“Fucking hell,” I mutter impatiently. “Out with it!”
“Eccles is the home of an ancient god,” Grace says. “Just outside of town, there’s a sacred site. It’s been dormant for a long time. A while ago, Scarlett’s uncle activated the stone and released the god, trying to attain its power.”
“I’m not affiliated with him,” Scarlett says. “He tried to sacrifice me and my son on that fucking rock, just so you know whose side I’m on.”
“Jesus,” I say. “Blood sacrifice?”
“Worse,” Grace says. “Too many people died that day. The spirit was called up, but it turned on the people who summonedit, and then it just hightailed it into the hills. Isn’t that right, Scarlett?”
“Yeah,” she says, nodding. I feel like there’s something she isn’t saying, but the memory seems traumatic for her, so I don’t push.
“So, Brad might have been called out to deal with this thing?” I gasp.
“No,” Scarlett says. “There would be a full-scale alert if the spirit was on the move. There might be related information, but nothing that would put us in immediate danger.”
“Okay,” I reply, not really buying it.
Grace tactfully changes the subject, and we go on to talk about the market fair. Scarlett is aiming to meet with Gen that afternoon and visit the lower quarter to ensure a good turnout for the day, even if Eccles doesn’t end up bringing anything to the table.
The girls soon go on to their next meet, and I stretch out on the couch, trying to relax. The pregnancy is taking so much out of me, I know I won’t be able to keep it a secret much longer.
I want to know Brad is really with me, not just tied to me. We have to be able to make it on our own.
Deep down, I know that Brad would never lie to me, or try to keep us together if it wasn’t meant to be, but I still have lingering doubts. And a wound in my heart from the abuse I’ve suffered in the past.
I end up dozing a little, relaxing on the couch, and worrying about when Brad will be home. I want to ask him some questions about this spirit and find out why he didn’t tell me before.
Doesn’t he trust me? Maybe he thought I’d run away. That my fear was stronger than my love.
My nerves return in full force, waking me up completely. I groan softly, rubbing my temple to try to soothe my headache.
Here I am again, worrying about telling Brad I’m pregnant. I would love to be having Brad’s baby under different circumstances, but at the moment, I need reassurance that he trusts me and really wants me.
I’m beginning to doze again when a tremendous crash sounds at the back of the house. I get up slowly and stagger towards the sound, fear running through my veins.
It sounded like a window being shattered!
I get closer to the back room, seeing tiny shards of glass glittering like diamonds against the shag carpet. I hold myself up on the wall and stare down the hall, wondering if a tree outside came down and hit the house.
Then a dark figure steps around the corner, a shadowy outline of a man. At first, the light is all wrong, and I can barely understand what I’m seeing. When he finally turns to face me, the light falls on a cruel smile I know all too well.
Paul.
Chapter 21 - Brad
The buzzing of my phone waking me in the gloomy dark may have been the worst sound I’ve ever heard in my life. My body feels heavy as I gently untangle my limbs from Alisha’s, reluctantly leaving the soft warmth of our bed.
When she wakes, I tell her I’ll be back soon and tuck the blanket around her. Even though I’m hoping for this to be a quick mission, I end up putting on my old combat gear, filling the pockets of my cargos with knives and tools.
You can take the man out of the military, but not the military out of the man.
I jump in the truck and head for the lookout point on the north side, where the others agreed to meet. The text said I had to come out for an emergency situation, and I have no idea what I’m driving into.
When I reach a small clearing off the edge of the dirt road, there are three military jeeps parked there. Shadows stand around them in full alert, assault rifles and other weapons ready to go.
Fuck. This looks bad.
“Who’s in command?” I snap, and Sloan comes out from behind one of the vehicles.
