Chapter Eighteen
Five Days After the Rescue
Julio hired six more men to patrol the ranch.
With the help of social services, they reunited fourteen children with their parents, and four more went home to family members.
It left three minors in their care. Seven of the nine women transferred to the Stanton mansion near Corpus Christi to meet with their families, ensuring the ranch remained secret.
Watching the reunions made Julio more determined to locate the bastards.
Glancing at his watch, he put on his cowboy hat and drove down to the mess hall.
Rebecca and Kara seemed to venture out only at meal times and during therapy sessions.
Entering the building, his eyes scanned the area until they landed on Rebecca, who picked at her food while Kara huddled with two other teens, chatting away.
Julio grabbed a tray and selected a chicken salad sandwich and a bag of chips. He walked toward the table.
“May I sit here, ladies?” he asked the teens. Kara seemed to have adopted him and deemed him safe. She scooted her chair over, making room for him across the table.
Rebecca stared up in surprise. He smiled at her as he sat down.
“How’s the soup?” he asked. “Delaney sent over one of her sandwiches. The woman needs her own restaurant. I still can’t figure out the seasoning in the chicken salad,” he said, trying to make light conversation.
“It’s good.” Rebecca licked her lips. “It’s curry seasoning,” she said softly.
“Really? I’ll be damned. I would’ve never guessed,” he said before biting into the sandwich.
“Rebecca, the counselors asked if we wanted to go for a nature walk with them. I thought I might go with the others,” Kara said hesitantly, glancing at the two teens Julio saw her speaking with earlier.
“It’s a great idea,” Rebecca said, encouraging her. “I’ll see you at the cabin. Have fun.”
“You sure?” Kara gazed at her warily.
“Yeah. After lunch, I plan to read and take a nap,” Rebecca said brightly. Julio frowned as he saw the dark circles under her eyes, and her smile appeared too big, not fooling him.
“I’ll keep her company and walk her back to the cabin,” he volunteered.
“Thanks, Julio,” Kara said, before rushing over to the other teens.
“Do you two have everything you need? I can make a trip into town if you think of anything,” he offered.
“No. We have everything we need,” she said, placing her spoon on the tray and seemed to hug herself.
“Matthew told me about an ice cream place nearby. I wondered if you and Kara might like to come and try it out. If we like it, we can bring back gallons to feed everyone here,” Julio suggested as he bit into his sandwich.
Rebecca twisted her hair with her fingers, a sure sign she didn’t feel comfortable with his idea. “I don’t think either of us feel ready to leave the ranch at this point.”
Julio inwardly groaned, feeling like a dumb ass. “We can research it online and find out the flavor of the day, then I’ll bring it back.”
“Maybe some other time. We’re still adjusting to eating a normal meal,” Rebecca said, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
Julio’s gaze drifted down at the full soup bowl and a sandwich with a couple of bites out of it.
“How are you, Becca?” he asked softly.
Her eyes met his, and she swallowed. “The teens have adjusted. The kids enjoy feeding the barn animals. Some of the women talked about calling their families to let them know they’re alive.
They still want to stay here and attend counseling for a while longer,” she informed him as she picked up her tray to dump it.
Julio followed suit, dumping the rest of his meal. Rebecca turned her startled gaze at him. ‘I promised to walk you back,” he explained.
“I can manage,” she said quietly as she scanned the room, counting the people.
“I know you can. But I promised Kara, and I want her to know I keep my word. She trusts me,” he said quietly.
Rebecca walked toward the exit and pushed the doors open. Julio walked beside her. She shivered as the cold air hit her.
Julio removed his coat and gently placed it over her shoulders, careful not touch her. “Did you and Kara get coats?” he asked gently.
“Yes, but I didn’t bring it,” she explained lamely as they walked toward her cabin. “The sweater felt like enough when we left.”
“It’s supposed to get colder toward the end of the week,” he told her. “I know it’s a short distance to the mess hall, but you’re not used to the weather. We don’t want you to get sick.”
She smiled, but it didn’t quite make it to her eyes. They climbed the steps to the porch and she turned, handing him his coat.
“Thank you for lending your jacket,” she murmured. “I’m a bit tired. I think I’ll take a nap.”
“Sleep well, Becca,” he said as she opened the door, slipped inside, and shut the door practically in his face.
Julio ran his hand through his hair. Staring at the barrier separating them, he didn’t know what to do.
He turned back toward his truck and drove back to his office.
Sitting at his desk, he peered at the applications, yet his mind stayed in the cabin only a short distance away.
The woman he loved didn’t seem comfortable around him and he hated every freaking minute of it.
Wishing he had gotten a shot at Jim before she killed him, he wanted to ring the fucker’s neck.
“I hope you don’t go on missions with your head up your ass,” Matthew groused.
“What?” Julio said, glancing up from his desk.
“I’ve called your name four times, and you didn’t even hear me. Last night I asked if you wanted cow shit for dinner, and you told me to make yours rare,” Matthew told him.
Julio raked his hand over his overgrown stubble. “I’m sorry, man. I left you with a shit ton of work to handle. Did you find anything else out about the remaining kids? I don’t like the idea of them getting put into the system.”
“I’m working on it,” Matthew said, sitting across the desk from him. “I came to speak with you about something else. You returned five days ago, and you’ve yet to set foot in your new house. I know you’re sleeping upstairs.”
“I’ve worked a few late nights,” Julio attempted to make excuses.
“I call bullshit. This is about Rebecca,” Matthew stated bluntly.
“Rachel has attempted to speak with her, and from what I can tell, she harbors the same feelings as the Serenity women. Rachel has changed beyond recognition. I know she’s dug this hole for herself, but I wish people would give her a chance before judging her. ”
“Has anyone mistreated her?” Julio asked.
“No. The hands and Delaney have befriended her,” Matthew admitted. “Some of the aides and social workers from the hospital, on the other hand, seem to lift their noses at her.”
“Shit. I’ll have Leo talk to Kassie about her staff,” Julio said, writing a note to himself.
“I’m not here to discuss Rachel. When’s the last time you’ve spoken with Rebecca?” he asked.
“I attempted to speak with her today. She avoids me like the plague. Did she meet with you and answer all your questions?” Julio asked, curious to see what she divulged to his teammate.
“Yeah, we talked,” Matthew said glumly. “Before you ask, it’s not my story to tell you.
I’m using the information she gave me to track down some of the transporters.
In the meantime, Sparky and Bear sent me the route they believe the traffickers used.
Everything’s come to a halt since our raid, but there’s chatter about a new auction happening soon. ”
Julio sat back in his seat. “Why hasn’t Jameson called me?”
“Who knows? I found this on the dark web, and I’m sure it’s the same group. The intel follows the same patterns,” he explained. “We need to move on this as soon as we get confirmation. Do you want me to contact Leo?”
“No,” Julio said. “My cover’s still intact. With everyone who attended the last auction arrested or under surveillance, I can demand another first preview. I want to get my hands on Gerard. He’s one sick bastard.”
“You can’t go in without Jameson,” Matthew argued. “Don’t act like an idiot.”
“I’m not. If Jameson makes contact within the next couple of days, we’ll go in together. In the meantime, I’m borrowing a few of Ivan’s men. They’ll blend in with the others. Do you have any ideas on how many people they plan to auction?” Julio asked.
“It’s the males and a couple of women. I don’t have an exact number, but I’m guessing about twenty,” Matthew informed him.
“Where will it take place?”
“They’re holding it in Boston. They skipped Norfolk, Virginia. I’m guessing they hoped whoever watched them focused there, and they plan to reroute back later,” Matthew said, pulling out a map.
“Did Rebecca give you this information?” Julio nodded toward the red-marked cities.
“Yeah.”
Julio felt sick to his stomach, knowing each city meant more nightmares, abuse, and trauma. Rebecca must’ve visited each one to give Matthew such precise locations.
“She’s skipping the therapy appointments and avoiding calls from Claire Meyers and Kassie Winters,” Matthew informed him, interrupting his thoughts.
“What?” he asked, barely believing him. Rebecca encouraged all the women to take part in the therapy sessions, and he knew she personally walked Kara to hers. Why didn’t she attend for herself?
“If someone doesn’t step in, she’ll self-destruct,” Matthew advised.
“I can barely get close to her,” Julio said, rubbing his forehead. “I assumed she kept her appointments because she insisted the others get counseling. When I take a patrol shift, Rebecca disappears.”
“How long will you let this continue?” Matthew asked.
Julio frowned. “We’re down a man tonight for guard duty. I’ll cover the cabins,” he said, changing the subject.