I turn back to Sam. “Not all of them. That girl, Rebecca, she seems terrified, not loyal. If I can get her on her own she might be able to give me some idea of how to escape.”
“Wouldn’t she have done it by now though if there was a way out?” Kyle asks, his gaze following Jared as he approaches.
“Not alone she wouldn’t.” I turn around, plastering on the smile I know he wants to see. “Good morning Jared.”
Jared grins, approving of my tone as he comes to a stop. “Good morning Louisa” he barely looks at the others, all his attention focused on me. I try not to shudder. “I trust you slept well.”
“Like the dead” I smile sweetly. At my feet Dog growls, watching Jared with distrust.
He blinks at the raging fur ball before finally turning to the men sitting behind me. “Gentleman, I have a few tasks I could use your help with. If you could please follow me.” Pausing mid-turn, he looks back at me. “Take some time to explore the village. I believe you will find it most revealing.” I incline my head and he winks, striding away as the boys follow, my fingers in Dog’s scruff to restrain his attempts to trail after them. Sam brushes his hand against my shoulder and my heart aches to watch him go.
“Most revealing? What’s that supposed to mean?” Natalie asks once they’re out of earshot. Releasing Dog, I straighten, pulling Natalie with me I march in the opposite direction, eager to put as much distance between myself and that man as possible.
“It means he wants us to stay. If I’m right, everything we see today will be a show. He wants to delude us into thinking this is a good place to live. To survive.” I pause, eyes wide. “If that’s his plan we don’t have much time before Sam and the others are six feet under and we’re trapped here for the rest of our lives.”
“Shit” she hisses. “What do we do?”
“We find Rebecca.”
We split up to cover more ground, agreeing to meet back at the memorial in a few hours. Though everything in me wants to go to Sam, for him to tell me that everything will be okay, I resist. We cannot afford to anger Jared or he will mount our heads at the gate. For whatever reason, he has taken an unnatural liking to me and for the time being, I need to keep it that way. With Dog trotting beside me I head for the main building, slipping quietly inside.
Single parent families kneel before the alter, heads dipped, eyes closed as they whisper their prayers. I wonder what they’re asking for. A way out? Unlikely considering their absolute devotion to their flaming haired master. Dog scampers ahead of me, nose pressed to the floor until a person crosses his path. They shoo him away, even as his tail wags, back end wiggling as he ignores their snubs. Walking slowly, I study each person in search of Rebecca, disappointment darkening my mood when the face isn’t hers.
Conceding that she isn’t here I turn to leave, colliding with a solid chest. Peering through my lashes my heart sinks as piercing blue eyes stare back, combed red hair glowing in the candle light. Dog rushes forwards, placing his tiny body between me and Jared, lips curled back in a snarl.
“He doesn’t usually act like this” I say, scooping the vibrating mutt into my arms. He doesn’t like you, my words imply and Jared takes a step back out of Dog’s snapping reach.
“Fortunately, I love all God’s creatures. Even the foul-tempered ones.” His voice is sure though he backs up another step, just in case. I hide my smile in Dog’s fur, my snarling bodyguard wriggling in my grip in his efforts to protect me. “Would you care to take a walk with me Louisa?” he gestures towards the door and I know I don’t have a choice.
I take a step toward the large double doors, Jared falling into step beside me. Dog wriggles out of my arms, hitting the floor and placing himself firmly between the two of us, rumbling chest pressed to my legs as he keeps his eyes firmly on my escort. My tiny guardian. I make a mental note to tell Sam I told you so as we step outside.
“How are you finding it here?” he asks, arm sweeping around the square.
Aware that now is not the time for honesty I choose my words carefully. “It’s interesting…impressive that a community like this still exists.”
Jared nods, smile smug and face alight with pride. “I have seen the corruption beyond our borders. The gangs, the charlatans that litter the streets. It is no life for a woman such as yourself. You should be protected, safe in the knowledge that you are cared for.” I catch myself before I shudder.
“We do okay. Me and my friends are a team you see. We take care of each other.” Jared stops and I pause, turning to face him, Dog moving with me.
“My dear, you are one of God’s creatures. As a servant of The Lord it is my duty to ensure your survival. He created us in his image and you… you are certainly one of the finest I have ever seen.” His hand twitches as if to reach for me but the threat of having forty-two sharp teeth embedded in his ankle keeps it at his side. “If you would only let me, I could take care of you. You would never have to feel fear again.”
I’m sure brainwashing would indeed erase the fear from my mind but being controlled by a deranged man, no matter his supposed godliness, isn’t what I’m looking for. Definitely not my type. To avoid giving a response I turn and begin to walk once more, dress rustling around my ankles. When his footsteps don’t follow I hope that he has ceased his pursuit, at least for now.
The sooner we find Rebecca and get the hell out of here the better.
….
After hours of searching I plop down on the memorial, frustration tearing my hands through my hair. Dog settles down at my feet, resting his head on his paws. I envy his ignorance. I’ve combed every inch of this village and the fear that she’s no longer here worries at my gut. I chew at the inside of my cheek as I think where she could be hiding. She’s survived this long without him noticing her disloyalty. The memory of her face, the fear she only revealed to me, springs to the forefront of my mind. Footsteps click against the cobbles and I lift my head to see Natalie walking towards me. I give her a hopeful look and she shakes her head.
“Where the hell is she?” I growl, straightening my back against the discomfort of my corset. I think of my jeans, the comfort of a baggy t-shirt and huff into a slump. “She has to be here somewhere.”
“What if…” Natalie begins.
“No, I refuse to believe she’s gone.” I stand, resting my hands against my back as I scan the streets. Its picture perfect. Quaint stone houses, beautifully maintained gardens, smiling faces of mothers as their children play. Each and every one of them brainwashed into believing whatever Jared tells them. Believing that it’s right. That it’s safe.
“Do you think the guys are okay?” Natalie asks, her question heavy with worry.
I nod, twisting to look at her over my shoulder. “For now, yes. He wants to make certain that we’re under his spell before he gets rid of them. If he kills them now we’ll rebel and that’s the last thing he wants. Drew wasn’t joking about wife number eight.” I retake my seat on the memorial. “He’ll make sure we’re compliant first and then more than likely the guys will die in a ‘tragic accident’. We’re then left distraught, in need of comfort and guidance and bam, he’s got us.”
“Sick fuck” she snarls.
I murmur my agreement. “We need to find Rebecca and get the hell out of here.”
Lunch rolls around and once again I am forced into his presence. The only upside is the guys, sitting rigid at the table when we enter. My chest swells with relief at the sight of them, my hand discreetly brushing against Sam’s as I make my way to my seat beside Jared. His many wives hover around the table and I scan for Rebecca only to find her missing. When I look across the table I see Natalie doing the same, face falling when she doesn’t find her.
“I trust you’ve had a pleasant day.” Jared pours wine into my glass, arm brushing against mine. It takes all my strength not to pull away.
“Eden is definitely something” I leave my wine untouched, folding a napkin in my lap to avoid looking at him. “Where’s Rebecca
?”
His fork hovers between his plate and mouth, eyes constricting briefly. “Why do you ask?”
Masking a lie beneath a smile I shrug gently. “She offered to show me around but I haven’t seen her at all today.” I hold his gaze, unflinching beneath his intense blue eyes. Whatever he sees there placates him and he resumes eating, shoving a piece of pork dripping with apple sauce into his mouth.
“She is responsible for laundering the clothing. I believe she will be down by the river bank… with my guards.” He chews quietly, watching for a reaction to his thinly veiled threat. I nod, returning to my meal as if I’m satisfied with his answer. We eat in silence for a while but all the time my mind is whirring with possibility. She’s still alive which means we still have a way out.
I just hope she’s not too afraid to help us.
After lunch, we are released. The guys watch us go with reluctant faces, Jared holding them there under the ruse of more chores. With swift steps we walk the perimeter, eyes and ears open as we search for the river. The sound of rushing water grows louder and I exchange an excited glance with Natalie, my speed increasing the louder it gets.
A small stone bridge connects one side of the bank to the other, water cascading beneath, lapping at the rocks of the shore. My boots click against the stone as I cross, lifting Rebecca’s head from where she scrubs at a shirt. She is blessed alone, the inferred guards nowhere in sight. Her eyes widen when she spots us, face draining of all colour until she’s deathly pale. The grass is damp, squelching beneath me as I close the distance, Natalie stomping beside me.
“Rebecca” I call softly. She has returned to the shirt in her now trembling hands, eyes flicking back and forth as if she is afraid. “Rebecca, I need to talk to you.”
“You shouldn’t be here. He’ll get mad.” I crouch beside her, resting my hand on hers until they still their scrubbing. She inhales deeply, holding it in.
“Rebecca, I know you’re scared of him. I saw it last night and I see it now but we need your help.” Sighing she sets down the shirt and scrubbing brush, finally lifting her head to reveal tears on her lashes.
“I can’t help you.” Her voice is barely above a whisper but I see the same desperation in her gaze, the quiver of her lip.
“You can. We need to leave, and you have to help us do it. We can leave together.” I don’t realise that’s my intention until I say it. She’s just a girl, alone and terrified of a man that uses scripture to justify his actions. Looking at her now I know I can’t leave her behind to suffer anymore at the hands of that monster.
“My mother and father tried to leave. We have lived in this village my whole life and one day this man arrives, promising to keep us safe from the monsters beyond the barricade. They believed him. We all did. Then he changed, became evil and cruel, punishing anyone who dared to disagree with him. My father…” she swallows a sob, chest heaving with the effort. “My father told him he wanted to leave, for him to open the gate and let us go. He burned them both, in the village square but he didn’t burn me. I wish he had.” A huge tear finally slips from her lashes, splashing against my hand. I pull her towards me, enfolding her in a hug as she trembles, sobbing against my shoulder. Grief makes my stomach ache as I look up at Natalie. Compassion swims in her eyes and she drops to her knees beside us.
“Rebecca, we will get you out of here but you have to help us.” Natalie rubs her back in soothing circles. “We can all leave together and then he can never hurt you again.”
She sniffs, wiping her nose on the back of her hand. Indecision wars behind her baby blues as they shift between our faces. I know the battle she fights, wanting to put her trust in us but not daring to hope that we might be her salvation. I have fought the same battle. Taking her hand, I enfold it mine.
“Please help us.” I plead. Slowly her head tilts into a nod, shoulders slumping with the weight of her decision. I lean forward, hugging her tightly once more. “Thank you.” I whisper.
At dinner I avoid the wine, complaining of a headache. Jared is so focused on me he doesn’t notice the others also leaving theirs untouched. Rebecca stands at the back of the room, purposely avoiding looking at us. Turns out I was right; the glasses are spiked with valerian root. Mixed with alcohol it rendered us all unconscious, preventing us from slipping away during the night.
I indulge him, answering his questions with false truths and maintaining a steady stream of conversation all through dinner. I’ve never talked so much in my life but if it creates the illusion that I’m becoming content I can talk a little longer. When the plates are cleared Jared dismisses his wives, turning to my friends with a pitying smile.
“You all look exhausted. Please, feel free to retire to your rooms.” Chairs scrape against the polished wood floor, mine included. Fingers grab my wrist and my heart sinks as he gives it a gentle tug. “Louisa, please indulge me a little longer. I find myself somewhat enamoured by your charming company.” Lowering myself back into my seat I watch the others go, Rebecca shooting me a worried glance as she files out behind them.
Alone with this man is the last place I want to be. Taking my hand in his he leads from the dining room to a small study bedecked in savage tones of deep crimson, the religious images not missing here either. He gestures for me to sit in a wing backed armchair before a roaring fire. It’s sweltering, the confines of my dress causing sweat to trickle down my spine as I sit. Jared heads for a liquor cabinet, pulling out a bottle of red wine and filling two fresh glasses to the brim. I smile stiffly when he returns, handing me a glass as he takes the chair beside mine. Unsure what to do with myself I lift my glass to my lips, surveying him over the rim. Blue eyes watch my every movement, studying me. I feel like I’ve been placed under a magnifying glass, a bug he can squash beneath his boots if the mood takes him. Now, more than ever, I need to maintain the façade that I’ve built and pray that I make it out of this room alive.
“Louisa, you are enchanting. You remind of the Song of Solomon; You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.” He sips his wine and I smile though inwardly I’m cringing. Assuming I’m supposed to be impressed I set down my glass on the side table between us.
“That’s beautiful.”
“Are you a godly woman Louisa?” he asks, setting down his own glass and resting his forearms against the table. Once again, I feel as though he is reading my mind and I battle against the squirm of discomfort.
“Not especially. My grandmother was though.” I fiddle with the stem of my glass. “She would read to me from the Bible was I when younger.”
“I would have liked to have known her.” A little early for meeting the family. “Do you have a favourite? A verse perhaps?” He leans in, reaching for my hand and trapping it between his palm and the table.
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” I meet his gaze. “John 15:13.” I really had to dig into the depths of my mind for that one but it felt the most appropriate for the situation. I know I shouldn’t push him, that our lives are dangling by a fine thread as it is. A thread that he can cut any time he pleases but he appears unaffected as he strokes my hand gently. I may be able to mask my disgust but the revulsion slowly prickling along my skin cannot lie. I slip my hand free from his grip, lifting it to my mouth to stifle a yawn.
“If you don’t mind I would like to go to my room now. I’m very tired.” He stands as I do, capturing my hand once more to place a kiss against my knuckles.
“You enchant me my love” he whispers against my knuckles, his warm breath prompting bile to climb up my throat. Slipping my hand free I offer him a departing smile and walk calmly from the room, desperate though I am to run, and slip out the door.
Fifteen
- Power and Courage -
Once out in the open air I press my back to the rough stone of the building, sucking in the chilled air until my head is clear and my heart has slowed to an even pace. Why is it always the narcissistic douche
bags that find me so damn attractive? Why, for once, can I not have a nice normal guy take an interest?
“You’re okay” Sam sighs, stepping from the shadow of the building and sending me into cardiac arrest. Clutching my chest, I grab his hand, pulling him away from the house and into the shadows of the tall trees that line the gardens.
“What are you doing here? We have to keep him on side until we figure a way out remember?” He pushes me against a tree, my back pressing into the rough bark and my heart thrashes rapidly in chest, nothing to do with fear and everything to do with his proximity.
“Fuck him.” Sam tucks a stray lock of hair behind me ear, brushing his fingers gently down my cheek. “I needed to know you were okay.”
I sigh, leaning into his palm. “I’m fine. Believe me, it would take a lot more than him to scare me now.” We share a smile, knowing that that’s not true. I’m the biggest coward I know and if I weren’t so intent on staying alive I would have crumbled days ago. “So, you came to check on me? That’s awfully sweet of you.” I smile, wondering where this flirtatious woman came from. Sam grins, placing a gentle kiss against my lips, my toes curling in my boots as a thrill constricts my abdomen.
He grins against my mouth and straightens to look down into my face. “Believe it or not, you’ve grown on me.” I push my palms against his chest, feel the muscles beneath and my lips curve into a playful smile.
“Is that right?” I try to look offended but the smile is glued to my face.
“Mmm.” His mouth lowers to mine once more, lips insistent with uncontrolled passion, igniting a fever from the tips of my toes. I close my eyes and lift my arms, hooking them around his neck as the kiss deepens, his hands gripping my waist until it’s almost painful. Almost.
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