As they approached the door, she suddenly grabbed him and stumbled, as if her legs had stopped supporting her. There was her adrenaline crash. He’d barely gotten his hands around her shoulders when she doubled over and retched a thin stream of clear liquid. Fuck, she’d had nothing to throw up. She was dehydrated, starved, and exhausted.

  Finally, she heaved a heavy sigh and went limp.

  Trees lifted her in his arms. Laila protested, but he ignored her, carrying her inside and locking the door behind them. The fact she let him proved she had no more fight, at least not tonight.

  He set her in the passenger’s seat and crouched in front of her. “Are you all right, little one?”

  “Fine.” She turned away, as if embarrassed. “It has happened before.”

  Because Victor had terrified the hell out of her? That pissed him off. He managed to tamp down his anger—for now. She needed hydration, sustenance, and sleep. They could also use a less recognizable vehicle. But they needed to get on the road more, so waiting around until morning for the rental company to open wasn’t an option.

  Never taking his eyes off her, he dug through their grocery sacks, coming up with a bottle of water, a protein bar, and the burner phone he’d bought for her. He handed her the first two. “Slowly, okay?”

  Laila looked at them longingly but shook her head. “I do not need that.”

  The hell she didn’t. “Your body has to restore itself. When was the last time you ate?”

  “I am not hungry or thirsty. I simply want to call my sister.” She gestured to the phone still in its package.

  She was full of shit, and he couldn’t fathom why she would lie about something so obvious. Thankfully, BDSM had taught him how to deal with a stubborn female in his care. If she wouldn’t take care of herself, he would do it for her.

  Trees dropped his voice. “You want to talk to Valeria? Eat half that bar and drink half the water, and I’ll give you five minutes with her. Eat and drink all of both, and you’ll get ten.”

  If she exerted herself more than that, she was likely to keel over.

  “Of course there’s a price.” Her smile was all cynical sneer. “What else do you want?”

  What the hell else did she expect him to demand? “Nothing.”

  Suspiciously, she held out her hands. He gave her the bar and the plastic bottle, watching as she inspected both carefully as if she suspected he had tampered with them.

  She shot him one last wary stare before she opened the bar and took a cautious bite. As she chewed, she opened the bottle and took a slow sip, swishing it around her mouth before finally swallowing.

  “Why would I poison you when I’m trying to save you?” After everything she had endured in the last twenty-four hours, Trees wasn’t surprised logic had taken a back seat to emotion.

  Laila shot him a stare. It wasn’t a warning. It wasn’t even a rebuke. Instead, her face was carefully blank, as if she didn’t want to give him anything, even her anger. Fuck.

  “Keep eating and I’ll get this phone up and running.”

  “I will eat more when the device is ready.”

  She didn’t trust him at all—not even to uphold his end of the bargain. Hadn’t he just saved her from being attacked and dragged back to hell?

  How does she know you’re not like those assholes?

  She didn’t. She was in a dark place, and she needed a safe space, along with guidance and boundaries that would benefit her. In short, she needed security. That’s where he came in.

  The question was, what would it take to shine light into the shadowy corners of her heart?

  “All right.” He ripped the phone from the plastic and had it set up to send and receive both calls and texts within three minutes. “Done. Your turn.”

  “How do I know it truly works?”

  Trees sighed and dialed his own device. He pulled it from his pocket to show that it, in fact, rang. “There you go. Now eat.”

  She did so silently, but all hint of caution was gone. She scarfed down the protein bar even faster than she guzzled the water.

  “Want more?”

  She shook her head. “I want to talk to my sister.”

  He handed her the device.

  With greedy hands, she grabbed it. “I need privacy.”

  Why? She and Valeria mostly spoke Spanish. He couldn’t understand ninety-five percent of what she said, but after tonight, he wasn’t ready to trust Laila. “Talk here or not at all.”

  Laila muttered something under her breath he’d bet was less than polite, but she settled back against the seat and dialed her sister.

  Trees fired up the RV and glanced at the clock. “Ten minutes.”

  Then she needed to rest. Tomorrow, she and her sister could talk more. Laila wouldn’t like the restriction, but she would learn he was a man of his word.

  As Valeria answered the call, he headed the fuck out of Orlando, trying not to listen to the sisters’ murmured conversation. Until tears began to spill down Laila’s cheeks. Oh, her voice sounded upbeat, but she was fucking crying. He didn’t know what the two of them were saying, but if Valeria was upsetting her, that was a big hell no for him.

  He was shutting that shit down. “Two minutes.”

  She scowled at him, her golden-hazel eyes like a rainstorm. Then she continued talking as if he hadn’t spoken at all.

  And the tears kept flowing.

  “Thirty seconds,” he reminded a minute and a half later.

  She sniffled. “I am talking to my sister, not someone dangerous.”

  Dangerous, no. Upsetting, obviously. “You’re wasting time talking to me. Say goodbye.”

  She muttered what was probably another curse, then said good night to her sister and ended the call. Fury tightened her profile, but she merely set the phone aside, then folded her hands in her lap and stared out the windshield, patently refusing to look at him.

  Something was going on in her head. He wished like hell she would confide in him. But that took trust, and trust took time.

  Good thing he was patient.

  “Why were you crying?”

  “I miss my family.”

  Trees wasn’t sure whether to believe her. “Did Valeria say something to upset you?”

  “No.”

  Maybe that was true, but even if it wasn’t, she would defend her sister. So he tried another tactic. “When was the last time you slept?”

  “I am not tired.”

  This again? “You’re exhausted, especially after your adrenaline crash.”

  She shook her head. “I am fine.”

  “And I am tired of your lies,” he parroted. “We’re on the same side, you know? I’m here for you.”

  She raised a brow at him. “Of course. Because you are paid.”

  “And because you need help. Let me help you.”

  Laila brushed aside his assurances as he veered onto a two-lane highway outside the city. “Where are we going?”

  He didn’t want to tell her he wasn’t headed anywhere yet and might not be for weeks. Hearing the news they would be traveling together indefinitely would only freak her out again. “Off the beaten path. Victor and his goon will be after us again within the hour.”

  She looked alarmed. “The hotel will not call the police?”

  Trees shook his head. “Based on security footage, they did nothing wrong. So as soon as they’re conscious and free, the assholes will be on the road, looking for us. They’ve seen me with the RV twice. The vehicle and I are both hard to miss.”

  “True.”

  “And Victor knows now that we’re traveling together, so we have to stay off the interstate and away from places where we might be spotted.” Because if Ramos flashed cash, anyone who’d seen them would start talking.

  “I understand.” But she didn’t look happy about it.

  “So I need you to work with me here. The more you try to get away, the more time I spend chasing you. The less time we have to put distance between us and Victor.”

  She slanted him a glance. “Or you could just tell me where to find my sister. I can make my own way there.”

  “Nope. Valeria wants you protected. And after what I saw tonight, there’s no way I’m letting you fend for yourself.”

  “But—”

  “No, Laila.”

  He hadn’t dropped his voice on purpose, but it had the desired effect. She lowered her gaze to her hands folded in her lap and pressed her lips together mutely.

  Shoving aside the ramifications of her response—because if he didn’t, he’d sport another erection that would freak her out—Trees focused on the road.

  “Take a shower, brush your teeth, and go to bed.” He knew from experience that washing away combat would help clear her head and relax her body. “Towels are in the cabinet, next to the sheets.”

  “No.” Her refusal was instant but trembling.

  She was afraid.

  He tried not to take it personally. He didn’t know what she’d endured, but her years with the cartel had damaged her. Tonight, he’d only scratched the surface of her mental scars. “You think I’m going to hurt you while you’re vulnerable.”

  “What would stop you?”

  The fact I’m not a dirtbag?

  But she didn’t know him. “I’ll be driving. I can’t touch you while I’m steering this thing, and there’s no shoulder for me to pull over and do my worst to you. You’re perfectly safe, I promise.”

  She seemed to consider his words, then she licked her lips and glanced over her shoulder, to the back of the motorhome. “Fine. I will sleep if I can lock the bedroom door.”

  He weighed her desire for solitude against the need for safety, but the back window was an exit. “Sorry. If you want more privacy, there’s an extra sheet in the cabinet above the dining table. String it across the RV.”

  He would still hear if she tried to escape.

  “I will not run again tonight.”

  Trees noticed she said nothing about tomorrow. “The door stays open.”

  Laila did not reply, simply pursed her lips together and turned toward the back.

  He grabbed her wrist. “Just so we’re clear, if you jump out the door while the RV is moving, either the fall or the area wildlife will kill you.”

  She yanked free, then tugged a string across the cabin meant to act as a temporary clothesline before she tossed a spare sheet over it, blocking his view.

  Trees heard the bathroom door shut and the water running. He turned on the radio and stopped at the first station with decent reception so he didn’t think about Laila naked. She didn’t need to know that he hadn’t felt an attraction to any woman like this in years—maybe ever.

  The music sounded like it belonged at a dance party, all electronica and shit. He tried to get into it, but music these days just sucked, and his mind wasn’t on tunes.

  Finally, the shower cut off and he heard her rummaging around the back.

  “If you need a T-shirt to sleep in, I have a spare,” he called.

  “I am fine.”

  Which meant she would either don her dirty clothes or the only clean change she had. Stubborn woman.

  In the very back of the RV, the light flipped on. After some rustling, she climbed into the bed. He wished holding Laila would make her feel safer. She needed comfort and security. It sucked that, at least for now, staying away from her was more likely to put her at ease.

  The bright lights in the bedroom cut off, plunging the back of the vehicle into darkness.

  A whimper broke the quiet. After a squeak of the mattress and a huff of frustration, the overhead light in the bedroom lit up the back of the RV again. “Is there another light—something less bright—I can leave on while I sleep?”

  She wanted a nightlight? “In the bedroom?”

  “Please.”

  “You don’t want to sleep in the dark?”

  “No.” Her voice shook.

  Because she was afraid? After everything that had happened with Victor, maybe he shouldn’t be surprised. “Leave the light in the bathroom on.”

  She sighed. Sheets rustled. Her footsteps padded toward the middle of the vehicle. Bright light flared through the white sheet before she headed back to bed.

  “Better?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good night, Laila,” he called back.

  She crawled between the sheets again. Ten minutes later, he hadn’t heard a peep.

  Now he could focus on his other problem, like the fact that when he’d stopped for gas and checked in with Kane, the new guy had let him know that, in the wake of Kimber’s abduction, the Edgingtons were now using the safe house they had intended for Valeria and Laila for their own wives and kids. Trees understood that, absolutely. But where the hell should he be taking Laila once he got the green light to bring her in?

  Since Zy was in charge, Trees grabbed his device and dialed his buddy, who thankfully picked up right away. “Hey, man.”

  Trees frowned. Zy sounded distracted. “Hey. I figured I’d check in with you.”

  “Yeah. Give me five?”

  “You talking to me?” Trees asked.

  “Sorry. Talking to Tessa,” Zy replied. Then some rustling and some nighttime sounds told him that his buddy had stepped outside. “What’s up?”

  Shit, he’d been so wrapped up in his situation with Laila that he’d forgotten the bosses had removed the nonfraternization clause from everyone’s employment contracts this morning, allowing Zy and Tess to finally be together—so Zy could investigate whether she was their mole. In his opinion, it was a stupid idea. Zy was way too into Tessa to do any part of the job thoroughly except the fucking. “Did you finally take her to bed?”

  “If I had, why would I tell a nosy prick like you?”

  “So that’s a yes. Was it everything you thought it would be?”

  “Let’s put it this way: I have an appointment to look at engagement rings tomorrow.”

  Zy might be a rebel through and through, but he was rarely impulsive. “You’re that sure?”

  “One hundred percent.”

  Either Zy was convinced Tessa wasn’t selling them out…or he loved her too much to see it. Either was a blind spot that could be dangerous. “Wow. Congratulations, man. That’s awesome.”

  What else could he say when his best friend sounded so damn happy?

  “Well, even if I buy a ring tomorrow, she’s not going to say yes right then.”

  “A little gun-shy?” Or a little guilty?

  “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.”