Luke's Rogue Bride

by Rayanna Jamison

  The building called out to him, as if it had the answers he was looking for. It hadn’t been finished when he was there last but he could see that it was now. A stunning brick mansion stood tall above every other building in town—the place they had built for the prophet’s homecoming. While every other home in Filmore stood unfinished so it rendered the owners not subject to taxes on it, this one, of course, was immaculate. His neck craned as he walked up to it.

  Why was he here? What was he looking for? The lights were on, but he knew that the community leaders kept the house lit at all time, like a beacon in the night should their beloved prophet ever find his way home. His father had told him that Mr. Atwood, Carolyn’s father, had been named the new prophet and that the community was calling for a revolution of healing. It sounded nice, but he didn’t know if it were possible. From what he had seen, these people were loyal and true to the prophet they held more esteemed than the Lord Himself.

  To what end? Why weren’t the FBI swarming this place? How had he escaped, and managed to return to Filmore without being spotted or called in? Did he have help? And if he did have help from the good misguided people of Filmore, what did that mean for the new prophet, Luke’s own father-in-law?

  A rush of fear clenched Luke’s heart and he did an about face, running towards the church. He didn’t know how or why, but the prophet was here, he could feel it.

  “Carolyn, sweet Caro,” the prophet murmured as he approached. They were now close enough that he could have reached out and touched her. She could feel his hot breath in the cool March air—it smelled like a mixture of peppermint and tobacco—evoking many years’ worth of memories and none of them good.

  “Stay away.” She shielded her father and her sister with her body.

  “Sweet, sweet Caro. You were so full of potential. So wild and willful and spirited, and oh so fun to break. I had special plans for you. There was still so much work to do, but when it was done, you would have been ready. I was preparing a place in my kingdom for you. You would have been my beloved wife, esteemed above all others. And now, look at you. A woman of the world, with the devil’s light in your eyes. All that hard work gone to waste.”

  Bile rose in her throat at the ironic ramblings of a delusional man. “My husband loves me just the way I am, thank you very much.” As she said it, she wondered if it were true, if it could be true after today, and if she would ever even see him again to ask him. She felt safe, but there was a gun in the hands of a psycho and everything could turn on a dime. Where were the cops?

  “Your husband,” the prophet scoffed. “A worldly man no doubt, one who is beholden to his selfish desires and impure thoughts. No wonder he has dressed you like a harlot.” His lip curled up in a sneer, and for a second, his words got to her. And then she remembered who he was.

  “My husband is a bishop, and a far better man than you. You, sir, are the lowest of low, a power-hungry pedophile who manipulates people by invoking the name of God. Who abuses women and children for his own pleasure.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, sweet Caro.” The snake slithered closer, actually having the audacity to take her chin in his cold bony hand. “It’s not about my pleasure, it’s about your penance. Penance allows us to achieve purification from your sins.”

  She snarled, jerking her face away from him. “Please. You’re delusional. There was nothing purifying about what you did, or what you wanted to do.”

  It was the first thing that had been said that actually seemed to have an effect on the so-called prophet. His eyes grew dark and his jaw hardened as he advanced on her.

  At that moment, she saw her encounters with him flash before her eyes, and she was suddenly terrified once more. She knew that he fed on fear. She had to gain control. Where were her parents? To this point, they had been content to watch, and she wondered if this would be like every other time, where she went head to head with this evil man on her own, while they stood idly by the wayside. She was prepared for the worst, hoping for the best. It seemed to be the story of her life.

  Feeling his hot breath on her face, she waited for him to speak. He didn’t say a word. With a sickening smile, he grabbed the back of her head, pulling it forward and then stroked her cheek with the cold metal barrel of the gun. She never broke eye contact. Her mind raced as she scanned the church sanctuary behind him looking for a way to gain the upper hand.

  She didn’t see what was taking place behind her, but she felt the floor vibrate beneath her, knowing instinctively that there was movement happening. Keeping her eyes glued to his, she prayed it wasn’t Maddie.

  Carolyn almost wept with relief when her father came into her line of vision, crawling on all fours on the floor until he was directly behind the prophet. She had to keep the prophet distracted, but there was a gun on her. Taking a deep breath, she mustered everything she had.

  “You’re a coward who preys on everyone around you, and worse even, you do it in the name of God. And the crazy part is, you don’t know the one true God because if you did, you wouldn’t act like this.”

  His eyes, if it was even possible got more dark and beady and his breath grew ragged, as he lunged for her, grabbing her around the throat with his free hand. Carolyn closed her eyes tight and blanched. She hated things touching her neck. He wasn’t choking hard, his hands were bony and not strong or big enough to doing any serious damage with the amount of strength he was using, but she couldn’t stand to look at him for a second longer, not with the feel of his cold clammy skin touching hers.

  The door to the church was open a crack, and Luke listened through the crack for a minute before deciding on his plan of action. His heart clenched when he recognized both of the voices—one as Carolyn’s and one as the haunting voice of the prophet himself. Shaking his head, he swore to himself that at the end of the day, when this was all over and she was safe in his arms once again, he was going to give her the bottom blistering of a lifetime.

  Creeping closer to the door, he peered in through the crack, and saw that things were about as he expected. His mothers-in-law and sister-in-law lay on the ground, watching in horror at the scene unfolding before them, afraid to move or cry out and call attention to themselves. Luke watched as his father-in-law, bleeding from a wound on his forehead, pulled himself up, and crawled on all fours, low to the ground to a spot behind where the prophet stood. From where he stood, Lucas could hear Carolyn going head to head with the prophet, but he couldn’t see her. He had to switch angles. Going to stand on the other side of the double doors to view the scene from the other angle, that’s when he saw her… and the gun stroking her cheek.

  Bishop-hood be damned, he couldn’t keep himself from swearing under his breath as he quickly descended the stairs, and pulled out his phone, dialing 911. Why the police or FBI hadn’t made it here by now was beyond him, but the prophets second reign of terror was about to end.

  He quickly gave them all the information they needed, including details on how to find the nondescript church building. The last thing he said to the dispatch officer was, “I’m going in.”

  He heard her calm but alarmed response, telling him to stay put and wait for the authorities as he hung up the phone and strode purposefully to the church.

  Flattening himself sideways, he snuck in through the crack, not wanting the door to open further and risk being heard entering. He walked to the side, rather than down the center aisle, keeping his eyes on the situation that was unfolding. Luke wanted desperately for Carolyn to see him, to know that he was there, but as he got closer he could see that her eyes were closed, and the prophet’s hands closed around her neck. It was all he could do not to scream and call attention to himself.

  He was almost parallel with them when Frank spotted him, making eye contact. Somehow, they communicated silently, working together quickly to create a plan for distraction. Frank was on the floor inches from the prophet’s feet. Luke sent a prayer heavenward as he waited for the signal before springing into action.


  Everything happened with lightning speed in a big blur of action. Frank dove on the prophet, attacking him at the knees, bringing him down into a crumpled heap on the floor. He cried out in outrage, and Luke watched in horror as his finger closed over the trigger. He lunged, but at the last possible second, it was Carolyn, and not himself who acted first, kicking the gun out of his hands, and stomping on it for good measure. Luke could only watch as the heel of her pump crushed the bones in Ellis’ hand, leaving him writhing in pain. It was only then that Luke moved, jumping on top of him, and pinning his hands behind his back as the prophet screamed and spit. His venom was aimed solely at Carolyn.

  “You worthless little hussy! I was wrong about you! Praise be to God for leading me away from you and your jezebel ways!” His face was red, and his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as he struggled to free himself.

  His wife’s face looked angry at the attack, but also amused at the level of delusions and hypocrisy the prophet was exhibiting. Luke couldn’t blame her. This man was a true psychopath. Still, he shifted his hold, pressing his knee into the back of the prophet’s rib cage as he reached a hand around to cover the man’s mouth, causing him to go wild with rage.

  It was only then, finally, that help arrived, busting through the doors in full swat gear, armed with assault rifles and dogs.

  The moment she saw them, Carolyn’s whole demeanor changed, and she shrank before his eyes, going from strong confident woman to sobbing frightened little girl as she clung to her sister and mother in a huddle.

  He was desperate to go to her, to be the one whose arms she sought solace in, but he had to wait for the police to relieve him of his current position holding down the prophet with Frank’s help. The officer who finally took over looked pained, as if the whole scene broke his heart, a feeling Luke sorely related to.

  A second officer grabbed Frank, escorting him to where a paramedic waited to check out his head. As Lucas watched, he was painfully aware how much worse things could have turned out.

  Finally, he turned to his wife, holding out his arms as she ran into them. Closing his eyes, he kissed the top of her head, praising his God once more that she was safe in his arms. Safe from everything that is, but the consequences of her dangerous actions and the tongue lashing she would receive as soon as she recovered.

  Chapter 15

  Carolyn couldn’t keep herself from shivering at the sound of the key turning in the lock as she watched Lucas unlock the door to the small rental they would be staying in tonight. The shaking, she supposed, was more a delayed reaction to the day’s harrowing events than fear of what her husband would do. Although, at the moment, Lucas looked pretty damn scary.

  Knowing that the best case scenario for the night would be that she had the mother of all spankings coming, and that the worst case scenario would be the end of her marriage, Carolyn gulped hard as she tried to keep the tears at bay.

  Lucas flung the door open wide, and gestured for her to enter ahead of him. She shuffled in slowly, her eyes on him the whole time. She didn’t know what she had expected Lucas to do, but as soon as the door closed behind him, he turned to her and opened his arms. She didn’t need any more invitation than that. She flew into his embrace. Burying her head in his rain dampened shirt, she drank him in, taking refuge in his embrace as she unloaded the day.

  Lucas stood firm, holding her tightly while she sobbed, never asking if she was done, or trying to put space between them. Instead he scooped her up, cradling her in his arms like she was a small child and carried her to the bed, sitting in a way so that she was cradled in his lap. He didn’t say a word, waiting until she was ready.

  Carolyn didn’t know that she would ever be ready, but she figured if she were strong enough to have faced the prophet head on, she could certainly face her husband and whatever fate awaited her bottom.

  She shifted her body and searched Luke’s face waiting for him to speak.

  “Are you okay?”

  Of course. The first words out of his mouth were concern for her mental and physical well-being. She nodded quickly, but it didn’t satisfy him.

  Grabbing her chin, he lifted her face toward the ceiling, inspecting her neck where the prophet had pinned her. He could tell from the pain in her eyes that it was sore, but not bruised. She winced, and he shook his head, his jaw hardening even as his eyes filled with tears.

  “Remind me to ask forgiveness later for the thoughts I’m having about the things I’d like to do to that man,” Lucas joked, smiling through his pain, attempting to lighten the mood, as was his way.

  It was Carolyn’s turn to be the calming force. Freeing her legs from the cradled position, she sat upright in his lap, and took his face in her hands, pressing her palms forcefully against his cool cheeks, forcing him to meet her gaze. “I’m okay.”

  His eyes searched hers, as if he were willing himself to believe her edict. He frowned, and sighed before nodding. “I’m glad you’re okay, Carolyn. With every fiber of my being, I’m filled with gratitude and relief.” He paused, eyes narrowing, and she braced herself, knowing what was coming. “You put yourself in danger. You literally went to the airport, bought a ticket using the credit card I gave you for emergencies, and flew yourself across the country and into a dangerous situation on purpose. What do you have to say for yourself?”

  For a split second, Carolyn racked her brain for something, anything, she could say to delay the inevitable. She came up empty. Suddenly she couldn’t keep the truth in for a moment longer. It had been bubbling at the surface for far too long. “I lied!” she cried out, before she could think twice about stopping herself. “The whole thing was a lie. We were never supposed to get married. God never told me that. I didn’t even talk to God until I married you, and even now it’s only been recently.”

  Lucas was silent, staring at her with a look of absolute puzzlement.

  “I made the whole thing up!” she exclaimed frantically, forcing herself to finish. “All of it. I heard my dad talking when I was home on Christmas break, and I knew he was coming back here, and I didn’t want to go. And then he basically told me that my only way out was to get married, so I went to the church and turned in your name that same day, because it was the only thing I could think of to do to keep from being dragged back to this godforsaken hellhole. And I thought if I were married, then maybe I could save Maddie, too.”

  Luke’s face remained still as stone, the only movement a slight quirk of his left eyebrow when she said “hellhole.”

  Carolyn took a deep breath when she stopped, as she had spit out her entire confession without stopping to breathe, lest she lose her guts to say what needed to be said. Only now did she pause, gulping breath as she searched his face, which remained passive. “Say something!” she cried, burying her face in her hands.

  The silence continued for what was probably only a minute, but felt like an eternity. Finally, Lucas took her by the wrists and slowly peeled her hands away from her face. Forcing herself to look at him, she slowly opened her eyes, expecting to see anger. There was none. Luke’s face was soft with concern. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  She stared at him blankly, wanting to state the sheer stupidity of the question, but knowing that doing so would not be wise or kind. “I couldn’t. I had to make sure I was safe first, and I guess I kind of hoped they wouldn’t really go. I didn’t think my mothers would go along with it. I thought for sure they would find a way to change his mind, or just plain out refuse to go with him, and then Maddie would be safe. But there was one thing I hadn’t taken into account,” she admitted tearfully.

  “What’s that?”

  “I didn’t know I could be happy in a plural marriage. I never planned to be in one. I always thought I would meet someone in college or later and marry for love, but that takes time, and time was the one thing I didn’t have. You were always nice to me, and since you were the bishop, I thought your position would give me a boost in taking Maddie if it came to that. But I didn�
��t know I’d fall for you. I didn’t know that being your wife would feel so natural and right. I didn’t know that I would come to love Rosa, too, after everything we had been through. I thought that I would just be able to confide in you one day, ask for your help, and then apologize for deceiving you and give you a divorce and go on my way.” She shook her head woefully. “I can see now that there was a lot of that plan that I didn’t think through.”

  “That’s the understatement of the year,” Lucas responded dryly. “There are a lot of holes in that plan, a major one being that I don’t believe in divorce.”

  “Oh.” Her voice was soft and her eyes averted, as she tried to keep him oblivious to the fact that a glimmer of hope had taken flight and her heart had leapt into her throat at the idea that maybe he wouldn’t make her leave after all was said and done. Wishful thinking, she chided herself. Belief in divorce, or no, how could he not, after everything she had put him through?

  “The second being that I’m not sure it’s within my power to help Maddie if your parents don’t agree. She is in their custody and the authorities have no reason to change that. If I tried, it would likely be a long legal battle, the likes of which I don’t have the funds for.”

  Her face fell, but she realized that he was right. She had acted foolishly and in desperation out of a need to keep her sister from having the same sort of childhood she had had.

  Lucas saw her distress, and hooked her chin in the crook of his finger, lifting her face up to meet his gaze. “Hey now, I am willing to take Maddie in if your mothers agree to it, or if it is deemed necessary, and I am certainly willing to meet with your parents and talk to them about it face to face before we leave this god-forsaken hellhole.” This last part was added with a wink, and Carolyn didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so she blushed.

  “I’m sorry about that.” She bit her lip, wondering if she should continue. Oh well, she decided throwing caution to the wind, she had already said everything else, so there was no point in holding back now. “Am I in trouble?”