Carina came out of the bedroom dressed in a loose black skirt and a bright pink T-shirt, packing a bundle of clothes in her hands. “I didn’t know if you had anything to sleep in, so I brought you an extra gown of mine.” She handed Jane the small gown that she was sure would reach the floor. Carina was much taller than her. “I need to go; I’m already late.”
“Go ahead. I’ll be fine,” Jane assured her, trying to hide her uncertainty.
Carina went to the front door. “If you hear a key in the door, don’t be scared. Sometimes, Teresa brings someone upstairs to the bedroom for a little while. I’ll tell her to be quiet so she won’t wake you.”
“Thanks.” Jane didn’t know what else to say.
Her new friend simply nodded before going out the door, leaving her alone.
Jane stood still for several minutes, merely staring at the closed door, wondering if she had lost her mind to trust someone she had just met. She really didn’t have any other options at that point. She would get some sleep then catch the bus to Peñuela in the morning.
She went into the tiny bathroom, taking off her filthy clothes while the bath filled with water before getting in. She laid her head back as she soaked, letting the tension ease out of her shoulders.
She was jerked awake when she heard the front door slam shut and voices coming from the living room. Jane almost slipped and fell out of the tub as she climbed out. Drying off, she heard them pass the bathroom and go inside the bedroom. She pulled on the nightgown Carina had given her and then left the bathroom to go back to the living room.
The couch was easily pulled out into a bed, already made up. Thankfully, she climbed underneath the covers after turning out the lights, trying not to listen to the sounds of the bed and the female moans coming from the bedroom. Jane knew her cheeks were bright red in the darkness of the room.
It took several minutes before exhaustion had her dozing off again. If her friends could see her right then, they would rip her a new one for placing herself in such a predicament. She missed them badly, even though she told herself she hadn’t been gone for that long.
Her last thought before sleep claimed her was that she would find Bailey tomorrow, get them to the closest airport, and then get out of Mexico as fast as they could. If all went well, she would be home before her friends became really pissed. They didn’t react well when they became angry.
Chapter 2
She woke up in the morning to the smell of coffee and the sight of two grim-faced women staring at her. Carina was sitting on the bed next to her, holding out a cup of coffee, while the other woman, who Jane assumed was Teresa, sat on a stool at the counter, drinking her own.
“Would you like some more sugar?”
“No, it’s fine. Thank you.” Jane sat up, careful not to spill the overly sweetened coffee.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I told Teresa you planned to search for your sister in Peñuela.”
“I don’t mind—” Jane began, only to be cut off.
“You’re an idiot if you think you can just walk in and then leave with her.” Teresa’s insult had Jane’s stomach lurching as she sipped the hot coffee.
“I don’t understand. Why not?”
“The Silvas are highly organized, and they don’t allow outsiders near their homes.”
Jane sat undecided on her bed.
“I could go to the police.”
“Who the Silvas own. They hold the power in Peñuela. No one will lift a hand to help. You will simply disappear,” Teresa said matter-of-factly.
“What am I going to do?” Jane said out loud to herself.
“There may be another way,” Carina’s soft voice drew her attention. “Some of the men in Peñuela come to the bar on the weekend. Maybe you could ask them about your sister after they have a few drinks. It will still be dangerous, but you could find out where she is before going in blindly to find her.”
Jane nodded her head, but Teresa shook hers.
“Are you crazy? If she starts asking a bunch of questions, it will be just as dangerous! They will want to know why she wants the information. She can disappear as easily here as in Peñuela.”
“That is true,” Carina agreed.
The women went quiet for several moments before Teresa said, “She could still work in the bar, listening. No one pays us any attention unless they want to fuck.” Carina threw her roommate a dirty look. “It’s true, and you know it.”
Jane watched Carina’s face turn bright red. “Your fiancé?”
Teresa gave a shrill laugh. “What he doesn’t know doesn’t hurt him. Besides, all he cares about is the money she gives him.”