“He’s right.” The one holding the rifle lifted the bottom of her gown to her thighs with the barrel of his gun. “She doesn’t have enough meat on her.”
“Let’s get a drink.” Cade moved to go back down the steps.
Luis paused before motioning for the other soldier to leave. The gown fell back down her thighs.
“You should search somewhere else for your family ties,” Luis’s harsh warning had her trembling.
She nodded her understanding, sinking back down onto her bed. Carina ran forward slamming and locking the door.
“Estúpido perra! I told you to be careful,” Teresa hissed at her, not moving from the bedroom doorway.
“I’m sorry. I thought I was. I’ll leave.” Jane stood to her feet.
“You can’t. It’s the middle of the night,” Carina protested.
“I don’t want to put you or Teresa in danger.”
“We’re not the one in danger. Those men know they can have us, that our families are not wealthy. We would serve no purpose. You, on the other hand, could pose a threat to them with your questions, and they will eliminate any threats to their organization,” Teresa told her, going back into the bedroom and slamming the door closed.
“I’ll leave on the bus in the morning.”
Carina shook her head. “Give it one more day. We will try harder to get into Jorge’s office. Maybe you can find something to help you. He’s been in business a long time. Surely, he will have the address of someone in the Silva family.”
Jane gave in. She needed an address, and most of the legal addresses given were not the ones they lived in; using fake addresses as a way to keep their residence a secret from their enemies was common practice.
“Are you okay?”
Jane nodded her head, not mentioning the soreness of her ribs. The violence of the situation had her shuddering. If Cade hadn’t shown up, she was sure the soldiers would have taken her. She had stayed too long.
“I’m fine, but I need to leave before they decide to come back.”
“I think so, too.” Carina agreed unhappily. “Tomorrow, we’ll find something to help you.”
“I hope so.” Jane lay back down on the bed after Carina left her. Covering herself with the blanket, she buried her face in the pillow.
She had never missed her friends more. In hindsight, Jane wished she had confided in them. Although she had made a mistake not doing so, she wasn’t going to call them to help her. She wouldn’t endanger her friends because of Bailey. Her sister was her responsibility.
“I’ll find her, and when I do, I’ll be able to go home,” Jane promised, brushing a tear away. She was homesick and scared.
Taking a deep breath, she brought images of her friends to her mind, which eased her anxiety. Even hundreds of miles away, they gave her strength enough to close her eyes and go to sleep.
* * *
Jane dressed for work in her borrowed clothes from Carina. She hurried, wanting to be downstairs during lunch since it would be the best time to search Jorge’s office. She went downstairs, going through the back door to the small kitchen behind the bar. Jorge didn’t provide much food to the bar customers, mainly items he bought from vendors that could be easily reheated.
She grabbed a tamale from the metal pan sitting on top of the stove. Taking a bite, she enjoyed the spicy flavor.
“Jorge will make you pay for that,” Carina teased, coming inside the kitchen to place some dishes in the sink.
Jane made a face. “On my salary, I’ll owe him for letting me work here.”
“Do you need some money? I can lend you some,” she offered.
Jane shook her head. “No, I’m fine.” She wouldn’t take the money from her friend; she worked too hard for it.
Jane and Carina went into the barroom where Carina waited on tables while Jane worked behind the bar. When she had started working at the bar, she had been slow, but now she moved back and forth behind the bar with familiarity. When she returned home, she might take a part time job bartending.
She saw Teresa sitting at a table with Cade. He was wearing a black T-shirt, and his wet hair made it look as if he had just taken a shower. Every so often, Teresa would get up to refill his drink or get him food. Jane tried not to watch them as she worked; however, Cade was hard not to notice. She wanted to smack herself for staring at them.
Bringing herself back to earth, she started focusing on Jorge. He seemed tired today, moving slowly behind the bar as he helped waiting on customers.
Seeing his keys were on the shelf next to the glasses, she took several glasses and placed them carefully on the shelf. She glanced around quickly to make sure no one was paying attention to her, and then she slid the keys into her pocket.