Her hand flew to her arm, and she dug into her skin with her nails, determined to rid herself of the one Cain put in her the day he bought her. Her arm turned bloody as she struggled to feel the tiny probe. A whimper left her lips as she grew panicked, thinking she might’ve risked all these wonderful people.
A knock on the door sounded, and she heard Jameson’s husky voice. “Caroline? Are you all right?” he asked.
She didn’t want to tell anyone, but she witnessed Cain kill people for scuffing his shoe while they walked by him. If he discovered the women and children recovering from his reign of terror, what would he do? What about Rebecca and her sweet daughter, Megan?
When she didn’t feel the node, she started on the other arm, tearing at her skin. She never heard the door open. Jameson’s strong hands grabbed hers as he came from behind her.
“You’re safe, sweetheart. Stop hurting yourself,” he murmured close to her ear. “Tell me what you’re thinking,” he ordered softly.
“I have to get it out. Cain will come for me. He’ll kill you. He’ll take what he wants. He’ll punish me,” she said, struggling against his hold.
“What do you need to get out?” he asked, crossing her arms in front of her.
“He put a tracker in me. Rebecca asked me about the women. They put trackers in them, too,” she cried. “I don’t want to go back.”
“Shhh,” Jameson soothed. “We destroyed the tracker while you slept,” he explained. “We have scramblers on the planes and in the vehicles. He doesn’t know where you’re staying. I promise,” he said firmly.
Dr. Greene entered and knelt at his side. “Jameson’s telling you the truth. I scanned your body and even checked your hair and between your fingers and toes,” she assured her. “You’re hurting yourself, Caroline. Can you stop digging? I promise you, nothing’s in your arm.”
Caroline wanted desperately to believe her. Her gaze met Jameson’s in the mirror, and she saw the pity in his eyes as she fought his embrace.
“Don’t go there,” he said darkly. “You’re a strong woman who will beat this. You’ll never worry about Cain again. Do you trust me, Caroline?”
Her hands dropped, and he sat her on the toilet as they grabbed towels to clean up the blood. Dr. Greene left to retrieve supplies while Jameson knelt in front of her.
“I’m sorry,” she blurted.
“For thinking of others? I don’t need an apology. When you feel this way, I want you to come to me. I’ll talk you through it. If not me, ask your therapist or one of the women. Don’t harm yourself. It kills me to see you hurt.”
“I forgot to tell you when you brought me here,” she sobbed.
“When you suffered from pneumonia, and barely ate or slept for days?” he exaggerated, making her feel more relaxed.
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
“You know what I think? You’ve stayed cooped up in this cabin. Maybe you’d feel better if you saw how we operate the ranch. Do you know how to ride a horse?”
“I haven’t ridden since they took me,” she admitted.
“Do you think you’d feel comfortable if I took you for a horse ride? Not a long one,” he warned her. “Dr. Green says you still have a lot of gunk in your lungs. I’m sure she’ll agree. If you witnessed it yourself, you might feel better about it.”
“I’m an idiot. You saved other women. Why did I think you might not know about the trackers?” she cried.
“Because you’re scared and your brain sends you into fight or flight mode. They held you for a long time. It’s not going away in a couple of weeks. You have to work at it a little bit at a time,” he explained. “We’ll help you deal with each curveball as it hits.”
Dr. Greene returned, cleaning and wrapping her arms. “It’s not deep. We’ll keep them covered with ointment, then remove it later.”
“Caroline worries Cain will find her. Do you think I can take her out for some fresh air? Maybe if she saw how tightly we run things, she’ll feel better,” he informed Dr. Greene.
“It’s warm today, but not too hot. Let’s give you another breathing treatment, and I’ll send an inhaler with you. Take water and no more than an hour,” she warned Jameson in her mom’s voice.
“Yes, ma’am. Will you get dressed and do your treatment while I get everything packed?” Jameson asked her, grinning. “Mom says we have an hour.”
Dr. Greene punched him in the arm, making him hold it like she maimed him.
“Owww,” he whined. “Have you started working out with Riley, Rebecca, and Rachel?”
“No. I’m used to cowboys acting like children,” Dr. Greene teased. “I help bring them back to reality.”
