“Yeah, that’s what she says. And I get it.”
Tessa had been through a lot with her ex, so it was possible. Likely, even. Trees just wasn’t sure that was the reason for her reluctance to commit.
“But you didn’t call to ask about us,” Zy went on. “What’s up? You and Kane get everything worked out with the sisters?”
“Finally.” He sighed. “It was a fucking long, scary-ass day. But yeah, we’re on the road now. And I need to talk to you.” He spared Zy the gory details about the evening.
“What’s up?”
“Kane and I connected with Valeria, and she got her son back. They left a few hours ago in a minivan. He plans to drive straight through. But since the safe house reserved for Valeria isn’t available anymore, where do you want us to go? I’d ask one of the bosses, but with everything they have going on, I didn’t want to come to them with more problems.”
“Yeah.” Zy sighed, seemingly as stumped as he was. “Let me…call Cutter. He’s a local boy, and he and Shealyn are back from their honeymoon.”
Good thought. Zy might not consider himself any sort of leader, but he was a damn capable one.
“Since her sister’s wedding to Josiah got derailed by violence not long ago, they might be busy,” Trees pointed out.
“Well, we’re likely to have another situation like that on our hands if Cutter doesn’t spare me five minutes.”
“True. Yeah, call him, then let Kane know.”
“What about you and Laila?”
“I rented an RV.” He spilled to Zy about the cover story he’d developed on the fly at the store. “When the chatty woman started talking to us, Laila seemed terrified. She literally expects Emilo’s henchmen to jump her at any moment.” Not surprising since thugs had been on their tails for hours. “They messed her up.”
“She feels safe with you, though. Right?”
“As safe as she feels with any man, but it’s not much. She knows I’m a friend of Walker’s. It helped. A little. He’s apparently the good guy since he politely declined to rape her.” As he’d heard the story, she’d offered herself to Walker for some escape scheme when he’d been captured and held in Emilo Montilla’s compound. Since she was seemingly terrified of men, she’d obviously been desperate to escape.
“Jesus. So what’s your plan?”
“We’re going to make our way back slowly, be sure Valeria gets situated into whatever safe house you find for her. If it looks good, like no one is watching, then I’ll take Laila there. If it gets hit…my plan B is to take her to my place.” Though she would be furious at being separated from her sister.
“Well, it’s secure enough.”
“It should be, yeah. There’s just one problem.” Trees dropped his voice so she wouldn’t hear. “Laila is so damn sexy I can barely keep my eyes—and everything else—off of her.”
He felt like a shit for that. But he would never cross the line and come on to her. His desire wasn’t her problem.
“Does she suspect?”
Thanks to the close quarters and lack of privacy they’d endured during their years of service, Zy had seen that he wasn’t just tall but built big everywhere. “There are only so many ways to hide an erection like mine.”
“Yeah. Do you need to speed up your trip?”
Because she was too afraid to be around him? That couldn’t be a deciding factor. Her protection came first. “What happens if I do and Tierra Caliente figures out where Valeria is hiding? Laila will be collateral damage. After the hell I suspect she’s been through, she deserves some fucking safety, man.”
“Okay, let me see what I can toss together. You keep on keeping on, and I’ll touch base with Kane soon.”
Not a perfect answer, but the only one he was going to get now. Besides, in this big-ass vehicle, needing to avoid the interstate? It would take a day or two to reach Lafayette. “Great, buddy. Thanks.”
“Talk to you tomorrow.”
“Don’t hang up.” Trees had to give Zy some bad news.
“Something else going on?”
“Yeah…”
“Talk to me.”
“Are you sitting?”
“No, and I don’t have time now. What the fuck is happening?”
“When Laila escaped the house in Orlando, she couldn’t get her phone. But she managed to knock out one of her assailants and—”
“How the hell did she do that? Because if you’re attracted to her, I know she’s a tiny thing.”
“Fuck, I hate that I have a type,” he grumbled. “Yeah, she is. And she knocked the son of a bitch out by surprising him with a loaded diaper pail to the face.”
Zy chortled, as if he’d tried not to laugh but failed. “She sounds resourceful. Bet that guy thought it was a shitty fight.”
“Yeah. Laila is…something,” he whispered.
“Where is she now?”
“Sleeping in the back. Finally. That’s why I wanted to call you. At our last stop, we pulled into a gas station.” He explained how Laila got her assailant’s mobile. “I browsed the phone while we were filling up. This guy was Tierra Caliente, and you won’t like how they’re communicating.”