Chapter Five
Two Weeks Later
Caroline woke to find Jameson asleep in the chair beside her.
She smiled as she took in his short brown hair and the scruff along his jaw.
In a perfect world, she might’ve found herself attracted to him.
Recalling her first day at the clinic, she told him her favorite color was green.
If he only knew she dreamed of his green eyes every night when she fell asleep.
Padding to the bathroom, she completed her morning routine, brushed her teeth, and her hair. She stared at the stringy, dull strands and decided to pull them up in a ponytail. The effort left her feeling tired, but she pushed through.
If someone told her how much her life would change in such a short time, she’d fall over laughing.
Cain always kept her at his side or working the bar.
An involuntary shiver went down her back as she imagined how he reacted to finding her gone.
Two weeks ago, she prayed to die as she shivered in the cold.
Today, she won the battle. Eating grew easier by the day, and Jameson never left her side.
When she experienced a nightmare, his rock-hard arms wrapped around her, reminding her of her safety.
He told her stories of his childhood. During the day, the women visited, bringing her new clothes and playing cards while Jameson worked the ranch.
Sometimes, Rebecca showed up alone, asking her questions about Cain and how the ringleader communicated.
She closed her eyes, recalling the harder questions.
“When did Cain take you?” Rebecca asked quietly.
“He bought me five years ago,” she admitted, turning to the view outside.
“Do you know any of these women?” Rebecca asked, showing her pictures on the hospital tray.
Searching the images, her hands touched a photo of two women.
One with braided black hair and the other with long, flowing red hair.
She pushed them toward Rebecca. “Maria’s dead.
Cain beat her when she tried to escape. She hit her head on the fireplace and died.
He sold Diedre to an old man. The last time I saw her, they injected a tracker in her arm. ”
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.”
Jameson winked at her and left the bathroom, leaving her alone with Dr. Greene.
“Caroline, I know you trust Jameson. It doesn’t mean you have to go alone with him. I can send someone with you or tell him you’re not up to this,” she said, offering her a way out if she felt she didn’t have a choice.
“No. I trust him,” she said with absolute certainty. “He won’t hurt me.”
Dr. Greene patted her knee. “Good. Let’s get you dressed and complete your treatment. It appears you’re going outside today.”
Half an hour later, she waited on the bed with the mask over her face, impatiently waiting. Jameson entered with a box in his hand.
“You can’t ride a horse in Texas without one of these,” he said, handing it to her.
She pulled out a dark brown leather hat with a lavender twig stuck in the band. She smiled as she took it out and smelled it. “Thank you. I don’t deserve a present.”
“You don’t have to do anything. And you do deserve it,” he said, placing it on her head and adjusting it.
“It’s pretty. I’ll be done in a minute,” she said, gesturing toward her mask.
“Then stop talking and keep breathing. If Mom doesn’t catch us, we might push it a bit longer than an hour,” he said, wagging his brows.
Caroline giggled. “If she overhears you, she’ll punch you in the arm again.”
“I’m a tough guy. I can handle it,” he bragged as Dr. Greene came around the corner and punched him again.
“Apparently, you’ve forgotten who you’re dealing with,” she said. “One hour and no more.” She removed Caroline's mask and listened to her chest. “Go.”
Jameson held out his hand, and she placed hers in his. They left the medical cabin like two teenagers escaping a parent’s supervision.
She stepped off the porch to see a painted horse with a white coat and brown spots. “Does he belong to you?”
“No. He’s one of the ranch’s horses,” he told her. “May I lift you up on the saddle?”
She held onto his arms as he placed her on it.
“If you feel uncomfortable at any time, let me know. I’ll walk and lead the horse,” he explained.
“Then how will you show me everything?” Caroline said. “I already feel better, breathing in fresh air. It’ll take longer if you walk. Why don’t you join me?
Jameson considered it for a moment before mounting behind her, scooting back to give her space to feel comfortable. “Keep what I said in mind.”
“I will,” she assured him.
He started down the driveway, pointing out security cameras and turning right. The spring brought out colorful flowers as he navigated the horse into the shade. It opened up to a log cabin subdivision.
“When you recover, you can stay in one of the cabins here. Over there,” he pointed, showing her the community center.
“Everyone gathers to eat their meals. During the day, they use it to teach skills, take classes, and the kids have a teacher who comes in to evaluate them. In the evening, they use it to play games, learn social skills, and watch movies.”
“Wow. They thought of everything,” she said, amazed by their organization.