“I never met her. I kept a mental list of names and where I last saw them. There’s no Caroline among them,” she said.
Julio saw her open drawers to her mental filing cabinet, trying to recall the name. “We think she disappeared because she talked about you.”
“Why? It’s not like they kept me a secret. Every auction, they paraded me around like a prized pig. They traded money for my body. I didn’t get any say…”
Julio swallowed. “I know, darlin’,” he admitted.
“My skin crawls when a man touches me. I don’t even have the peace of knowing if I caught a sexually transmitted disease from them,” she cried.
“Kassie said your initial lab work came back negative,” he reminded her.
“Yes, theinitialblood work,” she reiterated. “It can take up to six months for me to get cleared of everything. Dirty men touched me, Julio. I feel them on my skin even now. I hear their grunts as they lie on top of me, not even caring if they hurt me. I taste the liquor on their breath as they tried to kiss me as if we shared some romantic moment.” She held out her wrists, covered by his coat and her long sleeves. “I see the marks they left on me to remind me how powerless I was to stop any of it.”
Julio stepped toward her, listening to the pain in her voice.
“We share something different. You’re part of my soul. When they hurt you, they tried to destroy us. Will you let them take me from you, too?” he asked quietly.
“You don’t understand. We’ll never be the same. You’ll look at me differently. I saw the pity on the team’s faces when you rescued all of us. I don’t know how to come back from all this, and I refuse to drag you down with me,” she cried.
“You’re right,” he said, agreeing with her. Her blue eyes widened at hearing his acknowledgment. “We won’t ever be the same people from a year ago. We’ve seen too much and heard more than we wanted. You experienced trauma I can’t even begin to think about without wanting to kill someone.”
Rebecca glanced away, peering toward the farmhouse. Her hand went to her short hair. “They stole my identity. Even today, Rachel cut my hair to keep them from claiming me again,” she sobbed. “I can’t live a life wondering if they’ll come for me again. I need to get all of them.”
Julio wrapped his arms around her and tilted her chin to meet his gaze. “I don’t want you peering over your shoulder. First, we’ll get you into counseling.” When she started to object, he placed a finger over her lips. “Practice what you preach. You personally escorted Kara to hers. Your job description doesn’t list rape or trafficking as a requirement. It’s a hazard of the job. Last time I checked, if you worked for the CIA, then you’d be placed on leave until you recovered.”
Rebecca’s forehead scrunched as he made his point.
“Second, we’ll acknowledge the bad days as well as the good days because we’ll face them together,” he said, his tone brooking no argument. “And third, we’ll finally come home. We dreamed of a life together. This house was built around everything we discussed. I refused to enter those doors until I knew I brought you home. Don’t let them take this from us, Rebecca.”
Her arms wrapped around his neck as she let out the misery of the last year. The cold wind grew stronger, and yet Julio held her tightly, resembling a great, mighty oak refusing to let the strong breeze carry her away.
Rebecca peered into his eyes. “I love you, Becca,” he whispered.
“Love you, more,” she choked out as she wiped the tears from his eyes.
RealizingJulio experienced a different kind of pain than hers, but it stung just as heavily, Rebecca wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her face into his chest, smelling the scent she longed for every night to replace the odor of liquor, sweat, blood, and sickness. Julio wanted her despite everything.
He smoothed her shortened hair, kissing her tresses as if to seal the wound. “It’ll grow back,” he assured her. “We’ll heal and grow stronger than ever,” he said, brushing the hair away from her face.
She shivered as she realized Julio had been touching her the whole time, and her body didn’t revolt in fear. It relaxed and let out the suffering, knowing her soul remained safe in his arms.
“Julio, I’m scared,” she whispered, watching his expression.
“I know. But I’ll stay strong enough for both of us until you feel safe again,” he vowed.
Rebecca let out a relieved sigh as she clasped his hands, which cupped her face. “Let’s go home,” she whispered.
Tentatively brushing his thumb over her lips, he bent and kissed her. His tongue glided gently across her mouth as if sealing the wounds of her past. Her lips parted, and her tonguesought his, needing to taste him again. The soft kiss turned into a promise, reminding Rebecca she’d always be safe with him.
Julio scooped her up into his arms and entered the house. They didn’t bother locking it since the home was set in the middle of the land, and Matthew provided security around it. Making a mental note, Rebecca planned to ask for a key for her own sanity. Her heart no longer needed one. Julio held the key to it. In the safety of his love, Rebecca knew she never needed it again.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Julio set her down on the hardwood floors. They shone under the entryway’s light. Taking her hand, they explored their house together. First, they entered the sunny yellow kitchen, and Rebecca marveled at the countertop and the huge pantry. A large, round wooden kitchen table sat in the informal dining room, matching their styles. The living room appeared calm and relaxing, with large windows showcasing the Texas landscape. Julio took her hand as he led her up the stairs.
Rebecca swallowed as he turned the handle to the primary bedroom and stepped inside. The large bed sat in the center of the room. To anyone else, it might’ve seemed inviting, but it intimidated the hell out of her.
“It’s only a piece of furniture,” he assured her. “We’ll visit this room some other time,” he said, turning and closing the door.
