Calling the Shots (17 page)

“I think so. Just had a strange call from a customer and I need to get in touch with Josh. Ian, if you don’t hear from me in about an hour, I want you to call the cops and send them to the club, okay?”

“That doesn’t sound like things are okay. Sounds like there’s a pretty big problem.”

“I could be totally overreacting.”

“’Cause you do
that
so much.”

“Just…give us an hour. If Oliver or I don’t call you by then, send the cavalry.” Beth nodded as Oliver grabbed his keys and jacket. “We’ll be in touch.”

“Let’s hope this is the biggest misunderstanding in the history of bad breakups.” Oliver held the door open for Beth, waiting for her to pass beneath his arm.

“I’m going to kill him if it is.”

“I’ll kill him if it isn’t.”

Beth turned, stopping Oliver dead in his tracks. “No, if he’s okay I’m going to lock the two of you up in my bedroom for a week, and I won’t let you out of my sight.”

The tears streamed down her face without warning. There were no giant sobs or hysterics. In typical Beth fashion she freaked out with beauty and grace. Oliver gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before they raced down the hall.

“If he’s fine, I’ll help you tie him down.”

When this was over, he was going to have to come face-to-face with the fact he was in love with two people, neither of whom he would be able to live without.

Please be fine, Josh.

Chapter Nineteen

Josh’s tongue felt thick when he tried to swallow. There was an odd taste in his mouth that he couldn’t quite place, and a pounding in the back of his head. Had he hit it? He tried to roll over and open his eyes, but the commands from his brain never reached their destination. Stubbornly, his body remained where it was while his brain crept back to life.

Someone was moving around him. He recognized the sounds of movement, the scrape and shuffle of shoes on the tile floor. Floor? Josh managed to shift his head until his cheek was pressed flush against the uneven lines of the grout. He was on the floor then. Not promising.

No, wait, he was being dragged. The sharp bite of wood against the small of his back, the harsh rub on his skin should have hurt more than his brain was allowing for. A cough echoed in the room. The tone of the voice wasn’t familiar, though there was a note of familiarity. He should know who that was. It was important. If only he could get his brain to cooperate.

The person began to wrap something around his wrists, something even tighter around his neck. He knew it should hurt, but he was simply numb. More muttering from the person…that voice…

Beth would know. She was a whiz at voices and faces. No matter how done up a person was, it would only take her a few seconds to recall their name, using it in the conversation to help Oliver out when he’d clearly forgotten. Josh could picture the two of them, their heads bent low, together smiling at a shared joke or crazy idea. He always loved to watch the two of them together.

He was more than a little falling in love with them.

Both of them.

Very inconvenient.

The person, a man from the sound of his steps, shuffled closer. Hands gripped his shoulders, roughly giving him a shake. Josh moaned, but somehow knew he shouldn’t give any indication he was coming to. Something was wrong. He just needed to remember.

“Bastard,” the man muttered. “Whore.”

Josh’s stomach rolled at the hate wrapped around that word.
No, not again.
He couldn’t track where the footsteps went, but he soon knew he was alone. He was pressed against a surface, bound in place and abandoned. If he could manage to open his eyes, he might be able to figure out where he was and what the hell was going on.

Time passed at an untraceable rate for him. When the front door to the club opened, Josh hadn’t a clue how long he’d been lying there. Voices bounced in the room, but the words were moving too quickly for Josh to grasp what was being said.

He knew them though. The panic flirting around the edges of his awareness ratcheted skyward as his heart began to pound.

That was Beth, and there was Oliver. They’d come looking for him and now they were in danger. The man would hurt them and Josh would be powerless to stop it, and that would be the end of everything.

“Josh?”

“He’s got to be here.”

“Josh? Maybe they came and went already—oh my God!”

The rush of footsteps had Josh fighting to make his body cooperate. He had to warn them about the man. That was it. The man…the…the lawyer. Knight? Prince?

“Kingston.” He knew he’d spoken from the echo of dual gasps from above his head.

“Boss-man? I need you to open your eyes and look at me.” Warm masculine hands cupped Josh’s face. Unlike with Kingston, Josh sank with relief at the gentle contact. He could almost do what the man wanted.

“Ol-ver?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Beth too.” The pressure around his neck vanished, making it easier to breathe. “We need to get you up and out of here. But I want you to open your eyes first. Can you do that?”

“I don’t see anyone else here.” Another person—Beth—dropped beside him. “Shit, what happened? Josh?”

“Drugged,” he managed to get out. With effort, he forced his lids up a crack. Their faces were blurry, but he could tell they were worried. Shit, he was bound to the St. Andrew’s Cross. Not exactly the way he imagined his first time on it would go. “Leave.”

“Not without you, boss-man. We’ll get you out of here and to Pulled, then call the cops.”

“Leave.”
God, why did they never listen to him?

“We’re going to free your arms. Then we’ll leave together.”

The two moved around him, braced his back and shifted him to lean against Oliver’s shoulder as they worked the restraints free. The jostling was enough to jumpstart his brain’s connection to his body. Even as they laid him out on the platform, Josh sucked in a deep breath, struggling against their hold.

“We have to go.”

“Josh, calm down.” Beth kissed his cheek even as she pressed his shoulder to the stage floor.

“He’s still here.”

“I looked around quickly. Unless he’s upstairs, I didn’t see him.”

Loud popping and snapping noises made the three of them freeze. Oliver whispered, “That doesn’t sound good.”

“Leave.” Josh tried one more time, knowing neither of them would listen, but equally certain his body wasn’t fully ready to cooperate. “We’ll come back later.”

“I’ll check upstairs to make sure.” Oliver ignored Josh’s feeble grasp and bolted up to the second floor.

“Call the cops now, Beth.” Josh pushed at her arms as he forced himself to sit up.

“Why?” Thankfully she pulled her cell out and dialed 9-1-1.

“Kingston is…vandal. Called m’ a whore. Think he’s… responsible.”

“He’s also Allison’s ex. We think he was the reason Austin left her. It would make sense that he targeted our club if she’s the focus of his attention.”

There was shouting from above, the tones angry and hateful. It was enough to turn Josh’s stomach.
Shit.
“Beth, get out of here.”

“We’ve had this conversation already.”

He held up his hand, stopping her protests dead. “Do you smell something?”

The pungent odor of melting plastic filtered down to them. Beth pressed the back of her hand to her nose. “What is that?”

Josh managed to slide to the floor, finding his feet. He was still shaky but slowly fought his way out from under the effects of whatever Kingston had slipped him. “I need you to go get help. Get Ian, Jeff, someone from Pulled, and get them back here. We don’t have time to wait.”

Another crash and shout propelled Josh into moving. He made it to the stairs and looked back long enough to see Beth’s moment of indecision pass. She tore for the front door. Help would be here soon enough. Josh just had to make sure Oliver was okay.

It slowly became easier to lift his feet and trudge upstairs as a rush of adrenaline surged through his body. Oliver was up there, and while Josh had no doubt that the other man could take care of himself, he knew Kingston was unstable enough to do anything.

The sounds of a struggle were clear as Josh stumbled and skidded around the corner. At the end of the hall Oliver was locked in a wrestling match with Kingston as gray plumes of smoke rolled over them, increasingly obscuring them from his sight.

Fire.

No. Oh no.

Kingston pulled back and slammed his fist against Oliver’s jaw before Josh could shout a warning. Oliver bashed his head against the wall with a sickening crack that Josh could hear even at this distance over the crackling of the flames. Oliver slumped to the floor, still.

Josh pulled from every last inch of his energy reserves to bolt forward, throwing himself at Kingston the second he was within reach. The lingering numbness helped dull the shooting pain up his arm as he threw his own punch. It was sloppy, but he connected with the side of Kingston’s head.

The lawyer stumbled but didn’t fall. He snapped around into a half crouch, his fists up and body rigid. “Fucker. I’ll kill you.”

A blast of heat and smoke billowed out from the now-flaming playroom, searing Josh’s skin as it sent his panic into overdrive. He had to get Oliver out of here or they were both dead.

Josh circled around Kingston until he was between the lawyer and Oliver’s prone body. “I’d like to see you try.” Josh’s words were swallowed up by the sound of growing flames behind him.

Kingston began to cough, stepping back and away from the fire. “I don’t have to try. The fire will do the job for me.”

Kingston grinned before he bolted down the hallway. Josh forgot about him the second he knew the lawyer wasn’t a threat, and turned to Oliver. A wave of dizziness slammed into him as his chest screamed for oxygen. Dropping to his knees, he didn’t bother to check for a pulse on Oliver. It wouldn’t matter one way or the other if they didn’t get the hell out of there—now.

Flipping Oliver onto his back, Josh got on all fours and began to drag him as quickly as he could down the hall. Each slide of Oliver’s dead weight was a monumental task for Josh’s weakened muscles. Combined with the choking grip of the smoke on his lungs and throat, Josh quickly began to see spots. He’d managed to get them two-thirds of the way down the hall when his legs gave out on him.

“Shit.” Josh turned his face, burrowing it against Oliver’s neck. “Wake up.”

Josh gave him a gentle shake, but he got no response. Smoke and heat pressed down on him, making his skin itch and his stomach sour. They weren’t going to get out of this. He was going to die next to the man he’d come to love, and away from the woman who’d won his heart.

When it had happened, Josh wasn’t sure. Really, what did the
whens
and
hows
mean? Or matter? He’d been too stubborn, too arrogant, to let them know how he’d felt. They’d willingly offered him everything he could have asked for, and he’d pushed them away. Now Oliver was going to die and Beth would be all alone once more because of something stupid he did.

Yet again, he was the root of the hurt for the people who loved him.

No.

No!

He wasn’t going to lie here and let Oliver die. Fuck that. Screw Kingston and his sick twisted mind. Josh groaned and forced himself back to his knees. Grabbing Oliver by the collar of his jacket, he yanked as hard as he could, sliding the two of them along the floor. He managed to keep the momentous pace until they reached the top of the stairs. Josh was half considering pushing Oliver to the bottom and hoping for the best, when the sound of shouting reached him.

Beth had gotten help.

Thank God.

Without another thought, Josh passed out.

* * *

The soft sound of beeping was the first thing Josh became aware of. His eyelids were weighted and his mouth was dry, though he couldn’t manage to swallow. His body refused to move, stubbornly staying where it was. Trapped in his skin, the only thing he could cling to was the steady double blip.

What the hell was that anyway?

Damned annoying.

The noise faded as Josh floated along in his head. When he came to again, his body made its presence known. His lungs burned and the back of his throat felt raw as he sucked in a breath. It was only then he became aware of the cold pressure around his mouth and nose. Oxygen? A mask?

His hand throbbed and didn’t fully cooperate as he lifted it to bat at the thing on his face. Someone pressed to his side, cooing softly in his ear. A woman’s voice, one that eased the pain in his heart. Josh let her take his hand in hers and rest it by his side. She didn’t let go, and her touch and voice eased his tension and let him slip back into sleep.

* * *

Josh woke with a gasp, eyes flying open and hands braced on the bed. He managed to get himself into a half sit before he started coughing frantically. Beth raced into the room and was at his side within seconds.

“God, what the hell are you trying to do? Just lie down, will you?”

“Oliver—”

“He’s fine. Carter and Ian got the two of you out. He’s in another room, and the doctor says he should be okay in a few days. You both got smoke inhalation, and Oliver had some minor burning on his arm. If you hadn’t gotten to him when you did, he wouldn’t have lived.”

Beth’s voice hitched, and she wouldn’t make eye contact with him. Her hands never stilled as she straightened and picked at the thin blanket that covered his bleach-scented bed sheets. When he cleared his throat, she paused, blinking wide-eyed.

“Water?” He managed a weak smile.

“Oh yes! Sec. Umm, the nurse left some ice. Said you should suck on the chips when you woke up. I should probably go get her too.”

“Beth—”

“They weren’t going to let me in at all because I’m not family. I had to tell them I was Oliver’s girlfriend so I could be with him. I couldn’t say I was dating both of you ’cause that would just set off alarms. You’re my best friend. How could I not be here? Your dad vouched for me. He’s here by the way.”

“Beth—”

“I think they just took pity on me and let me stay. Probably figured I wasn’t going anywhere so they might as well let me in rather than have me sneaking around.” She snatched a cup from the side trolley, holding it close to his face. “Ice?”

She forced several cool chips into his mouth, still without making eye contact.

As the ice melted, Josh found the strength to speak.

“Thanks.” Normally, he’d reach up and pull her into a hug, but the mere thought of that was exhausting. Instead, he brushed his fingers along the side of her thigh.

She bit down on her bottom lip. Josh didn’t need to see the tears in her eyes to know they were there. “The bar.”

Ah. “How bad?”

“Bad.”

“Beth…”

She sighed. Shifting his arm over, she perched on the edge of the bed and took his hand in hers. “The firefighters got there pretty fast. Carter was picking something up at Pulled when I showed up, so he put the call in. The top floor is a write-off from the actual fire. None of the furniture or equipment up there was salvageable. They’re not sure if there’s structural damage to the building yet, but I don’t think it will matter. The bottom floor has water damage from when the pipes burst, and the smell of smoke is everywhere.”

Josh took a deep breath. Pain lanced through his chest, sending him into a renewed fit of coughing. He held Beth still when she tried to move away, not wanting to see a doctor just yet. Not until he knew everything.

Sinking back down, Beth finally met his gaze. The weight of her sadness was palpable. “The insurance investigator said they would cover most of the costs. Oliver identified Kingston as the arsonist. We also had Jeff’s security camera footage to support him. The police managed to pick him up quickly. The idiot hadn’t even bothered to leave town.”