you, but only if you stop obsessing, take a breath, and include me in your thoughts,” I say.
He nods. “You are a brilliant strategist, after all,” he grins.
“Exactly!” I huff. But the smile on my face gives away that I can’t stay angry with him.
“I’ll tell you what…I’m going to take the rest of the week off work.
Both of us are. We can spend time with the twins.
We can do some fun things to take our minds off all of this, and I’ll have Isaak arrange a day off for all the staff to honor their friends who lost their lives this week,” he adds with sadness in his voice.
“That sounds like the right thing to do,” I nod. I’d much rather have him focused on that instead of paranoid and panicked over a man, who is just a man, after all.
“You can’t let Anton get into your head and make you lose your mind. That’s what he wants. If you do that, you are letting him win.”
He smiles and pushes his finger under my chin. “Don’t be so smart all the time, okay? Next thing I know, you’ll be running Chicago, and I’ll be under your command,” he muses.
“Would that be such a bad thing?” I tease, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him.
He slips his arms tighter around my waist and holds me close, burying his face into the curve of my neck.
“Thank you,” he mutters, muffled against my skin. “Thank you for clearing my head and helping me focus on the things that really matter.”