“So I’m asking why, if they can read every word we’ve ever stored electronically?” Trees reiterated.
“Because, knowing we had a mole, we kept the locations of our current safe houses out of all digital communications,” Logan said.
“So the cartel got desperate, I guess.” Zy shrugged.
“But they’ve already kidnapped Kimber,” Hunter pointed out. “So why take Hallie, too?”
“There are two different factions at work here.” Trees explained everything Laila had told him.
Silence fell.
Hunter finally broke it. “That makes a shitload of sense.”
“We’ve been wondering if Emilo’s death splintered the organization. The fact it has sucks ass. Now we have to fight a two-pronged war. We’ve hired Walker’s friend, Matt, temporarily to help us find Kimber. But we’re still short two operatives.”
“I know you’re working day and night to bring your sister back,” Zy said. “I have an idea on how to shut down Cash and the faction of the cartel that paid him while hopefully bringing Hallie home unharmed.”
After a bit more conversation and some refining of the plan, they ended the call.
Zy stifled a yawn. Trees stretched, feeling exhaustion tug at him. The strategy continued, but both were feeling the lack of sleep.
Tessa returned, clean and dressed in fresh clothes, so they caught her up on the plan. She looked rattled. “Do you think that will work?”
Trees was as reluctant as Zy to tell her the truth. It was a long shot.
“It’s the best plan we’ve got,” Zy hedged.
Tessa nodded, but she appeared crestfallen. She could read between the lines. Trees hurt for her.
“We should all get some sleep. It’s going to be a big day,” he pointed out.
Zy nodded, but he looked Tessa’s way, like they had unfinished business. After what the two of them had endured, Trees wasn’t surprised.
“I’m going to grab some shut-eye since it’s nearly five a.m.,” he told them. “The futon in the office is available. ’Night.”
“’Night,” Zy returned, then he focused on Tessa.
Trees took that as his cue to give them some space. He let Barney in through the back door for a couple hours of warm slumber. As the big dog always did, he made himself at home on the living room sofa.
Shaking his head, Trees tuned out the murmurs of Zy and Tessa’s argument and peeked at Laila. She hadn’t moved a muscle since he’d last checked on her. He ached to pick her up and take her to bed with him, but she still thought he was EM’s mole. He didn’t love that she’d chosen to stay here alone, but he wouldn’t ignore her wishes. But tomorrow, once the dust was settled, he’d be sitting her down and proving that he hadn’t betrayed her.
Proving that he never would would take more time. Question was, would she even let him try?
Laila woke with a start and jackknifed up, letting loose a startled cry. It was pitch-black outside. The overhead lights were dark. When had Trees extinguished them? Why?
Then she caught sight of the trio of faintly beckoning lights from across the room, and her heart rate slowed. Candles. Had he brought them in here for her?
She raked her hair from her face—then realized the chain he’d used to affix her to the bed last night couldn’t reach that far. A glance at her wrist, even in shadow, told her that he’d swapped out her cuff for a different one with a longer lead.
“Laila?”
Trees. She could barely make him out—big and shirtless in the doorway—but she felt his stare all over her as his deep voice wrapped around her, warming her even as she shivered. “Yes.”
“You okay? I heard you cry out.”
From across the house? “You did?”
“Yeah. I couldn’t get comfortable in my bed, so I’ve been on the sofa with Barney. I had to bring him in since it was so cold.” He ambled into the nearly dark room.
It sparked terrible memories, nightmares of past assaults where her only warning had been the sound of footsteps in the dark. She scrambled back against the headboard, breaths sawing nervously, as he approached.
He held up his hands as if to show he was nonthreatening. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m only here to uncuff you.”
Laila dragged in a breath and tried to relax, but his very large presence made her jumpy—and unbearably aware of him. She wanted to believe he’d only come to help, but the lesson that unscrupulous men had no compunction about taking what they wanted for their pleasure wasn’t something she could simply unlearn. Granted, Trees had never done that. With her, he had been a man of his word…yet according to Walker, he’d probably sold her out.
But had he? Everything in her heart screamed he wouldn’t.
Laila no longer knew if down was up or left was right. But she had to let him close, at least long enough for him to uncuff her. Nature was calling.
“All right.” She held out her wrist.
Trees closed the distance between them and took her hand gently, then extracted the key from the pocket of his sweatpants and released her.
She held her free wrist against her chest, twisting and testing it as she stared. He looked tired. “Have you slept?”
Why did she care? Why should it matter?
He shrugged. “About two hours. There’s a lot happening and”—he sighed—“I couldn’t sleep without you.”
His words warmed her. Despite her exhaustion, she’d also found it difficult to relax without his big body beside her. But that was foolish. He’d taken her captive, used her for sex when she’d foolishly invited him, and maybe even sold her out. Logic told her that she must stop thinking that him making some nice gestures meant he was a nice man.
Still, he’d brought her candles and swapped out her cuff. Why, unless he cared? Or was she sounding like someone with Stockholm Syndrome? Laila wasn’t sure what to think anymore.
“Excuse me.” She rose, escaping to the bathroom.
He said nothing, merely watched her until she closed the door between them. After she flushed and washed her hands, Laila crept back into the bedroom. Return to the bed, next to him…or stay five feet away where he could undress her with his eyes? But it was a silly question. It was too cold and she felt far too awkward to stand here half-naked.
Cautiously, she slid into the bed, tucking her legs under the covers and sitting against the headboard. “You barely slept. Go back to bed.”
“I can’t. It took most of the night, but I can prove I’m not the mole who put you and your family at risk.”
She hadn’t expected that. “How?”
“I have a paper trail. And this morning, we intend to catch the bastard.”
A concern she didn’t want to feel seized her. “Will it be dangerous?”
“I’m sure.” He cupped her cheek. “Are you worried about me, little one?”
“No.” But did being deceitful make her better than any of the people who had hurt her? “Well, some.”
“What happens to you if something happens to me? I’m sure you’re worried about that.” He frowned. “You haven’t figured out yet that I’m taking care of you. I’ll keep doing it as long as you let me.”