She went over to her bag on a chair next to the love seat. “I picked up your scent last night.” She pulled out a stethoscope and came over to me.
Little by little, my defense shield lowered. I didn’t think someone as nice as her would be working for my grandmother. Unless Harriet ordered her to treat me with kid gloves—if Rebekah found me.
I stuck my hands on my hips and arched my back. “Do you have a phone I can borrow?”
She moved her high ponytail over her shoulder as she knelt down. “No cell coverage in these parts, but I do have a way to communicate in emergencies. I would like to check you out first, then we can come up with a plan on how I can help.”
Even though my situation was dire, I understood that she needed more from me. Military folks liked to assess things before they acted in order to make sure they weren’t jumping into a fire without a plan. Case in point: when Commander Webb London had scolded me in a recent conversation at the hotel outside of Chicago. His exact words were imprinted on my brain:“If you’re not trained to know your surroundings right down to the speck of dirt on the ground, you’ll get yourself killed.”Rebekah knew the mountains. She could guide me out. Besides, the babies were my priority.
I tucked my legs underneath me, then pressed my hands into the floor behind me.
She proceeded to listen to my heart, lungs, then belly, concentrating heavily on my stomach. After a long minute, surprise washed over her. “I hear four heartbeats.”
I shuddered, smiling, and almost hugged her. “I know.”
She grinned, her golden-yellow eyes glistening. “Congratulations. You know, quadruplets occur in about one in seven hundred thousand pregnancies.”
“I didn’t know that.”I haven’t had time to think about my pregnancy. I’ve been running from my enemies.
“Where did you pull that muscle?” she asked.
She definitely gave me the vibe that she was a good person.
After I showed her the spot, she felt along my lower back, then massaged that knot. “Your muscles are tight.” She continued to knead and rub for a long minute. “The yoga stretches will help.”
I was already feeling less pain.
I studied the pretty woman, who looked like she was in her twenties. Maybe she was twenty-three, like me. “Thank you for helping me.”
She smiled warmly. “No thanks is necessary. I live to help those I serve.”
Call it fate or destiny, but I felt like she and I were meant to meet. For what reason, I wasn’t sure, but I was grateful and lucky. However, until I was safely in Sam’s embrace, I wasn’t ready to celebrate.
10
LAYLA
Ten minutes later, I sat at the dining table, staring out the window at the trees swaying in the wind while Rebekah set down a steaming bowl of soup in front of me. Dark clouds were rolling in, and it appeared a storm was brewing.
She went over to the window. “Mm. I was hoping to leave today.”
“Do you have a car?” She had to have one parked somewhere.
She returned to the stove for her bowl. “It’s at the ranger’s station.”
Jackpot. “Is it far from here?” I was ready to leave now.
With her bowl in hand, she sat at the table. “Who are you running from, Layla?”
“Is it that obvious?” She was perceptive, although she’d been tracking me, so she’d probably seen me always looking over my shoulder.
“Bad people,” I responded as I picked up the spoon. My stomach was growling and my taste buds salivating for the canned soup. Hell, I would eat anything right about now. Sadly, the food wouldn’t satisfy that steady burn growing hotter in the back of my throat. Over the last couple of days, it had waxed and waned. Dr. Vieira had never said what would happen if I didn’t drink blood.
I could broach the topic with Rebekah. She might understand and give me some of her life’s essence. But I wouldn’t bring it up until it was absolutely necessary and I felt I could trust her.
She studied me. “Care to elaborate?”
“Not really,” I said. She would think I was looney if I told her I was running from my grandmother.
