AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Wait! I’ll leave on my own,” he said. “Give me a second. I promise I’ll go in peace if you’ll let me talk to my wife.”
“She has nothing to say to you,” Ethan responded.
“Then let her tell me that. Rachel!”
“Go home,” Bart snapped.
Nate wasn’t willing to make it that easy. Not when he’d come this far. He wasn’t leaving the compound until he caught at least a glimpse of Rachel. But he was too restricted to be able to fight. So he went limp, hoping to convince them he’d given up.
While some let go, four men continued to drag him to the gate. The rest followed behind. But even the ones who’d hung on relaxed their grip when they thought they’d won. And that was when Nate poured every ounce of strength he had into getting free.
He almost managed it. He slammed one man into another, decked the third and felt the fingernails of the fourth scrape deep in his arm as he tore out of his grip. Then he found his feet and made a mad rush toward the Enlightenment Hall. But the crowd that had been following swarmed him again, and he was soon lying facedown in the dirt.
“This guy’s dangerous!” someone yelled.
“I want my wife!” His words were muffled from the pressure on his back as they pushed him into the ground. “Tell her I’m here. Tell her I’m sorry. Let me see her. Please.”
“She’s no longer your wife,” Ethan said. “She belongs here now. Don’t come back.”
She belongs here…
As they yanked Nate to his feet, he was considering the wisdom of another attempt at escape. But then he heard exactly what he’d been hoping to hear.
“Wait! Don’t hurt him! I can calm him down. Just…let me explain to him.”
It was Rachel. Suddenly exhausted and in more pain than he’d previously realized, Nate sagged.
“He’s drunk. He won’t listen.” Ethan tried to keep her from approaching, but she jerked away.
She was a more skillful actress than Nate had given her credit for. The distress and concern on her face seemed real. “Oh, God, are you okay?” she asked as she knelt at his side.
He blinked away the dirt and sweat in his eyes. “They…they wouldn’t let me see you.”
“I’m here.” She glanced at the men surrounding him. “Let go of him.”
They wouldn’t, but she cupped his cheek, and her cool hand on his skin made him feel instantly better. “I—I’m sorry I hit you,” he said.
“I know. You’re always sorry but…I can’t come home. I—I know it’ll happen again.”
It wasn’t easy to pull his eyes away from her. She was wearing a white robe with gold embroidery, and it looked as if she was naked beneath it. He wanted to know what they’d done to her, if she was truly as okay as she seemed. But he couldn’t stop acting just because he’d been somewhat reassured of her safety. He shifted his gaze to Ethan. “What’s she wearing?”
Ethan’s eyebrows went up. “That’s none of your concern.” He put his hand on Rachel’s shoulder, the movement as authoritative as it was proprietary. “Go back to your room, Rachel. I’ll be there to speak with you shortly.”
Tears streaked down her cheeks. “But you’ve hurt him.”
“He got what he was asking for. He’ll be fine.”
Her quick embrace made him wish he could use his arms. He wanted to clasp her to him, if only for a second. But his captors didn’t trust him; they weren’t giving him another chance to break free.
He caught the scent of some oil or perfume just before he heard Rachel whisper, “Upstairs in the Enlightenment Hall, second room on the right.”
She’d told him where she was staying. Smart girl.
Satisfied, Nate stopped resisting and soon found himself tossed outside the gate.
Rachel waited in her room as Ethan had instructed. Because she’d come to him for refuge, he had more power over her than he otherwise would. The way he’d acted when Nate showed up proved he’d take full advantage of it, too. He was behaving more like a father or husband, someone who had greater control than a prophet or spiritual leader. And there were even some indications that he was treating her differently from regular church members. As far as she knew, she was the only one ensconced in the Enlightenment Hall, under his direct supervision. And what was that business at the end of her initiation, the part about being the “high vessel” of the Holy One?
Elevated status or not, she wasn’t sure how long she could last here. She was still nervous about Nate’s missing computer, wasn’t sure if that was a problem or not. And even if she couldn’t find Martha—and she’d seen no sign of her since arriving in Paradise—she had to get close to Ethan to figure out a way to stop him. Or get close to those who knew him well. She’d been hoping to spot Sarah tonight, but Sarah hadn’t attended either dinner or the initiation, at least as far as Rachel could tell. The fact that she was missing made Rachel anxious, eager to slip out and do some investigating. But Ethan had promised her a visit and she dared not leave until he’d said what he wanted to say and gone for the night.
With a sigh, she paused by the mirror. She was still wearing her new robe but only because she had nothing to change into. She wasn’t sure what had happened to the clothing she’d been wearing when she arrived but her tank top and shorts hadn’t been returned to her. And of course she hadn’t packed anything else.
Already she regretted that decision. What she had on made her feel as if all freedom—and the confidence she’d developed since leaving her father’s home—had been stripped from her. It didn’t help that the lack of underclothing made her feel so vulnerable.
A brisk knock told her Ethan had finally deigned to make an appearance.
Battling a sudden case of nerves, she crossed to the door and opened it a crack. It was Ethan, all right.
“How are you feeling?” His pupils were dilated, and his eyes looked glassy and almost entirely black. She could tell he was on something.
“Tired. It’s been an emotional day.”
“Yes, but one that’s ended well. I hope you understand you’re safe here. We’ve already proved that once, have we not? Your husband will never be able to hurt you again.”
He didn’t mention that seeing Nate’s face bloodied and bruised had obviously upset her but that concern had been too genuine to hide. Just the thought of Nate being kicked and hit by all those people made her willing to do anything to stop it.
