Obsession: Loving An Alpha Male (35 page)

My eyes snapped open, breathing hard as I struggled to bring my heart rate and blood pressure down to normal. I had another nightmare of me running from darkness and coldness that seemed to be at my heel no matter how hard I ran.

I ran my hands through my damp hair and pushed it away from my face. I swung my legs out of heaven aka this huge king size bed and goose feathered comforter and placed a shaky foot on the floor. I started to shiver and looked over at the open window but refused to close it. Instead I tore off the egregious soaked t–shirt and threw it in the corner.

I don’t move to get up right away. I’d been dealing with equilibrium issues for months now, and I still sometimes got dizzy by standing up too fast. As you may imagine, it’s been rough for me. It was four months from today that I was kidnapped, and saying it has been an uphill battle ever since is an understatement.

I moved to the dresser and pulled out another t–shirt, grabbed the goose down and headed for the deck that was off the bedroom. I loved coming out here, even though it’s cold as a freaking iceberg. But hearing the waves crashing against the surf soothed me and allowed me to accept the darkness around me, odd I know. I wrapped myself in the comforter and gazed out into the night.

So let me give you an update on what happened to me. As I mentioned before, giving up was something I was starting to embrace. There seemed to be no hope in sight, but there was one thing I didn’t count on… the unwavering love and undying devotion one man has for me. Much to my surprise, the moment I was resounded to never seeing Josh again, I heard his voice call me. At first I thought it was just a dream. The loud explosion I just knew did the job finally, and I was dead. But feeling Josh’s voice through me, feeling his touch, his lips… I thought I was in heaven.

I cannot begin to tell you how good it felt when he touched me. I mean, God, it felt so amazing to feel his presence, his strength. That’s when I knew I hadn’t died, and I wasn’t dreaming… He came for me. I have to admit that I wasn’t sure if he could. I mean, I hoped he would be able to find me, but as the time passed and after the beating, I had lost hope.

I was comforted by the idea of having the opportunity of finally finding that love everlasting. God granted my prayers, so I thought that was it. I would be seeing HIM the next time I opened my eyes, but as Josh lie next to me and began talking to me, telling me how much he loved me and needed me, I’d never felt so much love from anyone in my life.

As he talked to me, I closed my eyes and just concentrated on the sound of his voice. It soothed the pain I was in and relaxed me. I knew he had me, and it wasn’t because he said so. No, it was the feeling I always got whenever he was close. It was the feeling of being safe and protected, knowing that as long as I was with him, no one would touch me.

The next time I opened my eyes I was no longer in a pit surrounded by darkness. I was in a bright room surrounded by light and windows and looking at the back of a woman I didn’t know. I was about to say something when I realized something was preventing me from talking. I went to grab at it when I heard a deep male voice.

“Ma… she’s awake.”

The woman turned, and the moment she smiled at me and touched my arm I knew who she was.

“Hello there, beautiful.”

I couldn’t reply… I knew I had to be a fright to her, so I was certain I wasn’t beautiful, but she was sweet to say it. I watched Josh’s mom fuss around me calling for the nurse, and when I heard her talking I closed my eyes.

I woke again startled and scared half out of my mind. I thought for a moment I was back with the kidnappers and Josh rescuing me was a dream.

“It’s alright, sweetheart. I’m right here love.” I looked to my right and saw a woman approach the bed.

I touched my throat and tried to clear it to speak.

I managed to croak, “Lights please…”

“Okay let me get them.” She leaned over me and clicked on a light that was close to me. It illuminated the room just enough for me to realize where I was and to stop my heart from jumping out of my chest. “There how’s that?”

“Thank you,” I whispered.

My hand was squeezed tightly and a smile gifted me.

“You are most welcome, sweetheart. Here, why don’t you sit up a little, okay? I’ll give you a little water to moisten your dry throat.”

I nodded slowly, and as she moved my bed up slowly, she reached for a glass of water sitting in front of me. As she opened a straw, I took this time to really take a look at her. Her skin was golden and beautiful, you could tell it was her natural skin shade. She had black hair that she currently wore in a bun. She seemed about my height with a slim waist and a beauty that was undeniable. Her skin was flawless, high cheekbones, and when her eyes fell on mine, I could tell where Josh got his expressive blue eyes.

“There you go, love.”

She handed me the cup, and I took it slowly to my face. She moved the straw to my mouth, and I practically tried to drink the Styrofoam through the straw.

“Take your time and drink slow. We have plenty of water, so you don’t have to worry about drinking it all.” She joked and moved the cup from my hand.

I cleared my throat and asked, “Where am I?”

Josh’s mom pulled her chair close to me. “You are in Johns Hopkins hospital in Maryland.”

My eyes grew large…how in the heck did I make it here from, hell, wherever I was?

My question was answered when she said, “Jovanni felt it would be better to bring you to family while you recuperate, and I had to agree. I would have brought you here myself if he didn’t. You shouldn’t be up there alone in a hospital without family. You belong right where you are.”

I was honestly speechless. I mean first and foremost, who the hell is Jovanni, and secondly, how was he even given permission to bring me here? Mrs. Cooper kept speaking as if she was reading my mind.

“Jovanni told Leone that he would protect you at all costs, and when my boys commit themselves like that, they go all out. Do you remember giving Leone power of attorney?”

I thought for a moment, and I shook my head.

“That’s okay. We can show you the paperwork to ease any worry. Anyway, Leone gave temporary power to his brother in his absence, which gave Jo the rights to bring you here.” Mrs. Cooper touched my hand. “I don’t want you to worry about anything but getting better. I will be here with you every step of the way. There will be no time where you aren’t surrounded by love and family.”

Knowing Leone aka Joshua Cooper, I knew what this woman spoke was law. And I can say without a doubt, I was eternally grateful. The Coopers were God sent. When I finally laid eyes on Jovanni, or shall I say Malcolm, I thought he was just an older Josh. When Mr. Cooper, who has told me to call him Pops, walked in, he looked like Malcolm and Josh combined. Both men were fit and definitely looked great and attractive as hell. I blushed I don’t know how many times when Malcolm would use Josh’s nickname for me.

His attentiveness was so heartwarming. I never thought anyone could make me feel as safe and protected as Josh, but I was so wrong. The love that this family was showing me, was so unbelievable. Josh’s sister was just as beautiful as her mother and was just as bossy as Josh. I swear she was Josh with boobs. She bossed her brother, husband, father and all of my nurses and doctors every time she was around.

But with me, she was amazing, attentive, and so supportive. She fussed over me, spoiling me to no end, telling me she always wanted a little sister. She was only two years older than me, but she seemed much older than her years.

Okay, I know you are dying to get the details about me, so I won’t leave you hanging anymore. My doctor told me, with Josephine Cooper or Mama Joe holding my hand, that I had swelling on the brain from numerous hits to the head, and in order to help my healing, they had to put me in a medically induced coma. I was in a coma for nearly a month, but I didn’t wake for an additional two weeks.

My breath caught at the realization of how bad I really was. I was out of commission for a month and a half. He proceeded to tell me that my jaw was wired shut, I had three broken ribs, a bruised lung and kidney. I had a broken fibula on each leg, and my radius was broken in two places. My nose was broken, which they had to reset, and of course, my brain was in dire need of rest.

It was good that I was in a coma because they said if I wasn’t, I would have been in excruciating pain. I still felt uncomfortable and sore, but he said that was normal. He told me I would need a lot of physical therapy, and it would take a lot of work to get my body back to normal.

When I tell you I underestimated what was at stake, I was putting it mildly. I’d seen people go through physical therapy and thought, yeah I could do this. But when I started, I thought I was going to die. I had to strengthen my legs and learn how to walk all over again. I wanted to quit like the second day, but the Coopers wouldn’t let me. When I tell you the whole family are freaking psychos, I was putting that mildly too.

Malcolm came with me to every physical therapy class I had, and in like one week he was pissed off they weren’t doing a better job. He felt he could do better, and when I was released from the hospital, he took over my therapy. Malcolm took me to a beautiful four bedroom, two and a half bath beachfront home overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Then the Coopers as a family brought me back piece by piece. Malcolm took over getting me back physically. He started off light, and I thought,
yeah, I’m glad he took over.
But he then went freaking crazy and started acting all drill sergeant on me. He yelled and pushed and didn’t let me slow down or rest or quit.

Mama Joe helped me get myself back by cooking. She and Pops were staying with me at the house, so every night we would cook something and bake on the weekends. Sometimes Liliana would cook with us, but most nights it was just she and I. We would talk and laugh, and as I got comfortable with her, I told her all about me growing up, my family and how I lived these last five years.

Pops and I sat around and watched action movies on the weekends. We would have marathons or even go out to the movies if some good action movie was out. We were obsessed and would get excited every time a good movie would make it to the screen. The more things were blown up, and more blood and gun fights and fights in general, the better.

After a while it was Liliana’s turn. She picked me up one day, and we rode to this empty storefront in town. When she opened the door and turned on the lights, I almost had a coronary. There were boxing bags and a large mat in the middle of the floor. She looked at me as she put her hair in a ponytail.

“I’m going to make sure you never get kidnapped again. No one will ever put their hands on you and get away with it. I will teach you how to defend yourself.”

“Your brother showed me how…” I told her, and she shook her head and laughed.

“My dear brother showed you like he was your boyfriend. I’m going to show you like you are my enemy.”

The next thing I knew I went down hard on my back. The air was knocked out of me, and I struggled to breathe trying to get the wind back in my lungs.

Liliana leaned over me and shook her head. “See what I mean… Don’t worry, sis, I’ll get you right before you know it.”

It took her about a month, and before I knew it I felt fifty percent like myself. The other fifty you ask… well let’s just say I’m still waiting for him to come back.

I felt so blessed to have this family in my life. This wonderful family took me in without even knowing who I was. They just took Josh’s word, and that was good enough for them. As I mentioned, I began to see pieces of me come back… I’ve found my confidence in myself again. Now don’t get me wrong, I still have nightmares, and I can’t sleep for long periods of time, but during the day I’m able to function like a normal person. I don’t think every person that I see is out to grab me nor do me harm, so that’s progress.

The doctors are very pleased at my physical recovery, and the therapist that I see thinks she can get me back to the way I used to be. I smiled when she said that, giving her positive upbeat emotions for the sake of doing it. I knew deep down that there was only person that would be able to bring me back completely.

I never imagined I’d miss him so much. Malcolm gave me the watered down version of how I was rescued. He told me that Josh was the one that found me in some sub–basement that looked to have been created just for me. Once he found me, he stayed by my side until he had to leave, and he sent me videos and emails while I was in a coma that I’d practically memorized.

When I needed to hear his voice and see his face, which had been every second of every day, I played a video of him, which is what I’m about to do right now. I went back into the bedroom to retrieve my IPAD. Once I was settled back in the patio chair, wrapped in the covers, I found one of Josh’s videos and pressed play.

His handsome face appeared and he smiled in the camera. I guessed he was using his phone to record. The video was shaky, and the sound wasn’t that good. But it did the trick.

This was the very first video he made.

I smiled and touched the screen as he said, “Sweets, I want to first apologize for not being there when you finally woke up. I hope you can forgive me, and I really hope you let me make it up to you.”