Page 31 of Deserving Cora
“Then we’ll head to Arizona and see what we can do.”
Cora stared at Pipe. “What?”
“If they don’t agree, we’ll go to Phoenix and see if we can’t get in to see Lara.”
“We?” she asked. “You’d go against your friends’ wishes and help me?”
Pipe’s gaze bore into hers. “I said I’d help when we were in DC, and I won’t go back on my word. Remember what I said about loyalty?”
Cora nodded.
“I could no sooner turn you away and ignore your cry for help than I could one of my friends in there,” he said, gesturing toward what looked to be some sort of conference room on the other side of the lodge. “I’m immune to a lot of things women use to get what they want. But like I said before, the kind of loyalty you have for Lara? It’s precious. And so damn rare. I’m going to help you, Cora. I give you my word.”
She wanted to cry. Wanted to go to her knees right there in the lobby of this amazing place. Cora had never met men and women like the ones she’d encountered here. The staff at The Refuge was kind. Generous. Accepting. And so open to those who needed help. She liked it, but it was also overwhelming.
“Come on, let’s go talk to the others.”
Cora nodded. And the urge to cry dissipated and determination rose within her. She knew she was right. Knew Lara was in trouble. And she needed to be smart, convincing. Needed to give the facts as she knew them to the other men. They’d either believe her or not, but one way or another, she would get to Lara and talk to her in person. Would find out if she was in Arizona of her own free will, or if she needed help getting home.
CHAPTERNINE
Pipe had no idea what had gone down in the kitchen while he’d been bringing his friends up to speed, therefore he couldn’t decide if it was good or bad. He hadn’t liked how emotional Cora looked, especially when she’d spoken with Robert, but the other women looked fairly relaxed. Seemed as if they were glad to have met Cora. He could’ve told her that would happen.Hadtold her, in fact. But with her history, he wasn’t surprised she needed to see for herself that the other women wouldn’t turn their backs on a stranger.
Admittedly, he’d been a little worried at first, because Alaska had spoken to Cora, then seemed to leave her standing in the middle of the room alone while she went and sat with Henley and Reese, but after Ryan brought Cora into the kitchen, they’d followed soon after.
He’d wanted to go check on her, to make sure all was well, but he’d needed to convince his friends to help. They’d gone into the conference room, and it hadn’t taken Pipe long to realize Cora needed to share the details herself. His friends would be able to hear and see her concern for Lara. He hadn’t been able to deny Cora his assistance, and Pipe knew without a doubt that the others wouldn’t be able to either, once they heard her side of the story.
Pipe and his friends weren’t mercenaries. They hadn’t started The Refuge as a cover for continuing to do what they’d done while in the military. But it couldn’t be denied they had certain skills. They’d used them when they were searching for Jasna, and when they’d raced after Reese. Hell, Owl and Stone had climbed into a helicopter—something they hadn’t done in years—to prevent Reese from being taken across the border.
And to be honest, using his skills to rescue an innocent woman from an abusive situation was something he found he was itching to do. It had an appeal he hadn’t expected. If he could use what he’d learned from years of hunting down and killing bad guys, to help a civilian, it made what he’d done in the service feel…more worth it.
Pipe followed Cora into the conference room and gestured to a chair. She sat, and Pipe took the seat next to her.
Brick cleared his throat. “It’s good to meet you, Cora, although I wish it wasn’t under these circumstances.”
She nodded. “Same. Before we start, can I just say that I’m very impressed by what you’ve all done here. The world needs more places like The Refuge. Places where people can go and not worry that they’ll be looked down on if they have flashbacks. Where they can be around others who can relate to what they’ve gone through.”
“Thanks. And I agree. So…you think your friend Lara is being held against her will?” Brick asked, not beating around the bush.
Pipe mentally winced. The way his friend had phrased his question made it clear that Cora had an uphill battle to get the others to believe her.
Instead of intimidating her, though, Brick’s question seemed to make her even more determined to convince them. She sat up straighter and once again her shoulders tensed.
“I don’t think. Iknowshe is,” Cora said. “Look, I get it. Lara’s an adult. She’s allowed to move across the country with whoever she wants. And if I truly believed she was safe and happy, I wouldn’t say a word. But she’s not. I know that without a doubt.”
“How?” Tiny asked.
To Pipe’s surprise, instead of directly answering the question, Cora began to tell a story.
“When I was seventeen, I was kicked out of yet another foster home. It wasn’t because of anything I did. There was a twenty-eight-year-old son who needed to move back home because he was fired from his job and wanted his old room back. The couple who fostered me didn’t think twice. One day I was there, and the next I was back at social services with my stuff in a tattered old suitcase. I was embarrassed and frustrated. I didn’t tell anyone at school about my situation, but Lara could tell something was wrong.
“She eventually got me to admit that once again, I didn’t have a place to live. And since I was about to age out of the system, the situation was even worse. It wasn’t as if anyone was lining up to take me in for five months. I was ready to quit school. I’d lost all respect for adults in general. I wasn’t a very happy person, held a lot of resentment and bitterness inside. But Lara talked to her parents, and they agreed to let me stay at their house until I graduated from high school.
“She saved my life. I’m fully convinced of that. And it wasn’t the last time either. Every time I’ve been down on my luck, needed a place to stay, needed a friend, she was there without hesitation.”
“She sounds like a great friend…but that’s not what we’re questioning here,” Spike said gently.
Cora took a deep breath. “Sorry, I know. I’m just trying to illustrate how close we are. Lara and I share everything.Everything. I know when she’s sad, when she’s happy, when she’s pissed off—which isn’t often. I know what that woman has fordinnerevery night. She’s also unbelievably dependable and conscientious. There is zero possibility that she decided to move to Arizona without notifying her job weeks in advance, and without talking to me about it first. She would’ve made a list of the pros and cons, given at least a month’s notice at her job, and she probably would have asked me to move with her. Because that’s the kind of person she is. That’s how close we are.
