Captivated Desires

23

Josh ducked down, positioning himself between me and the windows, protecting me with his body. Shards of glass flew in all directions as bullets continued to rain through the shattered windows.

"Stay low and don't move," Josh ordered, his voice firm but steady. He could already feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, the familiar rush of a fight or flight scenario kicking in.

He pulled out his gun from his belt, his eyes scanning the area, looking for any possible targets. The bullets continued to pummel through the windows, and he knew they were under attack by an external force.

I looked around and I saw a face "Isn't that Jack?"

Josh's eyes followed my gaze, and his expression hardened. "Damn it, you're right," he muttered. "That's Jack, one of the new guys in the organization. What the hell is he doing?"

"Do you think he is a snitch? Reign needs to know-"

Josh's jaw clenched, anger mixing with concern. "I don't know, but we need to get out of here and find a way to contact Reign," he said, his voice low and tense. "We can't let Jack get to us before we can warn him."

The necklace emitted a series of quick pulses, sending the alert signal to Reign wherever he was. It was a discreet but effective way of getting his attention, especially in situations where verbal communication wasn't possible.

Josh glanced at my necklace and nodded, understanding what I had done. "Good thinking," he said, his eyes darting back and forth between me and the windows, still keeping a protective stance in front of me.

As me and Josh looked out, we both spotted Azar. He was like a hurricane, moving with a speed and precision that was almost unreal. Azar took out the men one by one, his movements sharp and deadly.

Josh watched in awe as Azar took down their attackers with ease. "Damn," he muttered, a mix of admiration and astonishment in his voice. "He's like a one-man army out there."

The sounds of the gunfire and shouts continued to fill the air, but Azar seemed unfazed, his focus solely on neutralizing the threat. It was a sight to behold, witnessing Azar in action, his skills and training on full display.

As the gunshots began to subside, Josh turned his attention back to me. "Stay here," he instructed, his eyes flickering with determination. "I'm going to help Azar."

Before I could respond, Josh got up from his crouching position, moving swiftly but cautiously toward the shattered windows. He ducked down to avoid any lingering threats before making his way outside to join Azar.

As Josh stepped outside, he caught sight of Azar finishing off the last of the attackers. Azar was panting slightly, clearly winded from the intense fight, but his expression remained calm and composed.

As Josh stepped outside, he caught sight of Azar finishing off the last of the attackers. Azar was panting slightly, clearly winded from the intense fight, but his expression remained calm and composed.

As I looked down at my stomach, I saw the shards of glass embedded in my skin, causing a trickle of blood to flow down my belly. The pain was intense, and I couldn't help but let out a groan of discomfort.

Josh, who had been focused on Azar, suddenly heard my groan and turned his attention back to me, his eyes widening in shock at the sight of the glass shards in my belly. "Reina!" he exclaimed, rushing to my side, a mixture of worry and concern etched on his face.

He quickly assessed the situation, noting the blood seeping from my cuts. "You're hurt," he said urgently, his voice filled with concern. "We need to get those glass pieces out before we do anything else."

"I need Reign- I need to know if my baby girl is okay," I said throughout small sobs.

Josh's heart tightened at my words, the worry for my unborn child adding to his urgency. "Okay, okay," he said, trying to calm me down. "We'll get you to Reign, don't worry. But first, we need to take care of those cuts."

Josh looked around for something to use as a makeshift medical tool. His eyes fell on a nearby wooden stool, and with a determined look, he broke off one of its legs. He grabbed a clean cloth and wrapped it around the end of the makeshift tool, making a rudimentary pair of tweezers.

He knelt beside me, careful not to cause further injury. "This might hurt a little," he said gently, his voice filled with empathy. "But I'll be as gentle as possible, okay?"

I nodded slowly. With a steady hand, Josh began the delicate process of removing the glass shards from my belly, using the makeshift tweezers to carefully extract each piece. He worked slowly and methodically, trying his best not to cause any unnecessary pain.

Reign came rushing in, his eyes widening at the sight of me lying on the ground with Josh by my side. He took in the broken glass, the blood, and my pain-filled expression. His heart clenched inside his chest, a wave of protectiveness and worry washing over him.

"What the hell happened?!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with a mix of anger and concern. He dropped to his knees beside me, his gaze flickering over my body, taking in the wounds and the pain etched on my face.

Josh, who was still working on removing the glass pieces from my belly, looked up at Reign, his expression sombre. "We were ambushed," he explained, his voice low. "Jack was working with some other guys, and they started shooting when we least expected it."

Reign's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing at the mention of Jack's name. "Jack, huh?" he growled, barely containing his anger. "When I get my hands on him, I'll make sure he regrets ever crossing us."

He shifted his attention back to me, his eyes softening as he looked at my pained expression. "How bad are her injuries?" he asked Josh, his voice tinged with worry.

Josh looked up at Reign, his expression grim. "She has a few deep cuts from the glass, but most of the shards have been removed," he reported. "The one on her stomach is the worst. She needs it cleaned and stitched up as soon as possible."