Jameson held his hands in the air. “You’re the boss.”
“Did you hit me?” Cain asked Caroline.
“I…I,” she faltered.
Jameson burst into laughter. “You must’ve hit your head hard. She saved you when you fell on her.”
Cain’s brow crinkled while he sorted out his memory.
“Caroline. Help May. Then get your ass back here,” he ordered. “Who the hell are you?” he asked Jameson.
Caroline scurried to the stairs, relieved she had skipped a beating. Sending a grateful glance in Jameson’s direction, she listened as he manipulated Cain into doing what he wanted. The man saved her. If she lived another type of life, he seemed like the type of man she could fall in love with…
When she finished telling Rebecca the story, her new friend wiped her eyes. “He’s a wonderful man. I met him when he lived on Serenity Mountain. I’ve never seen him work as hard as he did searching for you.”
“Cain owned me, yet Jameson never let it stop him from helping me. Most of Cain’s men got off on watching him hurt me,” Caroline said, recalling the times she lay on the floor, bloodied, broken, and beaten while they laughed.
“You’ll never have to worry about Cain again. We received word today he returned to the farmhouse where they held you. His bosses aren’t happy with him, and he’s struggling to stay important to the ring. We’ll give him another week to feel the weight of their ire, then we’ll pick him up.”
“Will you bring him here?” she asked, trembling.
“No. He’ll be held in a federal facility. I’ll interrogate him myself,” Rebecca informed her.
“He won’t stop searching for me. I’m his property,” she whispered.
“He wants you to believe you’re his property and you can’t escape. You’re free, Caroline. It’s up to you who you want to give your heart to,” Rebecca said gently.
“Did we come here to play cards or throw a pity party?” Rachel said, shaking her head in the doorway. “I came to win. Mama needs a pair of Jimmy Choo’s, and Matthew said I have to pay for half. Apparently, a budget means I can’t exceed the amount. I thought he gave it to me as a tip.”
“A tip for what?” Rebecca asked.
Rachel wagged her eyebrows, making the women laugh.
“Did Rachel share another part of her sex life again?” Riley asked. “She’s the female definition of a horn dog.”
“Ewww,” Rachel said, making a face. “Don’t even tell me what it is. It sounds fattening. Riley doesn’t like to talk about sex. She clutches her pearls at the mere mention of a position.”
“Some things should stay between a couple. I have to scrub my brain after spending the evening with you. I return home, and Garrett will ask some innocent question, like what’s for dessert, and I turn red, thinking about her description of meeting Matthew in his office wearing nothing but whipped cream and cherries for?—”
“I think Caroline gets the picture,” Rebecca interrupted, sending a wink in her direction.
“We’re playing with chips, not cash,” Rebecca said firmly. “You’ll have to wait for your new shoes.”
“Why do you want expensive shoes when you live on a ranch?” Caroline asked.
“It’s a hobby of mine. Unfortunately, Matthew says I need to learn more about budgeting. I didn’t take him seriously. After all, he knows who he’s marrying. I’m worth every penny,” Rachel said, grinning.
“I wish I held an ounce of your confidence,” Caroline sighed. “You have it in leaps and bounds.”
“It took me a long time to grow it. One day, you’ll wake up and realize what you bring to the table,” Rachel promised. She let out an exaggerated sigh. “Let’s get everything set up. I’ll have to figure out how to increase my budget.”
Caroline secretly smiled. The women amused her, and they seemed genuine and honest.
“What’s taking the men’s attention tonight? Garrett didn’t return home. He texted, saying he got held up in a meeting,” Riley asked. Rebecca turned to Caroline, sending her an ‘I told you so’ expression.
She pulled the blankets back while Rachel handed her the robe, and Riley helped put on her slippers. Rebecca went to set up the game table. Feeling like she found someplace where she belonged, Caroline led the way to the living room. It felt almost normal, yet the only person she wanted to see wasn’t there.
CHAPTER EIGHT
