Defending Zara (Mountain Mercenaries #6)(36)

Arrow ran a hand through his hair but didn’t say anything else.

“It’s not that simple,” Gray said gently. “They’ll find out anyway.”

“We’ll run interference for her,” Meat said from his spot on the bed. “We won’t let her be harassed.”

“Of course we’ll look out for her,” Gray replied, “but you and I both know they’ll still get to her. You can’t keep her locked up in a bubble. She’ll be at the grocery store and someone will recognize her and harass her. She’ll get hundreds of letters from people around the country begging for her help.” Gray turned to address her. “You’re going to have to harden yourself,” he warned. “The stories you’ll hear will break your heart. You’ll probably want to give money to everyone and every cause under the sun. They’ll try to make you feel guilty, like you’re a terrible person if you don’t donate.”

Again, Zara wasn’t sure she wanted to go back to the States. Maybe she could just take the money and get a house here in Lima. Far away from the barrios, in a nice neighborhood.

As if he could hear what she was thinking, Meat said to Gray, “Stop scaring her, asshole.” Then he held out his hand. “Come here, Zara.”

Without thought, she moved toward his outstretched hand. When she was close enough, he wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her toward him until her hip hit the mattress. Meat looked up at her from his spot on the bed and said gently, “We’ll figure it out.”

We’ll figure it out. Not you’ll figure it out. His words made her calm.

“What about her family?” Ball asked.

Not moving his hand from around her waist, Meat said, “They’re going to be an issue.”

Zara’s heart sank, but she couldn’t say she was all that surprised.

“Her uncle, Alan, has been contesting the will and trying to get his hands on the money in her trust for years. Her grandparents don’t seem to be all that interested in anything having to do with their missing granddaughter. I found an interview that was done about ten years ago, on the five-year anniversary of Zara’s disappearance, and her maternal grandparents said they assumed she was dead, just like their daughter, and the money in the trust would be released to her closest living relatives when her twenty-eighth birthday finally arrived and she didn’t come forward to claim it.”

No one said a word. The men seemed to be holding their breaths, waiting for her reaction.

Zara looked at Meat and shrugged. “They never seemed to like me much when I was little. I was too loud, too annoying, too . . . childlike for them.”

“You were a child,” Gray said, clearly annoyed. “I haven’t even met my son yet, and neither has my mom, but I know without a doubt that if something happened to me and Allye, and he was missing, she would move heaven and earth to find him.”

“Not everyone is like that,” Zara told him bluntly. She’d seen her share of horrifying things here in Peru. Mothers who sold one of their children so they’d have enough money to feed the others, men who beat the shit out of their wives because they were bored, grandparents who refused to have anything to do with their children or grandchildren because they felt they were beneath them. Nothing surprised her anymore.

“Well, they should be,” Gray muttered. Then took a deep breath. “Right, so we’ll deal with things as they come up. Zara is rich, and Rex is working on her documents to get her back in the country. We may need to set up at least one press conference so she can tell her story.” He looked at her then. “The last thing you want is the press making up their own stories, or people who have no idea what they’re talking about coming forth to explain what you’re thinking and feeling. It sucks, but it’s like a Band-Aid. Pull it off fast and get it over with, then you can concentrate on figuring out what to do with the rest of your life.”

She didn’t like it, but she hoped these men knew best.

“I’ve got a few extra rooms at my house,” Gray told her. “You can stay with me and Allye if you want.”

“You just had a baby,” Ro said. “She can stay with me and Chloe—”

“She’s staying with me,” Meat interrupted before anyone else could offer their home to her. “That is . . . if she wants to.”

Zara had never been so touched in her life. She’d gone from being essentially homeless to having these strangers offer to take her in. It was overwhelming and unexpected.

She realized that everyone was staring at her again. She panicked for a second, wondering why they were looking at her, then recalled Meat’s words.

She apparently had enough money to live wherever she wanted, but the thought of living by herself, of trying to acclimate to a new life and world alone, was scary as hell. She nodded.

“What are you saying yes to, sweetheart?” Meat asked quietly by her side. “You’ve got a roomful of people who want to help you. No strings attached. The others”—he gestured to the other men—“all have women who live with them. That would probably make you feel comfortable, since you’re used to hanging around with Mags, Daniela, and the other women here.”

She stared at him, trying to read between his words. Did he already regret asking her to stay with him? It had taken her a long time to become friendly with Mags and the others. It was hard to make friends, especially with women, who always seemed to be more judgmental. Besides, what if the other women thought she was trying to steal their men? It had happened more than once in the barrio. Someone would take in a relative or friend who needed a place to live, and before long, the man was cheating on his wife with the newcomer.