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“Oh, fuck,” Hammer murmured under his breath.
Buddy groaned in dismay.
Dean shook his head. “You were one of those religious freaks? I can’t picture that.”
“So some of you are familiar with them. For those who aren’t, Messiah City is a group of polygamists who call themselves The Chosen. They follow the religious teachings and strictures of their chosen Messiah. He dictates everything—what you wear, what you’re taught, what you eat, what you think, and especially who you marry.
“My mother had grown up in a similar religious community up north. Her father arranged a marriage between her and their version of royalty. A parcel of land and some cash in exchange for his fourteen-year-old daughter.”
Sounds of shock echoed around the room.
Beck shook his head. “Don’t feel too sorry for her. Esther wanted that marriage. She refused to be anyone’s second wife, but she hit the jackpot when she married the Messiah-in-waiting. So when her father-in-law died a few months later, she became top bitch—just like she wanted. Esther was the perfect mate for my father—ruthless, manipulative, sure of her moral superiority over others. And she wielded faith like a baseball bat.
“Nine months after their wedding, I came into the world, first son of the exalted new Messiah. They named me Gideon. While my father built his mecca, my mother gave birth to two more boys, Jedediah and Zacharias—in that order. More disciples started settling in Messiah City, and my father took on more wives to grow his flock and consolidate his power.”
“How many?” Heavenly asked, her voice shaking.
“Eventually about thirty. My mother accepted them, but she viewed those girls—I can’t even call them women—and the children they bore my father—over two hundred of them—as both less worthy and totally inconsequential in the eyes of God. She used them ruthlessly against each other and the other residents of Messiah City to retain power. It sickened me. Not even I was spared. Early on, I started questioning her. Where was the tolerance and benevolence we heard about on Sundays? That insolence earned me fifty lashes with the strap. She swore all the while she’d beat the stubbornness and headstrong will out of me.”
“Lucky for us she failed miserably,” Gloria cut in as she gave his hand a squeeze.
Beck couldn’t resist a smile. “She did, and I got used to her beatings. When I was ten, I stepped up my defiance. Every morning, she insisted my brothers and I say a prayer to denounce Satan. One day, I turned to her and asked why she wanted me to denounce her.”
The room erupted in shocked laughter.
“There’s the smart-ass we know and love.” Hammer clapped his shoulder.
Beck shrugged wryly. “I think I got a special beating with the cane that day. Whatever. It was hardly the first time. But after that, she turned her back on me and poured her attention onto my younger brothers. They weren’t quite old enough to question her, but they weren’t too young to corrupt.”
The room fell quiet as Beck reached for the glass of water on the coffee table in front of him. He hoped no one noticed how badly his hands were shaking.
“What happened next?” Seth asked quietly.
Beck was grateful for his presence and drew from his strength. The explanation was only going to get harder from here… “As the Messiah-in-waiting, everyone expected me to take my father’s place and guide his flock once the Heavenly Father called him to his glorious afterlife. So from the time I was born, people deferred to me, even bowed to me. I was our people’s savior, the next omnipotent leader of The Chosen.” Beck rolled his eyes. “Jedediah resented the fuck out of me. Not only was I heir apparent, but I didn’t embrace my father’s teaching with the proper zeal. Like our mother, my middle brother found me too lacking to deserve my ‘throne.’”
“And you didn’t want to follow in Daddy’s footsteps because he was butt-fuck crazy?” Hammer asked.
“Actually, I didn’t realize that until later. You have to understand, with that many wives and children, I actually didn’t see my father much. But I knew from a very early age that something in Messiah City was twisted. Eventually, I’d figure out just how sick and wrong, but…when I was a kid, my mom’s beatings and Jedediah’s jealousy were pretty much my whole world.”
“So is it your mom or Jedediah coming for you now?” Seth asked.
“Probably Jed, but I guarantee Esther is in on it, too. River said the man who came to your office to warn me had blond hair—a genetic gift from our mother. That had to be Zacharias, because when we were kids, Jed and I could almost pass for twins. Anyway, I’m sure Zach is the one who saw me in Vegas when I felt like I was being watched. It sure as fuck wasn’t Jed or I wouldn’t be here. He’s dangerous.”
“What does he want?” Sadness and worry lined Heavenly’s soft face.
“He wants me dead, little girl. As long as I’m alive, I’m a threat to his power.”
She covered her trembling mouth with a pale hand, eyes wide. Beck hated scaring her.
He took another sip of water. “The rules of Messiah City were strict. Punishment for even the tiniest infraction was swift and harsh. Males, other than family, weren’t allowed to even speak to an unmarried girl. They could talk to a married one, but only if her husband was present. And if you touched a girl who wasn’t your wife, you’d definitely be beaten and banished. Some were killed and dumped in the desert. Of course, when most boys were old enough to marry—or big enough to fight back—they were exiled. Less competition for the elders,” he drawled. “Those perverts kissed my father’s ass—and were given their pick of child brides.”
“How old?” Heavenly asked, looking stunned.
“Any girl who’d had her period was considered a ‘woman.’”
Raine looked horrified. “I got mine at ten.”
“And you would have had a baby by eleven.”
