“I know. We never discuss you. It’s time we started to communicate, Rebecca. I can’t begin to imagine everything you went through or how you feel. But I’m trying to show up and let you know I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
Rebecca stepped back, crossed her arms, and licked her bottom lip. Her breath came out shaky. “I can’t.”
Julio took a step toward her.
“I’m not doing this,” she corrected herself. “I did my job and protected those people,” she said, sensing his intentions.
He stepped forward. “No, sweetheart. Those men hurt you like all those other victims. From what Kara told me, you took punishments for the rest of them.”
Rebecca backed up, appearing like a rabbit ready to bolt. Yet this time, he planned to catch her. Their future depended on it.
Shaking her head, her eyes moved in every direction, searching for an escape.
“They beat, starved, and raped you,” he said firmly. “Your job didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Yes, it did. I got caught because I naively believed in people. You don’t know what happened to me,” she shouted as her arms crossed her tiny frame.
“Oh, but I do,” he murmured. “I sat in the underbelly of those clubs and stayed in the fanciest hotels, watching people get sold like cattle. The sick bastards enjoyed watching them cower in fear as they awaited their fate. Jameson called me when he saw too much and couldn’t bear it anymore and unburdened himself by telling me the gruesome details. We stopped a few along the way, but it’ll never seem like enough.”
“Hearing about it and living it are two different things,” she spat as her body trembled. “Where were you, Julio? Why did it take you this long to come for me? They hurt me,” she said as tears streamed down her face.
“I know they did, darlin’,” he acknowledged. “I’m sorry it took me forever. We did everything we could to locate you. Over the last couple of months, we heard some chatter about a woman who they never sold. Special men got to sample her, but they refused to sell her. I knew in my gut it was you.”
“Then you know why we can’t be together. They made me do things, disgusting things,” she stuttered.
“And none of it matters to me except how you feel right now. It’s why you insist everyone attends counseling, yet you don’t want to go yourself. My love for you hasn’t changed, Rebecca. I still hate being apart from you, even if you’re at the cabins. I’ve taken extra guard duties to stay close to you. It kills me they hurt you, and I didn’t get there in time to stop them,” he whispered.
“I don’t blame you,” she cried. “I won’t lie. I prayed every damn day and night you’d show up. I saw things…. It’s changed me, Julio. I killed Jim without any regard for the law.”
Julio wrapped her in his arms. “From what little I saw, he deserved it. When we stayed at the hospital, we held a meeting to discuss how far into the grey we planned to go. These people don’t play fair, and we can’t win by doing things the right way. It didn’t matter, I’d break every damn law to get back to you.”
Rebecca put her arms around his neck as she buried her head into his shoulder.
“Let’s go. It’s getting colder and we spin up in less than three hours. We can talk on the plane. I have something to show you,” he said, leading her to Satan.
Rebecca nodded. The heavy pain in her chest grew a bit lighter, knowing how he felt. She wondered if she’d ever forget what she did in order to survive.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Julio kissed the top of her head as they entered the clearing. The large blue farmhouse with white shutters came into view. Thinking back, he approved the plans for it, keeping all of Rebecca’s ideas in mind.
Turning Satan toward his new barn, Julio pulled on his reins to make him stop. He opened the barn doors and led them inside. Reaching for Rebecca, he helped her down and led Satan to his stall. He glanced over to Rebecca as he removed the saddle from the horse and checked the water and feed bins. She crossed her arms around her waist and held herself as she viewed their new surroundings.
When he finished, he put his arm around her, leading her from the barn and shut the door.
“Where are we?” she asked softly as she gazed at the new house.
“I’m bringing you home,” he said, catching her hand. “It’s time we stopped avoiding everything and face it,” he said quietly.
Rebecca eyed the house and licked her lip nervously as they crossed the front yard. She stopped and stared upward to the second story.
“We can’t do this,” she said quietly, making him strain to hear her.
“Like hell, we can’t,” he replied. “We’ve run for too long, Rebecca.”
She wrenched her hand from his hold as if he scalded her and stepped back. Her face turned red with fury as her fists shook and her chest heaved.
“Jameson met a woman named Caroline, and she told him about you.”
