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Hell, no. Preston was injured. Maybe dying.
Josh had to get him to a hospital. Now.
He scooped the small boy into his arms and ran toward Ed who was yelling instructions down the alley to the city police who had taken possession of the fucking asshole who’d hurt Preston.
Josh wasn’t sure where or how the boy had gotten hurt, just that he’d passed out right in front of him.
The kid smelled like puke. Those damned gang bangers may have punched little Preston in the gut. Broken a rib. Punctured a lung. A dozen scenarios fled through Josh’s mind, none of them good, all based on personal experiences with his SEALs.
He said a small prayer for his luck to continue. Ed had been showing him the back streets where a growing Muslim community lived behind their shops that lined the main drag of the Hotel Zone. They’d been stuck in traffic while a woman made several attempts to parallel park. Ed had noticed activity in the alley and recognized a man with the Los Zetas tattoo. Then Ed had seen the teenage boys and a flash of blond hair on a small child.
Nothing good could come of that scenario.
They’d formed a quick and simple plan just before Josh shoved Ed’s back-up gun next to his spine and jumped out of the armored SUV.
It wasn’t until he’d secured the bad guy that Josh realized they had Preston. The thought of what could have happened to the boy in his arms—the child he’d played with in the Girard pool and sat beside at breakfast just that morning—drove Josh to run faster toward the bright light at the end of the alley. The boy could have been kidnapped and sold into the sex slave trade. Or simply killed for the one-hundred dollar shoes he wore.
“Preston!” Lilly’s scream was both a relief and a shot to his heart. Pleading, dark brown eyes rimmed with unshed tears looked from Josh to her son.
“He’s alive.” He gently laid Preston down on the sidewalk at her feet. He felt for a pulse. Slow and weak, but it was there. He gently moved the child’s head side to side, rubbing his fingers lightly over the scalp. When he found no blood or bumps, he exhaled a long, slow breath. Thankfully, he’d caught the boy before his head hit the concrete.
Josh lifted the stained shirt searching the small pale chest for red marks or darkening bruises. None. With light squeezes, he checked Preston's arms and legs. All seemed fine except for the bloodied knees which had superficial wounds like those on his hands. “I think he just passed out, but we need to get him to a doctor.”
Relief washed over Lilly’s face before the confident woman-in-charge took over. “I’ll get my car.” She glanced down at her youngest son who held her hand tightly, chin quivering, unsuccessfully fighting tears.
She bent to grab Greyson, and he stepped away from her. “No, Mommy.” He knelt next to Preston. “I want to stay here. Preston...” He sniffed. “Can I stay with Preston? Please?”
She stared at both her boys as though unable to leave them.
Josh looked up into her worried eyes. “I’ve got them both. Now go get the car.”
“Greyson, I need you to stay right here, with Josh. Will you do that for me? And don’t you dare leave his side. Do you understand?”
Silver streaks tracked down both cheeks as the small child nodded. He immediately latched onto Josh’s sleeve.
With the beauty of a gazelle, Lilly ran in high-heeled sandals down the block, leaving Josh alone with the two little kids.
This was why he’d refused to have children. Bad shit happened even to good people...and he wasn’t a good person.
“Mr. Josh.” In all the confusion, he’d barely heard the weak voice. “Is...is...Preston...dead?”
Josh pulled Greyson down to where he knelt beside Preston. “No. He just went to sleep for a little bit. Lay your hand very lightly on Preston’s chest.” Hesitantly, the little boy did as instructed. “Feel it move up and down?”
A short nod was all he got in confirmation.
“We’re going to take him to the hospital and have him checked out.” Josh tried to keep the anger from his voice. He knew he wasn’t good with kids and didn’t want to scare the little guy.
Greyson snatched his hand back when Preston stirred. Good thing, because Preston sat up, arms flailing as though fighting an unseen assailant. Josh captured both arms and pulled the half-aware child tight against his chest. He’d seen this several times before when a SEAL would be injured in combat. Hours later he’d awaken in fighting mode, as though he were still in the heat of battle.
On his knees, Josh gently spoke to the little boy bound in his arms. “Shhh. I have you, Preston. You’re safe.” He rocked the child as though he were a babe. “You’re safe now.”
Greyson moved in and stroked his brother’s back. “Mr. Josh saved you.”
When Preston quit squirming, Josh released his hold a bit so he could look into Preston’s blinking eyes.
“Are you...Batman?” Preston’s eyes got big and round.
Josh threw his head back and burst out laughing to the shock of all those around him. “No, son, just an old sailor. Probably closer to Aquaman, but I was never able to talk to the fish and whales like he could.”
When their gazes met once again, almost at the same level, Preston looked confused and embarrassed at the same time. “I was a Navy SEAL like your Uncle Jack,” Josh clarified.
“You...you beat up that man.” When Preston’s gaze trailed off toward the alley, Josh placed two fingers against his cheek and forced the boy to look at him. Those innocent eyes didn’t need to see what Josh had done to that fucker.
Changing the subject, he asked, “Are you hurt?”
“No.” Preston’s answer was quiet. Then he carefully moved his bloody hands. “Yes. My hands got hurt when I...fell.” He slowly moved his legs. “My knees hurt, too.”
“How’s the stomach? Ribs?” Josh kept his voice calm and low. “Did they punch you or hit you anywhere?”
“No.” Preston’s reply was quick and confident. “You can let me go now, Mr. Josh.”
“Think you can stand?” Josh eased his hold on Preston. He was a little unsteady for a minute then found his bearing.
When Preston looked at all the gawkers who had formed a circle around the police activity, he stepped closer to Josh, as though for moral support rather than physical. Josh stood and pulled both brothers to his sides.
Lilly came charging through the crowd, a true tiger searching for her cubs, ready to do battle with anyone who stood in her way.
“Mom.” The boys turned and ran into their mother’s arms.
Ed walked up and stood beside Josh watching the family reunion. “Did Preston tell you what happened?”
“No. He just came to a minute ago.” Josh wasn’t sure of police procedures but figured someone would have to question the boy.
“Lilly should take him to the hospital to get checked out or have the doc come to the house,” Ed suggested.
“Doctors here make house calls?” Josh couldn’t imagine that happening in the United States. He’d sat in emergency rooms for hours waiting to see a doctor for an x-ray or to get stitches.
“They do if your last name is Girard, and you are a member of the Chel family,” Ed said wryly.
Holding a boy on each hip, Lilly strode up to the two of them. “I’m taking my boys home. I’ll have a doctor meet us there. If he thinks Preston needs to go to the private hospital, I’ll take him.” She glanced down the alley then to Ed. “Did you get those sons-of-bitches who hurt Preston?”
“Yes, with Josh’s help.” Ed slapped him on the shoulder and squeezed. He nodded toward the Cancun police. “They’re going to need a statement from Preston.”
Lilly started to protest.
Ed held up his flattened palm. “You want that bastard locked up, don’t you? We need him behind bars.” With a glance, Josh confirmed the fucker would be interrogated by Ed’s men for any information on the terrorists and human trafficking.
She nodded and scanned the line of teenage boys in flex cuffs. “What about them?”
“They’ll be processed and released to their parents,” Ed explained. “Most of them are barely in their teens but the leader is fifteen. We know his brother well.”
One of the local policemen handed Ed a nice leather wallet.
“That’s Preston’s,” Lilly rushed to say. “Is that why they attacked him?”
Ed looked at the boy who nodded then cowered deeper into his mother’s embrace. “I don’t think they need this for evidence.” He held it out and Preston slid from his mother’s embrace.
When he took it, he opened the bill slot and looked into the empty space.
Preston’s face dropped. “They took my money.”
“How much was it?” Ed asked.
“Four hundred pesos.” He looked up at the Cancun policeman. “I need to buy a wedding present for Uncle Jack.”
With a glance from Ed, the officer plastered on an intimidating face and stomped over to the youth. Less than a minute later, he returned with the money plus the change they’d stolen from Preston’s pocket.
The smile that lit up the boy’s face was worth the sore knuckles that Josh caught himself rubbing.
“Why don’t you ride back with them,” Ed suggested to Josh. “I’ll wrap things up here and stop in later with the local police.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice so only Josh heard. “The sooner you get the hell out of here, the easier it’ll be for me to keep your name out of the report.”
“I’ll drive, Lilly.” Josh held his hand out for the keys. She tossed them to him and turned on her heel. When she reached for Preston’s hand, he stiff-leggedly moved toward her, wincing with every step.
“I’ve got him.” Josh grabbed Preston under the arms and lifted him onto his left hip, keeping his right hand free to reach for his gun, in case the asshole in the alley had friends nearby.
People moved out of Lilly’s way as she strode through the crowd with determination and inborn grace. Greyson nuzzled into his mother’s neck and stared over her shoulder at Josh carrying his older brother.
The weight of Preston’s small body was negligible but the urge to safeguard this boy weighed heavily on Josh. He didn’t understand the need that swelled from deep inside to do everything in his power to keep the ugliness of the world away from the tender innocence of the child in his arms. A purity that had been dirtied moments ago. He’d felt some of this protectiveness for his niece and nephew in the days after Sean had died at the hands of terrorists, yet now, it nearly overwhelmed him.
Lilly bent over to slide Greyson into the booster seat in the back of the car and Josh nearly tripped. Her white designer shorts were pulled so tight over that magnificent ass of hers he could see tanned skin through the lace of her panties.
Was she the reason he felt tied to the boy?
Preston took that instant to hug Josh’s neck and whisper in a shaking voice, “Thank you for saving me, Aquaman.”
Josh stopped the fierce roar that bellowed within his soul from escaping, but didn’t hold back the hug he returned. “I’m glad we were there.”
Once around to the other side of the car, he gently placed Preston in the back seat, closed the door, and moved into the driver’s seat. In his rearview mirror, he checked on both boys and their beautiful mother who sat between them, coddling and soothing both her children.
Josh turned the key and headed south to a place that was quickly feeling like home.