Kidnapped by the Bad Boy - A Caleb Joseph story

Donovan's POV

Donovan blinked, his vision spotty from the bright flash of light. Caleb wrenched himself from Donovan's slack grip. 

Donovan watched as the curly-haired brunet limped to the spot where the girl and the dog sat mere seconds ago. He fell to his knees and stared at his empty hands as if imagining the ghosts of his vanished friends.

"Darn you," Caleb said. "God darn you to heck!"

"I couldn't let you escape," Donovan growled. It occurred to him how close he had come to losing Caleb. His stomach flipped uncomfortably.

Dog-Connor trotted up and wagged his tail, left then right. "That was a close one," he said.

Donovan patted him on the head absently as he took out his cell phone. He scrolled through his contacts until he got to Zade's.

Zade picked up on the tenth ring, her voice groggy from sleep. "What is it?" she snapped. 

"We had a run-in with the Mary Sue girl. She got away with the dog, but we still have Caleb." Donovan clenched one hand into a fist. "We need you to take out Benson."

Zade paused. "You got it," she said tersely and hung up.

Caleb lifted his gaze to Donovan. "What are you doing to do to Benson?"

He looked so cute Donovan almost couldn't bear to tell him. "We're sending Benson back to his dimension so he can't betray us again. Zade should be able to handle him with her magik."

Donovan moved toward Caleb, intending to lift him to his feet, but Caleb cringed away in fear. The sight twisted Donovan's insides. 

"I twisted my ankle. I don't know if I can stand," Caleb said.

"Let's get you to bed," Donovan said softly. He lifted Caleb into his arms and carried him away bridal-style.

In less than five minutes Caleb was locked safely away and Donovan was back in his own room laying in bed.

Donovan tried to fall back asleep but the events of the night kept playing out behind his eyelids. The fear he felt when the alarm rang and he rushed to find Caleb's room empty. The mad sprint for the elevator. The panic when he saw Mary Sue holding the interdimensional portal. 

And the feeling of Caleb's frail body clasped against his side. The stab of guilt when he saw the sadness in Caleb's eyes.

He thought back to the first time he had seen Caleb's video on Rescuing the Bad Boy. The criticism had stung more than Donovan liked to admit. What was wrong with being raised in a wealthy family? Or with changing your personality every other chapter? And it wasn't his fault that his father had been a caricature of an abusive parent. 

He was suddenly brought back to that moment in the same living room, years ago, when he was playing with his hot wheels on the stairway banister. His father had stormed in, face red as a bull's, stinking of alcohol. His beady eyes had honed in on little Donovan immediately.

Donovan felt the crack of his father's fist against his cheek. He'd gone flying down the stairs just like Caleb had a few minutes ago.

He held a hand up to his face, feeling the phantom pain of his father's class ring. Perhaps he had deserved such treatment after all. Look at what he had done to Caleb. He'd gone along with Dex's plan to kidnap him and now his ankle was twisted. Donovan might have been a bad boy, but he'd never intended for Caleb to get hurt.

And then there was the funny feeling he got in his chest whenever he looked at Caleb. Donovan didn't quite understand what it meant, but he intended to find out.