Defending Zara (Mountain Mercenaries #6)(20)

“God, Zara. Was anyone looking for you? What about your relatives back in the States?”

Zara shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t speak Spanish, and it wasn’t as if there were televisions playing news in the barrio. I was scared to death that if I did tell someone, the men would come back and kill me. After a while, it actually seemed not so bad anymore. I had my own little space, and no one bothered me much. I eventually cut off my hair because it was so dirty and gross, but more because I saw how girls got a lot more attention than boys. Bad attention. I wanted everyone to leave me alone, and that seemed the best way to do it.”

Meat’s gray eyes bored into her own. “What were your parents’ names again?”

“Chad and Emily.”

Meat nodded. “I wish I had my computer with me right now, but I swear to you, Zara, I’m going to do everything I can to find your people, if you have any, and let them know you’re alive and well.”

She nodded, feeling an emotion she hadn’t felt in years almost overwhelm her.

Hope.

“But aside from that, I want to take you back to America. There’s no doubt you’ve done the best with what life has thrown at you, but you don’t belong here, Zara. Will you let me help you get home?”

She stared at him in disbelief. Mags had urged her to ask Meat if he would help her get in touch with the American embassy and plead her case. She’d tried it once before, but the guards had taken one glance at her—in her dirty clothes and looking like a street urchin—and escorted her off the property. They hadn’t wanted to hear her story, hadn’t even given her a chance to prove she wasn’t lying.

But Meat believed her. She hadn’t even had to tell him the few things she remembered from her childhood in the States to try to convince him.

Misinterpreting her silence for reluctance, Meat did his best to talk her into going with him.

“I’m the computer expert on my team. As soon as I can get my hands on my laptop, I’ll be able to pull up any information available on your family, who I’m sure will be overjoyed to know you’re alive and well. You’re a United States citizen, and even if we have to give them blood so they can do a DNA test, Rex’ll be able to expedite that so we can get a passport and get you out of here.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Zara whispered.

Meat chuckled. “It’s not, but my friends have connections. Rex will take care of things from his end, and we’ll keep you safe until we’re out of here.”

“King?” Zara asked.

When Meat looked confused, she explained, “Rey means ‘king’ in Spanish, but I think it’s rex in Latin.”

He chuckled. “I have no idea how you know that, but you’re right. He’s kind of in charge of the team. He vets the missions we go on and has connections everywhere.”

Not sure about this king person, Zara bit her lip.

Meat leaned close and slowly brought his hand up to her face. He tugged her lip free of her teeth and gently ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek.

Zara stilled. She’d never experienced the kinds of feelings that were coursing through her body right now, as Meat touched her. They were scary and exciting at the same time. She wasn’t sure if she should lean into him or pull away. So she did neither, just sat frozen, trying to process her emotions.

“Zara?”

She looked up at him.

“Will you come with me? Back to the States?”

Could she? Was she brave enough to take a chance?

She nodded once.

Meat beamed. “Good. Will you take me back to my friends tomorrow?”

A million excuses came to mind about why she shouldn’t. He still had a concussion. His ankle still wasn’t healed. It would be better to go at night when there would be fewer people around.

But she’d heard the anguish in his voice when he’d said his team would be worried about him. That his friend was probably missing the birth of his first child. And she could hear the longing for him to be reunited with them. Hadn’t she felt the same way when she’d been taken from her parents? Like she’d do whatever it took to get back to what was familiar?

“Yes,” she told him after a beat, liking that he didn’t try to rush her. That he always let her think through things without pressuring her for a quick answer.

“Thank you,” he said simply. “It’s late, you have to be tired. Will you lie next to me again tonight?”

Zara nodded. She was tired. Exhausted. From the stress of being back in Miraflores, of begging for money, of worrying she’d be caught when she stole. Of telling Meat her story, and possibly having him dismiss what she’d said, like others had before him.

She slowly lay down, and just like before, Meat pulled her into his side. She rested her head on his shoulder and carefully wrapped her arm around his belly. “How are your ribs?”

“Cracked,” he responded immediately.

Zara rolled her eyes. She had a feeling he’d downplay his injuries. She’d been in his position before. Well, not exactly, but she’d been hurt in the past and still had to keep on living her life, so she understood. He wasn’t going to let his ribs or head or ankle keep him from getting back to his friends.

She worried for a moment about the logistics of returning Meat to the barrio. It would be tricky, and they’d have to come up with an explanation as to where he’d been and who had helped him. There was no way she was going to expose Mags and the rest of the women, or Daniela, so they’d have to devise a believable story.