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“Who is he?”
“Elder Ron.” My eyes shot forward, and I really gazed at the man. He hadn’t seen us yet. He was leaning on my truck. His stance spoke of arrogance and privilege, but he damn well shouldn’t be leaning on another man’s truck. No man did that unless he wanted trouble.
We began to walk towards my truck. I could feel Disa’s tension. I decided then and there to let her take the lead. This was her territory not mine. Whatever he wanted I didn’t want to cause a scene for her and make the situation worse.
“Elder Ron,” she said h
is name and I noticed the slight tremble in her tone. I hoped that he did not.
He turned his head towards Disa. “Disa Riley, how are you? Is it still Disa Riley?” He asked noticing the stroller and me with my daughter.
She licked her lips and nodded.
“Well your father and mother were correct then. You live a life of sin. I saw you driving through town with this man and decided to check on you to see how you were.”
I cringed at his words that she was living in sin. Disa was a good woman and he knew nothing about her. I cleared my throat. She laid her hand on my arm. She didn’t want me to speak up and correct him.
“Elder Ron this is my boyfriend. Ben, this is Elder Ron Parson from the compound where I grew up.”
He nodded at me. Polite people stuck out their hands and shook each other’s hand in Brown County. We were a friendly sort in Sherwood, Ohio with manners.
He made no move to extend his hand to me, so I didn’t move either. I remained stiff and formal by Disa’s side protecting her from whatever she felt she needed protecting from this man.
“I’m going to put Asia in the truck,” she informed me. I realized she wasn’t going to correct his misunderstanding about Asia’s parentage, so I didn’t either.
“You ruin her and don’t make an honest woman of her,” he said to me.
“You don’t know anything about our relationship, so I suggest you keep quiet,” I informed him. She might be afraid of him, but I was not.
He was bigger than me. I could see his strength in the musculature of his frame. His biceps were bigger, and I was a big man. His chest was broad like Elijah’s. Disa shut the truck door and returned to my side.
“You know your parents are dead,” Elder Ron informed her, gazing hard at her, which I could see unnerved Disa.
She gasped. I felt her knees give a little and I wrapped my arm around her waist. I thought he enjoyed being cruel to her which I didn’t understand.
“How?” She asked.
“Your father had a heart attack last year and your mother died shortly after within four months. She did not want to live without him. I married your sister after your mother’s death. We’ve been married going on four months now.”
Disa turned to gaze at me. She was puzzled. I didn’t know what she was thinking. I knew she had one younger sister and that was it. Merci was younger than Disa by three years so she was only twenty-three now while this man had to be at least Heath’s age, thirty-five.
“We need to be going, Elder Ron. Please give my condolences to Merci,” Disa said to him.
“You are dead to Merci. I’m afraid I cannot do that. If you care to return to the compound, we might be able to save you yet. Then you can have your sister back,” he replied to her.
She squeezed my hand at her waist. “No thank you, Elder Ron,” Disa replied with softness but fear too. I could hear it and I just wanted to get her into my truck to find out why she feared this man.
I guided Disa to the passenger seat. I could feel the man’s eyes on us. He hadn’t moved from the back where he leaned against the tailgate of my black, Ford. He better move soon, I would move him.
I helped her into the passenger seat, realizing only then how much the news of her parent’s death had affected her. Dad would have to get someone to cover her shift tonight. Disa wasn’t going to be working it.
I locked her door and she looked at me strangely. “It’s going to be fine,” I promised.
She nodded but said nothing. Her eyes vacant and unemotional which frightened me.
“I’m shutting the door now.”
Disa nodded again.
