“Julio,” she said, softly, shaking her head. “I can’t leave Kara.”
“Then we can set her up in one of our spare bedrooms,” he offered.
“Please,” she pleaded. “I must stay with them. They need me. We can talk on the plane, and once I get everyone settled. Have you heard from Jameson? Has he located Megan? What about the other woman, Ebony?”
“He hasn’t called. I suspect it’ll be a while before he reaches out after this botched operation. They won’t be happy,” Julio informed her.
Kara stirred and blinked her eyes. Her body reacted before her mind caught up, and she shot up in bed. “Where are we?” she asked hysterically.
“It’s all right,” Rebecca soothed. “We’re safe. Remember, Julio and his men rescued us?”
Kara’s body deflated as she glanced over at Julio. “Yeah, sorry.”
“Nothing to feel sorry about, sweetheart. Can I get you something to drink? I asked them to bring your breakfast here. It’ll arrive shortly,” Julio said, smiling warmly at her.
“No, thanks,” Kara said, rubbing her arm.
“You disconnected your IV,” Rebecca admonished. “You need the fluids. When we finish eating, you need to get hooked back up. They’re flying you to Texas later this morning to a safe location. You need the extra hydration.”
“What about you?” Kara asked worriedly. “Can’t I wait and go with you? Do they plan to separate us?”
“They’re taking a group today and the second one will follow in a few days. Rebecca’s coming with us on the first one,” Julio interjected, staring at her.
“Actually, I plan to wait until the second group leaves,” Rebecca corrected him. “I’ll talk to Kassie and get you moved to the next flight. We can send someone else.”
“We’re leaving this morning,” he argued. “The other patients require more care and we must make extra room for them. Plus, you’ll want to ensure they have everything they need.”
Rebecca bristled at his demand. “Do you need to use the restroom? It’s right through the door on your right,” she said to Kara.
Julio rose and unlocked the railing, letting Kara free from the bed. She scurried to the bathroom.
“I’ve made it very clear I’m leaving on the second flight,” Rebecca seethed. “Don’t confuse Kara. It’s my responsibility to make these women feel safe. They won’t know anyone.”
“What will happen when the first flight arrives without you? They’ll think we brought them there under false pretenses,” he shot back. “The second group will know the staff accompanying them, considering they’re staying here longer.”
Pursing her lips, Rebecca refused to answer him, knowing he made sense. The nurse entered and brought her breakfast tray. She returned a minute later with Kara’s and an aide dropped one beside Julio.
“Mrs. Winters asked me to bring you something to eat. Tess made breakfast burritos while Randy rounded up some kid-friendly options.”
“Thank Randy for me,” he said, opening his lid to find a giant breakfast burrito stuffed with eggs, sausage, cheese, bacon, and peppers.
Kara watched him avidly until Rebecca nudged her. “Eat as much as you feel comfortable and drink all those fluids.”
“I will. How can he eat all of that? It’s huge,” Kara exclaimed, removing her lid.
“Once you take a bite of Tess’s cooking, you’ll know how,” Julio said, taking a bite of the homemade potatoes.
Rebecca smiled and nodded, encouraging her to eat while she removed her own lid. It contained homemade, fluffy pancakes with warm maple syrup, and a side of butter. “Oh,” she said, surprised. “I didn’t get a burrito.”
“I asked Randy to make your favorite. You didn’t eat last night, and you need a hot meal to fortify you. Make sure you drink all your liquids, too.”
“Pancakes,” Kara breathed. “Anything’s better than grits and cold cereal.”
Rebecca cut off a good portion and set it on Kara’s plate. “Here, eat up.”
“I can’t take your food,” Kara protested. “What if they don’t give us anything else today?”
“I happen to know Matthew plans to have cheeseburgers and homemade fries for lunch. Then, Delaney will prepare pork chops with baked potatoes and a salad for dinner,” Julioinformed her while he cut his burrito in half. “If you finish those pancakes and still feel hungry, we can order more.”
