Leo’s eye narrowed on him, as if assessing whether to keep him on or not. “Let’s talk to them and see what transpires. Check on Rebecca and I’ll pop in a bit.”
Julio headed for the door, refusing to budge. He knew the dark workings of trafficking, but the last six months showed him the ruthlessness of the people operating the rings. No one seemed off limits to these bastards. They took the woman he loved more than anything and hurt her. He’d send them all to hell and never look back.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Rebecca visited each of the rooms where the staff placed the women. Because of their fear of being separated, the staff rearranged the beds to make them more comfortable. She assured them of their safety before Kassie insisted she return to her room.
She climbed into bed, feeling the weariness take over. Kassie put in her IV and retrieved the blood samples. She handed her a pill with a glass of water. Annabelle entered, carrying a tray of soup, grilled cheese, and a generous slice of pie. It felt like more food than she ate in a month. Waiting until the women left her alone, she pushed the tray away. The haunted eyes of the children she met during her rounds made her sick to her stomach as she imagined what might be happening to Megan. Where did they take her? Tears welled in her eyes, her heart aching for all of them. Her arms longed to hold the little girl, who wiggled her way into Rebecca’s life in a way she never expected.
A soft knock caught her attention as Julio stepped inside the room. His eyes never left hers as he crossed the room. He sat gently on the side of the bed. “Becca,” he whispered, hesitantly.
“I’m fine,” she assured him, yet he saw the slight tremble in her shoulders and her hands gripping the sheet. It appeared as if she stopped breathing as he neared. Not wanting to cause her undue stress, he rose and pulled a chair close to the bed.
“Everyone has settled in. Victoria stayed with Kara. She promised to show Kara how to render a man helpless. I’m not sure what Kassie thought when she asked Victoria to help support the women. Half the men in Serenity will be walking funny if we don’t get them to Texas right away. Or maybe Ivan plans to punish his men by having them volunteer,” he suggested, wagging his eyebrows. Knowing Rebecca knew how Ivan punished his men by making them do the most embarrassing jobs ever, he hoped to get a chuckle. Instead, he got silence.
“When will Kassie send the first group of women to Texas?” Rebecca asked, fidgeting with the blanket and pulling it higher up her body, despite the pajamas covering everything.
“I’m meeting with her in an hour. She mentioned sending Annabelle and Ragu down, along with a group of rape counselors. A few will stay here until they’re more stable and anyone who doesn’t want to go, she and Claire will make arrangements to get them the help they need,” he informed her, watching her reaction to him. Leo’s warning replayed in his head.
“It’s probably best if you leave with the first group and I’ll return with the second. Since you know the lay of the land, you’ll be able to get them settled before the second wave arrives. They’ll most likely need more attention and care. This way, it’ll break it up for Annabelle,” Rebecca said quietly, already plotting to rid herself of him.
“I’ll see what Kassie and Dr. Meyers suggest. In terms of the Texas set-up, I haven’t set foot on it since before you disappeared. I don’t plan on returning there until you do,” hesaid firmly, letting her know he caught her hint. “Rachel Foster and Matthew Cartwright have run the show with Mac, one of the former patients from here. I’ve already spoken to them, and they’re preparing as we speak.”
“What about Jameson?” Rebecca asked, changing the subject.
“They took him into custody with the others. He’ll return and tell his boss the house got raided and who we caught. We conveniently didn’t catch him with enough evidence and cut him loose. A woman named Caroline helped to locate you. She disappeared shortly before we found you. Jameson plans to search for her. She might be in trouble for helping us, and he’s determined to help her,” Julio explained as he rose from his chair and covered her, mindful of not touching her, with another blanket at seeing the tremor run through her entire body.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “Not for the blanket, but for not giving up on finding me. They moved us around a lot. I didn’t think you’d ever find us.”
“I’ll never give up on you,” he assured her, gazing into her eyes, hoping she’d understand what he meant deep in his heart.
Rebecca glanced away from his intense stare and took a shaky breath. “Maybe I should attend this meeting. I made a list of people who went missing and descriptions of the men who purchased them. I’m not sure what happened to Ebony. Then, there’s Megan,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. “She’s only a child, Julio. It’s killing me not knowing who took her. Jim, the man I shot, pulled her from my arms. Thinking back, I shouldn’t have killed him. He may be the only person to know where they took Megan.”
“Leo has a trusted team of FBI agents questioning the suspects. Bear, one of Leo’s new team members and Matthew deep dived each of their backgrounds to ensure they weren’t on the take,” Julio informed her. “It’s important you take somedowntime and rest. Jameson promised to search for Megan. We met her briefly when they brought out the kids.”
“How will they ever heal from this?” Rebecca asked, her eyes growing misty. “They stole their childhood from them.”
“We’ll find them and get them all the therapy and help they need. We won’t give up on a single one,” he vowed, gently brushing the tear spilling down her cheek away with his thumb. She stiffened at his touch and he moved away, giving her space.
“I see you didn’t touch your food. Do you want something else?” he asked, peering at the tray and frowning.
“I’m not hungry,” she said, glancing at the untouched tray.
“Then, I’ll stay with you while you fall asleep,” he offered.
“No. I’m fine. I’m sure you have things needing your attention. I’m sure I’ll fall asleep as soon as you leave,” she said, gazing at the door.
Taking the hint, he rose. His heart pounded in his chest as if sending him a warning, yet he ignored it. “Goodnight, Becca. I’ll see if Leo and his team can meet earlier. Then, if you need anything, I’ll be right outside your door.”
She swallowed and peered at him as if he threatened to hold her hostage.
He left as rage filled him. Julio didn’t delude himself into believing she came out of this unscathed. Hell, he worried about it every damn night for the past year. It hurt like a bitch as he rubbed his chest. Julio didn’t expect his beautiful, sweet Becca to fall into his arms, weeping for him. Yet, a small part of him felt disappointed, she refused even to hold his hand. The closest contact they made happened when he placed his coat around her and held her. Then again, Julio never touchedher.
Something niggled in the back of his mind, making him worry. He didn’t give her recovery time a second thought. Whatever she needed, he’d ensure it happened. It bothered him how she pulled away. The last time they saw each other,she gazed at him with complete trust and love. Did she hold resentment toward him for taking forever to locate her? Goodness knows he beat himself up about it every damn night when it seemed they ran into dead ends at every turn. They deliberately kept Rebecca hidden. Why? It seemed like the million-dollar question.
The team filedinto the conference room. Julio noted a few new faces. A redhead named Sparky entered with her guide dog. A young woman with brown hair and startling green eyes, named Stormy, followed behind her, holding hands with one of the newest members of the team, Cole and his K-9, Brody. Kassie, Doc, Claire, and Leo arrived last.
They all helped themselves to the fresh coffee, tea, and sandwiches Randy and his team provided after the long night.
