Page 52 of Ranch's Resolve

“You sound like you routinely smoke ten packs a day or gargle with rocks, so I’m guessing he did more than smack you around. I’ll fucking kill him for that. But I don’t think you’re calling to take the fucker out. What do you need?”

“Do you have a safe place where we can take Selena and the kids?” I ask. There is another woman and a baby who also need protection. She’s friends with Selena. We need to take them somewhere where Carlos can’t find them.”

“Don’t you think he’ll consider looking for them with me?”

“Are they watching your garage still?”

“No, they’re not. Good point. Yeah, I’ll find a place. Give me twenty minutes. I’ll call you back.”

I re-enter the apartment and follow the chatter down the hallway into Santina’s room. I find Selena arguing with Caitlin.

“I can’t take these things,” Selena says as Caitlin strips the bed.

“Of course you can,” Caitlin argues as she folds the comforter. “You’ll need these wherever you end up.”

“But they belong to Crossroads,” Selena argues.

“No, they belong to you. We bought these things for you and Santina. You can take all of it. Do you need clothes for Santiago? We’ll grab bedding for him, too. Who is your favorite superhero?” Caitlin asks him.

Santiago glances at his mom and then at Caitlin. He grins and whispers, “Batman.”

“Batman, it is. I’m pretty sure we have a comforter set with Batman on it. Kingsley, can you grab it along with some clothes?”

“I’m on it,” Kingsley says with a grin. Before she leaves the room, she touches Selena on the shoulder. “Don’t feel like you’retaking advantage of us. Caitlin needs to give you these things. She’s feeling guilty because Carlos got in here to hurt you.” Kingsley had whispered these words to Selena, but I heard them. The guilt washes over me. Carlos gaining access wasn’t Caitlin’s fault; it was mine.

Selena fights back tears as Kingsley leaves the room. “I can’t believe how generous you’re being. I’m so sorry we brought you trouble.”

Caitlin leans forward and takes Selena’s hand. “You didn’t bring trouble. You only wanted to protect your children. The only person who is at fault is Carlos. You and your children deserve to live happy and safe lives. That’s why I started Crossroads. I want to give women and children in similar situations the opportunity to escape the lives they don’t deserve so they can create better lives for themselves.”

We spend the next twenty minutes helping Selena pack up everything they’ll need in the safe house. Two prospects carry the suitcases and packed boxes from the apartment. We’ve just finished when my phone rings. I check the display to find that Deion is calling me back.

“Did you locate a place?” I asked him after connecting the call.

“Yeah. We’re all set. We have a secure location where we can meet and make the transfer quickly and out of sight of prying eyes.”

I cringe when I consider the boxes we’ve just packed. “We’re sending clothes, bedding, and toys with them. Do you have a car big enough to take everything?” I tell him the amount he’ll need to deal with.

Deion is silent for a few seconds. “Not a problem. We’re meeting in a secure garage. No one can get inside without authorization. The plan is to have multiple vehicles going in andout while we make the transfer. This way we’ll confuse anyone watching.”

I step outside to find Ranch and explain to him the plan for getting Selena and her children out of Crossroads and into a different safe house.

“I don’t want you going alone,” he says. “Take Simon and Cole with you. They can drive the SUV. You don’t know if someone is watching for you, so I’d rather you weren’t driving.”

I agree to his terms, even though I think he’s overreacting. However, if the prospects drive the SUV, I can have them drop me off at my house after we get Selena to safety. When I tell him my plan, Ranch pulls me into his arms and kisses my temple. “Does that mean I won’t have you in my bed tonight?”

“Do you want me in your bed?”

“I want you in my bed every night,” he says, nibbling my neck.

“You could come to my house,” I suggest.

“I’d like to, but I can’t until we know Angela is safe. If you don’t want to come over, you don’t have to.”

“I’ll come over. I’m going to go to my house and pick up my car and a few things. I don’t want to be alone.”

“Good. I’ll see you at the ranch later. Dante is calling Church. I’ll be home after.”

I kiss him goodbye and crawl into the backseat of the SUV next to Selena. Santina and Santiago are in the seats between us and the prospects. I gave Simon the directions Deion provided.

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