Taken Captive

Chapter 71

comment.

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My back hurts.

I let out a groan as I tried to readjust myself against the headboard, careful to not wake Nia up. Slowly, I shifted to a more comfortable position while my eyes stayed on her head which was laying on my stomach, each breath she took making me tense as the warm air coming out of her mouth blew against my cold skin.

I looked at the time. It was six in the morning, the sun was going to come up soon. I rubbed at my heavy eyes and shook my head, "don't go to sleep," I mumbled to myself and rested my head back, widening my eyes to force them to stay open.

I moved my hand to brush through her hair, the softness of each strand wrapping itself around my fingers calmed my nerves and distracted me from the exhaustion my body felt. Jordan keeps telling me to let myself sleep, assuring me that nothing will happen to her.

But I can't. What if someone comes and gets her and for some stupid reason, I stay sleeping and don't hear it? What if she gets up and goes to the kitchen for some water and someone gets her there? What if another one of my men betray me and does some fucked up shit to her?

I can't let her out of my sight. Never again.

If she's not with me, she's with Kara. If she's not with Kara, she's with Jordan. If she's not with Jordan, she's with Mary. If not Mary, she's with Rocko. If not him, she's with the dogs. I don't trust anyone else to be alone with her. And I never will. Nobody can do anything to get on that level, she's too important to me to just let anybody be in her company alone.

I know she can defend herself. She's gained back the strength, she's been training with Oscar almost every day but that's not what this is about. If she doesn't want to be taken again, I'm sure she'll fight back and not let it happen if it comes down to it. But if it's Dean, I don't think I can be sure that she'll try her hardest to stay with me.

The sound of my phone ringing caught my attention. I looked over at my side table and saw my brother's name flashing across the screen. I rolled my eyes, picked it up and put it on silent.

I thought, like always, that he'd give up and leave it at that. But then he called again. I ignored it. Then he called again.

Fuck. He's not going to stop now. My brother's got a lot more patience than I do and he's been pretty patient with me about this whole Christmas thing. But now, he's angry, I can tell.

I'm scared.

I gulped as I picked the phone up and my thumb hovered over the green button.

Fuck.

After taking another calm breath, I tried busying myself with Nia's hair again while answering. But it wasn't enough this time as his voice came through the speaker, "wow, I thought you'd never answer."

I sighed in frustration, "Seth."

"Hey, baby brother, how's it goin'? You busy?"

"No-"

"Because it seems like it since every time I call you I'm sent to voicemail," his voice went cold. He's angry. "But I know for a fact you're not doing anything important because a quarter of my men were secretly flown to fucking Mexico for a trip that you set up."

"Yes," I said, "and?"

"You can leave everything, all of your work, behind and go to Mexico to enjoy a little getaway but you can't answer a fucking call from me?" He asked, sounding irritated.

"Mexico is worth it," I replied, "you, however, aren't."

He went silent for a minute. I couldn't even hear him breathe.