Biding His Thyme: 4

by Shelley Munro

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “I’ve volunteered to help you here, but I don’t know the first thing about herbs. If anyone asks me questions I’ll blow my cover for sure.”

  She laughed then, and this time she managed to hold his gaze, although it was so very difficult to look at a man in such a direct manner. The brothers took this as an affront and a challenge. It attracted attention. Better to keep her head down.

  “Ask me all the questions you want. It will be pleasant to have someone to talk to.”

  “Why does everyone avoid you? Why do they let Brother Rick treat you like a slave?”

  “They’re frightened,” Sorrel said. “A few months ago someone tried to stick up for me, and he disappeared one night. No one has seen him since. Brother Rick announced that Brother John caught him stealing supplies. They turned him out, shunning him. No one has seen him since.”

  “You think Brother Rick had him killed?” Jake’s alert eyes narrowed, the focus on her so powerful her gaze automatically shot to her feet, her belly lurching with anxiety. “Look at me, damn it. I’m not going to strike you. I’ve never hit a woman in my life.”

  Sorrel swallowed. “The man they said they turned away was a gentle soul. He wasn’t the type to steal. He was pure and always had a good word for everyone. There’s always a first time.”

  “First time for what?”

  “To hit a woman.” Again she couldn’t maintain eye contact.

  His hand shot out, and she flinched, half expecting a blow. Instead, he gripped her chin and lifted her face. She stared, swallowing while a host of butterflies stampeded inside her stomach, charging around like a herd of crazed cattle.

  “I’m here to help. No one will hurt you while I’m here, but you’ll have to help me in return. I need to know the ins and outs. What the hell did Brother Rick’s announcement mean? I get it’s some sort of celebration, but other than that I’m clueless. Fill me in on the details. Help me understand the inner workings of the place so I can decide how to attack this mission.”

  Her shocked mind fastened on his last word. “Mission?”

  His lips kicked up into a crooked grin. It echoed in his eyes and turned his expression into one of boyish charm. It made her wonder how he’d look without the beard. “See,” he said. “I’ve slipped into soldier talk already. I need you to help me so I don’t make any other mistakes.”

  “You’re a soldier?”

  “Yes.”

  “I won’t tell anyone,” she promised.

  “Good. Now we’d better get working on these things you need to make. What’s next?”

  Her mind full of hope, she started him on peeling fruit to make the face masks. She chopped and measured and dreamed of freedom.

  “This celebration,” he reminded her. “What’s it about?”

  The fear came back again and she concentrated on measuring one scant cup of Fuller’s earth. She leveled it precisely, even as heat crawled up her neck and into her face. From experience she knew the patches of color would be ugly and startling against her blotchy skin.

  “Sorrel?” His voice held curiosity, a silent demand for answers.

  “The purpose of Children of Nature has always been to encourage the growth of children in a natural environment. We’re against birth control, which means there are a lot of children.” Somehow, the heat in her face intensified. She measured another cup of Fuller’s earth and tapped it into her mixing bowl.

  “And?” he prompted, his stillness unnerving.

  “Brother Rick wants Children of Nature to prosper. He arranges gatherings where couples—people—come together for the purpose of procreation.” She chose her words with care and managed to get them out before she choked on them.

  She shot him a swift glance, noted the furrow between his eyebrows and his eyes. Those eyes would feature in her dreams tonight. They were a deep, dark brown and intense. When he looked at her it felt as if he saw every secret she kept close. His gaze stripped her of pretense yet made her feel safe too—secure in a way she hadn’t felt for months. The inky-black lashes surrounding his eyes were lush, the kind women desired but were often bestowed on the male of the species. A tremor shook her, a spear of heat darted through her lower belly. She swallowed, alarmed by the unusual sensation.

  “Let me get this straight. Brother Rick arranges gatherings to encourage sex between the adult members of the cult.”

  “We’re not a cult,” she said automatically.

  “Brother Rick is organizing an evening of sex complete with drugs and alcohol to lower the inhibitions of those who are less welcoming of the idea. He’s organizing an orgy.”

  Sorrel pressed her lips together, gave one swift nod.

  “And everyone over the age of twenty-five is expected to participate.”

  Another nod.

  “Jesus,” he ground out. “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-four. I turn twenty-five this year.”

  “Jesus,” he said again. “They can’t even get him on underage sex. Has it always been like this?”

  “No. Brother Samuel died without warning, but it was well known he was grooming Brother Rick as his successor. No one disagreed when Brother Rick took over running of Children of Nature.”

  He blew out a sigh. “Okay, what do you want me to do next?”

  She gave him instructions, and they worked together as if they’d always shared the workspace. He didn’t seem to mind her telling him what to do, and she enjoyed having someone else around.

  “How did you develop your products?” he asked without warning.

  The color in her face had settled, but his words had the heat building to dangerous levels again. “My mother used to run the workshop and taught me everything she knew. I experiment and make my own variations. I guess a lot of it is instinct.”

  He glanced at the closed door and, reassured they were still alone, leaned closer. “The product Alice was talking about. How do you know it works?”

  “I tested it,” she snapped, irked with him now. She glanced at him and caught the faint quirk of his lips, the unholy gleam of laughter in his eyes. “If I told anyone else about my product I’d lose any hope I have of freedom. If Brother Rick hears about this I won’t stand a chance of leaving.”

  “We’d better make sure he doesn’t hear then.” He paused. “You can use me as a test subject.”

  “What?” Her gaze flew to his, consternation battering her over the head, tugging the tips of her breasts and pooling in a flood of heat between her legs. The sensation came close to the one she experienced while testing her cream.

  “I’ll look after you, Sorrel. I’ll make sure no one stops you from leaving. Even if your product doesn’t work, I’ll help you.”

  “It works.” Sorrel gripped the wooden spoon in her hands so hard the healthy color fled from her knuckles. The compassion in him, the truth shimmering behind his words brought buried emotions to the fore. She wasn’t used to people offering help and support. “You don’t know me,” she whispered, and at the reminder, fear slithered through her mind again, stealthy and slinking through the shadows.

  He reached over and squeezed her forearm. “I know you.”

  Sorrel forced a smile, a nod. Somehow, she didn’t think leaving would be as easy as she wished, as easy as Jake made it sound. Brother Rick was clever and cunning. His dislike of her was no secret to the others, and they took their signals from him. No, now that she’d set her plan into action she needed to take extra care. The only person she could count on was herself.

  Chapter Three

  A fuckin’ orgy. Man, he hadn’t seen that one coming. Wasn’t sure how to handle it. He was over twenty-five and sure as hell didn’t want to get anyone pregnant.

  “These gatherings. What does Brother Rick do to the people who refuse to attend?”

  She shot him a quick look with those big blue eyes. The woman wasn’t much to look at with her short, dumpy stature. The robe hid a multitude of sins but could
n’t hide the small breasts that went with her rounded stomach. Her hair was mouse brown and hung down her back in a thick braid. Her features weren’t plain but she suffered from acne or some sort of unfortunate rash. Most of the compound inhabitants didn’t look at her when they spoke to her. Not that it would have helped because her timid disposition and the way she focused on her feet instead of her surroundings made her even rounder and more unattractive.

  “No one refuses.”

  He tried again, searching for an out. “Surely not everyone agrees or wants to have sex.”

  “The first gathering was very successful, by all accounts. Many of the women are with child.”

  “I see.” Fuck no! He didn’t see at all. Drugs and alcohol added to the recipe weren’t such a far stretch from date rape. There were a few days until the gathering. Maybe he could wrap up this case before then. “Do you want these loaded on the cart too?”

  “No, these ones need refrigeration until the morning. I’m not tired yet. I’ll have time to make a batch of soap as well. Why don’t you go to your quarters and get some sleep?”

  “What time are you making the delivery?”

  “Early,” she said. “Maybe the women who work in the store will help me carry the extra stock that won’t fit in the handcart.” Her words didn’t carry much conviction.

  “Don’t you have a vehicle to transport your products?”

  “Brother Rick uses the vehicle.” The lack of inflection told him this was a sore point.

  The way he saw it Children of Nature was a cult, pure and simple. Brother Rick was a despot ruler treating his subjects as he saw fit. The more Jake learned, the more he disliked the man. Damn it. Sorrel might be the one everyone bullied, but if she left Brother Rick would pick on someone else. That was the nature of the beast.

  “You have two handcarts. Why don’t I load that one and go with you?”

  Her blue eyes widened. “You don’t have to do that. Brother Rick will—”

  He cut in with a curse. “I don’t give a flying fuck about Brother Rick. He’s not going to be here. He left an hour ago with his buddies.” Jake had heard the vehicle depart while he was loading the handcart. “If he has problems, he can come to me. Besides, I need to make contact with Luke.”

  “What about your limp?”

  “It’s not too bad. I’ll survive.”

  “Oh.” She licked her bottom lip, a slow stroke of her pink tongue.

  He stared, captivated by the sight. Hell. He shook himself. He should have had a woman before he entered the cult. Things were bad when even plain Sorrel Thyme made him hot.

  “All right,” she whispered.

  Jake pulled out the second handcart and loaded more stock. One of the carts was almost full. He entered the workshop again, pausing to savor the scent of the flowers she was crumbling into the pot she’d placed over the burner. The lavender reminded him of hugs from his granny when he’d been a child. “Are you sure you don’t want me to do anything else for you?”

  She jumped and dropped her spoon into her pot. She made a sound of disgust and shot a belligerent scowl over her shoulder. “Will you please stomp your feet when you enter my workshop. The way you prowl everywhere makes me nervous.”

  A grin formed before he even thought about it. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Sorrel.”

  His grin widened. “Yes, Sorrel.”

  “Go,” she ordered. “I leave at seven-thirty. Make sure you break your fast first.”

  Still smiling, Jake left Sorrel to her witchy potions. Once he reached the open space of the compound, he emphasized his limp. Easy, now. Harmless and incapacitated.

  Now that darkness had set, most people retreated indoors. Masculine laughter drifted from the male quarters, but he didn’t meander in that direction. He wanted to check out security during Brother Rick’s absence.

  Two men on the gates. They were both older, and one was sound asleep, on the verge of snoring. The second peered into the darkness, a fraction more alert.

  Jake added weight to his steps, spied a stick and stamped on it. The sharp crack jerked the snoring man awake.

  “Hello there,” Jake said. “I’m out for a walk before I turn in.” He allowed a heavy sigh to escape. “I’m afraid I’ve overdone it today. Do you mind if I sit a while to catch my breath?”

  “You’re the new guy,” one of them said. “Where are you from again?”

  Jake went through his tale about the ashram. They’d have difficulty checking his story since the ashram Luke had selected didn’t approve of phones or other methods of modern communication. When someone entered the ashram they were cut off from public contact. Part of the treatment, according to the literature Luke located from somewhere.

  “What happened to your leg?”

  “Accident,” Jake said. “Tangled with a motor vehicle while crossing the road. The doctors say it will improve but I’ll always have a limp.” Also the truth—the part about the doctors and the severity of his injury, anyway. The thought brought a wave of depression. Deep down he knew he’d never make it back to active service. Soldiering was all he knew. He didn’t know what he’d do with his future, and the loss of purpose ate at him.

  “That’s too bad,” the security man said. “Still fresh air and good food will put you right.”

  Jake nodded. The food was good. He’d soon put on the weight he’d dropped after his injury and subsequent hospitalization. Hopefully he could work on his fitness too. The doctors had instructed him to walk as much as possible. There wasn’t any other option here.

  “Why the security? I wouldn’t have thought your compound would require tight security.” Jake scanned the gates and the fences as far as he could see through the gloom, assessing the compound security.

  “New measures,” one of the men said. “We have valuable stores of food plus stock and equipment here. Times are tough and some people might look on us as a soft touch.”

  “That’s true,” Jake said. “I hear it’s not uncommon for companies to close down and put everyone out of work.”

  The more alert of the two men gave a decisive nod. “That’s what Brother Rick told us.”

  “It helps that those men who volunteer to undertake security duties are in the first group to choose women at the gatherings,” the other man said.

  They both chuckled, the sound rife with sexual hunger. Jake’s hands balled to fists, luckily hidden in the folds of his robe. These two old coots should know better. The gathering was an orgy. Jake wouldn’t have minded if the coupling was between consenting adults, but Brother Rick was making attendance compulsory. Add in the so-called bliss cakes plus booze and attendees had little to no control of their actions.

  “Sounds interesting. I’m looking forward to my first gathering.” Somehow Jake managed to get the words out without choking. “Well, I think my legs might make it to the men’s quarters now. How long are you on duty?”

  “Another couple of hours. It’s not so bad.”

  Jake raised a hand in farewell and limped away. He’d only been here part of a day and already he wanted to kick some of these men. He hoped he’d discover proof for Luke soon because he wanted to see some of these bozos behind locked bars.

  * * * * *

  The next morning Jake helped Sorrel with the handcarts, pushing the largest one down the rutted track. Used to lugging a heavy pack for hours on end through difficult terrain he shouldn’t have experienced difficulty. To his chagrin, by the time they reached the town sweat dripped off him. The little lady glowed, her face covered with red splotches, but she’d kept up without difficulty.

  “I’ll help you unload.” His tone was brisk, despite his exhaustion. Nightmares of Greg’s death had replayed in his mind through the early hours of the morning. Over and over, and no matter what he’d tried, the end result had been the same. He didn’t have enough hands to halt the spurt of blood from his friend’s wounds.

  “Why don’t you wander through the town and explore?” she sai
d in an undertone. “No one will think anything of it. They know you’re thinking about joining Children of Nature. It makes sense you’d explore the town and speak with the locals.”

  “I’ll help you unload,” he repeated.

  “The women at the shop will help me.”

  “How long will it take you?”

  “About an hour,” she said.

  He gave her a clipped nod and limped away. He turned toward the river and prayed he’d bump into Luke.

  His aimless amble took him past a flower shop, a women’s wear shop and a cafe. He spotted Luke sitting at one of the outside tables with his father Richard. They had a coffee in front of them and both wore their cop uniforms. Hell, the contact part had always been the iffy part of the plan. He could hardly wander over to chat with them.

  He continued with his slow, limping progress along the road, turning down the path that ran along the riverbank. When he came to a bench, he took a seat, stretching his legs out and closing his eyes.

  How the hell had he found himself in this mess? It was gonna look bloody odd if he didn’t take part in the gathering.

  “Mind if I share this bench with you?”

  Jake’s eyes popped open, chagrined because he hadn’t even heard the woman walk up to him. “Free world,” he barked.

  Her violet eyes twinkled in her pretty face while her blonde hair bounced in a flirty ponytail. “My, my, that’s not very cult like.” Her lips curled upward while she took in his appearance, her teasing voice making his eyes narrow.

  “Who are you?”

  “Janaya.” She glanced around the vicinity, and when she confirmed they were alone, she spoke more rapidly. “I’m Luke’s wife. He thought it would be better if you met with women rather than men. He recruited me and my aunt Hinekiri to meet with you when he felt he couldn’t. Hinekiri is married to Luke’s father, Richard. Do you have anything for Luke?”