Seething with anger, James glances up at the ceiling, as if he’s asking for strength or patience.
Then he lets out a big sigh and drops his chin. “Fine.”
“Fine?” I ask hopefully.
James nods his head and I let go of his arm.
Pointing the pistol to the side, toward the wall, he releases the magazine and shoves it in his pocket. Then he slowly racks the slide back and unchambers the round, managing to catch it before it falls to the floor.
Johnathan starts banging on the door again just as James pockets the round and shoves the pistol down the back of his sweatpants.
“I’ll wait until Charlie isn’t around to do it,” he tells me before he marches over to the door and yanks it open.
“’Bout time, fucker,” Johnathan grumbles as he steps into the doorway and gives himself a little shake, like he’s a wet dog.
James grits out angrily, “We were a little busy.”
Lifting a bushy brow, Johnathan glances between us. “Oh yeah?” Then he grins, showing his teeth through his beard. “How nice of you to stop and make time for us.”
The look on James’s face becomes downright menacing as he growls, “You weren’t invited. You should come back later when it’s more convenient for us… Like never.”
Gripping the side of the door, James blocks the entrance, not letting Johnathan or my friends in.
Johnathan’s grin grows and he looks to me. “You don’t mind, do you, Sophia?”
I don’t know why, but I glance to James first, as if I need permission, before I shake my head. “Of course not…”
James gives me a hurt look, like I’ve somehow betrayed him.
And I’m not sure what he expected…
Did he expect me to pass up the opportunity to see my friends?
“You heard her,” Johnathan chuckles and steps up to James. “She doesn’t mind. Now move out of the way.”
The two men stare hard into each other’s eyes, and the way James’s jaw ticks, I’m afraid he’s going to do something bad. Like punch Johnathan or slam the door into him.
I start to open my mouth, ready to calm him down.
Then, out of nowhere, a big, shit-eating grin spreads across James’s face and he steps to the side.
With a flourish of his hand, he says, “Come on in.”
Narrowing his eyes, Johnathan stares at James like he doesn’t trust him.
To be honest, I don’t either.
“You going to leave your pregnant wife out in the cold?” James asks, baiting him.
Snorting, Johnathan finally moves forward, but he doesn’t take his eyes off James. “Creepy fucker.”
James’s grin sharpens into a smirk.
Charlie walks in first with an uneasy expression on his face. He looks around nervously until his gaze falls on me, then his eyes light up. “Aunt Sophia!”
Smiling, I squat down a little and spread my arms out for him. “Charlie!”
Running up to me, Charlie throws his arms around me and gives me a tight hug around my middle. Wrapping my arms around his little body, I hug him back.
“I missed you, Aunt Sophia,” he smiles sweetly up at me.
Rocking a little from side to side, I smile back at him. “I missed you too, buddy.”
Charlie is the sweetest little boy I’ve ever met. The cutest, too, with his brown hair, freckles, and blue eyes. It breaks my heart knowing that Johnathan rescued him with Beth the same night we were rescued from the Russians.
Smile faltering, Charlie’s eyes fill with sadness as he tells me, “I’m sorry about your dad.”
Then he squeezes me even harder.
I know he means it with every fiber of his little being. He’s one of the most empathetic and compassionate people I’ve ever met. He has more empathy and compassion in one of his little fingers than most grown men I know.
And he’s only six.
My throat tightening, I squeeze him back and kiss the top of his head. “Thank you.”
Laying my cheek against the top of his head, I just let him hug me for as long as he wants, knowing he needs it as much as I do.
When I finally peek up, I see Beth and Amanda smiling at us with sadness in their eyes. Johnathan looks pleased, and James…
James is giving me a scorching look full of hunger and heat. Like he wants to pounce on me right fucking now.
I’m so surprised by the ravenous look on James’s face, I give Charlie one more quick kiss on the top of his head and pull away.
Charlie smiles up at me again as Beth and Amanda shift impatiently behind him.
“Let your mom hug her friend too,” Johnathan says gently and motions for Charlie to come to him.
As soon as Charlie moves away from me, Amanda and Beth fill the space he left. Both sniffling, they wrap their arms around me.
Up until this point, I’ve managed to remain strong.
But the moment Beth and Amanda squeeze me in a tight hug, I feel my control slipping. My eyes burn and my throat closes up.
I hug them back, trying my best not to burst into tears.
So much crazy shit has happened… it’s good to finally have my friends with me. It’s only been a couple of days, but I’ve missed them.
Beth is the first one to speak. Pulling away from me, she grabs my face and looks in my eyes. “Oh my god, Sophia, I’ve been so worried about you. Are you okay?”
Amanda pulls back as well, the same question in her eyes. But she shifts on her feet and fidgets with the strap of the backpack she has slung over her shoulder.
It takes me a second to realize she’s not fidgeting out of nervousness. She’s fidgeting as a sign to me.
With everything that’s happened, I totally forgot about that…
I glance from the backpack to Amanda’s face.
Did you bring it?
Reading the question in my eyes, she gives a quick nod of her head.
My heart skips a beat then races with a mixture of dread and excitement.
I glance at James, hoping he didn’t catch our little exchange, and see him frowning at Beth’s back.
Unsure how to answer Beth in front of James, I mumble out, “Yeah… as okay as I can be, I guess.”
Beth casts a quick glance over her shoulder at James, not even bothering to hide her disdain for him.
Then she looks back to me. “Are you sure? Blink once if you’re okay. Twice if you’re being held against your will.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” James asks angrily, clearly offended.
“Maybe we should give the girls some time alone, yeah?” Johnathan snickers as I gape at Beth.
James looks sharply at me and I make a point of blinking only once at Beth.
Seemingly satisfied with that, James huffs. “Fine. I guess I’ll get breakfast started. It’s going to take me all day to cook enough food to feed your chubby ass.”
“Chubby?” Johnathan grumbles. “I ain’t fucking chubby, bitch.”
“Oh, that’s right. They’re calling it a dad bod these days,” James says and throws his head back, laughing.
“Fuck you,” Johnathan sputters and glances down at himself. “I don’t have a dad bod either.”
“Uh-huh, sure,” James snickers as he walks toward the kitchen.
Johnathan follows after him with Charlie close to his side. “Yeah, well… Laugh it up, chuckles. Remember what I said back at Lucifer’s office?”