Page 24 of The Hero's Bride
“Glad to hear it,” Sully said as he began uncovering the plates. “Because I’d hate to think I went overboard here.” He winked at her and sat across the table from them.
Her laugh resonated in his chest. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but over the past few days, a smile brightened her face more often and it was easier to elicit the beautiful sound of her laughter.
“Wow,” she breathed, eyes glancing over the plates of eggs Benedict, potatoes, croissants, Belgian waffles, berries, and whipped cream.
“I know it’s technically lunch,” Sully said beginning to load up his plate. “But for us, it’s breakfast.”
“And that means Sully can go in search of lunch guilt-free in a little over an hour if he labels this meal breakfast.” Red grinned and lifted one hand to pour coffee into a cup, then offered some to Thalia.
Sully shrugged as he poured coffee into Thalia’s mug and passed her the cream and sugar. “Concierge said there’s a great sandwich shop down the street.”
“See what I mean?” He raised a brow at Thalia, and she giggled like he’d hoped she would.
He was pleased when Thalia took a small amount of everything from the breakfast plates. She sighed as she bit into a waffle and a jolt speared through him as he instantly recalled the sounds she’d made earlier in bed. They were just finishing their meal when a knock sounded on the door.
“Stay here.” He gave Thalia’s shoulder a gentle squeeze and moved toward the door. When he glanced through the eyehole, Jude was standing outside with two agents. He opened the door and stepped back, allowing them to enter the hotel room. Thalia and Sully crossed the room to join him.
Jude stepped forward, offering his hand to Thalia. “Last night was hectic and I’m not sure if you remember being introduced.”
“Yes. Jude, a friend of Mason and Sully. I’m grateful for the part you had in finding me and for last night’s rescue.”
“No thanks are necessary. I’d like to introduce you to Agent Brown.” He gestured toward the female agent. “And Agent Simpson,” he said motioning toward the other man. “We’d like to have a conversation about your situation at the Day estate. Any information you’re able to provide us with could help locate more individuals who have been put in similar situations.”
“I’m not sure if I’ll be much help,” Thalia began. “But I’m happy to try.”
“Thank you for being willing to talk.” Agent Brown stepped forward. “Would you like to sit in the living room or maybe at the dining room table?”
Red watched as Thalia clasped her hands together. Her nervous energy was palpable, but she breathed deeply and straightened her shoulders, meeting the agent’s gaze. “The living room would be fine. We have some coffee and tea that was just delivered from room service. Would anyone like something to drink?”
“We’re fine but thank you for the offer.” Agent Simpson cast Thalia a warm smile, then followed her to the couch.
Red hesitated before sitting next to Thalia, instead crouching down beside her. “Would you be more comfortable if we stayed or left?” He kept his voice low, hoping only she would hear his question.
“I’d prefer you to stay. I’ve gotten comfortable with both of you,” she said glancing between him and Sully. “And I have nothing to say that I wouldn’t want you to hear.”
Relief poured through him, loosening the tight muscles in his shoulders and neck. He wanted to be present for the interview, terrified the agents would push too hard or ask her something that triggered a bad memory. When she gave him a reassuring smile, he realized that after what she’d been through, an interview with a few people in suits was probably the least of her worries.
The agents nodded. “They’re welcome to stay for as long as you’d like.”
Sitting on the couch by her side, he knew with absolute certainty that he’d never met someone as courageous as Thalia.
Chapter Thirteen
When the twoagents walked into the hotel room accompanied by Jude, her stomach tightened with nerves. Most of her life was spent simply avoiding anyone with a badge. She’d never wanted to be caught taking food from the dumpsters outside of the resorts, and her father had warned her that many members of law enforcement had been bought by the cartel. Once she realized that Mason was able to stay, the nervous energy tangling in her gut subsided. She wanted, no needed, to tell her story if it would help others stuck in the same situation as she had been. Lured into a false sense of security with promises of education, money, and a better life.
The agents began asking her about her background and her family life in Colima. As she spoke, she concentrated on the feel of Mason’s outer thigh touching hers. The way he seemed to cast out a protective bubble that enveloped her. She answered questions about her mother and her father, absorbing strength from Mason’s reassuring squeezes.
“Were there any unusual circumstances that led you to work in the Day estate?”
Pain tightened her throat at the selfless decision her father had made. “My father told me he was ill and that he wanted a better life for me. He’d met a man who was taking a group of young students across the border for work.” She took a shaky breath when a prickle of heat hit her eyes. “After Mason and Sully rescued me several days ago, we discovered new information that my father may have been desperate to send me away to spare me from falling into a worse situation with the cartel.”
A hard look passed over Jude’s face. “Estrada?”
“Yes.” She nodded, going on to share the events leading to what they’d overheard from the police officers at the end of the dock. She tucked her free hand beneath her outer thigh to stop from trembling with anger at the decision her father had been forced to make. Tears built and clung to the cusp of her lower lids, and Mason let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders. The weight of his embrace reminded her she wasn’t alone.
Agent Brown jotted something on her notepad, then lowered the lined book to her lap, leaning forward in her seat. “Were you ever able to meet the individual taking you across the border?”
She shook her head. “Not until the day I was driven out of the city. I suspected something was wrong right after we crossed the border into the United States.”
