“You son of a bitch,” he said, slamming his fist in Matthew’s jaw, sending him to the ground.
Matthew scowled and held his jaw, sending daggers his way. “What the hell has gotten into you?” he shouted as Garrett grabbed his shirt and hauled him up. Matthew swung, hitting Garrett in the nose.
“You’re keeping innocent women here against their will. If you think an NDA will keep me from reporting you, you’re sadly mistaken,” he growled.
“You’ve got it all wrong,” Matthew spat. “If you’ll give me a minute…”
“I’m not giving you shit. You think I’m blind?” Garrett said, swinging again.
“Both of you, stop it,” Julio ordered. “Damn it, Garrett, if you don’t stop charging him, I’ll shoot you in the ass.” Julio grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him off Matthew.
A woman in a lab coat rushed out, carrying her bag. “Oh, my. Let me look at you,” she said, gently cupping Matthew’s face.
“I’m fine, Dr. Greene. How’s Grace?”
“The counselor will stay with her until she wakes,” she assured the men. “We’ll call her doctor and see what she says.”
Matthew sat up, still clutching his face and moving his mouth, testing if anything felt broken.
Garrett’s chest rose and fell heavily as he waited for an explanation.
“Come on. We’ll discuss this at the farmhouse. We’re scaring the women,” Julio said calmly.
“I’m calling the police,” Garrett gritted out as he watched the women scurry to their cabins.
“Give us ten minutes. Matthew, call Rebecca and tell her I need her to come to the farmhouse,” Julio said, swiping his jaw. “How did you get here? Didn’t we make it clear you weren’t supposed to come to this area?”
“Mac’s stump bothered him. He tripped this morning on a divot in the dirt. I assured him I’d take care of things. One of the items on his list included checking the fence the hands completed yesterday,” Garrett explained, still unsure about the men.
“Where’s your horse? You can put him in the barn over there and ride with us,” Julio said, pointing to the left.
Dr. Greene handed Garrett some gauze to stem the bleeding from his nose.
Turning around, he went to retrieve Gus. He’d give them five minutes before calling the law. He groaned when he realized he talked Riley into allowing her little sister to stay with Julio. He knew how harsh the world could be, and what they already experienced. Maybe Riley had good reason to stay cautious.
He climbed into the backseat, not allowing either of them to get a jump on him while they drove to the farmhouse. The woman’s shrill screams still echoed in his mind, reminding him to stay vigilant. Matthew parked in the driveway, and a minute later, Rebecca came out onto the porch, holding a cup of coffee.
Julio smiled on seeing her and took the steps in twos to reach her. When they stood together, he pictured little Megan, with hair the same color as Rebecca's, and nothing else. Did they take the little girl, too?
He slowly got out, scanning the area in case they tried to subdue him or thinking he’d let his guard down with the presence of Rebecca.
Matthew went inside, not bothering to hold the door for him. Julio smiled and shook his head as he invited Garrett inside after Rebecca.
They entered the living room, and Matthew came out of the kitchen, holding a bag of peas to his jaw.
Julio offered him a seat, but Garrett preferred to stand. The trio sat down.
Rebecca leaned forward. “Matthew tells me you saw the cabins. I guess it’s time we explained what we do here.”
“Where’s Jameson?” Garrett demanded. After watching the man, he knew Jameson held former military skills, and he didn’t want to get sniped in the living room.
“He’s out of town,” Rebecca informed him while sipping her coffee. “I know you have a ton of questions, and I promise to answer all of them if you’ll join us. It’s not what you think,” she said, smiling warmly.
Garrett sat in the chair beside her, still glaring at them.
“I work for the CIA. Julio previously worked with the FBI. He now runs a team to rescue trafficking victims. Since the cat’s out of the bag, you might as well know, I’m one of the survivors. We’re part of a team from Serenity Securities in Serenity Mountain, Washington. Their leader, Leo Armstrong, can vouch for us, or I can give you my supervisor’s name. Usually, CIA doesn’t do this type of work, but considering my circumstances, we’re the exception,” Rebecca explained.
Garrett sat back, surprised.
