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Her answer worried Laila even more, but she kept that to herself. “He needs antibiotics.”
“We have none. Even if I did, you know how he spits out medicine. He did it with his last dose of ibuprofen.”
A big reason Jorge had needed to go to the hospital, so he could have medicine intravenously. “Keep trying.”
“Of course. But what if I fail? What if his fever goes up again? Taking him to a doctor may give away our location.” Valeria dissolved into tears again.
Laila couldn’t leave her sister to handle this alone. “Where are you?”
“Lafayette, Louisiana. In an apartment.”
How many hundreds of miles away was that? Why had EM Security taken Valeria so far from her? “Hang on. I will be there as quickly as I can.”
She could help nurse Jorge and support her weary sister. Hopefully that would keep her nephew out of the hospital.
“Trees is bringing you here? Oh, thank goodness.”
“He has not said when. If he is not going straight there, I will find you on my own.”
“You cannot leave him!” Valeria screeched. “He is your bodyguard. He is keeping you safe from Emilo’s men.”
“While keeping me captive. How does that make him different?”
“Has he touched you against your will?”
“No, but if you’ll recall, nothing happened when I first arrived at the compound. I was a naively trusting child then. I know better now.”
“But I hired EM Security to—”
“I know why you hired them. And I realize you have faith in them. But I do not share your confidence.”
“They rescued us both.”
“Men who commit violence—whatever their reason—are still thugs. I neither want nor trust one to make my decisions, especially when he feels justified in doing it against my will.”
“Is that really how you feel?” Valeria sounded shocked.
Laila didn’t understand how her sister could see things so differently. “You are paying them money, and what have they done? Kept us apart while dictating when, how, and where we can go—over my objections, and despite the fact they have failed at keeping our location hidden more than once.”
“But—”
“You never asked me how I thought we should handle the situation. There are ways other than trusting an organization with an obvious problem keeping secrets. If you want to continue trusting them, I cannot stop you. But I plan to stay safe in the way that best suits me.”
Valeria sighed. “Stop being so stubborn. I am worried about Jorge, and now you are making me worry about you, too.”
“No. Focus on our little man. I will be there as soon as possible, and I will be fine.” Now that they had left Victor behind in Florida, and he had no device he could use to trace her, everything should be all right.
After a little more chatter, she ended the call and set the phone aside.
Time to make a plan.
“Laila?” Trees called, the steps from his big feet loud as he made his way toward her. “Everything all right?”
It would be soon. “Valeria needs me. I must reach her no later than tomorrow. You will take me, yes?”
“Not until I know it’s safe, no.”
“But Jorge is sick and—”
“In what way?”
“It seems he has an ear infection and—”
“His mother can take care of him.”
“Valeria needs help and rest, and she is too distraught—”
“Laila, keeping you safe is my priority. Kane is with her twenty-four seven. He’ll give your sister whatever help she needs.”
“What does he know about children?”
Trees shrugged. “I don’t know. But he’s smart and capable. He’ll figure it out. And you’ll stay with me, safe and sound.”
“So you have decided that I should abandon my sister when she and my nephew need me most?”
Trees scowled. “Don’t twist my words, Laila. You need to let your sister handle her son—with Kane’s help. If Jorge needs a doctor, he’ll get the kid one. But there’s nothing you can do, except put yourself at risk. I won’t let that happen on my watch.”
Laila stared up at Trees. The resolution on his face told her he wasn’t playing around. As far as he was concerned, she wasn’t going anywhere.
Too bad for him she had other ideas. Now she just had to figure out how to make them a reality.
Five hours later, Trees pretended to read a news article on his phone while he watched Laila. Admittedly, that was his newest addiction. Everything about her was feminine yet fiery, both passionate and reserved. He was desperate to peel back her layers and understand her. Why? He’d never felt the impulse to do that with any other woman.
Not that it mattered. He terrified her. If he was drowning, she wouldn’t throw him a lifeline—especially after their earlier argument. She was pissed he wouldn’t abandon his marching orders to take her to Valeria. Maybe she’d understand…someday. But he wasn’t counting on it.
Not for the first time, Laila stifled a yawn as she flipped through a fashion magazine he’d picked up for her after she’d eyed it in the big-box store. To his shock, she set it aside and stood, stretching her graceful arms above her head and arching her back. It was impossible not to see that she had great tits. He was a fucking heel for noticing, but why lie to himself and pretend he hadn’t?
