The plan was the best they could come up with under the circumstances, the one least likely to get anyone killed on either side. If the Iceman had to, however, he would metamorphose into Superman and take a hundred bullets, because nothing and no one would stop him from rescuing Dani.
After reviewing the upcoming night a third time, it was time for a pep talk. “Andre’s bewitched the dogs, so you don’t have to worry about Doberman teeth sinking into your ass.” Logan looked at Decourdeau and shuddered. “You’re a scary man, but I can live with that as long as you don’t ever turn your voodoo shit my way.”
“No problem, mon ami, long as you don’t go and piss me off.”
As Logan had intended, the men laughed quietly. “And you, Romeo, no flirting with the ladies.”
Buchanan grinned. “That I can’t promise, even if they are wearing more clothes than a nun at Sunday services.”
More low chuckles. Logan put his arm around Barbie’s shoulders and kissed her cheek. “And you, doll baby, when we get Dani out, throw her in the van and don’t look back. Turner,” he said, “your only job is to sit outside the gate, engine running. When our girls scramble inside, you don’t stop until you get to Asheville. Anyone suspicious comes near you, you shoot to kill. Got that?”
Turner nodded.
“Anything else?” When they all remained silent, he spoke the first words of the SEAL pledge.
“To find us—”
“You must be good,” the rest chimed in.
“To catch us,
“You must be quick . . .
“To defeat us,
“You must be . . .
“JOKING!”
Curled fists piled one on top of the other. “God be with us,” he said.
“God be with us,” the others echoed.
Dani looked for a lock on the bathroom door, but there wasn’t one. The room was small, the shower, sink, and toilet crowded so close, she could barely turn around. She turned the shower on, hoping that Eli thought she was doing as told. There was no way on God’s earth she was taking her clothes off if she couldn’t lock herself in. Who in their right mind would get all smelly-good for BS, anyway?
She stared at the white dress hanging on the back of the door. It seemed ominous, like if she put it on, bad things would start happening. Did Eli really think she would willingly marry him? If so, he was as cracked as BS.
They’d taken her purse and cell phone, so there wasn’t any way to contact Logan. The only window in the cabin was barred, giving her no means of escape unless she could barrel past Eli, the two men standing guard outside, and who knew how many others. The odds of success were probably on level with winning the lottery.
She turned on the sink faucet and splashed cool water on her face. Think, Dani. You have to think your way out of this. Buy time, stay calm.
The first place Logan would look for her would be the cult’s compound. Until he arrived, she would somehow have to manage on her own. She turned the faucet and shower off and left the dress hanging on the door. Eli stood at the window, staring out. He turned, his gaze sliding over her.
“You have to get ready, Danielle.”
“What did he mean by ‘wedding dress’?”
“Papa Herbert will explain everything at dinner. Please, you don’t want to anger him; you have to wear the dress.”
Dani sensed he spoke from experience, but she didn’t feel particularly obedient at the moment. “I’ll take my chances.”
Fear flashed in his eyes. “He’ll blame me.”
Why Eli didn’t scare her the way BS did, she wasn’t sure. He seemed more like an oversized boy eager to please the adults in his life. And he looked like Evan. Her husband might have been lethal in battle, but where she was concerned, there hadn’t been a mean bone in his body. It was impossible to look at his twin and believe he was evil. Misguided and ill used, yes. A bad man, no.
“Eli, you can’t just go and steal someone out of their life. Please, take me home.”
“Don’t you want to be with me and Evan? I thought you would be happy here with us.”
The door opened and Smirk Face entered, saving her from having to respond. He handed Eli a brown bag and a bottle of water.
“Blessed Son said seven sharp.” He walked out whistling the wedding march.
Dani didn’t much like the sound of that, and how they could call the man Blessed Son and keep a straight face was beyond her.
Eli thrust the bag and water into her hand. “I thought you might be hungry since you missed lunch.”
She looked in the bag. She was hungry, but it was entirely possible they’d drugged the sandwich. “Thanks, but I’m not, actually.” It would be best not to eat anything they gave her. She could last until Logan came. Holding the bottle up to see it was unopened, she twisted the cap off and drank.
“I’m going to leave you alone so you’ll have privacy to dress.”
Suddenly she didn’t want him to leave. What if one or both of the guards decided to have a little fun with her? “No, please stay.”
This seemed to please him and he sat down in the chair. “I’ll wait here. You can change in the bathroom.”
They were going to have to hold her down and put that dress on her if they were that determined she wear it. “I have a better idea,” she said, and sat on the edge of the bed. “Suppose I tell you about Evan?”
He glanced away, his desire to learn about his brother obviously at war with his orders from BS. Dani remained quiet, letting him battle it out. Evan would win out, she was certain. If she played this right, maybe, just maybe, she could turn Eli against BS.
His gaze finally settled back on her. “Did he look like me?”
Victorious, she grinned. “Exactly like you, with only one exception. He had hair.”
He swept a hand over his head. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Between deployments, he kept it short, but when it neared time to ship out, he let it grow.” Within ten minutes, he had moved to the edge of the chair and seemed to be hanging on to her every word as she told him stories of his brother. All she could think was, poor Eli, and how sad Evan never knew about him. Sad for Eli, too, because Evan would have moved heaven and earth to save his twin if he’d only known.
“He was your brother, Eli, your twin, and in his dreams he knew you, loved you. He loved me, too, and it would hurt him to know someone meant me harm and that you were a part of it. Please believe that, because I would never lie to you. He would only ask one thing of you,” she said when she noticed the sun setting, a reminder it was almost time to enter the viper’s nest.
“What would he ask?” They were the first words Eli had uttered since she’d started talking.
“That you protect me. He would want you to keep me safe. You’re not my husband, Eli, nor will you be. But you are Evan’s twin and his family. I do love you, but it’s the love one would have for a brother.”
“But he’s me, so how can you say you can’t love me like you loved him?”
It was like talking to a child and trying to answer his endless whys. Even the expression on his face was that of a boy trying to understand the world around him. Instinctively, she tempered her words to ones a child would understand.
“Whoever told you that lied.” Damn you, BS. “You’re you. You can’t be Evan, because you’re Eli. Somewhere in this vast world is a woman meant only for you. It isn’t me. Love me like a sister and you’ll always be a part of my life. Try to force me into something I don’t want and I’ll hate you for it.”
“I don’t want you to hate me,” he said, his voice plaintive.
This whole situation was bizarre, surreal. Kneeling in front of him, Dani curled her fingers over his hands. “I could never hate Evan’s brother, my brother. Please, you have to stop this insanity.”
The door banged open. “Ain’t this
a cozy scene?”
Dani glanced over Eli’s shoulder to see Mean Eyes staring at them, his lips curved in a leer. Letting go of Eli, she backed up until she hit the wall. Had her words gotten through? Would he stand between her and danger?
“Don’t look to me like she’s ready for him,” Mean Eyes said. “What’s going on here, boy?”
“She’s turning out to be a stubborn one,” Eli said, his back to the guard. He winked at her before he turned. “I’m having doubts she’s gonna be an obedient wife.”
“You still think he brought her here for you?” The man laughed, the ugly sound of it filling the small room. “You’re stupider than I thought, Eli.”
Dani’s still-unsettled stomach roiled at the implication of Mean Eyes’s words. Pressing her back against the wall, she slid down it and pressed her face against her knees. BS meant to marry her? Bile rose in her throat at the thought of those lily-white hands touching her again.
“Get out,” Eli said.
She lifted her head, hope blossoming that Eli understood what Mean Eyes implied and not liking it. He towered over the other man by at least a head. If it came to a fight, Dani had no choice but to put her money on her new brother. At least, she prayed he was starting to look on her as a sister he had to protect.
Mean Eyes slid cold eyes her way. “It’s almost time. Get the woman ready.”
“Get the hell out,” Eli said, taking a step toward Mean Eyes.
“Blessed Son’s not gonna like your language.”
Eli narrowed the distance. “And I’m sure you’ll tell him, so I’ll say it again slowly just so you don’t get it wrong. Get. The. Hell. Out.”
Dani bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep from cheering. Mean Eyes slammed the door behind him. She looked at Eli and hoped he saw her gratitude. “Thank you.”
He stared back at her for a long moment, and then one corner of his lips twitched. “I’m beginning to think you’re too much trouble to marry.”
She could live with that, for sure. “There was more than once when Evan would have agreed with you.” Raising her hand, she tugged on her hair. “It’s the Irish in me. He said my red hair should have been a warning.”
“When I listen to you talk about my brother, it hurts that I’ll never know him. Are you going to put on that dress, Irish?”
“No.”
“Then fair warning, Papa Herbert’s not going to be happy. I’ll try to direct his anger at me.”
That was unfortunate, but there was no way she was putting on the dress. She ran a hand over her jeans, glad she’d worn them today instead of shorts. “I think all this was his idea, am I right?”
He walked to the window and looked out, keeping his back to her as he began to talk. “I know I’m not Evan, but Papa Herbert said we were one and the same. I wanted to believe him. If Evan was in me, then maybe I could be good because he was. I can’t explain it, but Papa Herbert can make you believe anything he wants. He said because Evan was a part of me now, that you were our wife, and when I brought you back, we would have a ceremony to make it legal.”
He turned and faced her. “Thing is, the longer I was in Asheville and away from him, the more confused I got. Was I really Evan? Were you my wife? Now you’re telling me it’s all a lie, and I think maybe you’re right. Papa Herbert tricked me, didn’t he? He really wants you for himself.”
From what she’d read of cult leaders, they were masters of mind control and deception, fear and intimidation their weapons. Considering how many years Eli had spent under the influence of BS, Dani thought it amazing he could still think for himself. Whether he realized it or not, he had a strong will and a mind apart from Herbert Ballard. He was more like Evan than he realized.
“Eli, you remind me so much of Evan my heart aches from missing him, but you’re not him. Yes, you’ve been tricked, but I don’t understand the motive. What does BS want from me?” There had to be more to this than just BS deciding he wanted a woman he’d never met.
“Who?”
“Papa Herbert.” Damned if she would call him Blessed Son.
An uncomfortable expression crossed his face. “It’s in the Bible. Wives, be subject to your own husbands, for the husband is the head of the wife. Papa Herbert says that means your worldly possessions will belong to me when we marry, but I guess he really meant they would belong to him.”
Whoa. Would that include her trust fund? “Is it my money you want?”
He gave a vigorous shake of his head. “Not me. All I wanted was you, Irish.”
“So Papa Herbert wants my money? How does he even know how much I have?”
“He knows everything. He says God tells him, but he spends a lot of time on his computer, so maybe that’s how he learns things. I don’t know anything anymore.”
He walked past her. At the door, he turned. “I’ve said more than I should have. I’ll be back in an hour. It really would be best if you put that dress on.”
Alone, Dani sank onto the bed. So, the greedy bastard wanted her money. Did BS think she would just agreeably sign over everything she owned to him? What an idiot. A scary one, but still an idiot.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Dani jerked awake and sat up, confused. Where was she? Eli stood just inside the door contemplating her as if she were some kind of puzzle he didn’t know how to solve. Right, it all came back. She was in hell. She scrambled off the bed. How in the world she had managed to fall asleep was beyond her.
“Eli?” she asked when he continued to stare at her, making her uneasy.
“We have to go.”
Dani’s feet grew roots into the floor and refused to move. She shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Do you trust me, Irish?”
Whether it was because he no longer called her Danielle, or the boyishly hopeful look in his eyes, she nodded.
“Then you have to come with me now. We don’t have long before they start looking for us.”
Relief poured through her, so profound she swayed and grabbed hold of the chair. “Do you mean it?”
He nodded and that was all it took for her feet to let go of the floor and rush to his side. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her out of the cabin and around the back.
Mean Eyes and Smirk Face were nowhere in sight. “Where are the guards?”
“Dinner. I told them I was taking you to Papa Herbert and they’d been released to go eat. If we can make it across this field without being seen, then I think we’ll be home free. Until they miss us anyway.”
“Just tell me what to do.” She eyed the stand of trees they seemed to be heading for. They looked to be a hundred miles away.
“Well, our chances of not being seen might be better if we crawled, but that would take forever, and they’ll know we’re gone long before we reach the woods. It’s dinnertime, so everyone will be in the common room except for Papa Herbert. How fast can you run, Irish?”
She squeezed his hand. “Just try and keep up, brother mine.”
When she started to take off, he pulled her back. “Will you still be my sister when all this is over?”
More than anything, she wanted to put distance between her and BS, but sensed Eli needed reassurance he was doing the right thing. She met his gaze. “Yes, Eli, it’s what your brother would have asked of me if he’d known about you. Even so, aside from Evan, it’s what I want. Now, let’s haul ass.”
“If I’d ever said ‘ass,’ I would’ve had my mouth washed out with soap and then been sent to the detention cabin.” He grinned down at her. “All right, Irish, let’s haul ass.”
Every second of the five minutes or so it took them to reach the woods, Dani expected to hear a warning shout, or worse, the sound of a gun firing. When they scrambled behind the first tree, she bent over and gasped for breath. Eli hadn’t once let go of her hand, pulling her along, helping her to keep up with him.
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“Thanks,” she wheezed.
“We’re not safe yet. Maybe you should save that thanks until we get you home, or at least get you back to your soldier.”
Well, that was irritating. He wasn’t even breathing hard. “My soldier?” she gasped. “Do you mean Logan?” To be safely home with Logan and Regan seemed almost too good to be true.
He pulled her deeper into the trees. “Yeah, him. Do you love him?”
“Yes, I do. You should also know Evan loved him. He was your brother’s closest friend.”
“Do you think he’ll like me, too?”
The man was such a child at times. “He’ll like you if I ask him to.”
That seemed to satisfy him. He picked up the pace, and she jogged along beside him. Did he have a plan, or was he just winging it? She didn’t want to slow them down by talking, so she kept her questions to herself for now. All that mattered was getting out of this place.
The woods grew thicker, tall weeds and bushes slapping at her legs. For whatever reason, she’d decided to wear jeans and tennis shoes that morning, and she could only be thankful. Eli slowed and put a hand on her arm, stopping her.
“My dogs are just ahead. Don’t be afraid, they won’t hurt you as long as you’re with me.”
Huh? “What kind of dogs?”
“Dobermans. They’re guard dogs, but they belong to me and they’ll obey me. If I’d left them behind, all Papa Herbert would’ve had to do was let them go and they would’ve led everyone right to us.”
“That wouldn’t be good.” She peered through the branches and saw four black dogs sitting on their haunches, staring back at them. “So, they’re not going to attack me, right?”
He grinned. “Not unless I tell them to.”
Right. Stay on Eli’s good side. “They’re just sitting there.”
“Because I told them to. They won’t move until I give them the okay.”
Crazy for Her (A K2 Team Novel) Page 24