Devil in Disguise (8 page)

“He was the one who actually got you? No one told me that.”

Julia simply nodded, already drifting back to sleep. Rachel sat back down, still turning everything over and over in her mind. She hadn’t come to any conclusions before she dozed off while sitting straight up, her head resting on Julia’s bedrail. She jumped when Rosemary said her name.

“You have Hill-Rom imprinted on your forehead. Well, actually
moR-lliH because it’s backwards.” Rosemary showed a hint of a
smile.

“What?” Rachel furrowed her brow in confusion.

“The hospital bed manufacturer. You have their name imprinted on your forehead.”

Rachel’s hand flew to her head, where she could feel a definite
impression. She frowned and rubbed at it. “Sorry. Guess it’s starting to catch up with me that I haven’t slept.”

“Go freshen up. You’ll feel worlds better. And I brought you a juice.” Rosemary extended an orange juice.

“Thank you.” Rachel hugged her mother. “Hey, has Veronica
talked to you about what comes next?”

Rosemary glanced at Julia, double checking that she was asleep. She whispered, “A little. I don’t know what we’re going to do if that place in L.A. is full. Did you know they’re talking about sending her to a juvenile detention center?”

“I heard, but that’s not going to happen.” Rachel shook her head. “I have a few ideas if the L.A. thing doesn’t work out. Just don’t worry, Mom. I’m off work for as long as I need to be. You guys won’t have to do this alone.”

If Rosemary had originally planned a snarky reply, she held it. Instead, she patted her daughter on the hand and nodded.

“I’m going to defunkify my teeth. Then I’m going to check on Conrad. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“Sure. Tell Conrad thank you.”

Rachel gathered her supplies and went in search of a ladies’ room, a little surprised at how agreeable her mother was being. She emerged from the restroom ten minutes later feeling like a whole
new woman. The rejuvenating power of some time with a toothbrush, a bath from wet wipes, and fresh clothing was amazing. She might not be able to drink her orange juice for a while thanks to her minty fresh teeth, but it was a small price to pay.

Conrad was awake and listening intently to Rick when she
returned.

Rachel tapped on the door. “Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all. Come on in.” Rick straightened and smiled. Rachel had the distinct impression he was lying, but she didn’t care. She wanted to see Conrad.

“Julia seems to be doing a little better. She’s resting.” That was all the news Rachel had to share. She imagined they didn’t care that she’d been able to brush her teeth. Of course, maybe her breath had
been as bad as her teeth had felt, and then they might care very
much. “Oh, and Conrad, I’m supposed to tell you thank you from Julia and Mom. Although, we owe you thanks too, Rick.”

Rachel leaned over and kissed Conrad on the forehead.
Markedly stronger than he was when she left him last, Conrad reached up to catch her before she moved away. The question was still there, written all over his face, begging her to understand. Rachel gave him a weak smile and straightened self-consciously.

Rick waved off her words humbly. “All in a day’s work. Unfortunately, I don’t have good news from L.A.”

“She didn’t get in?” Rachel sank into the chair beside Conrad’s bed, reaching for his hand. He took hers with a supportive squeeze. Knowing she wouldn’t have help from trained professionals made the prospect of leaving the hospital with Julia overwhelming. “Is there another home out there? Anyone else who could help?”

“Veronica’s been on the phone all day. There just aren’t any beds open. We are going to have to start talking about where to go next with Julia. The hospital won’t keep her long, and she’s not safe at home.”

“Will she ever be?” The thought occurred to Rachel.

“I don’t know. Some victims are able to return to their life
before. Some never do. Right now, there are too many from this particular gang still on the loose for her to be safe – for any of you to be safe.”

“I have an idea, but it could be a really stupid one.”

“No harm in tossing it out there. Worst-case scenario, I mock you. Conrad won’t, though, because he can’t talk yet.”

“That’s comforting.” Rachel smiled, despite her surroundings. Rick was good at that – making people smile even if the world was
going to hell in a handbasket. “I was thinking that, if everyone is okay with it, maybe we could hide Julia and Rosemary with Conrad’s sister, Neena. Ronnie mentioned that Neena wasn’t on anyone’s
radar. The story I ran was about Kali Langston. Nobody aside from her friends knows what she changed her name to. I think that goofy little town she lives in would keep Julia hidden, and I think Neena would be
good for Julia. She might not be a licensed counselor, but she’s the only person I know who could at all relate to the pain Julia is in right now.”

Rachel hadn’t been sure how Conrad would react, if he would appreciate Rachel putting his family in danger, but she could see him thinking it over.

“It could work. Especially if we plant a credit card trail headed the opposite direction,” Rick mused. Conrad nodded.

“Could you help me with new identification for them?” Rachel asked.

“Absolutely. That’ll be the easy part.”

“Do you mind if I call Neena?” Rachel looked to Conrad. He shook his head and looked to Rick.

“Use my satellite phone.” Rick handed her his phone. “They could be tracing your calls. Are you planning on going with them?”

“No.” Rachel shook her head as she dialed, glancing up when Conrad squeezed her hand sharply. “I plan to take this brute to the bayou. His family has a cabin there that is impossible to find without a tracker.”

Conrad squeezed her hand again and gave her a quizzical look.

“You need someplace safe to hide until you’re better, and you’re going to need someone to take care of you,” she explained.

He shook his head no, a fierce scowl on his face.

“What? You can protect me but I can’t protect you? That’s crap, Conrad, and you know it.” Rachel finished dialing the phone, ignoring his look of exasperation and jerking her hand away when he went to squeeze it again.

To her credit, Neena Russell didn’t miss a beat when Rachel explained the reason for her call. She got her husband Charlie on the
other line so he could be in on the conversation, and both
immediately agreed to help.

“If we do this right, we’re not putting you in any danger, but if these guys find Julia at your house, it could cause problems for you,” Rachel warned.

“Helping you is the right thing to do,” Neena responded. “Right doesn’t change just because there might or might not be an element of danger to it.”

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you. As soon as I have a finalized plan, I will call you back. Probably from this number.”

“Sure, and feel free to bring your cat if you need to. Hopefully Beau won’t eat him,” Neena added.

“Oh. Oh.” Rachel panicked. “I forgot my cat.”

“I’ll let you go take care of that,” Neena chuckled. “And bring my prodigal brother with you if you can find him.”

“Will do,” Rachel promised, hanging up the phone. She’d intentionally
left out the piece of the story that involved Conrad, figuring that was a
conversation he needed to have with his sister. There wasn’t enough money in the world to entice Rachel to touch
that one. Neena might be little, but she was fierce.

“Other than needing to send someone by your apartment to get your cat, are we good?” Rick surmised.

“Yes.” Rachel bit her lip, feeling sorry for her hungry kitty.

“We won’t be able to take him straight to you. He’ll have to do some time in the cat slammer to be sure the traffickers don’t follow him to get to you. As soon as it’s safe, someone will bring him to you.”

“Poor Darcy.” Rachel frowned. “I guess it’s better than starving alone in an apartment, though. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Rick smiled brightly at her. “Why don’t I go start working on the details with Ron while you two fight about
Louisiana?”

“Sounds good,” Rachel agreed. “Could you fill my mom in, too?”

Rick nodded and waved as he backed out of the room, a
bemused expression on his face.

Rachel looked back at Conrad, ready for a fight, but that pained
question was back on his face. In a flash of inspiration, Rachel
realized what it was that he so desperately needed to know.

“Yes, I know you worked for them, and no, I don’t hate you for it. I’ll decide how angry I am after we’ve had a chance to talk,” she promised.

The relief that washed over him confirmed her guess. His entire body visibly relaxed.

“I am angry that you didn’t tell me what was going on.” She held her hand up when he started to tense in protest. “But I think I
know why you didn’t. And I also know you were the one who
busted down the door to save my little sister. She said she cried when she saw you because she knew that meant she was saved. If for no other reason, I owe you for that. Please, Conrad, let me repay you for that
much. I don’t know what comes after Louisiana, but I know in my heart I’m supposed to take you there until you regain your strength.”

She tried to keep the desperation out of her voice, but he wasn’t looking at her anymore, and that scared her. He looked so out of place here, in a hospital gown with IVs, monitors, and tubes all over the place. It killed her to see such a virile man like this. It killed her that he wouldn’t look her in the eye. It dawned on her for the first time since she cooked up this plan that she might lose this argument; he might not let her help. She might lose him again.

Not wanting him to see the tears seeping from the corners of her eyes if he should finally look her way, she rested her head on the bedrail, this time careful to avoid the imprinted logo. Images from
days gone by flitted through her mind, and she wished with
everything
she had that she could rewind the hands of time back to a place where Julia was still innocent and Rachel had yet to break Conrad’s heart.

His tender touch pulled her back to the present. She tentatively peeked at him when he reached up to brush aside the hair that had fallen to cover her face. He offered her a small smile, which she hopefully returned.

“Okay,” he whispered with a slight wince. “We’ll go to
Louisiana and see what’s next after that.”

Her smile turned brilliant, and she practically climbed in his lap to hug and kiss him. “Wonderful! I’ll ask Rick to help make the arrangements.”

Conrad nodded again, smiling at her joy.

“Oh, but one more little thing.” Rachel slid out of reach before continuing. “I promised your sister you’d visit, so we’ll be stopping there on our way down.”

His scowl returned in full force, but Rachel ignored it.

“Okay, great, it’s settled then. I’ll just peek my head into the
hallway to see if Rick is out there.” Rachel kept her voice bright, turning so Conrad couldn’t see her triumphant grin. The pillow that hit her in the back of the head, tossed from across the room, told her she hadn’t turned quickly enough.

THEY’D MISSED BENJAMIN’S THIRD BIRTHDAY
by a week, but they came bearing presents anyway. It was eerie how much the cherubic little boy looked like his uncle, to Rachel anyway. The child had such a sparkle about him, it made Rachel almost forget the evil in the world. Something about his smile banished the darkness.

Gifts or no, Benjamin Russell was terrified of his uncle. He’d
taken right to Rachel and had even warily accepted Rosemary and Julia. But whenever Conrad spoke to him, the child hid behind his
mother’s
legs. Whether it was Conrad’s still-raspy voice or the sheer size of
him, Benjamin was afraid, and Rachel could tell his fear hurt Conrad.

Neena’s daughter, Gabrielle, had a different reaction altogether. The teenager launched herself at Conrad the moment he stepped out
of the old Chevy truck they’d paid cash for somewhere around Memphis. He caught her up in his arms and twirled her in a
laughing embrace. The exertion was a bit much for him, though no one but Rachel noticed.

“Uncle Conrad, I’ve missed you so much! Where have you been?
You totally ditched me!” The sheer joy in her voice belied her
reprimand, or perhaps added to it.

“Been busy getting myself into trouble,
mon chaton
,” he
answered with surprising honesty.

“You always do without me,” she retorted.

The girl was the very image of her mother, only taller. She had Conrad’s easygoing manner and sharp wit, a product of spending
the first ten years of her life in her uncle’s care. Her bubbling
personality,
and that of her stepsister Cara, stood in stark contrast to the
withdrawn and hunted expression etched on Julia’s face.

Just as Rachel suspected she would, Neena formed an immediate connection with Julia. Once introductions were made all around and the guests had been shown their rooms, Neena had slipped off to visit one on one with Julia.

They’d arrived in time for lunch. The day had been filled with getting to know each other and settling in. Now the dinner dishes
were
cleared away, the baby was happily being rocked to sleep by her mama, Benjamin was chasing chickens, and the girls had settled in
for a talk a safe distance from the adults. Rachel noticed that Julia mostly listened, but at least she’d gone with Cara and Gabrielle.

Rosemary had retired to her room; Rachel suspected she planned to slip into a pill-laced sleep, but she let it slide. She was happy for a chance to finally talk to Charlie and Neena alone with Conrad.